What makes a coach really great in the eyes of their clients? A coach needs to have specific qualities to really inspire and motivate them. When these qualities are combined along with coaching knowledge and experience, any coach can turn into an exceptional one.
According to the ICF 2025 Global Coaching Study, “the global number of coaching practitioners has grown by 15% since 2023, reaching 122,974 practitioners.” (source) Look how fast the industry is growing; only having the right skills will help you win the competition.
What are those qualities? In this blog, you will see the 11 best qualities every coach needs to succeed in their coaching business.
Qualities That Make Clients Choose You First
1. Compassionate & Empathetic
Most of the coaches seen today are both caring and understanding. Maybe because of these qualities, this profession was chosen to make others feel better. People usually seek a coach’s help when they face issues in their career, relationship, health, or overall life.
As a coach, provide them support, understand them, and make them feel safe and secure through coaching. This doesn’t mean to give protection all the time. Give guidance and strengthen them to overcome the problems.
2. Good Communication
Be a good communicator to help clients clearly understand what’s being said. It’s not at all the client’s fault when they didn’t get your points. As a coach, it’s your responsibility to explain things clearly and in different ways until they understand the message.
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3. Creativity & Innovation in Learning
Coaching won’t feel monotonous or repetitive when it’s done in an interesting and innovative way. Yes, coaches need to learn to use creativity in it to engage the clients. Combine the learning concepts and real-life examples to make sessions enjoyable for all categories of clients.
For example, one client sought a coach’s help to boost her confidence. The coach didn’t just explain theories or tell her to change her mindset. Instead, he asked her to practise speaking in front of other people, especially in an event. Finally, the coach could give real feedback on what went wrong and what could be improved. These kinds of sessions can make both the coach and the clients engaged.
4. Responsible
Coaching is definitely a profession that deserves respect. Be a committed and responsible coach as you deal with people’s emotions, feelings, and thoughts. Also, show honesty in the profession by supporting clients’ growth and well-being without being judgemental.
5. Great Observer
A great coach is very observant and pays close attention to everything about clients. As a coach, notice what the client says, their tone, body language, facial expressions, and behaviour. These qualities are needed to understand clients better and guide them effectively.
6. Active Listener
You need to be a great listener too, to understand clients better. Being a good listener also means letting clients take enough time to open up. Listen to everything the client says and notice when they take pauses. Both observation and listening skills help coaches understand clients deeply.
7. Passionate About Teaching & Sharing Knowledge
Nowadays coaching involves various learning and guiding techniques. When you have expertise in a specific niche, such as relationships, business, or health, use the knowledge and experience to teach clients.
As a good coach, share the knowledge with others instead of keeping it only to yourself. Because clients mainly seek help to learn and get guidance from coaches to improve their lives.
8. Pushes Clients Towards Growth
Give the clients a little push to come out of their comfort zone and move towards growth. Yes, it’s not possible to force them to do everything. Through encouragement and motivation, make them responsible for taking action to reach the goals.
For example, one client is struggling in the current job because of a toxic work culture and is also scared to switch careers. As a coach, encourage and support him to leave that toxic job and start a new career.
9. Asks the Right Questions
Asking the right questions helps clients think and understand their emotions better. This also helps them to give real and genuine answers. Be a coach who can ask thoughtful questions to make clients curious and encourage them to explore themselves more.
10. Patience
Show patience while approaching clients. You meet different types of clients daily, and each one has a different nature. Some clients come with frustration, while others might be stressed or confused. As a coach, don’t show frustration; rather, listen to them with patience. Ask them what they understood from the coaching, too. This helps understand whether the session was completed successfully or not. When the clients are guided patiently, both the client and the coach achieve better growth.
11. Open-mindedness
Be a coach who helps clients find answers for their own problems. Don’t give them personal advice; rather, help them think in the right direction based on the situation. Guide them to understand the best solution that works for them and support their goals.
Conclusion
Nowadays, anyone can become a coach. To be a great coach, you need to have the right qualities. A good coach helps, inspires, motivates, encourages, and grows the clients. Patience, open-mindedness, empathy, creativity, trustworthiness, and observational and listening skills are the qualities that make a coach stand out. Always be an honest coach who supports clients in achieving their goals rather than being judgmental. Achieve continuous success in your coaching journey by developing the skills mentioned in the blog!
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