Searching on Google for coaching training courses yields over 36 million results! So how are you supposed to find the right course for you?

Most of the website you'll come across have been designed to appeal. They hook you in, with promises of the money you can earn as a coach and reminding you of the valuable service you'll be providing.

Yet there is an enormous difference between the standard of training you'll receive from different institutions.

If you're going to be coaching someone, you owe it to them to do the best job you can.

Just because you're the local "agony aunt", doesn't necessarily mean you'll be a natural coach.

Why bother with training?

Even those with natural abilities in a field still benefit from specific training and feedback. And coaches owe it to their clients to be the best coach they can. That's why even experienced coaches still attend personal development courses and keep up to date with the latest developments.

The skills needed by a good coach include:

The ability to really listen

Curious - wanting to know how your client ticks

Being able to ask pertinent questions

Wanting to help your client increase their understanding of the problem / desired outcome

Patience - allowing your client to come up with their own answers, even if the "right one" seems glaringly obvious to you

Standing back - making sure your client is accepting responsibility for their performance and not relying on you

Coaching is not about giving advice or knowing the answers. It's about helping someone else find the right answers for them.

So if you find it all to easy to jump in and tell someone what they should be doing... ...you'll need to make sure you go on a coaching course that helps you let go of that habit!

Not sure if you want a coaching course?

There are some really good coaching books you could read, to find out more about coaching other and even self-coaching.

Here's some recommended coaching reading.

How do I select a good coaching course?

A full coaching course can be 200+ hours over many months, costing £1000 upwards. It's important to make the right decision, before you start.

Decide what kind of coaching you want to do
It's a good idea to get qualified as a specialist, rather than getting lost in the sea of "I can coach anyone" coaches.
Research the accreditation levels for that type of coaching
Different coaching disciplines have different regulatory bodies. They will all have different qualifications!

Some are transferable, others are not. Do your homework and make sure you don't accidentally get half way through a coaching course that you later realise doesn't meet your needs.
Research providers who meet those accreditation standards
The regulatory bodies will list the coaching training companies who they have approved.

We strongly advise not to pay for coaching training, particularly life coaching courses, unless the course leads to an internationally-recognised accreditation.
Make a list of your key requirements
Based on your research so far, make a list of what you're looking for in a course. For example, your list might include:
- Mixture of distance learning & face-to-face training
- The syllabus looks like it will meet my needs
- What kind of personal development is included?
- Includes NLP certification
- Includes assessed coursework
- Course includes supervised coaching sessions, with feedback
- Course covers how to set up a coaching practise & how to market your services
- Course standards are monitored by an independent body
- The qualification given is internationally recognised
- Does the company make it clear what level of coaching I will / won't be able to do afterwards?
Phone the potential training companies, rather than emailing
Why?
Because this gives you a better feel for their level of professionalism.
It's easier to get an impression of a person / company by speaking to them, rather than emailing.
But:
Make sure all details are confirmed in writing.

Ask them for references - ideally real human beings you can talk to, rather than the "highlights" from feedback, on their website.

Bear in mind:
Often the best coaches are those who have worked on their personal development. They have dealt with their self-doubt and limiting beliefs.

The worst coaches are those who unconsciously carry their own baggage into the coaching session and accidentally project it onto their clients...

So you need to make sure you're covering your own personal development, as well as the mechanics of coaching, on any coaching training course you choose.

A good course will offer plenty of chances to practise your coaching skills, usually with volunteers or assessors. If it doesn't, don't touch it.

After all, if you've only had one hour's actually experience of coaching, what's the likelihood of feeling confident with your early clients?

Some courses offer as little as 2 hours' practical coaching. Others require you to volunteer to do 40 hours or more. But unless you're getting feedback, then it's hard for you to improve your skills, no matter how long you spend volunteering. Make sure you check this out, before you book.

Enjoy!

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