30 Coaching Trends That You Must Know [2023 Edition]

Today I want to discuss 30 current coaching trends that you must know about.

The coaching industry is growing at an extraordinary rate. It is noisy and crowded than ever before. Coaching clients are becoming sophisticated and they are willing to pay for coaches with great coaching skills and profound results.

The fast growth of the coaching business is credited to some of the best coaching trends emerging in recent years.

The coaching future seems to be amazing. If you wish to start your own coaching business, delay it no longer. It is the right time to leverage this opportunity to establish yourself as a go-to expert in your niche.

But to be successful, you need to transform yourself into a learning machine.

If you keep yourself updated with the recent coaching trends and methodologies, it will become easy for you to upsurge your competitors. You can then climb the ladder to build a 6-figure coaching business fast.

You must master the recent developments in the coaching field and command top Coaching skills to wow your clients.

So without any more delays, let’s jump to coaching trends (2021) that will assist you to stay on top of the game.

Top 30 Coaching trends (that will dominate 2021 and beyond)

1. Virtual Coaching Will Continue To Be In The Top Coaching Trends

Worrying about getting a good location for your coaching business?

Hey, that’s not needed!

Don’t you wish to get hold of your audience anytime and from anywhere?

Look around and you will find that technology is revolutionizing the coaching business.

Location-based coaching will continue to lose its importance in 2021 and beyond.

Top coaches will supplement their coaching sessions with micro-learning sessions, gamification, and content.

At the same time, don’t lose a live touch completely. You need to have a blend to get the best from both of the worlds. Leverage the benefits of technology but at the same time don’t forget to add a live element to your offering.

2. The Growing Human-Touch

Consider yourself at the place of your client.

Coach A:

A generalist who has some prepared videos and content to offer in his package with very small live interactions.

Coach B:

A specialist who respects your unique need and attempts to fulfill them through face-to-face encounters.

Whom will you choose? Yes! Correct! Coach B. Prevent making the mistake of considering your client a fool.

Now you might be thinking when the recent coaching trends suggest the boom of virtual coaching how should you proceed with live interactions, right?

You can offer live video interactions. One of my clients takes Q&A sessions every week to cater to the specific requirements of her clients.

You need to be creative.

2021 and beyond is for coaches who will find solid ways to make interactions feel as personalized as possible.

3. The Growing Demand For Measurable Results

Your clients are now looking for results and that too fast!

Coaches with a proven track record of delivering results will leave their competitors behind.

So, how do you prepare for the same?

Focus all your efforts and energy on result-based coaching in 2021.

Remember your clients are not paying you for the process but for the transformation, you bring in their lives.

Read books. Take the best courses and programs. Learn effective ways for how you can deliver top results fast.

All your marketing and sales channels should publicise your result-based approach. Being a part of coaching membership sites can help you to display your wins and earn clients.

4. Greater Accountability

Many coaches get the title of “Coach” just after reading a book or two on the topic. This is soon going to change now.

That’s very natural for any maturing industry. With so many new people entering the coaching business, barriers to entry are bound to rise.

Up till now, all you required was word of mouth referrals, great reputation and client testimonials. But with the onset of 2021, you will soon see paper qualification as one of the most popular coaching trends.

Especially business coaching industry will demand qualified coaches to assert their expertise.

So, should you leave everything else and invest in coaching training programmer now?

Not really. But if you want to create long-term success in your business, backing up your testimonials with certifications is worth considering.

5. Enhanced Focus On Positive Psychology

This trend will contribute a lot, especially to the life coaching industry growth.

The emphasis on positive psychology will help clients to overcome their mental roadblocks.

Negative and self-defeating dialogues will be evaluated by the coach and replaced by positive dialogues. The goal will be to create a difference in the client’s thinking pattern and life as a whole.

So if you are especially aiming at becoming a life coach, you need to master this art.

6. Coaching Will Become Less Than A Luxury

In 2021, coaching will cross its “Luxury” status and become a “Necessity”.

People in all spheres will recognize that they are facing hard challenges which they are unprepared to solve on their own.

They will look for help and the demand for coaches will increase.

No longer the benefits of coaching will be limited to elites.

It is going to become a need for everyone in all domains.

7. Niche Coaching Will Gain Ground

Do you think that one can be an expert in many industries? Or he can have a command on multiple sections of the same industry.

Soon industries and individuals will face complex problems and only specialized or niche coaches will be able to solve them.

So if you want to brand yourself as a generalist. Stop that. You won’t be taken seriously.

Moreover, you will also not be able to command high prices that specialized coaches will.

Let me give you an example of Nicole Jardim. She specializes in hormonal health. She helps young women to understand their hormones and make their period time better.

She has gained wide popularity on Instagram and Facebook without even starting her one-to-one coaching sessions yet.

You know why did it all happen? Because she chose to be very specific. Rather than becoming a “Health coach”, she chose “Hormonal health” for “Young women”.

Do you get the point?

If you want to keep up with the recent coaching trends in 2021 you will need to stay specialized. You can have a look at some Fast-growing coaching niches of 2021 and choose what fits you.

8. Automation And Delegation Will Become A Must Need

2021 will see an increase in the employment of effective coaching tools.

Let me tell you that if you think that you can all alone build a 6-figure coaching business fast. It will not be easy.

As you proceed you will realize the immense benefits of automating your administrative tasks through software and advances.

There are some great Coaching tools that can reduce your tasks to half. If you are neglecting them that would be a very big mistake.

Also, coaches will resort to delegating or outsourcing some of the works to freelancers. They will help them with ghostwriting, videography and web content.

9. Relationship Driven Approach

Effective coaching stand on the tripod of trust, bond and strong relation. You can expect 2021, to continue the coaching trend of building authentic and meaningful relationships.

Only when your client can relate to you he will come back and realize your worth.

Stop building “Network”, build “Relations”.

Let your clients connect with you at that deeper level.

Once that connection is built, they’ll even pay you a higher price. The reason is, they know that you are the only coach who really understands and feel their problem and at the same is determined to solve it.

10. Matchmaking Will Become More Essential

Not all your clients are the right match for your business. Not every time your expertise will bring eminent results.

Recognizing the right client is always better rather than wasting time and energy along with earning bad feedback.

Matchmaking will be among the commanding coaching trends in 2021. Coaches will highly rely on tools and software that help them to match people according to their personalities and fields of expertise.

Additionally, interviews will aid much in the matchmaking process.

11. The Intersection Of Industry Skills And Coaching Methodology

The industry will witness more of these business coaching industry trends. 

If you want to excel in the coaching business, what is needed is strong industry and line experience.

Coaches will themselves need coaches and advisors to deliver exceptional goals for their bright coaching future.

12. Increasing Regulations

Maybe this is bad news for you but it also signifies that the coaching profession is getting fully-fledged.

Thus it will need its own codes of ethics and regulations.

Countries will be seen regulating coaching and a few years down the line you may find education system and professional organisations in charge of enhancing this profession.

Does that mean it is a drawback to you? Nope! All this will be done just to stop the “mushroom growth” of coaches and bring in quality standards.

Won’t you like to be counted among the top high-quality coaches?

Yes, right?

Thus the need of the hour is to stop complaining and start acting!

13. Coaching Will Outdistance Consulting

Consulting supplements gap in knowledge while Coaching emphasizes the transfer of wisdom.

The time is not far when industries will prefer coaching over consulting. Young leaders will seek to learn as talent becomes harder to ‘hire’.

14. The Experience Will Replace Explanation

If you think that you can lure your clients by words and explanation, that’s not going to work that effectively.

The power of words may vanish but that of an innovative experience will definitely last.

You need to incorporate breakthrough thinking and creative pattern of disseminating information if you want your clients to stay.

Obviously, result matters but an indelible impression will assist you in accomplishing the desired result.

Though the saying goes as -“The first impression is the last impression”, don’t forget to retain the impression until the end.

15. Content Over Process

Are you asking the right insightful coaching questions to your client? Is your content client-oriented and revolves around his need?

If not, there is no more scope for further delay.

With “Content”, I not only mean this but content that emphasizes your work too.

You cannot say to your client that Hey, trust my process, it is 100% effectual.

2021 and beyond will see the rising demand for “been there, seen that, done that” coaches as they will be better capable of helping people look around their corners.

16. Working With A Coach Will Become A Norm

All we coaches must thank shows like “Billions”. These have elevated the need and desire for coaching tremendously.

Whether it is business coaching, life coaching or any other, all teach people to reduce stress and gain a unique perspective to solving complex problems.

Who doesn’t wants that?

Better days are coming!

17. Digitization Of Coaching

Webinars, online training, digital coaching are emerging coaching industry trends.

As a coach will you not prefer to get a hold of a wide range of audience with easy access and a manageable schedule?

This will also lead to a major cut in your infrastructural and other costs.

What I need to convey is days of in-person coaching are dwindling. Though live interactions will still be a requirement that won’t be sufficient.

If you want to remain valuable and relevant you need to be at par with these coaching trends 2021.

18. Coaching Fees Will Level Off

As per the Sherpa Executive Coaching Survey 2018 reports, following are the annual Coach Salary by Niche:

Executive Coach Salary: $104,700 USD

Business Coach Salary: $61,000,

Life Coach Salary: $37,000

No doubts that the coaching fees has been sky-high. But soon this gap will decline.

The fees will split between a short group of elite certified coaches who entertain high paying clients and a much larger group of coaches who offer low-paid services.

19. Coaching Will Become More Matured Yet An Evolving Profession

The pool of professional, trained and qualified coaches will be augmented further.

This coupled with norms and regulations will further contribute maturity to the coaching profession.

Don’t get amazed by some unexpected trend that engulfs the market astonishingly. The coaching business is continuously evolving and is thirsty for new coaching trends.

20. Emphasis On Continuous Learning

You cracked an amazing deal! Great.

So now this tactic seems to work for the next time too, right? Maybe all the time?

Absolutely wrong!

While dealing with clients you will soon realize that there are unique cases with quirky demands. Not every time the same hammer will break the stone!

So what should you do…?

Keep learning and sharpening your soft as well as hard skills. Get command over recent technologies and tools.

The coach with laser-sharp interpersonal skills and deep expertise in his domain is sure to accelerate the speed of building a 6-figure coaching business.

21. Agility In Leadership Will Shape Some Of The Amazing Coaches

Get rid of needless layers of complexity that slows the progress. The easiest way to bring in agility in your process is through careful planning.

For example, consider that you have a coaching program of 10 sessions. It includes one session per week. Now, you need to plan how will you proceed to produce desired results in this time.

What is your agenda for session one? What’s next? Are you wasting time dwelling on some unnecessary stuff etc. etc.

As a brilliant coach, you need to find situations where agility triumphs.

22. The Convergence Of Branding And Direct Response

Branding is a long-term process. While direct response helps you to understand and evaluate your coaching services better.

So, what should you concentrate on?

Actually, this isn’t so complicated. In the process of evaluating the direct responses and bettering yourself, you are actually building a brand for yourself.

Till now many coaches looked “Branding” and “Direct feedback” as different.

2021 will witness the intersection of the two as one of the major coaching trends. Both of these will go hand in hand.

23. Video Marketing

Scenario 1: Lot’s of content to read because definitely, you want to convey everything to your client.

Scenario 2: A video depicting everything with pictures and sound.

Which will capture your client better?

Efficient coaching needs efficient marketing. No matter how good you are if you choose to stay in a corner with no buzz, you will remain there.

Video marketing is undoubtedly an emerging coaching trend that will benefit a lot of coaches. It grabs the attention of people. If it is engaging enough they will not even realize the time spent in watching it.

24. Social Media Marketing Will Continue Gaining Popularity

The traditional marketing approach has already vanished.

Major leading-coaches are aware of the immense potential of social media marketing and they are keen to leverage the same.

In 2021 the need for Social Media Marketing will enlarge and provide an easy effective way for coaches to expand their business.

25. Growth

Coaching Market continues to grow. It has not seen a sharp decline yet. The 2016 ICF study noted 53,300 coaches globally, this was a 12% increase from 2012.

The coaching industry 2021 is estimated to be valued over $2.4bn and is still growing.

I am sure this trend is enchanting enough to get you on track. If you have any dilemmas regarding the coaching future, shed that. It is indubitably dazzling.

26. Coaching Across Borders Will Be Most Common

With the widespread of global economy and technology within hand reach, coaches would be increasingly working across the borders.

So, if you want to live up with recent coaching trends, it is extremely crucial that you are aware of the cross-border culture, languages etc. to blend seamlessly with your clients.

Bilingual/Multilingual and culture competent coaches will be in high demand.

27. Metrics Will Become Standard Practice

Your clients will demand the results of your coaching sessions and will measure them based on certain metrics.

So if you are thinking that you would just experiment on your client, then stop it.

You need to REALLY bring a transformation in the coaches and prove him that his investment was worthy enough.

For example, a company may want to determine specific results like increased productivity or improved skill in the coaches.

28. Peer Coaching Will Become More Important

In 2021, Peer and internal coaching will become more vital.

Though the usage rates of peer coaching are high at present, studies show that it’s not that effective as it might be.

29. Systemic Coaching Skills

2021 and beyond will see a growth in Systemic Coaching skills, especially in the executive coaching industry.

If you want to lead people, teams and whole organizations you need to master systemic coaching skills.

Systemic coaching will assist in unleashing the potential that lies in an organization and solves wicked problems.

30. Overwhelm, Overwhelm, Overwhelm

That’s where you achieve the milestone!

You need to overwhelm your clients phenomenally by following innovative methodologies and creative practices.

This is not something new but in 2021 most of the coaches will find unique ways to dive deep into the hearts of their clients.

Take care that you are not left behind in the race.

What Do These Trends In Coaching Mean (For New Coaches)?

1. Only highly-trained coaches will survive.

2. Coaches will have to develop skills such as cultural competence, multilingual, and have additional specific training such as neuroscience.

3. More time to be spent on self-learning.

4. Coaches will need to adhere to coaching regulations.

5. Command on virtual coaching practices.

6. ‘Super coaches’ will widely employ Social Media marketing to spread their messages.

7. The experience will play a vital role.

8. The relationship-driven approach will build successful coaches.

9. The future of coaching looks extremely bright!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)