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How to Become a Certified Change Management Coach

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Want to become a certified change management coach?

Then you’re in the right place!

Today, you’ll learn how to get your change management coaching certification and start a successful coaching business…

Taking you one step closer to the flexibility and financial freedom you dream of. 

Get the Ultimate Guide

for building a
6-Figure Coaching Business so you can achieve more freedom!

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Ready to get started?

Let’s dive in!

Key takeaways:

  • As a change management coach, you help leaders and executives navigate organizational change
  • You’re not legally required to get a certification, but some organizations might require one

What is a change management coach? 

First, let’s talk about what a change management coach is.

A change management coach is someone who helps leaders and executives successfully navigate a period of change in their organization

That change can be anything, including:

  • Restructuring or downsizing
  • Mergers
  • New technology
  • Leadership changes
  • Cultural transformation

As a change coach, you help clients embrace the change and make it a smoother, more manageable process – which creates a stronger, more resilient organization.

And this is what makes change management coaching so fulfilling: You get to help leaders and businesses boost their tenacity and adaptability.

In fact, a study of 100 executives found that the average ROI of professional coaching is almost six times the initial investment.

Graphic that shows the ROI of coaching

For example, Wendy Hirsch helps leaders transform their organizations without sacrificing performance or employees.

Wendy Hirsch website

But how will you help your clients get those results?

That’s what I’ll tell you next.

What does a change management coach do?

Change management professionals help clients navigate transitions, overcome obstacles, and find lasting success.

With your guidance, your clients can:

  • Feel confident about organizational changes
  • Adapt to new roles and responsibilities
  • Boost team morale

Want to help them get those results? Here’s what to focus on:

List of change management coaching tasks
  • Change strategy development: Create tailored strategies that are aligned with organizational goals
  • Assessing organizational readiness: Consider how prepared an organization is for change and identify any potential obstacles
  • Coaching leaders and employees: Guide and support leaders and staff through the change and help them adapt to new roles and responsibilities
  • Supporting cultural transformation: Create a company culture that embraces change
  • Overseeing communication: Make sure messaging is clear across all levels to avoid confusion or resistance
  • Monitoring and adjusting: Keep clients on track by monitoring progress and making adjustments when necessary

Essentially, you can work anywhere change happens.

That includes corporate environments, consulting agencies, government agencies, nonprofits, and educational institutions.

For example, Daniel Lock helps individuals and organizations use change management to boost productivity.

Screenshot Daniel Lock Website

And Sheryl Stillman launched a change management consultancy to help businesses of all sizes manage the human side of change. 

Screenshot Sheryl Stillman Website

Of course, change management coaching isn’t the only way businesses can successfully navigate a transition.

Change leadership coaching, leadership coaching, and executive coaching can also make a huge difference.

But with a targeted approach to change management, you can help clients see even better results faster.

And I say…

👋 High five to that 👋

So, are you in?

Then let’s discuss what it takes to become a great change coach.

How do you become a great change management coach?

I often see people wondering if they should even try to become a change management coach. Aren’t there too many?

The answer is yes, there are a lot of change management coaches out there.

But 85% of businesses have reported a failed change initiative in the last two years.

Why? Most often because of employee resistance (39%) or a lack of support (33%). 

That’s where you come in. 

With your expertise, businesses can enter a new era smoothly and quickly.

And becoming a coach really isn’t as complicated as you might think.

In fact, I’ve broken it down into five simple steps – let’s talk about them!

List of how to become a change management coach

1. Find your niche

It’s true that change management coaching is a niche in itself.

However, you’ll find even more success if you narrow it down even further. 

I talk more about the importance of a niche in this guide

But in short, niching down is a way to:

  • Stand out
  • Attract your ideal clients
  • Help clients reach their goals more quickly
  • Charge more for your services

And finding your niche doesn’t need to be difficult. You just have to consider these three things:

  • The skills you already have 
  • Your target audience 
  • What you offer 
List of what to consider when choosing a coaching niche

For example, your niche could be something like:

  • Digital transformation
  • Organizational restructuring
  • Leadership development
  • Cultural transformation
  • Team and employee coaching
  • Talent management and development
  • Change communication strategies
  • Performance improvement
  • Mergers and acquisitions
  • Compliance and regulatory changes

I’ll help you find a profitable niche in this video:

Now, for step two: Getting certified.

2. Get a change management coaching certification

I know we’re talking about becoming a certified change management coach.

But a certification isn’t usually necessary.

You just need the right experience and a proven track record.

After all, your clients choose to work with you because of the results you help them get.

Not your credentials.

Quote by Luisa Zhou

And I know this firsthand…

I started coaching without a certification. In fact, I still don’t have one!

But I do have years of experience building successful businesses. 

And that’s why my clients work with me – because I can help them do the same.

That said, some businesses require (or prefer) a related certification.

So, if you want to get certified, go for it!

I’ll tell you about the top change management coaching certifications and how to choose one later.

But for now, let’s look at creating and pricing your package. 

3. Create and price a change management coaching package

Creating the right coaching package will make all the difference in your business.

It’ll help you get results like these, FAST:

UCL testimonials

These are real results that I helped my students get. 

Now, not every change coach sells a package. Some charge per hour or put their clients on a retainer. 

But the good thing about a package is you avoid creating a time-is-money mindset

Instead, you focus on what clients are actually paying for – the transformation.

So what exactly do I mean by a change management coaching package?

Put simply, a coaching package is made up of two elements:

  • Your offer
  • The tools your clients will use

I recommend that new coaches offer a three-month package that includes bi-weekly calls and extra support for $1,500

List of that shows what to include in a coaching package

Here’s why it works:

  • Three months is long enough to see a change but not so long that it becomes overwhelming
  • It provides structure
  • It’s affordable

Let’s now talk about the price of your coaching package.

Sure, $1,500 might not sound like a lot.

But it’s a great starting point if you don’t have much experience or many testimonials

And remember, you can always raise your price as time goes on.

Get the Ultimate Guide

for building a
6-Figure Coaching Business so you can achieve more freedom!

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I tell my clients to think of it this way: 

If you make $5,000 per month at your 9-5, you only need four clients to replace that income!

And this is coming from someone who learned pricing the hard way…

When I launched my first coaching package for $5,000, I only got one client (someone I’d already helped for free for a few weeks).

The problem was nobody knew me and I didn’t have testimonials. Essentially, nobody wanted to take a $5,000 chance.

But dropping my price to $1,500 made it easier to say “yes” to working with me without those things. 

And eventually, I had enough testimonials and experience to raise my price back to $5,000.

For more on putting together a coaching package, check out this video:

Then, once you’re happy with your coaching package, it’s time to sell it to your first clients……

4. Get your first clients

First off, here’s what not to do: Get as many clients as quickly as possible.

Instead, take your time getting your coaching clients

I always recommend trying:

  • Your network: Could anyone you know benefit from change coaching? If not, you could always ask them to refer you!
  • Social media: Communities like LinkedIn are full of professionals looking to change their processes. Get in front of them by contributing to relevant discussions.
  • Professional podcasts: Because they trust the host, an audience will immediately trust you.

Appearing in podcasts really helped boost my sales, and it could help with yours too.

So Money podcast

I share more techniques for finding clients in this video:

But for now, focus on just one method. You can always scale your efforts as your business grows.

📚 Read more: Fastest Ways to Get Coaching Clients

Next, we’ll talk about the most important part of being a change management coach: Coaching!

5. Work with your clients

There’s only one way to get your clients the results they want:

Focus on transformation and ensure your calls are as effective as possible.

I recommend setting an overall goal and milestones to keep your clients on track.

But to really make your calls effective, set subgoals. They’re call-specific goals that build toward the overall goal.

I talk more about how to structure your coaching sessions here:

You can also check out this guide to one-on-one coaching.

So, those are the five steps to becoming a change management coach.

Ready to explore the best change management coaching certifications? Then keep reading!

What are the best change management coaching certification programs? 

Remember: Certifications aren’t always required to be a change management coach.

However, if you want to get certified, these are the best options.

How to choose a certification

Before we get into them though, let’s talk about how to choose the right certification.

I recommend deciding based on:

List of what to take into account when choosing a coaching certification

Change Management Specialists Certification (CMS)

Management and Strategy Institute

MSI website

This course was designed specifically for the Management and Strategy Institute. In it, you’ll learn to create lasting change in any corporate environment.

Topics covered include why organizations fail, change types, and the principles of effective change.

Accreditation: None

Duration: No specific time frame, and you can take up to one year to complete it

Price: $299.95

Mode of delivery: Online, self-paced

Highlights:

  • No prerequisites
  • Materials included 
  • Certification includes 30 Professional Competency Units from MSI and 30 Continuing Professional Development credits

Change Management Certification Program

Prosci

Prosci website

This live, interactive course will teach you how to use Prosci’s proprietary methods to instill change in individuals and organizations.

Accreditation: ACMP

Duration: 3 days

Price: $4,500 for online training, $4,850 for in-person training

Mode of delivery: Live, online, or in-person

Highlights:

  • Breakout sessions and peer interaction
  • Prosci 3-Phase Process for organizational change
  • Prosci ADKAR Model for individual change
  • HRCI, PMI, and CCMP credits

You might be wondering how much you can make as a change management coach.

I’ll tell you in the next section, so keep reading!

How much does a change management coach make?

How much you can earn as a change management coach depends on you

It all boils down to factors like your:

  • Niche
  • Industry
  • Experience
  • Expertise
  • Certification
  • Number of clients
  • Location

But if you want actual numbers

The average change management coach salary is $109,056 per year.

And the ICF has found that coaches, in general, make an average of $67,800 per year.

Want to know what they don’t tell you?

These numbers are just the baseline.

If you use the steps I’ve outlined in this article to launch your own coaching business, you get to set your own prices.

And that means your earning potential is unlimited

In fact, I’ve seen students grow their businesses to six and multiple-six figures!

Get the Ultimate Guide

for building a
6-Figure Coaching Business so you can achieve more freedom!

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Next steps 

So there you have it! 

A complete guide to becoming a certified change management coach.

If you’re ready to leave the 9-5 lifestyle forever and start a business that offers more freedom, flexibility, and fulfillment, you should check out my FREE business blueprint.

In it, I show you the exact steps I took to build and scale my business.

Get it now!

Read more:

Coaching Skills of the Most Successful Coaches

How to Start a Successful Coaching Business

How to Become a Transformational Coach

About Luisa Zhou

Luisa Zhou has helped thousands of students build and scale their own profitable online coaching business. Fun Fact: She used to work as an engineer for the Space Station and holds a B.S.E. from Princeton. Click here to learn more about Luisa.

Hope you enjoy this blog post.

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