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Wendy Buckingham / Creator, Life Coaching Professionally
Welcome to my life coaching blog! To stay up to date, please make sure you subscribe to my RSS Feed.
This blog assists new and established coaches and those wanting to embrace life coaching as a career with independent information, coaching tips and practice growing strategies.
So ask yourself: “Is this goal something I am in control of and can achieve by my own efforts, or is it something I am dependent on someone else’s efforts for success?”
If success is riding on the back of another person’s idea, ambition, inspiration or activities watch out! So if your goal is reliant, even partially, on another for success, make sure that person willing and, more importantly, capable of meeting your expectations.
Discover more vital tips for goal success
Certification is what is offered at the end of a coach specific training to show you have completed and maybe taken a test within the training offered.
Accreditation applies to a training not a coach. The training has been accredited to comply with the criteria and standards of an independent coaching organisation such as the ICF.
Credentialing is what coaches who reach a certain level of proficiency and coaching experience can apply for from some of the independent coaching associations such as the ICF.
Still confused about coach training. This will help you understand and make the right decision.
With apologies to John Lennon’s - So Now This Is Christmas - it's time to acknowledge what you have done, rather than lament what you didn't do, or weren’t able to do in this memorable, for all the wrong reasons, 2020.
My New Year’s gift to you, as my valued subscriber to this blog, is Chapter 11- Celebration, The Great Motivator - from my book Be Your Own Goals Coach.
I hope it will help you and your coaching clients, celebrate the wins for 2020 however small, and turn any perceived failures, even into experiences from which you can grow and set the foundation for greater things in 2020.
Here’s to a peaceful, healthy, abundant and fun 2021
Comparing ourselves to others as coaches can be really self-destructive. There will always be someone who charges more or less, or appears to have more experience or skills to offer, more “likes” on their Facebook page and so on.
So when you (or your clients) next start indulging in the “I ‘m not as good as” stop and remember its pointless and self-destructive to compare yourself to others.”
Better to set firm and powerful goals that work for you and go for it.
Certification is what is offered at the end of a coach specific training to show you have completed and maybe taken a test within the training offered.
Accreditation applies to a training not a coach. The training has been accredited to comply with the criteria and standards of an independent coaching organisation such as the ICF.
Credentialing is what coaches who reach a certain level of proficiency and coaching experience can apply for from some of the independent coaching associations such as the ICF.
There's a lot more to it and this will help you understand and make the right decision.
Continue reading "Things To Know About Life Coach Training and Certification"
This tip is about creating a business card that will really do the job of making you memorable whether you give it out to a coaching prospect, a neighbour, someone you meet on the train or plane or a persona of influence in your niche who may refer your a client.
I’ve put together lots of creative business card ideas and mistakes to avoid so check them out.
But it doesn’t always happen. Something has occurred that has thrown them off track and is stopping them from being totally present.
I have solved this happening by asking at the beginning of every session “Are we Ok to go ahead or do you have anything on your mind we need to talk about first?”
Clearing the space right at the start of every session makes sure you are not trying to coach over a “withhold” that it taking the clients attention.
For more coaching tips your coach training may not have taught you I invite you to subscribe to my free Life Coaching Accelerators:
This goal achievement secret comes from the chapter in my book Be Your Own Goals Coach on creating a personal’ Success Policy’ around the strategies and behaviours you need to develop to give you the best chance of success in reaching your goals.
Always aim to get the facts about an issue or question you have rather than making an assumption or listening to an opinion. And get those facts from someone who really is in a position to know them, and is not just guessing or assuming themselves.
Irrespective of the amount of coach training you have undertaken, if you identify yourself as coaching in health related coaching niches, and are not a qualified and licensed therapist in that area, take heed or you could be on shaky ground.
If you are going to offer any sort of health advice on your social media profiles or website, outside the boundaries of coaching, make sure that the reader understands the boundaries of your qualifications and does not take your suggestions as medical advice.You can see how I have demonstrated this in the disclaimer on my website article on weight-loss goals to ensure I do not stray into the territory of eating disorders
Continue reading "Weight Loss Coaching v. Therapy Boundaries"
Much better for you and your clients to ask “What do I want and how can I have it?
The thing is that whilst you are going inwards looking for answers not much is happening to solve the problem. It’s Ok if you immediately know what you did to create a particular situation, or what you learned from it to move on. Otherwise you waste a lot of energy searching for an answer that may or may not be there whilst standing still.
It’s not surprising that many of those who take up what they think is life coaching have no real idea about its origins or parameters. They may never have heard of Thomas Leonard a financial adviser who developed the concept of life coaching in the early 1990s and started the first life coach specific training - CouchU, or as it was called then Coach University.
He also founded the International Coach Federation and created the first credentialing system and code of ethics for life coaches. So learn about what prompted him to move from financial advising to life coaching and how all evolved.
Anyone can create a life coaching course and offer certification at the end of it. The thing is that the certification is only as good as the person or school offering it. What really gives the course credibility is that it is accredited by a truly independent and authentic coaching association that sets standards and ethics such as, but not exclusively, the ICF.
I’m not saying that all certification courses that are not accredited are no good, or that every accredited course is perfect and great value. But there are a lot being offered that will fall short of standards and not give you the credibility you are looking for as a coach or value for money.
So check them out carefully with this information and list of possible questions to ask so you don’t end up disappointed and wasting your money.
Continue reading "Finding The Right Life Coach Training For YOU!"
Here’s a technique that has worked for me when inertia sets in. Go forward in your mind to the end of the day and look back. How will you feel if you have spent the day procrastinating? The imagine how you will feel if, as you snuggle down to sleep, you have overcome that inertia, and can acknowledge yourself for having taken even a little step towards your goal - such as a phone call, an email written, a Facebook post – whatever. I guarantee it will life your spirit and get your moving again.
I learned the hard way when I was quite within my refund policy rights to refuse a refund for two unused session, which I did. The results was a happy client who then became resentful, and sent a nasty email.
So by all means have a firm refunds policy but also use your judgement with each request. Sometimes it is better to sacrifice a few dollars (even if you really need them), rather than have an ex-client out there who will speak ill of you and certainly won’t refer you.
Stephen Covey, in his book Seven Habits of Highly Successful People, has ‘renewal’ as the seventh and most neglected habit. Specific time out for self-nurturing, in whatever form that takes – rest, recreation, time with family – it is a vital well-being and success strategy
When you are overwhelmed, frazzled, needy and tired are you attractive and encouraging to be with to your family, friends or even your clients?
So do allow yourself to take time out to smell the roses and look after you. Sit in the sun, go for a walk, book a massage, have coffee with a friend or, CV19 permitting, go away for a weekend. Even the most inspired and energetic of us need renewal time to regroup and regenerate. It really pays off.
For more good ideas and great coaching tips for you and your clients, I invite you to subscribe to for lots more tips to help you and your clients
Continue reading "Tips To Accelerate Your Life Coaching Career"
It may seem much easier, quicker (and less confronting) to handle a difficult situation by email, text or messenger than making a phone call.Yet for sensitive communications it is usually not the best way. Written communication invariably lacks the tone and essence that comes with the spoken word, so is open to misinterpretation.
Speaking physically allowed for quick questions and answers and, most importantly, preserved and strengthened the relationship.So before you message and text on important or sensitive issues, do consider whether it would be better and more satisfactory to pick up the phone.
I invite you to subscribe to my free regular Life Coaching Accelerators for lots more tips to help you and your clients.
Try “When were you last OK?” Then follow it up with “What or who happened?”
So often, something that somebody said or did to your client, or an event that occurred, can send their energy spiralling down without their even realising what is happening. Something less obvious that CV19, for instance.
Just helping them identify and acknowledge when they were last OK and what then happened to throw them, can often be enough to pop them out of their stress and confusion and restore their energy and intention.
Of course you may have to do some more coach probing around the issue, especially if they have trouble spotting the trigger, but the main key is being able to help them identify when they were last doing well and what happened to change things.
It’s also a great questions to use on yourself when you feel YOU have lost your mojo.
Continue reading "Powerful Coaching Tips To Get Great Client Results"
But losing weight can be one of the hardest goals to achieve. There are so many insidious challenges your clients can face that get in the way.
To make weight loss goals easier to achieve I’ve put together six little used tips specifically to support goals to lose weight. They will help you coach your clients to have the result they are looking for and you to have some weight loss success stories to brag about.
Continue reading "How To Have Success With Weight Loss Goals"
And this is far more likely to happen when you are new to coaching and eagerly take on all comers.
The solution as I now see it is not to descend into self-reproach and feelings of inadequacy (I’ve been there) but to end the coaching relationship elegantly and put it down to an experience to learn from.
So how do you literally fire a client so there is no, or a minimum, of hard feeling. Not all will go quietly, so you need to be kind, yet firm. This will help you get it right.
What I want to know, and I think other people who check out your profile want to know, is how do you relate to me in a coaching context so I get really frustrated when the space where you can post an intro is blank.
So do take the time and effort to fill this intro in with a few words about what you do professionally and a a link either to your website, blog, LinkedIn, or your Facebook business page and don't miss out on this important marketing opportunity.You can see how I have done it on my personal FB page.
Continue reading "How To Use Your Personal FB Profile As A Marketing Tool"
Time to learn how to say NO and still keep relationships intact. It can be challenging at first but with intention and practice it will pay off towards being more in control of what you agree to.
Lots more tips on how to refuse a request elegantly
Given that live presentations may not be possible for the time being because of CV19, I’ve added a section about presenting using an online platform to my article on attracting clients through speaking engagements.
You'll find all the low down to support you to feel confident about presenting whether you have a face to face or online audience and even tips on overcoming any fears about public speaking.
Check it out and let me know what you think.
Next Tuesday May 5, I will be delivering a free webinar titled Five Mistakes That Can Stop You Achieving Your Goals And How to Avoid Them". I was thrilled to be invited to do this by the UK based International Authority of Professional Coaches and Mentors (IAPCM) I’d love for you to be there and get these invaluable tips to help you and your clients achieve their goals. .
If you can't make it, it will be available as a recording to all who register. Do come along. You can find out more and register here:
It can be a challenge if you’ve only ever coached face to face but once you appreciate the advantages for both you and your clients it will help you make the transition easier.
In my latest article on becoming an online life coach, I discuss the benefits of phone and online coaching (which I’ve done for years), coaching tips, mastering the technology and looking and sounding good on line.
Continue reading "How Are You Going With Becoming and Online Life Coach?"
I’m ashamed to say this blog, comes for my own discovery that on one of the pages on Life Coaching Professionally four of the links weren’t working at all or going to the wrong place. Not a good look!
So I do thoroughly recommend to all your website and blog owners out there, please check your links regularly to make sure they are working and linking to where you want them to. Then you don’t run the risk of annoying and possibly losing prospective coaching clients who visit you online.
It’s easy to do, just bookmark the free Broken Link Check https://www.brokenlinkcheck.com
In my page on setting your life coaching fees I discuss these challenges around getting it right about what to charge, including the danger of discounting, the pros and cons of publishing your fees and whether or not there is a benefit in giving free sessions.
It’s a jungle out there I know and finding one that is legitimate, credible and will stand you in good stead in a coaching career can be really challenging.
This article will help you research to find the best training and certification for your needs, including 10 vital questions to ask before you enrol and part with your money
Continue reading "Finding Your Way Through the Life Coach Training Jungle"
This article will help you steer safely through the minefield of finding the right life coach marketing plan for you. You'll also learn six powerful questions to ask before commit and part with your money.
These simple 12 no cost or low cost ideas will raise your profile and attract those ideal clients you are seeking.
Pick out one or two or even three that resonate with you and go for it!
Continue reading "12 Proven Simple Marketing Ideas for Life Coaches"
These networking tips and tricks on what to do and, more importantly, what not to do.
Learn how to build your confidence, overcome networking anxiety and get it right whether you are meeting people in person or through social media networking.
Continue reading "How To Network Effectively - Do's And Don'ts"