How do you gain credibility as a coach?
Credibility is vastly important when it comes to coaching. After all, who doesn’t want to be respected as a credible coach within their niche?
Building credibility as a coach strengthens your reputation and helps you to gain clients. People are more likely to want to work with you if you are seen as a credible coach in your field. Not to mention, having credibility subsequently means that you have also gained the trust and respect from other experts within your field and your ideal clients.
But how can you create credibility as a coach?
I answer this question and so much more in this highly-requested episode of The Mindset Coach podcast. I talk about how coaches can build their credibility and how doing so can help you step into the identity of the powerful and successful coach you’ve always wanted to be.
You can listen to this episode of the podcast below or keep reading…
Reflect on past achievements
Sometimes, imposter syndrome creeps in, and it can make you doubt your credibility as a coach. I don’t want this to happen to you because I know you can become the coach you want to be.
But first, I suggest taking some time to reflect on the things you have achieved so far. Grab a notebook and pen and write down a list of your qualifications, skills, and accomplishments. If you’ve written a book, add it to the list. If you have a podcast, YouTube channel, or blog, add those things to the list. Think about all of the things in your life that you are proud of. It could be as simple as being a member of a networking group or the host (or co-host) of a great workshop.
If you’re struggling, don’t worry. Just think about the things you do or have done in the past that demonstrate that you have the skills and expertise needed to help your clients create incredible transformations. You can include things like previous job roles, skills, and qualifications.
It would help if you can link your accomplishments with your niche coaching business. For example, if you are a fitness coach, and you have experience coaching others on their health and fitness, that’s a major advantage to include. Consider the things that you bring to the table that will help your clients trust your expertise and believe that you can truly help them achieve their goals.
You don’t have to complete the list in one sitting. You can come back to it and add more things later. For now, include what you can, but leave it knowing that you can return and add more as you go.
If you want some help with this activity, you can download a helpful guide in the Resources section of my website.
Discover your zone of genius
No matter who you are or where you’re from, you have a zone of genius. Your zone of genius is your superpower. It’s the one thing that you can do better than almost anyone else. It’s something that you’re really good at, and you do it with joy. Other people might struggle with it, but it’s almost like you were born to do this thing, whether it’s coaching, baking delicious chocolate brownies, ice-skating, drawing, writing, etc.
So, what is your zone of genius? If you’re not sure, ask other people in your life what they believe you’re really good at. You might be surprised to hear some of their answers. Or, you might nod along and realise that they have just landed on your zone of genius.
When you’re in your genius zone, everything comes easy to you. You have confidence in your own abilities because hey, you’re in your zone of genius. This is where you belong. It helps that you already have a real passion for doing something that you love.
Once you understand what your zone of genius is, embrace it!
How to demonstrate your expertise
Now that you have unlocked your zone of genius, you’re ready to demonstrate that expertise to the world. As a coach, you have a lot of options to help demonstrate your expertise to potential clients. This includes things like your website copy, which resonates with your clients. You can also establish your expertise with blog posts, videos, workshops, and so on.
Demonstrating your expertise is about communicating your message and getting it out to as many people as possible. By showcasing your expertise in your niche, you’re much more likely to resonate with potential clients. When people recognise themselves in what you’re saying, they begin to believe and trust that you can help them. Not to mention, demonstrating your knowledge and expertise plays a huge role in raising your credibility as a coach. Always be on the lookout for ways to verify your credibility such as appearing as a guest on a podcast or joining an interview on Facebook Live.
Refine your message and try your best not to go off on a tangent. I always advise members of the Mindset Coach Academy to focus on five key messages related to their area of expertise. Doing so will help you to stay on track and contribute to the conversation without getting lost in the crowd.
When thinking about those five things, think about your niche of coaching. What do your clients often talk about? What are things that other people may not be aware of that you can share with them? Choose five key messages to articulate your expertise in your niche. Doing this will also prevent you from trying to be everything to everyone, which is a sure recipe for disaster.
Help clients achieve results with a structured framework
The best way you can build credibility as a coach is to help your clients achieve results. Your clients hired you as their coach because they want outcomes. They don’t want someone who will just reflect their answers back at them. They want your help because they trust your judgement. You are the one with the credibility in your niche and the level of expertise they need to help them achieve their desired outcomes.
Sure, clients have access to all of the information and knowledge in the world through the power of Google. But knowledge is not the thing that is holding them back. Their mindset holds them back from reaching where they want to be, and they rely on you to help them overcome that mental roadblock.
As we talked about in the first episode of The Mindset Coach podcast (What is Mindset When it Comes to Coaching?), mindset combines our beliefs, values, behaviours, habits, patterns, choices, and decisions. All of these things operate both consciously and unconsciously. As a coach, you need to be able to help your clients overcome and evolve their mindsets so that they can achieve their true desire.
To help your clients create a transformation in their lives, you must work within a framework. You really can’t “wing it” and hope for the best. A structured framework will help you and your clients achieve reliable and consistent results.
So, how can you build an effective framework to help your clients achieve their desired outcome?
I suggest that you take time to think about why your clients seek your help in the first place. What do they want to achieve?
Once you have defined the desired outcome, you can build a framework by working backward. What does your client need to do to reach that outcome? Plan what techniques and tools you will use throughout the coaching process to help your clients achieve that outcome. This could include anything from mastermind courses to hypnotherapy. You can integrate many things into your coaching framework that will help transform clients both consciously and unconsciously.
When you help your clients get results, they will often talk to other people about your coaching service and provide glowing testimonials that can help you gain even more clients.
If you aren’t sure where to begin, we can help. Inside The Mindset Coach Academy, we provide everything you need to create effective coaching frameworks to help your specific clients achieve their desired outcomes. You will be given the tools and techniques you need to help your clients break free from the restraints of their mindsets and achieve their deepest desires.
To learn more about The Mindset Coach Academy, click here