As I was catching up on my blog browsing today, I came across a post by Milana Leshinsky about predictions from top coaches at the ACCPOW Virtual Coaching Summit that took place in January. She asked about half a dozen 6-figure coaches to share their top 3-4 predictions about coaching in 2007—and boy, some of their predictions are really interesting!
Some highlights:
- Several of the coaches said that coaching will gain major media attention (and scrutiny) because there are a number of coaching-based TV projects in development for 2007, including an Apprentice-like reality show where each of the contestants works on-air with their own coach.
- Mike Jay predicts that the definition of coaching is going to get even more fuzzy and confusing for coaches and clients as more and more professionals adopt the brand of “coach” and start creating products and packages that are labeled “coaching” (for example, consultants who offer “coaching clubs”).
- Ramon Williamson predicts that 2007 will be a banner year for coaching alliances, for example, coaching “hives” or teams that share a business manager, virtual assistant and marketing coordinator.
- David Frey predicts a surge in coaching specialties—coaches who differentiate themselves by focusing on a highly specialized industry, issue or niche.
- Andrea J. Lee predicts that we’ll see more and more coaching “jobs” being created in organizations. She also mentioned coaching positions in academic settings--coaches on staff at colleges and universities who work with students to help them succeed in their academic programs.
- Milana had some predictions, too – for instance, that group coaching is going to be big in 2007, as more coaches shift their business model away from the limits of 1-1 coaching and leverage the synergy and increased profit potential of facilitated groups.
Listen to the audio replay and download the transcripts from all of the coaches
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Here are my predictions for coaching in 2007 and beyond:
- Coaching franchises -- Coaches who have a successful business model are going to find a growing market of newer coaches who are looking for more than the "top 7 secrets of successful coaches"; they're looking for a proven, turn-key business system that they can step into.
- Baby Boomers and coaching -- They're not just the 'hot' new target market; we're going to see a surge in baby boomer coaches, too--people who are retiring from their primary careers who want to work for themselves and contribute their expertise and knowledge; coaching is an appealing industry for this group. We're also going to see coaches specializing in areas of concern to baby boomers, like retirement, health/wellness, 2nd careers, and how to create meaning in the 2nd half of life. (Related prediction: We'll see coaching schools and training programs start to target baby boomers, too.)
- Coaching and social networking -- Coaches, like other businesses, are going to feel both the love and the heat from social networking and word of mouth. People are connecting, talking and sharing their experiences (positive and negative) with each other and have easy access to information about other customers' experiences more than ever before, and it's changing the marketplace. The coaches who understand and leverage social networking and word of mouth will have an advantage.
What are your top 3 predictions for coaching in 2007?
