The document provides essential tips for becoming a successful independent coach, emphasizing the importance of self-awareness, clearly defining expertise, obtaining credentials, and understanding business operations. It outlines a step-by-step process including knowing oneself, getting certified in coaching and behavioral analysis, and building trust through personal narratives. Additionally, it highlights the competitive nature of the coaching industry and encourages ongoing learning and branding strategies through PeopleKeys' business partner training course.

2. ABOUT PEOPLEKEYS
At PeopleKeys we work with independent coaches every
day, and we learn a lot from their experiences, failures, and
successes.
We want to share with you some tips from seasoned
coaches.
These tips were forged under fire from people who
blazed a trail before you and found value in their
failures as much as their successes.
®

3. STARTING AS A COACH: STEP BY STEP
• Many people today have wildly lucrative, independent
coaching businesses and are making six figures in
the coaching industry.
• However, every success story begins with the
struggle to get ramped up.
• You can learn from your predecessors.
• Here are a few tips to get you started as an
independent coach:
Know yourself
Clearly define your
expertise
Get credentialedin
coaching
Get certified in
Behavioral Analysis
Understand operating
a small business
Establish trust
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3
4
5
6

4. STEP 1: KNOW YOURSELF
The key to victory begins with knowing yourself.
The PeopleKeys' Disc Personality Style assessment can
give you information and insight that will help you be a
more successful coach.
By capitalizing on your strengths and minimizing your
areas of weakness, you can accelerate your success as a
coach.

5. STEP 2A: CLEARLY DEFINE YOUR EXPERTISE
Second to having the right combination of personal qualities, you need to establish your niche in one
specific area. Vagueness around your coaching niche could get you lost in a sea of other coaches. What
areas did you excel in before you turn your expertise into coaching? Below are some ideas:
• If you were in HR or hiring for a well-known company: become a career coach and help people land
the jobs of their dreams.
• If you were an outstanding marketer for major retailers: become a marketing or personal branding
coach.
• If you were a fitness fanatic and worked for a gym or health club: become a fitness, diet, or wellness
coach.

6. STEP 2B: CLEARLY DEFINE YOUR EXPERTISE
Sometimes your expertise may take shape from
passions due to life circumstances rather than a
previous career.
Maybe you have overcome a significant amount of loss
or grief, or you are great at organizing or successful at
public speaking.
With these experiences, you would have a lot to impart
to others. Whatever it is that you have excelled, this is
your expertise.

7. STEP 3: GET CREDENTIALED IN COACHING
There are many companies and people who can train and
certify you to be a coach.
Theory, practice and core competencies come into play.
Formal training, often taking long hours, will give you the
confidence you need to add legitimacy and structure to
your coaching practice.
The education you receive and the networking with other
coaches will provide you with credibility and
accountability to take you to the next level.

8. STEP 4: GET CERTIFIED IN BEHAVIORAL
ANALYSIS
Behavioral analysis is as essential to a coach as a hammer is to a
contractor. Like any tool, it is much more efficient if you know how to
use it and how to get the most out of it.
PeopleKeys’ CBC certification will give you the training and
credentials you need to validate that you have the skills and
knowledge to administer, interpret and use PeopleKeys’ behavioral
tools to unlock the potential in your clients.
Coaches today use DISC and other behavioral tools to diagnose and
assess clients, acting as a springboard for creating and
implementing goals and action plans.

9. STEP 5: UNDERSTAND OPERATING A SMALL
BUSINESS
As an independent coach, you will be entering the world of self-employment --
which is both marvelous and downright terrifying.
If you have never been self-employed, you will need to understand the finer points
of self-promotion, branding, marketing, sales, websites, invoicing, taxes and the
list goes on.
Until you ramp up, you may also want to say goodbye to free time. However, as time
goes on and you become established, you will reap the benefits of being a savvy
business person.
Peoplekey’s new Business Partner course helps you become established as an
independent coach or consultant.

10. STEP 6: ESTABLISH TRUST
• Establishing your expertise is the first part of establishing trust, but
and for your expertise or niche to be believable, you have to tell
your story.
• Having a narrative about where you came from and HOW you
clarified your skills is vital to establishing trust with your clients.
• For example, “I was the head of a large hedge fund, managing
millions of dollars for over 20 years. Now, I coach people like you on
managing their finances.” This story establishes how you arrived at
your expertise and why your client should trust you.

11. EVERY NEXT STEP: REPEAT YOUR SUCCESS
There is much more to learn when you are beginning a
coaching business.
Every day, the coaching world seems to be getting more
crowded.
Standing out, spreading the word, developing your
niche, refining your pitch and company mission are all
areas covered in the new PeopleKeys Business Partner
Training course.

12. VISIT US TO LEARN MORE
www.DISCInsights.com
PHONE: 1-800-779-DISC (3472)
INTERNATIONAL: +1 (330) 599-5580
EMAIL: sales@discinsights.com