unique situations every day. If you don’t know exactly how to do whatever it is, learn. And keep in mind
that coaches are flexible and creative entities. Use those talents to conquer new challenges.
4
Become an expert in your field. Coaching institutions are always encouraging students to define
their niche. This is when that advice really comes in handy. For example, if you are dealing with
college graduates making the transition from school to workforce, let every college, vocational
school, career center, job training organization, and employment agency know what you’re doing
and how you can help their clients. Become the go-to person for your field.
5
Write an article for a local newspaper, submit an editorial comment to a magazine, increase
your social media presence (especially LinkedIn), start a blog. Do anything that is going to get
your name in print.
6
Create your own radio show. This can easily be done free of cost at blogtalkradio.com. In the
upper right-hand corner, they have a “Create My Radio Show” button. Before you click on it, be
prepared:
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What kind of show do you want to do? How long? How often? For whom?
Come up with a great title and write a short blurb promoting your show.
Pick five key words that will bring people to your show (self-help, coaching, career development, etc.)
Buy a good quality headset
Have a couple of practice shows and then invite a guest. Suddenly you’re a radio host.
7
Consider hosting a television show. All 50 states plus the District of Columbia have public access
stations. Google “Public Access TV Stations US” to find out where they are located in your state.
There are also public access channels in Scandinavia, Western Europe, Canada and Australia, as well
as “open channels” in Germany, Sweden and Norway. These stations were designed to fulfill some
of the social potential of cable television. Most of them offer FREE use of equipment, personnel,
airtime, and training programs to help ordinary folks make their own programs from conception
through final editing. Your venue awaits you! All you have to do is decide what kind of show you
would like—Interview? Panel? Call-Ins?
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Get a schedule of current programming and decide where your show fits in
Request a meeting with the Head of Programming
Write a letter, make a call, get an application, take a training class—just get your foot in the door
Bring to the meeting a clear concept of the purpose of your show and why the public would want to watch it
Throw in some of the great statistics that ICF Global has compiled to let them know how widespread and
popular the field of coaching has become
The secret is to make yourself known, put yourself out there, and most importantly have fun while you’re
doing it. Conquer whatever fear you have of public speaking—the more you do it, the easier it gets. And
after you have done all this, be prepared to wait. I had been hosting a television and radio show for a
couple of years when The New Yorker contacted me for an interview. It took about nine months for the
article to actually show up in the magazine. I’m still waiting for the “NBC Nightly News” and BBC Radio
interviews to air. But I know they are out there and so am I!
Laurie Lawson, CEC, PCC, has been coaching for eight years (eljny.com) and is the Past President of ICF New York City
Chapter. She’s the Executive Producer of “Coach World TV,” Creator/Host of “Coach Chat Radio,” as well as a Writer/Reviewer for
Electronic Link Journey, a published author, and a U.S. trainer/distributor for Points of You, The Coaching Game.
Connect with Laurie on LinkedIn.
Coaching World |
February 2013
27