Without self-confidence, it is difficult to coach and lead....

Why should your group trust you if you don’t believe in your own abilities?

People who sign up for training or coaching choose to improve themselves. This also applies to employees in a department – many want to improve and look up to leaders. They are searching for a competent person who has professionally engaged with a topic. To learn how to do it right and improve themselves!

The willingness to be guided depends entirely on the coach/trainer. A coach who is passionate about their topic and aware of the signals they send will achieve significantly better results for themselves and the participants. A coach who reveals insecurity with every movement and would rather be invisible will create no added value for the participants or themselves. If you’re not passionate about your topic, you won’t have the fire to ignite the participants. Introverted people therefore find it somewhat harder to convey content well than extroverted personalities. The good news is that confident behavior can be trained, and certain habits can help you convey your knowledge effectively. To prevent your participants from taking advantage of you and to make the coaching session a success for everyone, here are 5 tips on how to lead the training time to success through your behavior.

Instructors walk upright

What do an American drill sergeant and a surf instructor in Tahiti have in common?

-They are passionate about their cause, walk and stand upright, and show through their entire behavior that they are fully engaged. Their listeners hang on their every word (… Okay, maybe there’s a bit of fear with the sergeant... ;-) ) How can you be perceived better? If you don’t naturally stand straight, practice and awareness will help. Pay attention to your shoulders. Don’t let them slump forward. Also try to walk upright in your free time. Start regularly checking and improving your posture. The more often you remind yourself to stand upright, the more your inner autopilot will store this posture as the standard.

If you want to be heard, speak clearly

Your course participants should and want to understand you. You have something to say. So speak loudly and clearly! Make clear and concise statements. Remove “could,” “should,” “preferably,” and other qualifying phrases and words from your mind. Clear statements help both coach and participants equally. A rambling, mumbled explanation will put your participants to sleep. Are you unsure how your words come across or what the participants think of you? Then keep in mind that everyone who showed up at your seminar apparently assumes you are competent. People find your words so important that they took the time to travel and listen to you. You know your topic. So share what you know and don’t hide.

Good preparation of the coaching

Having a plan helps avoid uncertain moments. Avoid having to think during the session about what to do next. Plan your coaching carefully in advance and divide different activities into time units. Of course, you can and should improvise depending on the flow, but a basic structure helps you convey a clear line to the participants. By the way, it’s also allowed to cheat! Having a short written summary of your thoughts with you can help enormously if you have a blackout in between.

Set consequences as early as possible

The principle of carrot and stick was already known in ancient Rome and can also support your authority in coaching today. Of course, you shouldn’t take the stick literally, as that could have legal consequences, and the carrot is probably not advisable if you are a nutrition coach ;) However, clearly naming consequences from the start can save you many discussions. To get support from the group, you should also think about the carrot. Praise, sincere appreciation, and recognition are the keywords here.

Watch successful speakers

Steal with your eyes. Watch the coaches and trainers people like to listen to. What makes them special? What sets them apart? Observe closely which gestures they use so their arms don’t just hang uselessly. What posture do they take when they step in front of their audience? What phrases do they choose? Just as your clients want to learn from you because you do it better, you can learn from the best to improve yourself.