Do you want your very own piece of the $100 billion fitness industry? Well, becoming a virtual health coach would be an amazing way to do it.
One part PT, another part lifestyle coach, these trained professionals help clients set and attain their health and fitness goals. They do it all via the internet too, which means they can work from anywhere in the world. That’s a winning combination for anybody looking for a flexible, varied, and rewarding role in this field.
Furthermore, there’s no better time to get started! After all, with a global pandemic forcing everybody to stay indoors (and out of the gym), there’s no shortage of people looking for virtual fitness support right now. Attaining health coach success is far more probable as a result.
Want to learn more about getting started in this line of work? You’re in the right place! Keep reading to discover how to succeed as a virtual health coach.
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Start Training (Become Certified)
It’s worth noting that there’s no legal obligation to get certified as a health coach in the US. Anybody can call themselves one and take on clients accordingly. However, being certified has two major benefits:
First, it tells prospective clients that you know what you’re talking about. They’ll see your certification from a trusted professional body and will feel greater trust in your abilities.
Second, the process of getting certified will teach you about the role itself. You’ll gain insight into the process of helping clients toward their goals, developing your business, and attaining virtual health coach success.
Invest in the Right Equipment
Anybody who works online relies on their technical gear for success.
At a minimum, you’ll need a computer (laptop and/or desktop), a smartphone, and high-speed internet with which to run your virtual coaching operation. Only then will you be able to make video calls, send emails, do screen recording for making training videos, and so on.
However, having the gear isn’t enough. It all needs to be of an appropriate standard too!
Why? Because substandard equipment can be damaging from both a practical and business standpoint. For instance, at a practical level, awful internet would make it harder to communicate with clients and conduct uninterrupted sessions. From a business perspective, it’d come across as unprofessional and send the wrong impression about your brand.
Find Your Niche
With your qualifications and equipment sorted, it’s time to think about your target audience. In other words, who do you want to offer health and fitness coaching to?
Now, you might feel cut out to support anyone and everyone, regardless of their demographics and desires! But it’s important to think practically. With countless established health coaches working already, you need a unique selling point that convinces people to choose your services over others.
Narrowing your focus helps you do exactly that. You pick a niche and instantly distinguish yourself from the crowd.
The trick’s to be as specific as possible. For instance, you could set out to help army veterans, young mothers, or retired athletes in your area with particular health-related struggles. Having distinguished yourself from the crowd, there’ll be less competition for your audiences’ attention; you’ll enjoy more interest in your services as a result.
Practice Your Virtual Conversation Skills
Conversing via video call is nothing new in today’s world. Through Skype, Facebook, or WhatsApp, most of us speak to loved ones like this all the time. However, there’s a big difference between having a casual chat with a friend and delivering a high-value coaching session online.
After all, you can’t make eye contact, interpret their body language as easily, or have any form of physical contact. The result?
Everything from staying present, delivering instructions, and building the relationship can be a challenge. Throw a bad internet connection into the mix and the situation gets even worse.
That’s why it helps to get some practice before working with clients. Do as many video calls to friends and family as possible; conduct free coaching sessions with them too. You should become more comfortable with virtual communication and get to grips with the nuances of the role itself.
Get Set up Online
Having an online presence is a core component of running any successful virtual business. That’s why you need to decide your business name, create a website, and start attracting followers on social media ASAP. With these core elements in place, you’ll find it far easier to get noticed online, win clients, and become an authority in your niche.
Thankfully, you don’t need to be a tech wizard (or have lots of start-up capital) to do it either. Web-services such as Squarespace, Wix, or WordPress make it easy to design a professional website from scratch.
Market Your Services
You’ve chosen your target audience, honed your virtual skills, and developed an online presence. Now it’s time to let prospective clients know about your services.
That’s where marketing comes into play.
This vital business process is about telling your audience who you are, what you do, why you do it, and how you can help. You want to get their attention, cultivate a relationship, and, with any luck, convert them into clients.
Now, there’s no shortage of marketing channels at your disposal. Email marketing, content marketing, social media marketing, and direct mail marketing are just a few of them! Experiment with the different types and assess the results to see which delivers the best ROI.
Time to Succeed as a Virtual Health Coach
There’s never been a better time to become a virtual health coach. After all, people are stuck indoors, unable to go to the gym, and struggling with a wealth of physical, mental, and emotional issues. Getting input from a well-trained, knowledgeable, and caring coach could make a mighty difference.
The tricky bit is knowing how to get started in the field! Hopefully, though, the tips in this post will help in that regard. Keep them in mind and you’ll be on your way to becoming a successful virtual health coach in no time.
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