What brought you to coaching?

I became very interested in self development and read a great book by Fiona Harrold called “Be Your Own Life Coach” and I wanted to apply this way of working to parenting so I went off to re train as a Parent Coach from being a Deputy Head Teacher!

What were your original thoughts for applying the coaching?

I love learning and I was ready for a new challenge so I read the brochure from The Coaching Academy and came along to a one day event – and I was hooked !

What did you find most interesting to learn?

The art of asking great questions and allowing people the space and time to ponder them. I just love asking questions to help parents find their own answers.

What was the most rewarding part of the training/journey?

Learning new skills that transform other peoples lives quickly and easily

Which bits did you enjoy the most?

I just LOVED the NLP training and I went on to train with Paul Mckenna and Dr Richard Bandler to become a Master Practitioner and Trainer.

How did the qualification slot in with your current life?

Seamlessly !

What else did you have to consider whilst qualifying?

Being structured and disciplined to keep up with the units

Where are you now? How are you using your coaching skills?

I am an internationally recognised Parenting Expert, Broadcaster, Speaker and Author of the Amazon best selling books “Parenting Made Easy – How To Raise Happy Children” published by Random House & “Raising Happy Children for Dummies” one in the famous black and yellow series as well as author of the highly acclaimed Parenting Made Easy CDs.

I have just launched the 1st in my series of Parenting Made Easy apps for iPhones and iPads. I offer practical guidance for bringing up happy, confident, well behaved children from toddler to teen.

I regularly appear on the award winning flagship ITV show “This Morning”, BBC Breakfast and The Jeremy Vine Show on BBC Radio 2 and is the parenting expert for many BBC Radio Stations around the UK. I have a regular monthly parenting phone- in on BBC Radio Surrey & Sussex and my parenting articles are published all over the world.

What is your coaching niche and why did you choose it?

I am passionate about parenting and making a difference in the lives of families from toddler to teen.

What is the best thing that could happen to your coaching business in the next 2 years?

I get my own TV series called Parenting Made Easy with Sue Atkins

What is your favourite coaching question?

If I could be your Fairy Godmother and wave a magic wand for you – what would you most like me to change ?

What do you enjoy most about being a coach?

The difference I can make simply by asking meaningful and empowering questions
What are your top tips for:

People who are looking at coaching?

Be very clear about your niche and WHY you want to coach in that area.

Those coaches currently in training?

Believe in yourself and don’t let doubts get in your own way

Coaches that are about to qualify?

Now go and celebrate! It’s important to pat yourself on the back when you achieve small and large goals as it keeps you motivated

People that are in a similar situation to yourself?

Be grateful for the journey and the difference you make to people that have never even met you but read your articles and books.

A couple of weeks ago we announced our new “Ask Bev” feature that we’d be including in our weekly PS Online e-zine.

We’ve had an amazing response to this announcement and have already received a considerable amount of questions from you on how to GROW a successful coaching business. Each week we’ll pick a question to be featured and publish it on The Coaching Academy blog.

So, without further ado, we kick off the “Ask Bev” feature, with the question below from Keith in Nottingham:

What are you thoughts please on whether to offer a 30 minute (ish) introductory meeting free of charge / or to charge for it?

Dear Keith,

This is a very important question.

So here goes, what is the best way to conduct a coaching consultation:

1. Offer a 15 minute telephone consultation free of charge. Fifteen minutes is easy for people to fit into their day or lunch hours. Free because at this stage you don’t know if they are the right client for you and they don’t know if you are the right coach for them.

2. If someone phones to book a consultation NEVER offer it on the spot, if you do that it gives the impression that you are not busy. Take their details and arrange to call them back (don’t ask them to call you back). Aim to call them the same day or within 24 hours of the enquiry if possible. Don’t be too cool calling people back – remember “another day older another day colder”.

3. Don’t make the mistake of offering a “mini coaching” session as part of the consultation, the purpose of the initial consultation is to find out what they would like help with and for you to demonstrate that you are the right coach to get them from where they are not to where they want to be.

A few questions to kick off with could be:

• Have you worked with a coach before?
• If we were to work together what result would you like to achieve, what have you tried already?
• If you were to achieve your goal what difference would it make to your life?
• How has this problem held you back in the past and how might it hold you back in the future if you don’t deal with it?

4. The purpose of the questions is for you to get a clear understanding of their situation and desired outcome. Listen for limiting beliefs, attitudes and behaviours that could he holding them back.

5. Having had the initial consultation you will be able to give the caller an expected number of sessions / costs and can confirm if they would prefer telephone or face to face coaching.

6. Ask how soon they want to get started and see if they have their diary to hand to explore dates.

Using this process 90% of my telephone consultations turned into immediate clients.

I look forward to hearing about your future success!

Next time on “Ask Bev” we will be answering the question “Should you put your prices on your website?”

I wish you well,

About Bev

Bev is CEO of The Academy Group which includes The Entrepreneurs’ Business Academy (EBA) & EBA for Coaches which are both joint ventures with James Caan. Her book “Do It! or Ditch It” has already been listed as a bestselling business title and she is ready to pass on her success to your organisation.

Connect with Bev on Google+

We’ve had several questions relating to our CPD for Coaches Programme being externally recognised by the CPD Certification Service for providing excellent continuous professional development training for coaches.

We’ve put together a list of frequently asked questions we’ve been receiving over the last two weeks and hope that you will find them useful to answer some of your questions.

What is CPD?

Continuing Professional Development or CPD is a way of showing the outside world that you are committed to your professional development and that you want to keep learning and development within your profession to broaden your knowledge and skill set during your working life.

What is The Coaching Academy CPD Programme?

The objective for the CPD for Coaches programme is to provide qualifying and qualified coaches access to live training days to allow coaches to maintain their continuous professional development. The training days attached to this programme have been specifically picked and developed to meet with the demands that our coaches have made over the years.  This demonstrates your personal commitment as a coach to keep your professional knowledge up to date and improve your capabilities.

Why did The Coaching Academy gain accreditation for the CPD Programme?

The Coaching Academy have a strong commitment to be a Centre of Excellence and provide world class training. Each of the individual CPD days have been accredited to demonstrate to those attending the days that they are receiving training that has been recognised as reaching CPD standards of excellence. This in turn shows your clients that you have attained a recognised qualification that has been externally accredited.

Does this make my previous qualification invalid?

Your achievement and the certificate that you have attained are as valid as the day you achieved your success. I would love to highlight the word ‘continuous’ and for you to consider how continuous is your professional development currently?

Can this be applied retrospectively to my previous qualification?

The accreditation stands from the date that the accrediting body awarded the stamp of approval and can not be awarded retrospectively.

Am I now accredited?

The accreditation relates to our programme and the accreditation is not passed directly onto the coach. The coach can be safe in the knowledge that they are studying a programme that meets standards of excellence and can state that they have attended an accredited programme, not that they themselves have been accredited.

If I completed the Advanced Diploma am I now covered by the CPD? 

During the lifetime of The Coaching Academy Advanced Diploma refers to 2 different qualifications. A few years ago the Personal Performance Diploma followed a different grading system, which was points based. Once a certain amount of points were gained the Personal Diploma was enhanced to an Advanced Diploma. This is not connected to the CPD Award in any way.

The subsequent Advanced Diploma was based on Continuous Professional Development available for qualified coaches. This Diploma has been enhanced and re-branded to the CPD for Coaches Programme.  Achievement of this Diploma is still as valid as the day you received your certificate. It is not however covered under the recent CPD accreditation. The accreditation stands only from the date that the accrediting body awarded the stamp of approval and can not be awarded retrospectively.

Can I use their logo on my website?

As it is the CPD for Coaches Programme that is accredited our coaches are not permitted to use the CPD UK logo on their website or any marketing materials.

If you have any questions about CPD Accreditation, please contact The Coaching Academy on 0208 4399 440 or send us an email and we will get back to you as soon as possible.