Customer Reviews

Getting Started in Personal and Executive Coaching: How to Create a Thriving Coaching Practice

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
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So you want to start a new business enterprise as a personal or executive coach? Reading a copy of "Getting Started in Personal and Executive Coaching" is the place you will want to start. This is not just another book on the joys of coaching, but has real life information that you should know before making the commitment. The authors have provided some cold, hard facts about executive coaching including how long it typically takes to get started, how much the average person earns after one year in the business, typical problems getting clients and referrals and what to do about it. The book is a business analysis of the industry from beginning to end. It includes such important information as what you need to know to get started, what you need to know to succeed, how to market, how to segment your market, how to target that segment, financing your business, Internet marketing, using E-zines, and using web sites. Fairly and Stout even include seven secrets of highly successful coaches. This is a complete road map of what to realistically expect, how to get to your goal, and all the steps along the way. If you are interested in becoming a personal or executive coach it is a highly recommended book and the best I've come across to date.

I saw this book at the recent ICF conference in Denver but waited to buy it. I should have bought it then because I haven't been able to put it down since I recieved it! I am so impressed with the authors grasp of the field of coaching and their ability to clearly articulate how to create a successful coaching practice.

Unlike a lot of the other books I've bought, this one really distinguishes itself by basing its marketing recommendations on actual research. The authors conducted a national survey of 300 coaches to find out what financially successful coaches do that financially unsuccessful coaches don't do--the findings are AMAZING!

I've been coaching professionally for almost 3 years now. I really wish this book was around when I started because it would have kept me from making a lot of the costly mistakes I did. I also wish my coach training program had included this book in its curriculum because they were quite weak in the area of practice building.

However, that's not to say that the book is only for new coaches because I was able to immediately identify over 2 dozen marketing strategies I could start using in my practice. They are now part of my 2004 business plan (which is one of the things this book showed me how to create).

The other thing I found to be really helpful were the interviews with the top coaches in the field: Sandy Vilas of CoachU, Mike Jay of B/Coach, Pat Williams of Institute of Life Coach Training, Wendy Johnson of the Worldwide Assoc of Business Coaches, and many others.

I give this book my highest recommendation! If you're struggling with how to create a successful coaching practice there is simply no better book available anywhere.

Fairley and Stout have gone through the nuts and bolts of starting a coaching business down to how to do and not do your business cards. They tell you what to buy on a small, medium or large start-up budgets.
They also tell you how to get clients and give many ideas and examples. You can very much see Chris Stout's MBA/business experience in this book.
There may come a time when someone writes a better "how to" manual, but when they do they will really have to step up and compare themselves to this book to see if their book rates consideration.

Note that this is NOT a book about how to coach. This is a great resource for someone who is looking for a well structured set of tips on how to establish a new coaching practice. It is also a great reference for experienced coaches to dip into. The networking and marketing sections are particularly useful. Experienced coaches will likely find some new ideas, but may get more value by being reminded of techniques that already knew about but have just forgotten to implement...

The book follows a logical progression for a new coach.

- What type of coaching you should focus on and why (business vs personal coaching)
- Which markets to target
- Planning - financial & marketing
- Networking - first impressions, relationships & referrals
- Finding your first clients
- Marketing tips & mistakes
- Internet marketing
- Traits & techniques of very successful coaches

There's also a section focusing on individuals from a professionally regulated field, such as psychology or counseling, who are considering transitioning to coaching.

I enjoyed the style of the book, which is quite "checklist" oriented. As someone who makes lists for everything, it very was easy for me to digest. More importantly is that it's a book that I continue to pick up and reference as it's so easy to dip into. Nicely laid out.

I also like the mini-interviews with successful coaches (usually just a page or so) providing tips & perspectives from growing their own businesses.

As a nuts and bolts description of how to operate & grow a coaching business, you can't go wrong with this book. Look elsewhere if you need a resource for developing coaching skills & techniques.

I purchased four books on how to start a coaching practice. I found this book to be the best out of all of them. The book is full of valuable information. It is a must read for the beginner coach.

If you are interested in possibly starting a coaching business but are not a professional executive coach, this book may be helpful for you. Most of the emphasis is on what you want verses what your clients may need from you. Although the title is about personal and "Executive Coaching", everything inside the book is about "Business Coaching" and is referred to as such. When it comes to executive coaching, you can't start such a practice just because it interests you and you have some basic skills dealing with people and know something about business. Executive coaching requires significant background in organizational management and leadership, organization development, psychology, and high-level skills in coaching and consulting at the executive level.
For more information about professional standards for executive coaching I recommend downloading the free Handbook of Executive Coaching at the website: [...]
You will also find all free information and tools for the executive coach, executive, and HR professionals.

Out of 346 pages, just barely 7 full pages pertain to personal coaching! Hence, my claim to a misleading title. However, if you are looking into being a business coach, look no further than this book.

I was only in the very early stages of setting up my coaching practice and I had completely lost the plot - I had no idea who I was going to coach or what I was going to coach them on, and I didn't know what to do next. Then I remembered this book sitting on my shelf and it has been a life-saver!

I have worked religiously through it and it has really helped me to focus on my services, and my target market. I now have some brochures, a detailed business and marketing plan and I am just looking at revamping my website to fit in with my new direction and to sell my benefits better!

I now have no excuse when I lose momentum, I just need to open my marketing plan and it tells me what to do next!

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone starting a coaching practice who hasn't set up a business before.

Getting Started in Personal and Executive Coaching provides the specific, on-target advice that a warm, wise mentor would provide to those who wish to build or grow a thriving coaching practice. Based on interviews with 300 top coaches throughout the U.S. and the author's own experience of what really works in marketing coaching, this is a guide that every coach should have on their bookshelf. Well written and packed with specific insights on every page, this book will undoubtedly become a classic for the business side of the emerging field of professional coaching. Even more, the authors provide free practice building coaching to the readers who wish to follow up with person-to-person contact! Excellent!

This is one of the best primers on coaching. Anyone who is just starting out as a coach or thinking about becoming a coach should read this book. Stephen brings the much needed tactical world of business to coaching. Reading this book first will help you succeed.