I don't mean to scare you but the face of coaching has changed drastically since I started coaching more than nine years ago. I've spent the last three weeks or so talking to coaches, doing research about coaching with the goal of understanding what's actually happening in the coaching industry today. I wanted to know how the future of coaching looks.

Overall, I'm delighted to say the future looks so bright for coaching, as coaches we can get ready to wear sunglasses. Of course, there are a few valuable discoveries you have to consider if you plan to be in the coaching industry in the future:

• Marketing is significantly more important to having a thriving coaching business than ever. In this sluggish economy, it's become increasingly necessary to demonstrate the value of coaching and the return on the investment in coaching. (If you ever question the value of knowing how to market yourself as a coach, there it is!)
• Technology has helped move coaching from local markets to a broader, more global reach. This is especially noteworthy because there are far more coaches in the industry - some highly qualified and others not so much. What this means for you as a coach is that you must place a greater emphasis on distinguishing yourself from the crowd. It's what I preach all of time — you MUST carve out a niche and it all begins with knowing your ideal client intimately well!
• Certification and Training is a controversial issue in the coaching community. With the influx of people calling themselves coaches without benefit of training or certification, clients are interested in working with experts (despite what they call themselves) who can help them find and attract clients. As a coach, it's crucial to have the right mentor to lend her expertise to elevate your coaching abilities and strengths. You also want an expert who can teach you a repeatable process for creating sustainable income. Now, that's ROI!

I'm sharing more trends, myths and opportunities on a free call for coaches I'm calling, The Future of Coaching: Get Ahead of the Trends, Dispel the Myths and Guarantee Your Staying Power In Coaching.

Are you really ready for the future of coaching?

How do these insights resonate with your experience as a coach?

I really should call this post, "Group coaching mistakes I've made and what I learned from them."

Let me tell you! What you don't know about group coaching can hurt you — especially if you don't know how to steer clear of the mistakes and pitfalls. You can avoid these mistakes in the future and here's how:

Colossal Mistake #1: Coach is stuck on delivering a presentation to the group.  Yawn!  People yawn, multi-task and barely remember a thing you've said. Remember the Chinese proverb that says, "I see, I remember. I hear, I forget. I do, I understand?"  That's why interaction is so very important.

You must be extraordinarily intentional in the interaction opportunities you design with your content.  I say this all the time and coaches don't get it!  Your content and the way you deliver it are two different things.  It's like telling a joke and messing up the punchline if you don't deliver your content well.  Stop presenting and start engaging!

Colossal Mistake #2: Coach ignores the natural flow of energy in the group. Each group of learners has a unique energy to it. Pay attention so you can feel the energy. Wait for the silence. Acknowledge the silence. Encourage learners to openly share. Acknowledge their sharing. Connect their sharing to the content. Help your learners apply their new knowledge.

Akin to mistake #1, the fix for this mistake requires you to take your interaction deeper.  A couple of years ago, I was considering a joint venture relationship with someone. I signed up for a 5-week program she was presenting to get a feel for her style and expertise.  Each week, she read in monotone-like fashion from her notes.  Her content was amazing but her delivery was awful.  She didn't pause to entertain questions or engage the group in any way.  She didn't know how her content was being received by the group let alone what each learner was learning.  She was so stuck in her own world, she was disconnected from the group.

Breathe, listen and follow the flow of the energy in your group.  You have plenty of time and lots of opportunities to be creative to ensure your content is delivered.

Colossal Mistake #3: Coach delivers content to your group based on what you want them to learn.  It is SO not about you!  It's totally about your group learners. The definition of REAL coaching offers a world of possibilities. The International Coach Federation (ICF) defines coaching as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. I love that definition!

Being in a group coaching environment offers so many more opportunities to engage in a thought-provoking and creative process. How kewl is that?!

What lessons have you learned from the group coaching mistakes experienced? I'm sure you've never committed any personally, right?!  Share your comments freely.

Wendy Y. Bailey - Master Certified Group Coach

Wendy Y. Bailey is a Master Certified Group Coach, Certified Experienced Coach and Certified Neuro-Linguistic Programming Practitioner. Affectionately called "WendyY" by her business associates, colleagues and friends, she's also the Creator and Founder of Group Coaching Mastery - Master Group Coaching with an NLP Twist. Sign-up for WendyY's free practice-building teleseminar for coaches.

They'll sign-up for your teleseminar for reasons they don't even understand.

They'll come to your call not even knowing if you can help them.

They'll listen to your live call live and download the recording, longing to learn from your wisdom — wanting your help.

Of course, they'll look at your program and say, "It's only $400!"

Then, they'll enroll in your program without even thinking about it.

It's money they have but fulfillment they lack.  Or, it's fear getting in the way and holding them back from a successful business, a great career or a fulfilling life.

Then, they'll call into your group coaching sessions and bask in the glow of all the learning you give.

They'll feel special because you know them by name and what you say resonates on a meaningful level.  They feel totally in sync with you!

It's almost like when you were a child and you knew you had a special place in your teacher's heart.  It's not about you but about how special you make them feel.  They'll feel like you care.  More  importantly, they'll know you care.

As they join every session, they'll feel like they've been dipped in an experience that leaves them forever transformed, enlightened and ready to overcome any obstacle.

The experience will be so gratifying they can't sit still for long because they HAVE to do something now.  People will come, Coach!

But, what happens when you build it and they don't come?

As coaches, we bathe in that vision for each and every group coaching program, don't we?  But, it's just not enough to create a group coaching program with great content.  Your ideal clients won't  flock to your program if they don't know about it.

What do you do when you build it and they don't come?

1. Go back to square one and get a real clear picture of your ideal client.  Your ideal client is the person you genuinely want to serve in your program.  You can't just use the term "entrepreneurs" and call it a day.  Be intentional in your vision of your ideal client, then imagine multiple ideal clients who look, feel, behave and are the same.
2. Get to know your ideal client intimately well.  Knowing your ideal clients requires going beneath the surface to understand what guides and drives them.  The better you know your ideal clients, the deeper you're able to realistically approach them about their experiences.
3. Start marketing conversations your ideal clients by creating connection, building rapport and fueling the know-like-trust factor.  Stop pushing your messages, pitching or selling.  Care about your ideal clients and talk to them from that place of caring.
4. Give your ideal clients the means to experience what it means to be served by your program online and offline in your blogging, live networking, articles, social media updates and teleseminars.  Caring means sharing yourself, your story and revealing your connection to your ideal clients experiences.

You'll grow more attractive to your ideal clients with each and every conversation.  You'll appreciate every connection with your ideal clients and they will, too.  You'll rewrite the story of the group coaching program you've created for your ideal clients.

They will come, Coach!  People will most definitely come!

Wendy Y. Bailey - Master Certified Group Coach

Wendy Y. Bailey is a Master Certified Group Coach, Certified Experienced Coach and Certified Neuro-Linguistic Programming Practitioner. Affectionately called "WendyY" by her business associates, colleagues and friends, she's also the Creator and Founder of Group Coaching Mastery - Master Group Coaching with an NLP Twist. Sign-up for WendyY's free practice-building teleseminar for coaches.