Talking about Coaching

So many coaches dread doing “marketing”, being visible on social media, figuring out advertising, or going to network events, only to create a steady stream of clients for their coaching business. While there is no way around building bridges or creating touch points of some sort between you and prospective clients, there are many ways to do this, and in today’s episode our resident coaches Yannic...

Last episode we talked about why every coach can (even should) be confident about charging for the space they create for their clients. “Just” being there for and with them, offering our undivided attention, helps greatly and often works wonders. However, many coaches are keen to increase their prices but don’t feel confident about it. In this episode our resident coaches Yannick & Siawash are...

Welcome to this episode of Talking about Coaching, the podcast from coaches for coaches.  This episode is one of Yannick's deep dives into one topic or person and we're talking to Georgie Nightingall, founder of Trigger Conversations and transformational life coach. I love Georgie's inspired thinking, the way she deeply contemplates and reflects and how she's learned to strike...

Lots of coaches would like to charge more for their coaching, but don’t feel confident that they’re worth the money. This can have a variety of reasons such as our own money stories, what the word “sell” means to us, and often a lack of some basic technical skills with regards to how we talk to our clients and how we run consultations. We believe every coach can (even should) be confident about ch...

Even before we were hit with a global pandemic, coaching while walking, walk’n’talk, coaching in nature and other forms of being outside of a coaching “room” have sparked our interest. Now, more than ever, coaching clients outside has become relevant to many coaches. That’s why in this episode our resident coaches Yannick, Siawash and Nicki are discussing the benefits and pitfalls of coaching clie...

A surprising majority of coaches we talk to regularly go over the agreed time for their coaching sessions. At the very least it happens occasionally. In therapy it’s a big no-go! Coaches seem to be a lot more relaxed about this, some even plan going over time into their contract and are more flexible. What we do know is that it affects our relationship and the boundaries we create in some form or...

No decent coach enjoys making their clients uncomfortable. And yet, in order to grow fast, our clients often need to leave their comfort zone and venture into uncharted territory. An important part of the process is for the coach to offer questions and observations that may challenge the client’s beliefs or worldview. Many coaches, especially at the beginning of their journey, shy away from challe...

This episode is one of Yannick's deep dives into one topic or person. We're talking to Sasha van Deurzen Smith, existential coach, Programme Leader of the MA in Existential Coaching at the New School for Psychotherapy and Counselling, daughter of Emmy van Deurzen and one of the first coaches with a Masters in Existential Coaching. We've got a lot to talk about and we hope you'l...

Many coaches carry the weight of feeling responsible for their clients’ success (or lack thereof). We hear about this often in supervision. When it takes longer than planned for their clients to reach their goal or they get frustrated along the way, many coaches ask: Could I have done more? What did I do wrong so that this client doesn’t achieve what they set out to do? What if they ask for their...

What is effective coaching? And what does an effective coaching session look like? How would you structure a session for an effective outcome? What’s the process? Much of the answers to these questions depend on individual context, but effective coaching also has many elements in common. In this episode of Talking about Coaching our resident coaches Yannick, Siawash and Nicki discuss their takes o...

This episode is one of Yannick's deep dives into one topic or person. We're talking to Eric Larson, coach of 15 years and with over 10.000 hours on his back. We're exploring the importance of play in coaching both as a technique as well as a rich metaphor for how people approach life. We talk about finite games, infinite games, how to figure out the "rules" and lots more. ...

When the CoViD-19 pandemic peaked in 2020, most coaches started working exclusively online, and so our resident coaches Yannick, Siawash and Nicki decided to share some of their most asked-about tips and tricks for running coaching sessions via video conferencing. We’ll talk about lighting, eye contact, external cameras, and how we don’t need to buy fancy equipment to make coaching work effectivel...

What is effective coaching? And what does an effective coaching session look like? How would you structure a session for an effective outcome? What’s the process? Much of the answers to these questions depend on individual context, but effective coaching also has many elements in common. In this episode of Talking about Coaching our resident coaches Yannick, Siawash and Nicki discuss their takes o...

Explaining what coaching is (and isn’t) is an important part of the process for coaches who set up the working alliance and contract for an effective coaching space. Metaphors can help tremendously to help clients grasp and understand coaching. Since there’s a broad range of what coaching might look like and entail and everybody seems to have their own definition and approach, our resident coaches...

Nicki wanted to give her coaching practice a business boost and asked us how to choose the right kind of programme out of the jungle of available courses online. Without advertising any specific courses or programmes, in this episode we’re talking about the criteria and questions that are important to consider before making such a choice. We’re talking about how to find out which programme might b...

Marina is one of the many coaches who I recently talked to about how essential goal setting is to our work as coaches. Can we coach someone without having a clear agenda? Does it need to be SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound)? Is it okay if the goal emerges along the way? What if it’s vague? Should we spend time making it more specific? Is it still coaching if we star...

Silence - one of the most powerful interventions during a conversation. Yet, so many people are deeply uncomfortable when nobody’s talking. Many coaches, especially when they’re starting out, are overly concerned with providing value or not to make the client feel uncomfortable, that they often fill silences quickly during a coaching session. Sometimes it’s best to speak, sometimes it’s best to ho...

Imola asked us how we prepare for a coaching session, so in this episode we each share a few things we do ahead of seeing a coaching client that help us prepare for our sessions. We’d love to hear what you’re doing to prep for your sessions and coaching clients.  _____ If you'd like to stay up to date with new episodes, continue the conversation or generally support what we do:  Send us your...

Coaching stands and falls with the quality of the relationship between coach and client. And then there are hundreds of different coaching approaches and millions of different coaches and coachees. How do you make sure your client is a good fit? How can you tell that the service you have to offer will be a good match for your client’s wants and needs? In this episode our resident coaches Yannick J...

Assunta asked us the question that many new coaches have on their mind. It can be difficult to ascertain how much to charge for their coaching services. Some coaches jump in with high ticket fees, others coach for free until they find the confidence to charge for sessions. Following up from Episode 5, in this episode Yannick, Siawash and Nicki discuss the most important factors that play into sett...

 Accountability is a powerful motivational force. Feeling accountable to someone is a major driver of behaviour for many people. We said we will do it, so we want to keep our word, not embarrass ourselves, preserve our integrity or whatever else is driving us towards the result. Most people work well with deadlines. Sometimes it is enough for a client to have the next session booked in to feel acc...

 Kelly asked us whether it may not be advisable to provide too much value during her consultations as she had a few clients who ended up getting what they need from the first session and then didn’t sign up for the actual coaching. In this episode of Talking about Coaching our resident coaches Yannick Jacob, Siwash Zahmat and Nicki Drab discuss what plays into this, how we might navigate a situati...

You’re sitting there, all ready to coach, but your client isn’t turning up. Or you’ve prepared for your coaching session and blocked the time in your calendar, perhaps even said "no" to other clients or friends, but then your client cancels at short notice. How do you deal with this kind of scenario? We’re here to shed some light on what’s important to consider when this happens to you a...

One of the most frequently asked questions of coaches who are just starting out is whether they need a very specific niche in order to be successful at signing up new clients. Some coaches will argue that it’s best to niche as narrow as you can, so that your clients know you’re speaking directly to them. Others will tell you that they are simply “life coaches” and they work with anyone on anything...

Some coaches take copious notes during their coaching sessions. Others never write anything down. Many write reflections after their coaching sessions to keep track of actions, achievements or specific contexts that they then review before the next meeting. In this episode we discuss note taking and how it can aid or hinder the coaching process and relationship.  _____ If you'd like to stay u...