Individually support coachees in everyday life without time pressure and spatial constraints – that's what online coaching promises. But how does distance coaching work? In this article, we present 5 online coaching formats and offer tips for making the right choice.
You want to start with online coaching but are unsure how to get started? No wonder: Nowadays, there is a huge variety of different formats to choose from for online coaching. To make your selection easier, we present to you today 5 simple formats for online coaching and give you tips on which situations and coachees they are best suited for:
1. Online Coaching via E-Mail
Email coaching is probably the simplest variant. The entry barrier is extremely low: After all, 85% of Germans use the internet for emailing!
Email coaching is particularly suitable for business coaching when your coachees are very busy. Many executives, for example, hardly have time for a fixed phone appointment but can quickly check their emails in between.
2. Online Coaching via Video Chat
Video chat coaching is significantly more personal than an email. A video calling program, such as Google Hangouts, Skype, or Zoom, is required.
The online coaching takes place via webcam in a virtual meeting room. This allows you to see your client's facial expressions and gestures – which can be very valuable depending on the coaching topic! However, you need a fixed appointment for a video chat. This makes this format less flexible in terms of time.
Through video chat, you can also coach your clients online very personally over long distances.
3. Online Telephone Coaching
Telephone coaching is probably the most common method for coaching at a distance. Phone calls are naturally also possible over the internet today and thus count as online coaching. Various providers for internet telephony are available for this.
Telephone online coaching is somewhat more distant than a video chat due to the lack of a camera. This doesn't have to be a disadvantage: Especially with sensitive topics or reserved coachees, this distance can help them open up to your coaching.
4. Online Coaching in a Virtual Classroom
Unlike in a video chat, you can actively work with your coachees in a virtual classroom (VC). You can find a comparison of several VC tools here.
Most VC tools offer additional features besides video and audio playback, such as virtual whiteboards or surveys. This allows you to create interactive individual or group coaching sessions. Disadvantage: Virtual classrooms also only work with a time commitment.
5. Online Coaching via Learning Platforms
With special online platforms, you can provide content for your coachees online – completely asynchronously, meaning without time or space constraints.
One tool for online coaching offers you and your coachees both a variety of media and communication and interaction options, such as quizzes or regular learning impulses.
These and more features are offered by, for example, blink.it. With the free demo course, you can quickly find out if a learning platform is right for your online coaching – at the same time, you also receive real learning impulses to boost your personal productivity.
Good luck with your entry into online coaching! 🙂
