What do you believe are the keys to coaching success?

When I ask this question, I am referring to both a coaching business and coaching clients, because I believe the keys are the same for both cases. For now let’s focus on our coaching business.

To have a successful coaching practice, individual or firm, I believe there are five categories that all the details can fall under. The category I am going to focus on here is creating and fulfilling your “personal brand.”

My definition of a personal brand is the following: what a person is known for, what values they possess and express, how they are remembered, and finally the thoughts that come to mind when their name is mentioned.

So what is your personal brand as a coach? How do you want your community to think about you? What do you want your clients to say about you? How are you acting and behaving to support your desired personal brand?

We must start with the end in mind. Clearly define what it is you want to be known for. For example, one of the areas I want to be known for is being an excellent speaker, teacher, and presenter.

To fulfill this personal brand I must create speaking or presenting opportunities. These can be either free or paid engagements. Get in front of the right audiences that can lead to many new opportunities. In October I conducted a day long workshop (per person registration fee) for a national crop insurance company and 45 of their Midwest agents. Each of these agents owns their own business. The planning of this day started about 6 months before the workshop date. The crop insurance company did all the marketing, all the registration, and covered all of the day’s expenses. Because of this workshop I have gained two new coaching clients and a number of opportunities still in front of me. This is one example of many activities I have done to live my personal brand.

The next action I must do to fulfill my personal brand is to understand the knowledge I am teaching to create the wisdom within my audience or clients. To create wisdom in others I have to have wisdom within myself. This to me is about congruency. How can I teach something that I do not do in my business? What impression does that give? How much credibility do I have? To take knowledge into wisdom we must understand it intimately, we must practice it, we much teach it, and we must use it ourselves.

The final action I must do to fulfill my personal brand of being an excellent speaker, teacher, and presenter is that I must practice over and over and over again until the material becomes natural and my mind is on auto pilot because I know it so well. Make the time to create the words you want to say, make a system of how you say it, and then take the time to practice and practice some more.

Creating and fulfilling your personal brand. This is a main ingredient to having a successful coaching practice, but remember, I believe there are four more ingredients.

If you would like to learn about the other four and be invited to an informational webinar, send me an email to montewyatt@actioncoach.com. There are many opportunities to gain assistance in creating a successful coaching practice. Find one that works for you and follow it.

Let’s make 2008 an incredible year!

Monte Wyatt
Your Action Coach