1 Understand your clients

The first step to making your coaching services accessible and inclusive is to understand who your clients are, what they want, and what they need. This means doing your research, asking questions, listening actively, and avoiding assumptions or stereotypes. You also need to be aware of your own biases, privileges, and blind spots, and how they may affect your coaching approach. By understanding your clients, you can build rapport, trust, and empathy, and tailor your coaching to their specific goals, challenges, and circumstances.

2 Adapt your methods

The second step to making your coaching services accessible and inclusive is to adapt your methods to suit your clients' preferences, abilities, and resources. This means being flexible, creative, and open-minded in how you deliver your coaching, whether it is online, in person, or hybrid. You also need to consider how you communicate, use language, and provide feedback, and how you can make them more clear, respectful, and supportive. Additionally, you need to think about how you can use tools, technology, and materials that are accessible, affordable, and appropriate for your clients.

3 Address the barriers

The third step to making your coaching services accessible and inclusive is to address the barriers that may prevent your clients from accessing or benefiting from your coaching. These barriers may be external, such as financial, geographical, or institutional, or internal, such as psychological, emotional, or motivational. You need to identify, acknowledge, and reduce these barriers as much as possible, by offering flexible payment options, convenient locations, or online platforms, or by providing encouragement, support, or referrals. You also need to advocate for your clients' rights and interests, and challenge any discrimination or injustice that they may face.

4 Respect the diversity

The fourth step to making your coaching services accessible and inclusive is to respect the diversity of your clients, and celebrate their strengths, values, and contributions. This means being culturally competent, inclusive, and anti-discriminatory in your coaching practice, and recognizing the intersectionality of your clients' identities and experiences. You also need to be humble, curious, and willing to learn from your clients, and appreciate their perspectives, insights, and feedback. Furthermore, you need to collaborate with your clients, and empower them to make their own decisions, take action, and achieve their potential.

5 Seek feedback and improvement

The fifth step to making your coaching services accessible and inclusive is to seek feedback and improvement on your coaching practice, and how you can make it more effective and responsive to your clients' needs and expectations. This means soliciting and accepting feedback from your clients, peers, mentors, or supervisors, and using it to evaluate your performance, identify your strengths and weaknesses, and set goals for your professional development. You also need to seek out opportunities to learn, grow, and update your skills, knowledge, and awareness, and to network and collaborate with other coaches, professionals, or organizations that share your vision and values.

6 Promote your services

The sixth and final step to making your coaching services accessible and inclusive is to promote your services to potential and existing clients, and showcase your value proposition, credibility, and impact. This means developing and implementing a marketing strategy that reaches, attracts, and retains your target audience, and communicates your unique selling points, testimonials, and success stories. You also need to leverage your online presence, social media, website, or blog, and use them to showcase your expertise, personality, and style, and to engage with your clients and community.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?