It can be hard to keep up with everyday life, especially if you’re running your own business. Coaches have a real tendency to forget about themselves in the process of working for other people’s benefit. But the most important thing that coaches forget?
You are your most important client.
Whatever coaches promote as a way of life, they often forget to embody themselves in everyday life.
Whatever service you are providing to your clients – you need to give to yourself, too. If you’re not practicing what you’re preaching, then here’s why you should be doing it more.
I believe that as a coach you should be the best brand ambassador for your business there is. And if you embody what you’re selling – you will be. You need to be what you are selling. Not the person selling the product. You are the finished product..
Why You Should Put Yourself First as a Coach
This is something I speak about often in my line of work. If you’re working holistically, you need to be putting yourself first. It’s like the old saying goes: “If you can’t care for yourself, how can you care for anyone else?”
And your clients will only benefit from this. The most important thing that coaches can do is prioritise themselves as their number one client. So let me repeat that: You are your most important client.
Say it out loud if it helps. Write it down. Put it on a sticky note on your mirror. Don’t forget it, because if you’re not paying attention to yourself, you will.
Bring all your learnings, teaching, ways of doing and being to yourself. If you do this often, it becomes impossible for others around you to not notice the benefits of your work when you come into contact with them.
You’ll find people will start asking you: “What’s your secret? What is it that you’re doing?”
And all because you are shining.
Unfortunately, so many coaches get so wrapped up in their work and doing the work for everybody else that they disregard themselves. They end up heading down the road of “do as I say not as I do.” They become a miserable reflection of the work they’re trying to sell and it can turn people off.
Here are my top tips to help you avoid falling into this trap..
1. Prioritise “You” Time as a Coach
Set a portion of time aside every day for yourself to do this work that you are selling to people. Take some time to check in with yourself and make sure that you are balanced, living with integrity, and are in alignment with your core values.
And set a time to check in weekly and monthly, too so you can look at the overall picture.
Once you get a chance to sit with yourself and check in with how you are feeling both mentally and physically, you give yourself the opportunity to receive the information on where you need to refine things, in order to stay in alignment with your core values.
Inevitably, things come up that take us off course. That’s life. It’s always going to happen.
But if we set time aside to assess and refine accordingly, we are giving ourselves the opportunity to keep ourselves on track.
2. Take Yourself as Seriously as Your Coaching Clients
What do you do to make sure you’re taking the best care of your clients?
Say you keep a file on every one of your clients. If that is your practice, then I’d highly recommend keeping a file on yourself, too. If you keep notes on what works best for your clients, I want you to see what happens if you do the same for yourself.
It’s almost like taking a business-like approach when it comes to self-management as a coach.
You Are Your Most Important Asset
What you practice with your clients should be what you practice with yourself, too. And over time, it’ll show.
This is how you become the best brand ambassador for your coaching business.
It’s one of the key selling points. And if you’re looking to get more clients – get working on yourself, like you do them.
I promise you, it’ll be worth it. And hey – you’re worth it, too.