Coaching World Issue 11: August 2014 | Page 16

Promoting Coaching: A Toolbox As a coach and ICF Member, you work daily to support your clients, build your business and develop yourself as a professional. At the same time, however, you’re part of something bigger: a rapidly growing industry that enjoys growing consumer awareness. Consider the following findings from the 2014 ICF Global Consumer Awareness Study: • Globally, 58 percent of respondents said they were aware of professional Business and/or Life Coaching, reflecting an increase of seven percentage points from 2010. • Among respondents who said they were aware of professional coaching, 35 percent of respondents correctly identified the definition of coaching when provided definitions for five support professions. 16 Coaching World • Despite a challenging economic climate, participation in coaching increased slightly between 2010 and 2013, with 17 percent of 2014 respondents indicating that they’d participated in a coaching relationship. This data illustrates an opportunity for coaching professionals to spread the word about coaching and its benefits, challenge misconceptions about what coaching is and what it isn’t, and demonstrate the numerous ways that professional coaching can help individuals and organizations achieve their goals. To help you seize this opportunity, we’ve assembled a collection of tools, tips and resources for you to apply as you promote professional coaching in your community and in the world.