Coaching – The Next Big Thing for Singles?

3 April 2006

Coaching – The Next Big Thing for Singles?

‘Coaching’ could be the next trend for single professionals, suggests a study conducted by singles lifestyle service provider, Fast Impressions. A survey of 350 members aged 25-39 years on services used by singles in the past year indicated that 38% of singles have used self-improvement services such as motivational training courses and one on one personal development sessions.

This was the third most popular service out of the 14 services included in the survey after health and fitness clubs (62%) and luxury beauty treatments (43%). Music lessons and clairvoyant services came in last with 2% and 0.5% respectively. This feedback is supported by a recent article from The Sydney Morning Herald, where Personal Coaching was ranked as the second fastest growth industry, after Information Technology.

Fast Impressions has addressed this trend by forming a strategic partnership with thecoachingroom, an international organization with a network of professional coaches throughout Australia and New Zealand, to offer speed-daters a free coaching session, either by telephone or in person, valued at more than $110 commencing the 1 April 2006. thecoachingroom reported that 70% of people who regularly attend coaching are 25-39 year old single professionals with high disposable incomes (defined as 55K and up), matching Fast Impression’s clientele.

Coaching aims to help people get more of what they want out of life by clarifying their life goals and developing a step-by-step action plan to achieve them. It can cover areas spanning relationship management, wealth creation, motivation, health and fitness and career objectives.

Formerly the domain of Hollywood stars and overwrought heiresses, coaching has become increasingly popular outside the celebrity circles. The number of people seeking a professional coaching service has quadrupled between 2003-2006, states Jay Hedley, co-founder of thecoachingroom. This phenomenon can be attributed to greater social acceptance of self-improvement in general. “People are excited to try out coaching these days. Generally people use a coaching service to transform their performance in the areas they desire in the same way they would employ a fitness coach at a gym to get fit faster and more efficiently”, says Hedley.

Coaching is all about awakening a person to his or her potentials and challenges, asking the person to reflect upon life as it is now, and to explore the raw and blinding current reality. Coaching provokes and motivates to get a person ready for transformation; for playing a new inner game of frames, meanings, visions, strategies and outcomes. It then actualises, tests and celebrates the translation into real life, into performance and the outer game. In the initial session the coach will usually facilitate a well-formed outcome with the client. This model provides a way to more clearly think about moving from a present state to a desired state.

“Mediums like speed dating and life coaching tend to attract people who have both the means and the motivation to achieve their objectives, whether they be in the board room or the bar. It’s positive, proactive people who take control and sign themselves up for these services.” Says Anna Saunders, Fast Impressions Events Manager.

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