Introduction
Finding and communicating your value as a life coach is an important step to take before you start your life coaching business. One of the benefits of finding your values first is that it will be easier to find clients who share the same morals as you, and connect with them on a deeper level. It is a central part of creating your brand, and lets others know what is important to you. By the end of this article, you should know:
- The Reasons for why you should find your value as a life coach
- Use those values to connect with your client’s pains
- How to communicate your values
- How to keep growing
Values Explained
Values are what guide you in your everyday life, and help you determine what is important. They are the motive behind actions that you take. Values are an essential part to ethics, which is concerned with human action. An example of a value would be authenticity. People who are authentic value expressing oneself in the fullest form without holding themselves back. In contrast, people who value harmony will seek out peaceful relationships, even if they have to tell an untruth every once in a while.
How to find your values
Even though your values are an integral part in communicating your brand, it can become a challenge to find yours. There have been studies that show that values not only transform your inner world, they change the way you react and perceive stimuli. Values can also be shaped by the experiences you go through in your life. There are a number of ways to go about finding your values. One of the best methods is to conduct a self assessment to find out your strengths that you want to promote. Are there any:
- Certificates that you have earned?
- Positive things that any client in the past told you?
- Compliments you received from your close friends?
Knowing yourself is an important step as well. You should conduct an assessment on yourself and ask the deep questions. Some questions that you can ask yourself include:
- Your most personal values?
- Your core beliefs?
- Will those beliefs be compatible with your own clients?
Also, think about the deeper meaning behind each achievement:
- What does earning certifications communicate?
- How will your clients feel if you went through the same struggles they went through?
Write down what the first word pops into your head when thinking these thoughts.
Connect with your client’s pain
Knowing Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs is important to know so you can get to the root of the problem of your client. You should aim to know what keeps your client up at night. Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs was created by Abraham Maslow to study how humans partake in behavioral motivation. The bottom of the pyramid would be the most important, foundational need, while the top would be the ultimate achievement. Maslow describes physiological needs as being the most important.
Physiological Needs
Physiological needs are those that are essential to survive. Without these, you will cease to live after a period of time. Every human needs the following to survive:
- Food
- Water
- Oxygen
- Homeostasis
Security and Safety Needs
Humans have a desire for order and predictability in their life. They want to feel that they are in control, and strive to avoid as many negative effects as possible. Some of the most important needs would be:
- Financial Security
- Health and Wellbeing
- Adequate Shelter
Social Needs
Next are social needs. Humans are social creatures, and thus, we need to feel that we belong to a group. Needs for a relationship drive human behavior. When not met, one could end up developing depression and anxiety. Some relationships include:
- Family
- Romantic relationships
- Social and community groups
- Professional relationships
Esteem Needs
Esteem Needs are the needs for respect and appreciation. Humans have a need for accomplishment and be recognized for it. Self-esteem and personal worth are also part of esteem needs.
Self- Actualization Needs
Self-actualization is reached when you have met all your other needs. It refers to the desire to reach one’s full potential in life, and continue to develop their abilities. When an individual reaches this stage, they more than likely accept their own faults and shortcomings, and have accepted who they are. Reaching this stage should be the ultimate goal for your client.
Once you have knowledge of the pyramid, you can use it to understand your client’s pain better, and connect with them on a deeper level. You will then see your values become concrete, and find out whether your client is right for you or not.
Get started on communicating value
After you have found your values, and have figured out which clients share them, you should now communicate these on all channels. Make sure to promote all of those values on:
- Social media,
- Your website
- Life Coaching forums
- Email newsletter
- Your ads
and any other channels you feel are important.
You should also ask clients to leave testimonials of the amazing work that you have done together. Clients buy results, so make sure to also include the hard numbers as well. Whenever you inform a subject, make sure to at least also hint at your service being the answer to all their problems, and show why.
Clean up your message
Find ways that you can reduce uncertainty in your message. Say any claim boldly and confidently. Be sure to also communicate who you are serving, and who would be better off searching for other services. Another great thing you can do is showcase your articles to show that you are an expert in your area.
Keep growing
Ideally, you should focus on growing as much as possible and learning more about your niche. Try to read books on experts of the subjects to get unique perspectives. You can also earn more certifications to add value to yourself. If you need any more help doing that, be sure to read our article here. You can also create a feedback form to see what your clients need to work on, so you can gain more knowledge accordingly.
Earning online certifications and promoting them on your website can be a great way of communicating value
Know Yourself
Knowing yourself is an important step as well. You should conduct an assessment on yourself and ask the deep questions. Some questions that you can ask yourself include: What are your most personal values? Your core beliefs? Will those beliefs be compatible with your own clients?
Conclusion
Knowing your values first can go a long way. Researching your client’s pain points is essential to communicating your value. It’s also important to never stop growing. The opportunity to grow is endless, so you should take as much time as possible to take advantage of it. Communicate that growth in the channels that you think can reach a wide array of people. For other life coaching topics, check out our blog page at coach.today/blog
