Discouragement in the Coaching Business
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You are working hard. You spend hours every week doing business tasks and marketing. You think about coaching all the time and know that you have something very valuable to offer. You have some clients, but the business just is not growing as fast as you would like. This situation happens to almost every coach at some point and is one of the dirty secrets of the coaching world.
Starting a coaching business and running a coaching business are hard work. Your business is likely going going to develop slowly – perhaps more slowly than you were told. It is easy to let discouragement set in. The number one way to combat that sense of discouragement is to have a solid support system. If you are a new coach, one of your most important investments will be in finding your own coach. Make sure that person has been down the road you are on and then he/she can be a source of wisdom, encouragement and even advice. I know, I know – coaches aren’t supposed to give advice, but when a coach is coaching a newer coach, they really have a role as both a coach and a mentor.
While you were in coach training school, you likely had a group of other students with whom to share the journey. Once you finish training, it can be a great idea to find a coaching support group to help you in times of discouragement. In the groups I run, I see coaches help each other all the time with information, ideas and encouragement that can move you out of that difficult place.
By all means don’t let the business get you down. Recently I had been working very hard on one aspect of my business and was not seeing any results. I felt very discouraged until I mentioned that discouragement to several people in my support system. Not only did I get wisdom about the current situation, I was reminded of the tremendous business growth I have achieved in the past year. Please take some time to build yourself that kind of support. The road can be hard and you can be successful “along with a little help from your friends”.
