| p>When just starting a coaching business, | | | | coaching seems to take something out of me. |
| coaches are often surprised that the majority of | | | | 6. Convenience Clients can call you from where |
| coaches offer their services by telephone. This | | | | they are. They don't have to take much time |
| industry is perfect for the virtual entrepreneur - | | | | from a busy day. If you're traveling, you can |
| someone who runs their business primarily from a | | | | keep appointments with clients. Your business |
| home office using digital methods for coaching, | | | | gains a freedom not possible when meeting |
| putting on events, and marketing. | | | | face-to-face. I've coached far from my home |
| The Many Virtues of Virtual Coaching | | | | base --during an extended Hawaiian vacation! I've |
| 1. International vs. Regional With face-to-face | | | | heard of coaches who do their work from yachts |
| coaching your clients must be in your region. | | | | and mobile homes as they travel around. |
| Telephone coaching expands your territory to the | | | | 7. Deeper listening Masterful coaching requires |
| whole world. | | | | listening on the deepest levels. When you limit |
| 2. Higher income/less non-billable time Due to | | | | your perception to verbal and energetic, you may |
| cultural mores, when meeting face-to-face you'll | | | | develop greater depths in listening skills faster. I |
| add 10 - 20 minutes of non-billable time to each | | | | find I can hear body language through voice. I've |
| session. Gracious coming and going takes more | | | | done somatic coaching and other specialized |
| time when in the same physical setting than just | | | | practices originally designed for face-to-face work |
| verbal hellos and goodbyes. | | | | with great success by telephone. |
| 3. Low overhead While some coaches do meet | | | | Offer What You Want |
| clients in their home offices, many opt for an | | | | To All that said, I acknowledge that some |
| office away from home to base their business in | | | | coaches may prefer face-to-face coaching. The |
| a metropolitan area with a more professional | | | | most important thing is to offer only what you |
| front. The cost of the lease combined with liability | | | | want to offer otherwise you'll find yourself |
| insurance significantly increases expenses, | | | | dissatisfied with your business. There is no need |
| decreasing profitability. | | | | to offer either telephone or face-to-face coaching |
| 4. Quicker intimacy Because of the automatic | | | | if you'd prefer one or the other. Your clients will |
| boundary telephones provide, clients seem to | | | | comply seeing that you run your business like a |
| more quickly trust and disclose private information | | | | professional and your business will thrive. |
| to their coaches than they do in face-to-face | | | | Value Your Time |
| coaching. Speaking right into each other's ears is | | | | If you do offer face-to-face coaching consider |
| quite intimate. | | | | charging about 25 - 30% more than you do for |
| 5. Increased effectiveness I'm not sure why this | | | | telephone coaching. To be financially successful in |
| is, but I've found that clients move further faster | | | | your coaching business, value your time highly. |
| with weekly telephone coaching than with | | | | Because face-to-face coaching requires |
| face-to-face sessions. I'm guessing it might have | | | | significantly more time than telephone coaching be |
| something to do with intensity and directness. | | | | sure your rates reflect the time dedicated to that |
| There is more potential for distraction from the | | | | service. |
| surroundings as well as the energetic strain of | | | | Similarly, if you travel to your client to coach, |
| being in each other's presence. After telephone | | | | make sure your rates reflect all the time |
| coaching I feel energized where face-to-face | | | | expenses that go toward serving the client. |