logistics of coaching?

[rei]

I am curious to know some of the practical aspects of coaching... if anyone will let me pick your brain a bit

Things such as:
- Any legal issues, requirements to register with some oversight institution, etc. (in the U.S.), or do disclaimers (and regular highlighting of personal choice) negate the need for something like this?

- If you do web-based coaching, do you have the client pay for x sessions up front, or just one session at a time?

- What would be some major considerations, in your opinion, in choosing whether to offer synchronous or asynchronous (web-based) coaching?

- If synchronous, what software/freeware/chat methods have you found which are compatible with multiple OS and user-friendly?

- If you offer asynchronous web-based coaching, did you find you needed to provide more evidence of the value to compensate for structuring it this way? If so, what type of evidence did you offer?

Obviously, lots of questions for different aspects... totally green here... and I appreciate your patience with my newbieness If there is anything else you'd like to share about the logistical and practical aspects of coaching, I'm grateful to hear it!

[CoolBee]

I'm a coach Rei and work online. I'll answer you in stages as I am rather busy at the moment!

STAGE 1

First of all, coaching is an unregulated profession in most countries so anyone can set themselves up as a coach with no training or experience. Celebrities often seem to use people who claim to be coaches but do things no properly trained coach would dream of doing.

You need to be very clear about what YOU consider coaching to be and the difference between coaching, mentoring, counselling and other 'allied' professions as this does impact quite strongly on liability insurance (depending on what country you are in).

I trained with an organisation called "The Coaching Academy" in London (just a note - this is extensive training with attendance on module days, assessed client portfolio including monitored practicals with clients and so on).

Most trained coaches - regardless of organisation - are 100% with the "you don't give advice or make suggestions" school of thought.

The use of the word 'coach' can cause confusion with people who associate it more with, say, sports or school work where 'coach' in that context often means 'mentor' where you are sharing the benefits of your own personal experience in a particular field.

You need to understand very clearly from the client what they are expecting. If they are expecting advice and suggestions, what they are after is a MENTOR or CONSULTANT or even THERAPIST (depending on the nature of the discussion) and this can impact strongly on your insurance if you have any and whether you need different qualifications or not.

There are a number of international organisations you can join eg International Coaching Federation or International Association of Coaching - both of which I am a member - and these can give further accreditation if you need it over and above what you have already, though it doesnt cover all bodies.

Membership of these or other organisations requires you to subscribe to a Code of Ethics.

I start all my sessions with what I call 'the housekeeping' - basically pointing out that anything done or not done by the client following the session is their own responsibility. I will PM you a copy of my 'housekeeping' which I send out at the start of sessions (as I do most of my coaching using Instant Messenger for people who prefer typing to talking!)

STAGE 2 - will follow later

[rei]

CoolBee, lots of really great info here! Thank you so much

Perhaps consulting is more in line with what I'd be doing, based on what you said. I don't know, though... I feel like being an "Intuition Development Consultant" or "Ascension Consultant" sounds a bit funny, a bit overly professional or something, considering the spiritual/love-based nature of the work. It's that type of work I'm looking into, though.

So, it's not about being a Life Coach, if that matters...

But I'm thrilled to get such extensive information from you (VERY helpful), and I'll appreciate anything more you offer when you're taking a break from all the busyness! Thanks as well for the housekeeping message!!

[ssandra]

As to the pricing, you can go several ways whatever you feel better at, but I would suggest the following:

Pay per appointment - Payment must be in before the session starts.
If it is not in, and they pay after 5% increase in price (if you do the session at all, you can also choose to postpone the session until the money is in).

Pay per 5 appointments - Discount of 5%

Pay per 10 appointments - Discount of 10%

This way people with less cash flow can afford the trainings / coachings as well, and people with more cash flow can get a discount by paying up front. Which gives you some extra financial security.

Regarding the regulations and rules, give a call to your local chamber of commerce, they might know more about it.

[rei]

Sandra, that sounds like a good approach to pricing, thank you So much to look at for this, but I thought some research could help, and that's proving to be true

I'm wondering would the local chamber of commerce apply if it's a web-based endeavor where clients could be all over the world?

Definitely agree with the discount idea. I'm so not a natural business person, but I like the idea of offering incentives. (Maybe that word, "incentives," means something else in businesspeak but you get my meaning.)

[ssandra]

Originally Posted by rei

I'm wondering would the local chamber of commerce apply if it's a web-based endeavor where clients could be all over the world?

Since you are based where you are based, most likely the rules and regulations for setting up a business in that area would apply.

But it cannot hurt them to ask. They might simply have more information for you?

Definitely agree with the discount idea. I'm so not a natural business person, but I like the idea of offering incentives. (Maybe that word, "incentives," means something else in businesspeak but you get my meaning.)

Incentives is a good word And a good idea in general.
As well to have your clients stick with you and not give up after 2 sessions..

You might want to throw in some sort of a refund in case the client pays for 10 sessions but is done in 6?

[rei]

Originally Posted by ssandra

Since you are based where you are based, most likely the rules and regulations for setting up a business in that area would apply.

But it cannot hurt them to ask. They might simply have more information for you?

Good point. I don't even know if I have to be official in some way, or if that happens only when you're making a certain amount, or what. So it would be good to ask.

Originally Posted by ssandra

Incentives is a good word And a good idea in general.
As well to have your clients stick with you and not give up after 2 sessions..

You might want to throw in some sort of a refund in case the client pays for 10 sessions but is done in 6?

That's a good idea, and I would personally consider the work to be very successful if they reach their goals sooner than they expected to!

[CoolBee]

STAGE 2

Regarding pricing - many coaches require payment for a package up front but having said that most would, as SSandra suggests, offer a refund for unused time or if it was apparent the relationship was otherwise no longer constructive.

Personally I prefer to charge on a session by session basis with payment being made a couple of days before the session.

Pricing structure: depends on yourself. There are usually 'going rates' in these kinds of professions, and don't forget that if you are comparing yourself to being an employee, you need to take into account that you have overheads to cover that as an employee you don't - eg time spent on your business rather than in your business, health insurance or whatever you are accustomed to an employer providing - and so you need to judge your fees in that context.

Personally, while I appreciate there is a going rate, I also understand that many people who would benefit from coaching may not be able to afford the usual rate on a continuing basis. I therefore offer discounts for those willing to participate in my Continuing Professional Development requirements which may mean becoming a case study, having a session observed by a quality assessor, be willing to have a new technique tried out on them. I also offer a few 'low waged' places each month under certain conditions.

Whether you offer synchronous or asynchronous depends on you, the client and the issue! All mine is synchronous. I use instant messengers - Windows Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, Google Talk and Skype Chat. (And Skype VOIP for my voice coaching). If a client wants to try a different set up, then I'm willing to try to accommodate them.

When considering whether you will be a 'coach' or not - there is in fact nothing to stop you using the word coach as long as everyone is clear what you are offering. If you are encouraging people to find answers from within themselves (rather than giving them answers) and perhaps techniques for doing that, then you could still be a coach.

For example, while I don't give advice or make suggestions or tell people what to do, I will, for example, use exercises to help clients draw things out from themselves. In a way I am teaching them to use tools to find their own answers once the coaching relationship ends.

EG I did a stakeholder exercise with one client and she was totally focused on the three people she thought were in her business. By asking her many questions and getting her to draw the processes involved in getting her customer from initial awareness of her product to delivery of the product, she ended up identifying over 100 stakeholders in her business and consequent implications for things like product delivery dates and so on. she now uses the kind of questions and exercises I did with her to draw things like this out of herself when she needs to without needing coaching necessarily.

[rei]

CoolBee, once again I'm impressed by all the useful information you offered - thank you! I am curious to know what you mean by 'low wage' places under certain conditions. You mean places on your list of clients?

Oh, and it would definitely not be me giving advice the whole time, it would be a collaboration of empowerment. It is not the sort of thing where I tell someone what to do and poof things change, their willingness to lead their own process is a key

So many choices, and so much to think about...
How long did it take you to generate a steady income from this work?

Thanks again!

[CoolBee]

By 'low wage places' I mean that I offer the chance for a few clients on low wages (eg maybe a student or a retired person or someone simply on low pay) the opportunity for very reduced rate coaching. They can have a maximum of 12 sessions at that rate. I don't ask for proof - it's their own judgement as to whether they qualify or not.

It's difficult to say about the steady income because I don't work at it full-time as I have other projects on the go and another source of income.

I do know coaches who work full-time at it who I would say built up to mabye £20k ($30k) per annum within a couple of years.

Put it this way, coaching one-to-one is probably not the way to make big bucks until you are prepared to put a lot of work into the publicity side eg books, tv, radio, aiming at the high-end executive.

It is however immensely rewarding to do.

From an income perspective, Corporate Coaching is the way to go - but breaking into this can take a lot of effort and persistance - you can also meet some interesting ethical dilemmas!

PS Regarding doing it full-time - be aware that one to one work, whether coaching, or teaching, or whatever, can be quite tiring so don't anticipate being able to do more than, say, 4 or 5 hours max per day on a regular basis with some good breaks between.

If you try and do more than that, well your inner resources may be drained (obviously your own mental, physical and emotional well-being come in to play here as well!) and you may not be serving your clients well. I never do more than 3 in one day.

I also find you need to leave some slack in there because just occasionally you will reach a point with a client where you cannot cut them off (end the session) - where they may reach some kind of breakthrough possibly, or where if you did cut them off, they would not be in a good place emotionally. So either continue the session longer or if that is really not possible, make time as soon as possible afterwards to follow up and make sure the client is in a good place.

[rei]

Originally Posted by CoolBee

By 'low wage places' I mean that I offer the chance for a few clients on low wages (eg maybe a student or a retired person or someone simply on low pay) the opportunity for very reduced rate coaching. They can have a maximum of 12 sessions at that rate. I don't ask for proof - it's their own judgement as to whether they qualify or not.

It's difficult to say about the steady income because I don't work at it full-time as I have other projects on the go and another source of income.

I do know coaches who work full-time at it who I would say built up to mabye £20k ($30k) per annum within a couple of years.

Put it this way, coaching one-to-one is probably not the way to make big bucks until you are prepared to put a lot of work into the publicity side eg books, tv, radio, aiming at the high-end executive.

Hmm, yeah, I don't really have a target income, more just what will be enough And I find myself trusting that about 90% now, and within the next day or two I'll be working through the stuff creating the other 10% there.

I am still trying to look at whether to focus on time management (honestly don't like the feeling of splitting my focus, though) or all-in with this sort of thing.

Originally Posted by CoolBee

It is however immensely rewarding to do.

Oh yeah, I can tell Sort of like positive psychology in a way, solutions and not problems Similar to my existing background in several ways.

Originally Posted by CoolBee

From an income perspective, Corporate Coaching is the way to go - but breaking into this can take a lot of effort and persistance - you can also meet some interesting ethical dilemmas!

I am so glad there's such a diversity in the world, so someone else who's passionate about this can go for it

(Maybe I misunderstood the term. But I don't know if corporate folks within a corporate setting would be interested in intuitive development, though I'm willing to be totally wrong about that. I've certainly found practical applications for my intuition I also would prefer the one-on-one where the personal is considered an important layer in the process. Not one-size-fits-all. That may or may not be involved in Corporate Coaching.)

Originally Posted by CoolBee

PS Regarding doing it full-time - be aware that one to one work, whether coaching, or teaching, or whatever, can be quite tiring so don't anticipate being able to do more than, say, 4 or 5 hours max per day on a regular basis with some good breaks between.

I never do more than 3 in one day. If you try and do more than that, well your inner resources may be drained (obviously your own mental, physical and emotional well-being come in to play here as well!) and you may not be serving your clients well.

I also find you need to leave some slack in there because just occasionally you will reach a point with a client where you cannot cut them off - where they may reach some kind of breakthrough possibly, or where if you did cut them off, they would not be in a good place emotionally. So either continue the session longer or if that is really not possible, make time as soon as possible afterwards to follow up and make sure the client is in a good place.

Really useful info here I'd say in other professions where there is a one-on-one, at-times-emotional client relationship, the ideal is to space it out like you say - in practice sometimes folks don't, but it's much better in the long run to do so.

As an introvert, I admit I like the idea of asynchronous, and could probably work with more people that way. I'll need to look at that some more.

What would you advise regarding marketing?

I can't thank you enough for the help