A great email came in recently: "I’ve listened to two episodes recently that really resonated with what I often wrestle with as coach. They were your conversation with Sarah Short from the Coaching Revolution and your Business Coaching Special. They highlighted for me a tension I constantly wrestle with, between (1) not promising outcomes because they are entirely dependent on on the work the client does and if we oversell it they might not get the outcomes they’d hoped vs (2) acknowledging what Sarah Short (and most of the marketing advice for coaches I’ve read) says that people buy outcomes and results and that we need to talk about what the coachee/thinker will get from coaching. Which also makes sense.

I would LOVE to know what you think about this tension between the two!! I’ve noticed that when I try and focus on my marketing, ideal client, niche, outcomes etc I end up feeling a huge pressure to deliver that for the client and it really impacts how I coach, as well as feeling like an integrity issue. I find it much harder to be ‘attentively not bothered’ when I’ve promised outcomes and I think it also impacts how the coachee/thinker shows up to the coaching.."

Sadly the sender of the email wasn't able to join us - but here are coaches Kerry Pocock and Nathan Whitbread in conversation with Claire Pedrick MCC

Takeaways

The tension between promising outcomes and ethical coaching is significant.
Holding space is crucial for effective coaching.
Finding a niche can help differentiate a coach's services.
Networking with diverse groups can enhance opportunities.
Clear communication is essential in coaching conversations.
Marketing should focus on authenticity and personal connection.
Coaches must establish ethical boundaries in their practice.
Investing in oneself is a key aspect of coaching.
Clarity in messaging helps attract the right people.
Coaching is about partnership and shared responsibility.

Contact details

Kerry Pocock

Nathan Whitbread

and the book was Quirkology by Richard Wiseman

Keywords

coaching, business building, outcomes, marketing, networking, clarity, ethics, differentiation, coaching conversations

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