The coaching boom: easy success or a modern-day scam?

What is coaching and why has it become so popular?

Before we enter the world of modern coaching, let's get down to basics.

What is coaching?

Basically, it's a method of helping you to achieve well-defined goals, whether in your personal or professional life. Unlike therapy, which explores your past to heal wounds, coaching looks straight ahead: it's about maximising your potential and reaching your "best version" (at least, in theory).

Coaching, as we know it today, was born in the 1980s. Inspired by sport and approaches such as NLP (neuro-linguistic programming), it has spread to a variety of fields: leadership, time management, relationships and more.

An alternative to traditional therapy

Coaching has redefined the landscape of personal development. Where psychologists dissect traumas and behaviours, coaches offer rapid, action-oriented solutions. This has appealed to many people who found therapy "too cumbersome" or "too expensive". But all that glitters is not gold: behind the promises of rapid transformation, the reality is sometimes far less glowing.

The coaching boom: easy success or a modern-day scam?

Before the pandemic, coaching was already booming. But Covid has acted as an accelerator: the emergence of teleworking, existential questions, and lots (too much) free time. Google searches on "how to become a coach" increased by 300 % between 2019 and 2023.

What's all the fuss about? They're selling you a job where you're your own boss, you work from your sofa and you charge handsome sums to chat with people. Add to that social networks like Instagram, where coaches pose in front of their laptops or sip cappuccinos with hashtags like #LifeCoach or #MindsetCoach.

How much do coaches really earn?

Let's talk figures. According to the International Coaching Federation (ICF), a coach earns an average of $47,000 a year worldwide. In France, it's between €20,000 and €50,000 gross per year. If you're just starting out or doing this part-time, you're likely to stay close to the minimum wage.

Those who manage to exceed €70,000 or €100,000 gross per annum are rare and often very good at selling their services. But be warned: less than 10 % of self-proclaimed coaches make a full living from their work after three years. The others? They go back to being salaried employees or take on a series of odd jobs.

The cost of training

Training to become a coach can be expensive: between €2,000 and €15,000 for certification. And in a largely unregulated sector, the quality of training varies enormously. Some programmes are serious, others border on the scam. But everything is nicely packaged with phrases like "Believe in yourself and anything is possible". Tempting, isn't it?

A saturated market and absurd niches

Everyone wants to be a coach, but who's left to be a client? To stand out from the crowd, some are creating increasingly unlikely niches:

• Coaches to help you make your bed.
• Breathing coaches.
• Slow coach (!).
• Digital detox coaches (charging €100 an hour to tell you how to turn off your phone).

Add to that the often prohibitive rates: 100, 200, even 500 euros an hour. Not many people can afford that, especially when similar advice is available free on YouTube.

The coaching boom: easy success or a modern-day scam? The question arises when you consider the explosion of unlikely niches and the high prices charged in this saturated market.

The question of legitimacy

Why would you trust your well-being to a coach who has as little experience as your 16-year-old cousin? We often come across 21-year-old "leadership coaches" who have never managed a team or a conflict. It makes you smile, but it's a real problem of legitimacy.

Coaching should be based on life experience and solid skills, not just on pretty quotes and PowerPoint slides.

In fact, I met a coach who illustrated this problem perfectly. Although he had trained at a reputable school, he made a crucial "posture" error. When he was confronted with company directors, he answered their questions with other questions, which is not appropriate in the world of work. Even if his results could be interesting in individual coaching, this posture proved disastrous in a professional context.

An illusion maintained by the coaches themselves

Another disturbing fact is that many coaches earn their living by coaching other coaches. It's a kind of endless circle where everyone is selling training without creating any real value.

Worse still, some coaches exploit their clients' insecurities to sell them their services. Their mantra? Investing in you is the best investment." Translation: "Give me your money, and I'll make you believe you're special." Charming, isn't it?

Does coaching still have a credible future?

There are some very good, ethical and competent coaches out there, but they are often drowned in a sea of pseudo-experts. To find a good coach, do your research, ask for advice, and trust your instincts as well as your luck (yes, that does count...).

Some professionals, such as Pank de https://www.pankhno.com/ or Paul Pyronnet de https://paulpyronnetinstitut.com/ are among those who really know what they're doing and bring real value.

I'm speaking for myself, so these are trainers with whom I have trained myself, whether in Hypnosis for Pank

or in NLP for Paul Pyronnet.

If you're wondering why hypnosis, it's because I think a good hypnosis is a good way to get rid of stress. hypno is a good coach ...it all depends on how they respond to your request.

Conclusion: a bubble ready to burst

Coaching is a bit like an economic bubble. It's attractive, it glitters, but at some point it's going to burst. And when it does, only the true professionals will survive.

The coaching boom: easy success or a modern-day scam? It's up to each and every one of us to ask ourselves this question before committing to a training course or calling on the services of a coach.

The next time a "mindset coach" offers to transform your life for €300 an hour, ask yourself: does this person really have anything to teach me?

What do you think of the rise of coaching? Leave your opinion in the comments section!

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