“I collaborate with coaches and other knowledgeable individuals.”

Kate Solovieva, a former psychologist, is a PN master coach and the director of community engagement at PN.

This quote has become one of her signature phrases.

While Coach Kate has guided thousands of “ordinary” clients, her focus lies in coaching fellow coaches.

In her role as an instructor for the PN Level 2 Master Health Coaching Certification, as a facilitator for PN’s private online coaching forums, and as a coach in her own practice, she gains valuable insights into the inquiries and obstacles that both novice and experienced coaches face.

Coach Kate understands what other coaches are dealing with.

She has witnessed the triumphs and mistakes of countless coaches, and today she will discuss three frequent errors she observes.

If there’s one thing Coach Kate desires, it’s to see her colleagues reach remarkable success, so her aim with this article is to assist coaches in:

• Overcoming feelings of insecurity and doubt—and beginning to grow their businesses
• Developing a more objective view of their clients to effectively meet their needs and objectives
• Clearly defining their roles as a coach (note: they might not be what many expect)
• Channeling their inherent enthusiasm and commitment to a client’s success—without exhausting themselves

We’ll explore three prevalent coaching blunders, along with solutions to resolve them. Let’s dive in.

Coaching mistake #1: Prioritizing coaching over selling

Coach Kate likens a coaching business to a three-legged stool.

• There’s the coaching leg (encompassing your skills and expertise as a coach),
• A selling leg (referring to your capacity to market and draw in clients), and
• An administrative leg (which involves how clients schedule appointments, process payments, and utilize other organizational tools and systems).

“Most individuals entering the coaching field start with the coaching leg,” Kate explains.

“They aspire to become the best coach they can be, which is commendable. However, to achieve greatness in coaching, mere information and theory have their limits.”

As Kate emphasizes, “You cannot attain the peak of your coaching abilities in isolation, conversing with yourself in your office.”

This is why she encourages coaches to resist the urge to wait until they feel their knowledge is “complete.”

Instead, she proposes, they should begin selling.

Why?

Coaches who initiate selling sooner also begin coaching sooner.

In the long run, they’ll have an edge over those coaches who feel the need to become “the BEST coach they can be” by securing 12 certifications before offering their services.

In contrast, the coach who “isn’t entirely sure of what they’re doing” but has started taking action will begin developing their business and gaining coaching experience—and likely enhance their chances of overall success.

Solution: Make sure to present yourself as a COACH, not an EXPERT

A common tendency among aspiring coaches is to seek those 12 certifications before they begin coaching.

“Sometimes we cling to the hope that we’ll reach a stage where we feel confident enough to answer any question that might arise,” Kate states.

Because as all coaches understand, when you start sharing your profession, people will have inquiries. Frequently, they’ll present questions you may not have the answers to, which can feel awkward… even embarrassing.

(You’re meant to be the expert, right??)

As Coach Kate points out, the belief that you need to be an authority with all the answers is founded on a flawed assumption.

“When I enter a coaching discussion, my role is not ‘the expert’