Those who are considering a career in Christian Professional Coaching must consider whether or not people are interested their services. Does it make financial sense to invest in a Christian Professional Coaching certification? Is there a market for such services? How does one go about reaching potential clients? These are real questions that need real answers, and that is what this post is all about. The following are 3 simple steps that you can follow to get hired as a Christian Professional Coach:

Focus on your Professional Coaching outcomesFocus on your outcomes

Most novice coaches make the mistake of thinking that clients “buy” coaching. They don’t. The only thing clients are interested in is results, and they will have a what’s-in-it-for-me? mentality. We live in a society where many people believe that the end justifies their means. People are extremely results-oriented. There is a very good chance that you will come across clients who do not care much about the coaching process, but they are desperately looking for positive outcomes.
As a Professional Coach, it is very easy to lose these types of clients by focusing on Professional Coaching rather than results. It is no secret that a Christian Professional Coaching certification will give you credibility, but credibility only helps to attract the clients. Once a client engages you, they no longer care about your certification and are now concerned about the coaching outcomes. If you cannot help your clients to tie the Professional Coaching process to a desired goal or outcome, the client will no longer be interested in your services.

Unfortunately, new coaches may lack the language to effectively and clearly communicate the outcomes to their clients. For example, if you want to do business with a company, you will have to make the ROI very clear and attractive. Most coaches do a tremendous job of explaining the Professional Coaching process. They excel at laying down the steps that will be taken in the process. However, it is rare that a client wants to hear your pitch. What they are really thinking is, I get that you want to take my money, but what’s in it for me? If you can answer that simple question to the client’s satisfaction, you will not struggle to sign up clients.

Hone your messageHone your Professional Coaching message

Communicating the benefits of Professional Coaching to your prospective client is a must-have skill if you are to be a successful Christian Professional Coach. Here are 4 helpful tips that can help you hone your message to increase your chances of getting hired:

Share your testimony – There is a reason why the early church overcame the evil one by the word of their testimony (Revelation 12:11). A testimony is always powerful. Start by sharing your personal testimony. Talk to your client about the benefits you have personally reaped from Professional Coaching. If you already have your Christian Professional Coaching certification, then you must have also coached some clients. Talk to your prospective clients about how Professional Coaching has helped your previous clients (without sharing any confidential information, of course). Share testimonials if you have any, or reach out to other clients and ask if they would be willing to share how Professional Coaching helped them. A testimony is a way of assuring your clients that Professional Coaching actually works.

Recurring themes – Revisit your Professional Coaching sessions with different clients and identify the recurring themes. If most of your clients need help in a common area, you may have found your coaching niche, as there is a good chance that prospective clients will need help in the same area. Here is a helpful hint: Look for at least three recurring themes and then communicate the benefits of Professional Coaching in those areas of life. For instance, you can show your prospective client the personal, spiritual, and professional gains your past clients have reaped from the Professional Coaching sessions. Be as specific as possible so that clients will see value in your offer.

A clear roadmap – The Christian Professional Coaching certification process prepares Professional Coaches to know exactly how they should plan out their Professional Coaching programs with clients. However, since different clients have different needs and different challenges, it may be difficult to set out a clear roadmap before engaging with them. This leads many Professional Coaches to leave out this crucial step when communicating their goals to their clients. To avoid this error, think of the best way to package your coaching expertise to offer the best value to your client. For example, what do you intend to do in every session? What exercises and assessments will be included? Outlining this will help the client have a clear picture of what to expect. You can refine the process further after you are hired.

Targeted marketing – Marketing is more intricate than merely putting your “hire me” shingle out to the public. In order to increase your conversion rates, you need to figure out who your target audience is and market directly to that audience. Your Christian Professional Coaching certification prepared you for coaching Christian clients, so that might be a good, broad audience to start from. But to get specific, break down the audience according to the niche you want to focus on. Do you want to offer professional Professional Coaching services to help companies and employees? Do you want to offer ministerial Professional Coaching to help church leaders become better at serving their congregations? Jesus was very specific about his audience. At one point, he almost turned away a woman who needed healing because she was not in his target audience at that time (Matthew 15:26). Therefore, it is prudent to define your audience.

Get ICF CertifiedGet Certified

This seems like an obvious step, but it is important to mention, nonetheless. Running a successful Professional Coaching business without proper certification will be an uphill task. There are many benefits to obtaining a Christian Professional Coaching certification. For instance, a certified Professional Coach is more trusted by clients and offers greater value. In simple terms, if someone is looking for a Professional Coach and is deciding between two individuals, certification will be one of the major determining factors. As well, certified Professional Coaches also earn a higher hourly rate than those that are not certified.
The ICF is the gold standard in Professional Coaching, so that is the certification to go for. The ICF is neither a Christian organization nor do they train Professional Coaches. Instead, they offer accreditation to various programs that offer training. This means that it is in your best interest to obtain the prerequisite training through an ICF certified program.

Conclusion

As you build your business, take time for continuous improvement, both professionally and personally. Remember, if you stagnate your business will as well. Once you get your first ICF credential, do not allow complacency to set in; instead, start working towards the remaining two credentials. Even after getting all three, look for opportunities to continually sharpen your skills.
One way of doing this is taking time to attend or participate in seminars and conferences that offer CCE (Continuing Coach Education) credits. You’ll deepen your knowledge and understanding of various Professional Coaching competences that will enhance your public image and help you stand out in the Professional Coaching space. This will truly set you apart from other Professional Coaches in your niche, and you will never struggle to get clients.
Find out more about Christian Professional Coach Certification.
Contact Aim Higher to get started today!