How does ”Changing Lives for a Living” sound to you? Or how about: helping others become their better selves while listening to their needs and powering them through every life’s obstacle? You have just read an accurate description of what a Life Coach does.

Have you wondered what all the fuss is about coaching?

Why are people talking about it?

…Paying for it?

…Endorsing it?

And, most of all – why are people becoming life coaches?

Keep reading to learn the answers!

In a short read of this article, we can deliver to you a full-fledged guide on how to become a life coach, some great actionable items, and clear answers to some questions that we get asked all the time.

You’ll then see why people are becoming life coaches and maybe you can start to visualize yourself making the career transition, too!

Together, let’s make the world a better place through coaching! 

What is the most important qualification of a Life Coach?

The short and simple answer to this question is real-life experience. The events and experiences that you have gone through in your life – all your victories, celebrations, losses, frustrations, setbacks, and moments of insight – are, by far, what contributes most to your ability to give perspective to your clients.

The most important qualification for either a Life Coach or Executive Coach to have is real life experience!

The more real life experience a Life Coach has, the easier it is to learn the process of coaching. 

Your primary responsibility as a Life Coach is to give feedback to your clients that inspires them to see new options, choices, and paths related to the process of achieving their goals.

When you present feedback to your clients using the kind of perspective that the best Life Coach Training Programs teach, that feedback can empower people to discover new approaches to removing the roadblocks that once prevented them from achieving their goals!

This is why real-life experience is the most substantial foundation to coaching and goes  hand-in-hand with coach training and coach certifications.

How can I choose a credible Life Coach Training & Certification Program?

Today, there are no shortages of Life Coach & Executive Coach Certification Programs. With so many choices, you may be wondering which program is the most appropriate for you, and which Life Coach Training Programs have the best reputation? 

One of the first things you’ll notice as you begin your investigation into various coaching schools is the difference in both the cost of the programs offered and the time necessary to complete the coach training.

A good coach training program will complement your real-life experiences.

Although there are a number of coaching organizations claiming to be the authority on the certification process, the truth is, there is no international, state, provincial, or municipal governing body that is recognized as the “official” standard for the coach certification process.

Don’t be fooled into thinking you need to take a complicated and expensive Life Coach Training Course.

A good Coach Training Program complements your real-life experience, is straightforward in its approach, is completed in a relatively short period, and is free of complications.

Remember, coaching is a simple process.

What are the differences between self-study and live training programs?

The best way to determine which format of learning works best for you is to consider your own life experiences and your personal learning preferences.

Live training programs offer a collaborative & interactive learning experience, while self-study programs give you the freedom to work at your own pace. 

If you like the experiential component and wish to collaborate with fellow students and your trainer, earning your certification in a live program might be the best option for you to choose. Plus, you may have the opportunity to both be coached and practice coaching others, in a safe environment. 

If you are more comfortable learning at your own pace, you may wish to enroll in a self-guided, or self-study, format.

When you are offered the choice of taking the same certification training program in either a live or self-study delivery, be sure to confirm the content being taught is consistent regardless of the format of delivery. The only difference between self-study and a live training program should be that one is live and in a group setting and the other is self-guided. 

The CCF’s Coach Certification Training Programs teach the same content, techniques, and tools regardless of the format in which the course is being delivered. Our priority is for you to learn what you need to learn – in your preferred format so you can earn your Life Coach or Executive Coach certification and hit the ground running.

What is the biggest mistake new Life Coaches make?

At the CCF, we have managed to identify a specific common problem that many new life coaches encounter during the first months of practice: after they’re done with their certification and they are ready to practice coaching, they just…don’t.

Many new life coaches do nothing to acquire new clients. Whether it’s because of overwhelm after entering the coaching industry, not having all the “know-hows” to pitch to new leads, or even making the risky assumption that clients will just show up on their doorstep after they’re certified, new coaches can get so bogged down in the details that they end up taking no action at all.

Life Coaching does not work like that! Being new to coaching requires extra work and dedication. There are so many great coaches available, so you must ask yourself “why should someone choose me to work with instead of another coach?”

Answering this question, unfortunately, isn’t as simple as offering a lower price for your coaching services, either.

To show your leads why they should choose you, we encourage you to start small… by building an online presence.

Start offering a free webinar and offer it to leads so they can learn more about you. Some coaches certified by the CCF have even started public speaking so they can build rapport with their prospects and show them what they can offer.

Be sure to ask your clients and leads for reviews and recommendations, too. There is something really compelling about third-party recommendations.

Once your leads start seeing how great of a coach you are for them, they won’t hesitate to contact you!

Offer them the opportunity to be stunned by your skills – and they’ll come to you in no time!

What is the demand for Life Coaches right now?

The worldwide demand for both Life Coaches and Executive Coaches has never been greater.

The coaching industry is now a multi-billion dollar industry.

Today, more than 60% of companies around the world currently have some kind of coaching program embedded in their goal-setting process. Some companies choose to bring in external coaches, while other companies prefer to have their key leaders certified in-house.

The most common demand for Life Coaching is in the areas of weight loss, fitness, financial, business and career, and relationship goals.

The most common question you may be asked by people who don’t understand coaching is “Why would someone need a coach?”

The short answer is for one of the following reasons:

1. To get PAST something

2. To get THROUGH something

3. To get TO something

Can you think of someone trying to get past, through, or to something? Whether it be a limiting belief, a career change, relationship challenges, starting a business, ending a partnership, and so on, there will always be a demand for help on navigating life’s challenges.

Who needs a Coach?

You’ve already read why people need coaching – to get past something, through something or reach a certain point in their lives. But – who is coaching for? Who really needs a coach? 

Business executives, entrepreneurs, young people, older people, stay-at-home moms, stay-at-home dads, employees, coaches, you name it – just about everybody could benefit from using a coach! We don’t have a template on which we base who needs coaching and who doesn’t, because we know that most of the people in the world fall into one of those 3 categories: going past something, through something or to something!

The question, actually, is “how often do you need a coach?” Because, even though most people need coaching, that doesn’t mean they need a coach consistently in their life. Most people choose to work with their coach intermittently – and that’s normal! 

So, it doesn’t matter what you do for a living or who you are – you most definitely could use a coach! That doesn’t mean you have to go see that coach constantly! When you feel like it, give them a call – they will surely help!

Do coaches need a Life Coach?

We have already told you who needs a coach, but we didn’t mention specifically that coaches can also benefit from working with a coach, right? 

At the CCF, we strongly believe in the walk-the-walk, talk-the-talk idiom.

If you talk the talk, why not walk the walk, too?

Working with a coach yourself can help you reach certain heights in your career or maybe help guide you through challenging personal or professional hurdles. Plus, having a coach yourself may help build rapport with your clients.

How long does it take to become certified as a Life Coach?

How long should it take for you to earn your Life Coach or Executive Coach certification? This may seem like a simple question, but the answer has been a debate for years.

Many coach training companies offer time-consuming (6 to 12+ months) courses and justify their expensive tuition by adding layers of “filler” into their programs. Filler refers to teaching unnecessary processes, teaching modules, or techniques that either lengthen or complicate the coaching process and ultimately lengthens the time it takes you to earn your certification. Many people believe that for a training program to represent value, it must take a  relatively long time to learn, present a certain number of sophisticated concepts, offer a certain degree of complexity, and be expensive.

The truth is, the more streamlined the coach training program, the quicker you can earn your certification.

That is why the CCF offers 2-day intensive live programs. We believe your life and work experience counts towards your ability as a coach, so our training intends to value and integrate that. 

Our philosophy is that a CCF training program – and the certification earned upon completion – is not the end of your education, rather it is the beginning.

What differs between short and long coach certification training programs?

Shorter coach certifications and training programs can be between a few hours long to around a week in length. Longer training programs can be up to 6 or even 12 months long.

The primary difference between shorter training programs and longer programs is usually outlined in the course summary.

Short training programs tend to streamline the coach training process and remove “filler” – the unnecessary jargon and overly complicated processes or modules that complicate and bog down the coach training process – and ultimately lengthen the time it takes for you to complete the program and become certified. 

Longer courses often include modules that more experienced students may consider unnecessary or of little value because they have already developed proficiencies in these areas. 

Before selecting a coach training program, make a list of your existing skills that can help you as a Life Coach. Then, make a list of skills you would like to learn that would help you as a coach. Individuals with less life experience may find the longer courses of more value. Those who already have a high degree of both professional and personal expertise will likely appreciate the shorter courses.

 The good news is there is a place for both.

How can I verify that a coach certification organization is credible?

Coaching and coach training is about choices, perspectives, and unlimited possibilities.

The merits of any coach certification organization are defined by the simplicity, quality, and efficiency of the coaching concepts presented.

It’s time to do your homework. Search online to learn more about Life Coach or Executive Coach certifications, training programs, companies, and instructors you may be interested in. 

First, look for testimonials and reviews. Great programs should have mostly great feedback. It’s impossible to satisfy 100% of the market but the pros of a program should outweigh the cons by at least 90%.

Look for instructors who have considerable experience as a Life Coach. Learning from a trainer who has real-life coaching experience can have much more value for you than learning from an instructor who only has “textbook” experience – they’ve read about it, but that’s it. 

Speak to other Life Coaches to find out their recommendations, too!

The CCF has hundreds of testimonials that praise its quality of content, coaching process, relevancy, the calibre of instructors, efficiency, and more.

What should an effective coach training program include?

An effective coach training program should leave you with the tools, skills, and techniques that will help you succeed in your coaching business or career. 

A great Life Coach or Executive Coach training program should (1) provide you with tools you can use with your clients, (2) emphasize the importance of professionalism and ethics in coaching, and (3) prioritize building and maintaining rapport with people – this is fundamental to coaching. 

Effective coach training programs should include a series of modules and tools that show you how to help your clients develop specific language patterns, beliefs, and thought patterns that are consistent with their individual goals and objectives.

A great Life Coach training program includes modules that teach the simple process of conditioning your beliefs to be aligned with your expectations. Many coach training programs miss this crucial step, which is like missing the “add flour” step in the process of making bread. 

The CCF’s Coach Certifications and Training Programs will provide you with the tools and techniques you will need to get to the heart of the coaching process so you can hit the ground running as a newly certified coach – and the inspiration required to get you started, and keep you going.

Why should I get trained and certified with the Certified Coaches Federation?

At the CCF, our company motto is to make the world a better place through coaching. 

How, you might ask? By creating lasting and meaningful connections with our coaches, clients, customers, and teams through the conversation of coaching. 

Training and earning a coach certification with the CCF means that you will be a part of a network of passionate and collaborative coaches eager to continue learning and prioritize personal and professional growth. 

Our Life Coach & Executive Coach graduates believe that effective coaching isn’t just about the course, it’s about your life experience – all of the events you’ve experienced that have given you the ability to reflect, develop insight, and give perspective! 

The CCF’s Coach Training Programs have been created just for you! Your real-life experiences have already given you the ability and credibility to coach others and make a difference in their lives. Now, it’s time to take a coach training program that complements your experiences while enhancing and further developing the skills and expertise you possess now so you can be the best coach you can be. 

Join the more than 15,000 coaches certified with the CCF and take what is now being considered the Best Life Coach Training Programs in the world.

What is CCF?

The CCF has certified more than 15,000 Life Coaches and Executive Coaches since 2006 and is now considered one of the Best Life Coach Training Programs in the world! 

The CCF’s focus is to provide education and a sense of community to those who wish to be coaches and guide those who wish to be coached, on the most relevant coach topics, techniques, and tools.

The CCF offers training programs, memberships, and ongoing learning opportunities across the globe, dedicated to giving coaches the best tools available to not only reach their own goals but to help their clients achieve their goals too.

Our Life Coach & Executive Coach graduates believe that effective coaching isn’t just about the course. It’s about your own life experience – all of the events that have given you the ability to reflect, develop insight, and give perspective. Also, the community you surround yourself with that can guide you to find success as a coach.

Are you looking for a supportive community and ongoing learning opportunities? Or maybe you’re on the lookout for an efficient yet powerful training program to earn your Life Coach certification. The Certified Coaches Federation has outstanding training, certification, membership, and learning opportunities for you!

Together, let’s make the world a better place through coaching.