Summer is an exciting time of year for many people. Kicking back and relaxing to mark a halfway point in a hard-working and productive year. But...what happens to Coaches during the holiday season? At Erickson, we reached out to our network of professional Coaches for advice on how to make the holiday season work for you.
From refining your marketing efforts to investing in your Coaching education, here are the top ways to stay productive. The general consensus was that, while your niche will greatly determine how the vacation season affects your clientele, staying solution-focused is not something that takes a holiday!
Top ways to stay productive as a Coach during the holidays:
- Change your mindset from, Summer is Slow to Summer is a Shift
Just because many of your clients are heading on holiday, doesn't mean that their need for solution-focused coaching will be paused. With many clients, session topics will shift from a work and productivity focus to a personal life and self-actualization focus. As a Coach, you already know how important it is for clients to balance their priorities. In order to support your clients in realizing their vacation aspirations, it is useful to prepare for the shift in their subject matter.
- Refresh.
It's okay to give in to the norm sometimes! Everyone else is taking some time off. Why not you? A change in schedule may give you more room to focus on your own goals, priorities and responsibilities. As a Coach, your work can be intensive due to the high level of one-on-one interaction with individuals. Taking time off to refresh your perspective, motivation and unique approach can add an extra level of purpose and enjoyment when you return.
- Diversify your income
As a graduate of Erickson's The Art & Science of Coaching course, you have the skills to work with people from all over the world in a variety of industries and Coaching niches! If you have clients who are planning to reduce sessions due to vacation time, why not consider offering your services to other markets? When offering online Coaching you can explore countries and regions that operate on different vacation calendars. In addition, focusing on niches that operate year-round is another great way to secure a constant revenue stream.
Diversifying doesn't necessarily just mean looking for new customers. It can also relate to considering your business model and the ways in which you could supplement your offerings. Some of the top ways to do this include creating products, exploring alternative Coaching services and working with Coach training institutes like Erickson.
- Refine your marketing!
Why not have some fun and work on getting your Coach practice out there by creating some strong content. The best starting point is always to understand who your customers are and to then create content relevant to them. If vacation time is a less pressurized environment, consider using the time to try out a new method of interacting with potential clients- record a podcast, try an Instagram live or create a downloadable E-book. There is also much to be said for building a content bank for when your schedule is packed full with clients.
Keep in mind that marketing is about connecting and building a relationship, rather than selling a product. People are looking for engaging content that sparks conversation!
- Prepare for a new season and new topics
If you do notice that you have some spare time, we recommend using it to prepare and refresh your skills. There are noticeable trends within niches, countries and industries and being prepped and ready to proactively embrace them will set you apart from other Coaches.
On a less popular note- we know that people become Coaches to help others but there is also a strong entrepreneurial element that comes with running your own business! Extra time can be an opportunity to catch up on business admin, update your records, and ensure that your certification is still valid.
- Embrace Learning and Lean into a New Niche
There are many great ways to continue expanding yourself as a Coach. As a Coach, you are part of one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. For this reason, it is important to keep an eye on new research, new innovations in methodology, relevant technology and changes in regulations. Erickson is constantly developing courses that are in line with Coaching innovation, both for continuing Coaching education and for personal and professional development. Some exciting and short courses addressing current niche areas include High Performance Team Coaching and Parent As Coach. For Coaches who would like to deepen their understanding of Coach Position, we also offer Deep Coaching.
Furthermore, if you are registered with the ICF, you will also need to re-certify every 3 years. For this, you will need CCE's which you can earn from attending training. Keep an eye out for community events on Erickson+ that offer free CCE's for attendance.
Regardless of where you are in the world and whether it's Vacation time or not, we hope that these tips have helped you to consider your unique approach to the Vacation season!
