How to Become a Certified Emotional Intelligence Coach

Want to become an emotional intelligence coach? 

Maybe you don’t love your 9-5 and you want to do things like…

• Have a bigger impact
• Set your own hours
• Make more money

Sound accurate? I have an eight-figure coaching business, and I’ve helped 1,000+ students get results like this:

Ready to do the same? Then let’s dive in.

Quick overview:

• As an emotional intelligence coach, you can work with a variety of different clients
• Earnings vary, but earning six figures is doable if you have your own business
• Getting certified is optional 

What is an emotional intelligence coach?

An emotional intelligence coach helps people develop their emotional intelligence (EQ). 

But what exactly is emotional intelligence? 

In short, it’s all about being able to identify, understand, and control your emotions – plus the emotions of people around you. 

And here’s the good news if you’re considering becoming this type of coach: 

The Emotional Intelligence market was valued at $868 million in 2021, and it’s expected to grow by 25.2% between 2022 and 2030. 

Which means? 

Plenty of people will be looking to increase their EQ in the coming years, so now is the right time to get started.

For example, Susan runs her emotional intelligence coaching business, Ei Coach, where she helps leaders create happier workplaces. 

Okay, now you know what emotional intelligence is and what you’d do as a coach. 

Next up, let’s dig deeper into what an emotional intelligence coach does. 

What does an emotional intelligence coach do?

Ultimately, your primary role as an emotional intelligence coach would be to guide your clients in improving their EQ skills.

This can cover anything from…

• ✅Emotional awareness
• ✅Self-regulation
• ✅Motivation
• ✅Empathy 
• ✅Social skills

But how exactly does a coach help? 

Here are the steps:

1. Identify goals
2. Create an action plan
3. Help break unhealthy behaviors
4. Offer accountability/check-ins

Now, let’s get into the details…

The first thing to do with your clients is set a goal to work towards. 

This goal will vary based on your client’s needs, but make sure it’s specific. 

For example:

Let’s say your client is a CEO who wants to increase her empathy in the workplace.

In that case, you could set goals to help her become more empathetic. Something like this: 

“For two weeks, I will actively listen to my employees and try to see things from their perspective.”

Once you have a goal in place, you can create action steps to reach it.

With regular check-ins, you keep your clients accountable and help them identify (and break) unhealthy behaviors holding them back.

Wondering who hires an EQ coach?

Put simply, all kinds of people.

You could help…

• ✅ Business leaders who want to increase their influence at work
• ✅ Corporate employees who want to get promoted
• ✅ High school students who want to get into their dream university 

And those are just a few examples. 

As you can see, all these clients have different backgrounds and goals. So, picking a niche is how you’ll maximize your impact. 

For more on how to become a great EQ coach, keep reading! 

How do you become a great emotional intelligence coach? 

✅ Quick stat: Over 60% of people’s achievements are due to emotional intelligence. In fact, just 20% of success comes from IQ.

So, by helping people become more emotionally intelligent, you can directly impact their personal and professional success. 

👋High five to that!👋 

With that in mind, are you ready to become a great emotional intelligence coach? 

Here’s what I recommend…

1. Find a niche 

Why is niching down important?

Because identifying a target market will help you understand what specific people need. And once you know that, you’ll be able to offer customized solutions.  

Of course, you could technically work with clients from all walks of life, but it helps to specialize in one specific area.

For example, my student Ruby coaches guys who want a serious relationship:

Another student, Adunola, helps high-achievers land their dream job:

In each case, my students have identified a specific target audience, which makes it much easier for them to attract their ideal clients.

More on that in this video:

2. Advance your emotional intelligence coaching skills  

As an emotional intelligence coach, sharpening your own EQ is essential. 

That’s because if you don’t have a high EQ yourself, it’s going to be hard to guide your clients to the results they want.

But don’t worry: EQ is like a muscle that will grow if you exercise it. 

Here are a few things you can do to increase your EQ and become a better coach:

• ✅ Stay up-to-date on the latest EQ research
• ✅ Take courses on EQ
• ✅ Ask your family and friends for feedback about your strengths and weaknesses to understand what you’re naturally good at and what you need to work on

3. Obtain an emotional intelligence coaching certification

Now, let’s talk about certifications.

Here’s what I tell my students…

You CAN get one if you want to. But they’re typically not required.

Why? Because what your clients really care about is reaching their end goal. 

So, don’t worry about getting the “right” certification. 

Instead? 

Focus on results. Show people that you can help them get to where they want to go. 

Ultimately, that’s what matters. 

I know this firsthand because I wasn’t certified when I became a coach. But I DID have plenty of valuable experience to offer.

So much so that my first client immediately agreed to my coaching rate of $5,000.

However, if you want to get one, I share the best certification programs below. 

Once you have the right experience, you’ll need a coaching offer. 

Here’s how to make one…

4. Create and price an emotional intelligence coaching package

As a coach, you have a few different pricing options: Hourly, retainer, or package.

Let’s quickly cover each of these…

With hourly pricing, you get paid for every hour you work. 

The downside? Your clients will think they’re paying for your time rather than what they really want: The results you can give them.

What about retainer pricing? 

Here, you get paid on a monthly basis, so you know exactly how much you’ll earn. The reason I don’t recommend retainer pricing? It can be hard to set boundaries, which can lead to burnout.

So, what’s left?

Package offers.

Here’s why these work: With a package, your clients know that what they’re paying for is their end goal, which is exactly what they want. 

💡 I recommend charging $1,500 for three months of coaching as a new coach. That way, you’ll be able to land your first few clients and get testimonials relatively quickly. 

Then, once you’re more established, you can increase your rates.

5. Get your first clients

Look: You don’t have to spend a fortune on ads to get clients. I know this firsthand. 

Early on in my business, I joined relevant Facebook groups where I knew my ideal clients were. And over several weeks, I proved my skills by offering a lot of value for free.

The result: People were ready to pay for my help. And that’s how I hit six figures in just four months. 

Sound good? Here’s how you can do the same…

If you’re just getting started, I recommend using social media, like Facebook groups or Twitter. You can also get the word out about your new business by tapping your network and reaching out to relevant podcasts. 

Want more detailed guidance? Check out this article. 

6. Work closely with your clients  

Once you have clients, you’ll need to offer them guidance to attain their goals. 

So again, the first step is to work out an overall goal. What does success look like for your client? What do they need your help with specifically? 

Once you know what your client needs, you’ll be able to define milestones and break down their big goal into smaller subgoals. 

I go into more detail about how to plan a coaching call in this video:

So that’s how you can become a great EQ coach! Now, let’s dive into the best certifications.

The best emotional intelligence certification programs

How do you choose a certification program? 

The factors to look at when choosing your program are: 

• Accreditation: Is the program accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) or a similar, credible organization? For example, ICF offers three paths for applying for a certification – ACC, MCC, and PCC. 
• Duration: How long is the program? Does it work with your schedule? Most certification programs are between 6-12 months long.  
• Delivery: How is the program delivered? Online or as a hybrid or in-person program? 

Here are a few top EQ courses to look at if you’re interested:

EQ Coach Certification

Six Seconds

This course combines both emotional intelligence and ICF competencies to provide you with a process for helping your clients get results. The duration is 220 instructional hours and the investment is approximately $10,000. You’ll learn online and live (either virtually or face-to-face).  The program is ICF-accredited. 

EQ-i 2.0 / EQ 360 Certified

EITC

The Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i 2.0) is the leading measure of emotional intelligence that includes 15 competencies. The program is mainly applicable to coaches who want to work with leaders and teams. The certification program is made up of four half-day training sessions online and costs $1,697. The program is ICF-accredited. 

Emotional Intelligence Life Coach Certification 

Udemy

This program is a less extensive program with 7.5 hours of video, as well as 9 articles. The focus is on helping coaches support life coaching clients in mastering emotions, reduce stress, and develop emotional intelligence. The complete program is accredited by the Continuing Professional Development Standards Agency and costs $119.99.

What are the benefits of hiring an emotional intelligence coach? 

Why would someone want to hire an emotional intelligence coach? 

Ultimately, there are lots of reasons. And that’s because EQ affects all areas of life, from relationships to career growth.

As a coach, knowing why EQ coaches are so useful will help you gain confidence in your abilities – and work with clients who value you.   

So, with that in mind, let’s look at the benefits of hiring an emotional intelligence coach.

Stronger relationships 

As a coach, you can help people improve their relationships by creating a customized plan to work on skills they may be lacking, like empathy or conflict resolution.

Increased self-awareness

How do your clients manage things like their stress and emotions? Becoming more self-aware is the first step to being able to effectively address other people’s needs, so this is a key skill to work on. 

Career advancement

By helping your clients develop strong EQ skills like empathy, you’ll help them advance their careers and become more effective in the workplace.

Improved communication and leadership skills

Good communication is essential to being a good leader, and it all starts with having emotional intelligence skills like active listening and social awareness. These are the kinds of skills you could help your clients improve. 

Better stress management

Stressful situations happen, but how you respond to them makes a BIG difference. As a coach, you can help guide your clients to manage their stress effectively. 

So there you have it, those are the benefits of hiring an emotional intelligence coach. But now you might be left wondering, “How much could I earn?”

You’re about to find out. 👇

How much does an emotional intelligence coach make? 

Your income depends on a few factors, including:

• Your experience
• Where you live
• What results you offer 

According to ZipRecruiter, the average salary for a social emotional learning coach in the US is $53,314.

But remember: That’s the average salary for an employee.

If you start your own business, you can hit six figures (and beyond!) as a coach.

I’ve done it, and I’ve helped countless others do it too:

So, one benefit of having your own business? You’re not dependent on a boss who tells you how much you can get paid.

You’re in charge. 

Ultimately, that means more freedom to live the life you want.

Next steps 

So there you have it! Now you know what emotional intelligence coaching is and what it takes to become a coach.

As you can see, this is an exciting field that offers the ability to do meaningful work – and make great money doing it.

Ready to quit your job and start your own freedom business?

I’m giving you access to my FREE masterclass where you can learn more about my Employee to Entrepreneur program. 

Get it now!

📚 Read more: 

Top Life Coaching Skills of the Most Successful Coaches 

How to Set Unbreakable Coaching Boundaries 

11 Best Coaching Styles

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