Not too long ago, coaching wasn’t even a profession. But today, it’s one of the most sought-after career choices for ambitious people. After professionals realized the importance of small business coaching and individuals saw the benefits of personal coaching, this industry really took off.
Coaching has been around for years and is now a $2.85 billion global industry. After the pandemic hit in 2020, a lot of professionals started offering their services online, including coaches.
If you’re thinking about becoming an online coach, here are a few strategies you need to keep in mind if you want to succeed.
Organize Lunch And Learn
Virtual lunch and learn events are a new teaching trend that is taking the world by storm. Coaches can set up a lunch and learn to engage with their clients on a more personal matter and approach their training sessions in a completely new and original way.
Lunch and learn programs are called that because they happen around lunchtime and include a meal. They typically last around 45 minutes to an hour but some sessions might last longer, depending on the topic you’re covering and the dynamics of the attendees.
The concept is very simple. You plan out lunch with your clients, ask them what restaurants they would like to order from, send out vouchers, prepare your topic, and you’re good to go.
Virtual lunch and learn events are great because they allow your clients to have a relaxing and enjoyable experience while you provide the services they pay for. If you’ve never organized a lunch and learn event before, Hoppier has some great virtual lunch and learn ideas for your client events that can motivate you.
Choose The Right Platform
The technologically advanced world we live in has provided us with a plethora of tools you can use to talk with people online. Ideally, the platform you use should at least have video and audio call capabilities, but that’s just the bare minimum.
Only you know what platform would be best for your coaching business and meet all of your requirements. That being said, a lot of coaches have opted for Teachable, which is one of the largest course platforms you can currently find on the market.
However, Teachable comes with its drawbacks. It doesn’t have a landing page builder, it’s not an all-in-one solution, and there is a 5% transaction fee for the basic plan. It was only designed for beginner course creators, and that isn’t ideal for all online coaches.
If you want something that is similar to Teachable but better, you should check out these Teachable alternatives and find the best platform for your needs.
Make Sure You’re In The Right Niche
The right niche isn’t the same for every coach. When you’re picking out what you want to specialize in, you need to make the right choice. Coaching is a broad industry, and the type of coach you will be depends on you alone.
There are various coaching niches that do well online. Some of them include business, time management, health and fitness, and life coaching, just to name a few. And all of them do well, seeing how 99% of individuals and companies who hire a coach are “satisfied or very satisfied”
When you’re choosing your niche, here are a few things to consider:
- You need to be an expert in the niche or field you’ve chosen.
- You should find customers for that niche easily.
- It should be easy for you to teach others about the subject you’ve chosen.
- The idea of specializing in this niche should excite you.
As long as you pick something you’re genially interested in and a niche that has a large audience that is always looking for help, you are on the right path.
Be Ready For Problems That Will Come Your Way
While virtual coaching has a lot of benefits, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any problems or challenges you’ll run into when coaching online. Needless to say, you need to be prepared for those problems and have an idea of how you’re going to address them.
The main problem is usually related to the internet connection. One of your clients might lose their broadband connection or have low broadband speed. If that happens, make sure to always have a different communication channel (e.g. phone) that you can use to contact your clients.
Another problem online coaches sometimes have to deal with is external interruptions. Make sure to ask clients to eliminate these interruptions if possible. When necessary, mute the clients so they don’t disturb your session. However, make sure to ask them if you can mute them before you do so.
Final Thoughts
Coaching has reached heights some people never could have imagined and it has turned into the multi-billion industry it is today. If you see yourself as someone who could do well as an online coach, just remember the strategies you read about here, and clients will soon start to pour in.
