Answers from a life coach: What do you do for a living?

Posted: August 8, 2007

I help people do whatever it is they need to do so they have zero regrets at the age of 80.

I ask people what do you want and what are you doing about it.

I help people get off the fence and start living their life.

I help people get clear on what's really important to them and then keep them in action.

I assist people live life the way they were born for.

I help my clients stop waiting.

I work with women who are not ecstatic in their relationship to help them get exactly what they want and deserve from their relationship.

Creating a Bio

You might be surprised how credible you can appear with a well-worded bio.
You've seen many coaches blossom once they have put pen to paper, and seeing how professional they sound.
There are things about you a perspective client might like to know, and you don't even realize it.
When you start to dig, you will find you have a lot of life experiences, and perhaps some training, which will assist you in coaching your clients.

Here's a list of things you might consider including in your bio:

• Your passion to help people.

• The way in which you've already been helping people, unofficially coaching, mentoring, shoulder to lean on, teaching, training, managing.

• Specifically what you provide for people.

• Your successes.

• Your adventures.

• Challenges you have overcome.

• Anything unique or interesting.

• What you love, and what you hate.

• Your training.

• Membership of any relevant associations, e.g. National Speaker's Association, International Coach Federation, Toast Masters, Chamber of Commerce, and volunteer positions or industry committees.

• Any current coach training course you are undertaking.

Two to three paragraphs should suffice. Don't include anything that does not give you credibility, or reason why you might be a good coach for them, i.e., keep every word relevant. Two powerful lines are better than half a page of waffle. Of course, keep it honest. For example, no saying, Jean coaches executives for major organizations, until you have at least one, or, Bill is a professional speaker, if you are not. As always, you decide what is authentic, and what isn't.

If your background and training are close to coaching, you can mention how it was a natural progression. If they are completely at odds with coaching, you can mention why you've made such a switch before you begin the exercise.

List the top 10 reasons someone should hire you, what are your strengths?

List everything you can think of that you have done in your life, including training, experiences, insights. Cross out anything that doesn't add to your credibility or express who you are. Suggestion: check with a fellow coach on this. Make sure you're not throwing out valuable information that you are blind to.

Write a half-page bio, then go through and cut it down to two or three paragraphs that really describe you well. Search the internet and print off three bios that sound attractive to you.

Have a friend who is good with words or marketing edit it to give you a bio that sounds great. A great sounding bio can make an amazing difference to your confidence.

Run your bio past three friends or colleagues who you would like to coach, and that represent your target market. Use their feedback.

Put your bio on your website in a handy, electronic file, where you can easily find it to insert into an e-mail or to forward to prospective clients or audiences.