Top 11 Effective Online Coaching Techniques in 2023

The capacity to listen and ask the appropriate questions is only the beginning of effective coaching. It goes much beyond that. 

Additionally, you must be competent in coaching, especially the Top 11 Effective Online Coaching Techniques, if you want to grow a coaching business that will bring you up to six or even seven figures income. 

So, if you are ready, let’s start! 

Now, let’s dive into the techniques. So here are the Top 11 Most Efficient techniques that you can utilize throughout your online coaching sessions in 2023 to make them far more efficient.

#1 Establish your Own Goals

You must have specific goals if you hope to maintain motivation along the road and grow your business from nothing to six or even seven figures. One of the smarties techniques to utilize in order to establish clear objectives is SMART, which stands for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-specific.   

Also, you can utilize this technique with your clients to clarify their goals and vision.

Best for 

Setting your own goals as a coach is more of a “must” rather than a “choice.” The SMART goal-setting technique is flexible and can be adjusted to any coaching style. It will be best for various settings, from business management to sports. Go with this technique if you want to help clients set goals relevant to their personal and professional development. 

#2 Ask Open-ended Questions

Open-ended questions are vital to any coaching session. And it is worth mentioning that they are much more preferable than close-ended ones because simple “yes or no” answers won’t give you much insight into the client.   

Keep in mind that open-ended questions start with “What, How, Why, Who, Where, When.” Such questions can be asked for various categories, including goals, reality identification, obstacle/dilemmas identification, and solution finding.   

A few examples are:

• What is happening in your life now? What bothers and what brings you happiness from those events, people?
• Have you taken any steps towards overcoming X’s obstacle or towards the achievement of Y’s goal?
• What makes you happy?
• Why do you think X’s situation/person affects you?
• What are your options and possible solutions?
• Why do you think X thing will/will not work?   

Etc. So, follow this logic and come up with open-ended questions designed specifically for the achievement of a particular session’s goal.

Best for 

Clients turn to you for your guidance & support, this is something we know for sure. To be able to provide them with the guidance they expect, you should first identify what bothers them. This is where you can implement the technique of open-ended questions, and the results will not keep you waiting. Asking open-ended questions especially works best for life, career, development, and executive coaches. 

#3 Stay Present & Focused

You not only need to maintain the coachee’s attention on the specific goal of the session, to have a structured and efficient one, but you also have to stay present & focused. It is no place or time to back out when clients literally paid you to guide them toward transformation and unlocking their full potential.   

Grab a piece of paper and a pen (a pencil will do, too), and begin taking notes on what the client says in order to be present and focused. In addition to providing a foundation for future sessions and analysis, doing so will also help you stay focused on what the client is saying.

Best for 

You do not want your mind to wander when there is a client or even a group of them expecting your guidance in their goal-achievement journey, do you? The technique of staying present may be crucial, especially for mindfulness coaches. However, it can be best for any coach who works with clients on performance-related goals.

#4 GROW model

Let's get into further detail about this. As implied by the name, the GROW model focuses on personal development.    

Effective coaching sessions are structured utilizing this concept. It essentially denotes intentions, reality as it is now, choices, and will (moving forward). The majority of coaches employ this model because, in this scenario, the coach serves more as a facilitator than as an authority on the client's life. The client's problem-solving process is guided by and assisted by the coach. The GROW model-based workshops give clients enduring knowledge, resources, and abilities that will be of ongoing use to them.  

Effective coaching sessions follow this model's format. GROW stands for objectives, present reality, choices, and will (moving forward). Most coaches utilize this paradigm because, in this scenario, they are more facilitators than subject matter experts in the lives of their clients. The coach's job is to mentor and assist the customer in developing solutions. The GROW model-based sessions give customers lasting knowledge, skills, and tools to benefit them consistently. 

Best for 

There is a ninety-three percent chance you are working with clients on their personal or professional development. So the GROW technique can be one of the best ways to go. Whether you are a sales or a sports coach, this coaching method can be adjusted to your needs and work with clients who want to grow.

#5 Build up the Trust Factor

Your coachee must feel comfortable enough with you to open up throughout the sessions so that you can use that information as the basis for further discussion and guidance. As a result, be careful to build trust by paying attention, encouraging, and refraining from making any potentially judgemental comments or asking questions that sound judgmental. 

Best for 

Yes! Trust factor can play an essential role in relationship-building and gaining credibility. As a coach, you should try to work on establishing trust not only between you and the client but also among clients if it is a group coaching session. So, this technique is especially best for coaches working with clients who are beginners in their industries or are willing to make the first steps toward their goal.

#6 3C model

“OMG, how many other techniques and models are there to learn about?” you may think. There are a lot of them, but you want to be a good coach, don't you? Therefore, let's continue; everything will turn out just fine.    

Resuming our discussion of the 3C's method implementation. 3C stands for confidence, commitment, and clarity.    

You must develop some clarity by learning more about each coachee you are working with and their particular skill set and talents because every coachee you are working with is an individual.    

Then, as a good coach, you must determine how devoted your clients are this time around and seek to increase their commitment levels as you go.    

Additionally, you must ensure that your coachee is totally committed to developing their self-confidence and self-esteem.

Best for 

Based on its objectives and characteristics, the 3C’s coaching technique can be a suitable option to implement for coaches working to develop a particular skill. It might be leadership, self-awareness, confidence, or any other skill. 

#7 Implications Weel

The implications Wheel is one of the most effective techniques most coaches employ to develop winning tactics. In essence, it is a tool that helps in improved decision-making abilities in high-stakes situations. This tool in the center describes the problem or solution, and the possible scenarios and consequences are described around it.   

This enables you to see the bigger picture, almost all the threats and potential scenarios, and develop the most optimized solution.

Best for 

Implications Weel can be an effective technique for clients with long-term goals. It may help the coachee develop practical solutions for a problem and later choose one that will draw them closer to their major goal. It especially works best for performance coaching, strategy coaching, transformational coaching, and other fields where problem-solving skills are required.

#8 Being able to Deal with “hard” clients

Everyone is different, and that is no secret.   

This means that not every client is going to be sweet and sound. So, you also need to implement various psychological tips, tricks & techniques to be able to deal with hard clients.   

However, besides dealing with them and helping them out when it feels right, you also have to learn how to say “no” to them. They may request unimaginable things from you, and it is okay to say “no.” E.g., a client might ask to attend half of the sessions for free until they start seeing results rather than pay. If you do not feel comfortable doing that, simply & politely say “no.”

Best for  

Challenges and unpredictable situations are an inevitable part of any industry,  and coaching is no exception. So, remember this technique whenever you have to deal with hard-to-please clients. 

#9 - Discover Subconscious Biases of the Clients

Most of the time, things don’t work out for the clients in various circumstances because of unconscious barriers. And as a coach, you must find such obstacles for them and assist your clients throughout the way to help them overcome those. 

So, the identification of subconscious biases that affect clients’ behavior is also a technique you must use throughout your coaching sessions.

Best for 

Discovering subconscious biases will help especially help relationship, life, and intuitive coaches. Every time you see your clients facing an obstacle or a challenge, try out this technique to be able to communicate the possible solutions. 

#10 Follow Ups

Of course, don't overlook customer follow-ups after the session. Make sure they are motivated and dedicated to the process simply by asking them about their progress, completing their schoolwork, and other matters.

Best for 

It would be a great idea to use follow-ups at the end of each session. In fact, every type of coaching aiming to succeed requires this technique. It will help the client to reassure themselves once again they are making progress.

#11 Learn & Grow

This is more practical advice for you rather than a technique, but hear me out. As a coach, you will help others overcome obstacles and achieve desired results through growth & transformation. So, never forget that you, as a professional, also need to grow and transform to unlock your own full potential.

Best for 

We are sure you want to become better in your profession and be competitive in the market. So why not start the self-growing journey right now? As someone willing to become an authority in this field, learning is the best way to start. 

How to choose a coaching technique 

When you become familiar with more techniques and gain experience, choosing a particular coaching technique based on your client’s needs and wants will come naturally. There are several factors worth considering to help you make a choice. 

Hold a preliminary consultation 

Before you start the regular sessions, consulting with your client and getting insights about them will be a good idea. As the client answers your questions, put down their answers. This would be the active listening stage, where you listen without interrupting or judging. 

Identify the client’s needs 

During the first revelation session, try to understand what they hope to achieve, what bothers them the most, and why they decided to take coaching sessions. You should understand what the coachee expects to achieve through the sessions so that the approaches and techniques you will choose support this goal.  

Find out about their preferences 

Now, we are clear on the coachee’s wants and needs. However, our research on the client is not limited to only goals. At this point, you should be able to understand how they prefer to learn and acquire information. Do they prefer to get only slight guidance from you, or do they need ready-made solutions? Are they visual or perhaps kinesthetic learners? Do they like a goal-oriented or process-oriented approach? 

You can ask questions about the client’s interests, values, and the way they make decisions. The right questions will open the gates to their minds and provide insights into their background.

Consider the timeframe 

When choosing a particular method or technique, consider if it aligns with the client’s timeframe. Some clients may come with a definite deadline in their minds, while others may have more flexibility. So, if the time is limited, you should choose a technique that focuses on short-term goals and provides quick results. If there is a need, you should be able to adjust your approach according to the coachee’s timeline. 

Test and improve continuously 

When you gather all this data, see where the solutions a particular technique offers overlap with the insights you got. It doesn’t have to be one technique. Perhaps you can put into practice several of them to see which one works best for that situation. Remember that coaching does not support a one-size-fits-all approach. So what proved great results with one client may not work the same for the other. This is why you need to be flexible. 

Reflect on your sessions from time to time to see if there are areas in your approach needing improvement. 

Make these techniques come to life  

Unlock your potential and start your coaching path today. Success is awaiting you.   

We advise beginner coaches to read Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis' book  “You Can Coach You”. It will help you take charge of your own professional development.    Through putting in exemplary efforts & a bit of time, you can establish a scalable offline or online coaching business. 

One of the most important things that will help you reach out to more clients is a website. With Uteach,  building a website with customizable templates in a few minutes becomes a reality. You can host online and offline coaching sessions and sell products and courses. With the help of exciting tools Uteach provides, you will be able to control every aspect of your business, including marketing and payments.  

If you are looking for an opportunity to put these coaching techniques into practice and have a scalable business, this opportunity is for you. 

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