By Jowanna Daley
Make the coming year your best by focusing on practical solutions that meet your clients’ evolving needs for more online services and authentic, empathetic support.
The coaching industry remains strong, and, despite the economic downturn due to COVID-19, the industry will reach $20 billion by 2022. With this growth comes healthy competition and choices for the market, and as a life coach you have to keep abreast of the coaching trends that can affect your business in 2022. Let’s go through the “Top 5”:
1. Virtual Coaching is Here to Stay
Offering virtual coaching is not just expected—it’s what clients are demanding. Not everyone is comfortable with face-to-face sessions. As we all know, some people are at a higher risk for COVID-19 complications if they contract the virus with certain preexisting conditions. Thus, offering virtual services makes coaching accessible to those who remain homebound.
Additionally, clients are demanding personalized solutions, flexible schedules, and multi-channel communication options. While you can’t offer an infinite number of customer benefits, becoming a virtual coach allows you to offer more options to your client base.
What This Life Coach Trend Means for Your Practice
- As you expand your offerings, evaluate your current pricing structure as well.
- Don’t undersell yourself, or you may find that you have plenty of clients but not enough revenue to stay afloat.
- Ensure that your practice is organized for digital service and that you have multiple support channels between sessions.
Even though we are in a digital world, clients require human interaction. You can fill this need virtually by giving your clients multiple ways to engage.
2. People Need Help Adjusting to the Digital World
The pandemic has forced our parents, peers, and the computer-resistant population to embrace technology. It also opens an opportunity for you to use your special powers combined with your life coaching skills to empower people.
You can increase revenue by helping people learn essential digital skills such as navigating the Internet, signing up on a social media platform, or joining a Zoom meeting.
What This Life Coach Trend Means for Your Practice
Even if you do not aspire to be a “technology” coach, hold free mini-sessions to help people through their digital woes. It’s also can serve as a gateway for new leads. Think outside the box to find opportunities. People want to do business with business owners who care (and solve their problems).
3. Authenticity is a Necessity for Your Life Coach Business
Knowing how to foster genuine connections is another critical element. Yet, it is sometimes hard to know what it means to be authentic, and it can be a struggle to demonstrate that authenticity. Consumers care more about the person behind the company than the company itself. Demonstrate authenticity by being the professional you communicate that you are.
What This Life Coach Trend Means for Your Practice
Sometimes it’s hard to know if your brand comes off inauthentically. Here are some tips to keep you true to who you are:
- Don’t claim to have solutions for everything—telling the truth leads to trust.
- Leave the buzzwords behind.
- Skip the gimmicky marketing.
- Continually train.
- Say when you don’t know something.
- Follow through on your brand promise.
- Be vulnerable.
4. Empathy is Vital for a Successful Business Model
It’s one thing to know the definition of empathy, and it’s another thing to know how to practice it. I’ve found that it’s harder for professionals to practice empathy as business owners. The challenges are not as much in actual coaching—but applying empathy in their business operations.
What This Life Coach Trend Means for Your Practice
Listen intently to your clients. Know their needs (from their perspective) and solve those needs. You may share a common story, but that does not mean a client needs the solution that worked for you. Empathy requires listening, humility, and applying the proper tools to a situation. Continually challenge your empathy skills by practicing them every chance you get.
5. Quantifiable and Measurable Performance Outcomes for Clients are a Must
Clients want results and outcomes they can see. Life coaching services are now mainstreamed and are no longer this mysterious profession. People have also gotten savvier about expressing their needs and demanding measurable outcomes. The good news is that quantifying these outcomes will garner more interest in your service.
What This Life Coach Trend Means for Your Practice
Map your clients’ goals to performance outcomes. Your intake process must include your client’s definition of success. Implement a way to baseline where they are at and track progress with each session. Don’t be afraid to implement corrective measures when something is not working.
The coming year—2022—will be an exciting time for the coaching profession. As it continues to become mainstream, life coach trends will demand more customer focus, skilled business owners, and practical solutions. Assess where you stand on these trends and make adjustments to make 2022 your best coaching year yet!
Jowanna is a business and personal coach, consultant, freelance blogger, and personal brand photographer. Jowanna uses her 20-plus years of business, information technology, business analysis, and project management experience to serve solopreneurs, microbusinesses, and professionals through consulting, coaching, training, and workshops. She is also a freelance blogger who serves corporate and non-corporate clients. Visit her website at https://www.jowannadaley.com/about/.