Coaching is a highly-sought service nearly in all sectors. Whether it be personal, business, or sports, coaches are in need everywhere. But what many people/businesses don’t implement is a coaching contract.
As you’ll see in subsequent sections, a coaching contract in 2021 is highly important. You can make use of a coaching contract template to prepare your contract instantly.
What Is a Coaching Contract?
A coaching contract is a formal and legal agreement between a coachee and a coach about the partnership they’re getting into. It is formal because the contract details everything there is to know about the project in hand.
The contract shall state what is expected by the client, what kind of services the coach agrees to provide, how he/her will be delivering his/her services, how he/her will be compensated, and so on. A coaching contract is recognized by legal entities like attorneys and law firms.
For a contract to be legally used in court proceedings and such scenarios, it needs to contain relevant, in-depth information about the project. Coaching contract templates like the one from CocoSign come with pre-made clauses and paragraphs which can be edited and readily turned into legally-recognized coaching contracts in minutes. Therefore, they’re more than just a piece of paper with a signature or stamp on it.
Why Is a Coaching Contract Important?
A coaching agreement is important for various reasons. While you, as a coach or coachee, might not be aware of it, the outer world will view and judge your professional relationship through this contract. This is true for all levels of coaching, whether local, national, or international level.
Here are the primary reasons why you should get a coaching contract in place before working together:
- Clarity on the project
A coaching contract forces you to go deeper into the intricacy of the project. Many times, coaches misinterpret what is being asked by his/her clients. And it is not uncommon for clients too to mistake what the coaches are offering.
A coaching contract helps avoid confusion by specifying pay terms, service scope as well as service timeframe, etc.
- Timeliness
Coaching is an iterative process and is prone to delays. A contract will address things like how long the coaching process will take to start delivering results, when is it expected to conclude, etc. Like every other project, a coaching contract makes the coaching process time-bound.
- Effectiveness of coaching
In the world of coaching, one size doesn’t fit all, simply because every human is different. Therefore, you might not see the same results within the same time frame as the other person. You can track your progress and learn its effectiveness by looking at the contract.
You’ll have to describe how the coaching process will proceed and when you can expect to start seeing results. A contract enables you to take action sooner rather than later if you do not see progress or effectiveness.
- Payment structure
A coaching contract will tell you exactly how a coach is supposed to be paid and agrees to be paid. Many coaches tend to get paid in installments, while others opt for payment after the delivery of results.
What Should Be Included in a Coaching Contract?
A coaching contract is a summary of the coaching program delivered by a coach to a client. But since it is also a legal document, it must include certain essentials such as:
- Scope of the coaching program
The contract should explicitly state what is there to be done by the coach and what is expected by the client. This section should be as thorough and detailed as possible.
- Disclaimer
Since a coaching program might not deliver the same results to everyone, there should be a disclaimer regarding this. It should include when a program will be termed successful and when unsuccessful.
- Confidentiality clause
Many coaches tend to keep the details of their coaching process confidential. In such a case, it is imperative to have a confidentiality clause in place before.
- Payment clause
How the coach will be reimbursed for his/her services should be covered in this section. Any increment, deductions, or hidden charges should be contained herein as well.
- Refund and penalty
Under what circumstance is the coach obliged to make a refund? If there are any penalty charges agreed to by both parties, mention them in brief in the coaching contract.
- Termination clause
It is not uncommon for coaching jobs to get terminated mid-way. A plan should be formulated if the client and coach decide to part ways in the middle. This is where the termination clause comes in.
When Is a Coaching Contract Used?
A simple coaching agreement should be used before beginning a coaching assignment. After a detailed conversation between the client and the coach, such a contract should be initiated and signed by both parties. This ensures safety and mutual understanding.
You can make use of CocoSign’s thousands of life coaching agreement templates available for all industries including coaching and training.All you need is to download one template and customize your own coaching contract. Check out the vast collection of sample contracts in CocoSign’s library today.