The VCBWSP Formula to Craft Your Coaching Mission Statement

by Welly Mulia - January 22, 2025

You’re a passionate coach, with a mission to change lives.

You love what you do day in and day out. But have you ever sat down and put together your own mission statement?

A well-crafted coaching mission statement can be the compass that guides your practice to new heights.

In this blog post, we’ll explore what a coaching mission statement is, why it’s crucial, and how to create one that truly resonates with your purpose and clients.

What Is a Coaching Mission Statement?

A coaching mission statement is a concise declaration of your purpose as a coach. It’s how you’re going to advance coaching excellence.

It essentially describes why you do what you do and what value you bring to your clients—it’s the very heart of your coaching practice. It’s your coaching elevator pitch in short, powerful, and memorable form.

But don’t confuse it with a vision statement.

A vision statement is your dream or a picture for the future, while a mission statement explains your purpose and how you work towards the vision. It’s something that you are going through now, and motivating you in the daily run in your coaching journey.

Whether you are a team, business, or individual, your mission statement should be crystal clear, lead to action, and be inspiring.

It’s not just for you; it’s a beacon for your clients, letting them know just what they are going to get when working with you.

Elements of a Compelling Coaching Mission Statement

It’s not about dropping the ‘fancy’ words and making a mission statement. It’s all about giving your coaching essence legs to stand on.

Purpose and Values

Your purpose is your ‘why’.

That’s why you became a coach in the first place. Maybe it’s so you can inspire other people to achieve their greatest potential, or maybe it’s so you can empower people to overcome certain challenges.

Your mission statement should shine whatever it is. These are the principles that guide your coaching business. These could be integrity, empathy, innovation, or any set of core beliefs that make up how you do business.

Your mission statement should provide clients with a sense of what you stand for, and these values should be evident.

Target Audience

This is the “lifeblood” of your entire coaching business. Without clients paying us, we’ll earn nothing.

There’s no point having the perfect coaching service if you target the wrong audience.

Can you imagine having the best fitness coaching program in the world but you attract an audience totally not interested in fitness or living a healthy lifestyle?

Or let’s say you’re a vegan expert but for some reason you attract meat lovers?

If your mission statement does not mention your ideal clients, it’s not a good mission statement.

Are you helping entrepreneurs build their companies? Maybe you are determined to provide support to folks in difficult times, like through major life transitions?

Knowing who your potential clients are helps them quickly decide if you are the right coach for them.

Unique Value Proposition

How are you different from other coaches?

Your secret sauce is your one-of-a-kind value proposition.

Maybe it’s how you coach your clients, your special expertise, or your own way of thinking about personal growth. Make sure whatever makes your business unique is front and center in your mission statement.

Client Outcomes and Impact

What changes can clients expect when working with you? Your mission statement should reflect the results you aim to achieve.

For example, are you out to assist clients in boosting their self-esteem, improving their relationships, or growing their business?

Why Do You Need a Coaching Mission Statement?

So, you might be thinking, do I really need a mission statement?

The answer is of course yes.

Here’s why:

Guidelines for Your Coaching Practice

A mission statement is your North Star; it keeps you pointed toward your purpose.

When you come across a decision or challenge, you can always refer back to the mission statement and reassess the situation. It keeps you aligned with your mentoring values and aims.

How to Keep Organized, Focused, and Motivated

Knowing why you started is easy, but when you’re in the day-to-day running of a coaching business, it’s very easy to lose sight of the reason you started.

A mission statement helps you keep your focus and motivation because as long as you are reviewing it (which you must do constantly), it regularly reminds you about your purpose.

It’s that personal pep talk, always at your fingertips.

Differentiation and Client Connection

Having a mission statement in a sea of coaches makes you stand out.

Through your brand, you communicate your unique approach and values, and some of your biggest clients will be attracted by your message. Having a clear mission statement can be the big difference when a client is choosing between you and another coach.

Attracting Ideal Clients

Your ideal clients are attracted to your mission statement.

By clearly stating your mission, you will draw in clients who are interested in what you have to offer. This alignment creates much more satisfying coaching relationships and better results for your clients.

8 Steps (incl. The VCBWSP Formula) to Crafting Your Impactful Mission Statement

Having understood the importance of a mission statement, we should jump right in and see how we can create one.

1/ Why do you want to coach other people?

This is the very question you should ask yourself.

Yes, we all want to make a good income from coaching, but what else? Why are you doing this in the first place? Why not just run an ecom business?

This is your purpose. Your why. And it’s very important to get clear about it before moving to the next step.

2/ Choose Who You Are and Who You Want to Serve

Make sure you become specific about who you serve.

Are you working with millennials and looking for career coaching options for them? Maybe life coaching for empty nesters?

Equally, defining your coaching niche will help you tailor your mission statement so that it is in sync with your ideal clients. Having a good grasp of your niche lets you speak directly with people who need what you offer – you know better how to address their needs, challenges, and dreams.

Take mindset coaching for young professionals for example. Can you help them become more resilient and increase their self-confidence so they’re able to better navigate their career paths?

Or if you’re a relationship coach, you may want to focus on helping couples to become more equipped in improving their communication.

3/ Show How You’re Different

How are you different from the thousands of coaches out there?

What is your “secret sauce”? What is your backstory?

What is your USP / methodology?

Think about the particular techniques or strategies you use that makes you different. Maybe you incorporate mindfulness practices into your coaching sessions, or perhaps you’ve studied psychology and can help provide some insight to a client base that may not have a strong grasp on their actions.

No matter what these unique elements are, be sure to tell them on your mission statement.

In addition, if you’re not planning on lecturing candidates on your own experiences and journey (which many of us believe is the solution) think about how your own experiences have influenced your coaching philosophy.

4/ What Tangible Results Can Clients Expect?

What tangible results can coaching clients expect after working with you or hiring you? Be clear about the transformation you give: whether it’s empowerment, better work-life balance, or more business success.

Explaining how you plan to do it — goal setting frameworks, mindset shift, accountability structures — assures clients that you have the expertise, the methodology, and will see them through to success.

While you do provide the tools for growth, frame your coaching as a mutual effort on behalf of the client’s personal development, call it a partnership in their personal growth.

5/ Keep it Short and Actionable

Your mission statement should be short and sweet – one to three sentences. Use language that’s active to align with the energy and purpose. Remember that this isn’t a novel, it’s your definition of your coaching purpose.

6/ Use Clear language in Present Tense

Don’t use jargon or convoluted language. Use present tense so it shows you are doing this now, not something for someday. Anyone reading your mission statement should be able to easily understand it.

7/ Prioritize Client Benefits, While Ignoring Personal Ambitions

Sure, your personal goals are important, but your mission statement should place most emphasis on what you do for your clients. How do you help them? What do they get from you when they work with you? Make it client-centered.

8/ The VCBWSP Formula

This formula = Values + Contribution + Benefits + Who + Service + Purpose.

Try and work these elements into your statement to create a nuanced picture of your coaching practice.

We’ve already covered some of these, but it’s worth repeating:

Values

Outline the main principles that guide both how you coach and how you make coaching choices. Your coaching work should show what you stand for (e.g. honesty, connection with people, or creativity) – clearly in your mission statement.

Contribution

In what ways do you help your clients feel better and reach their goals? What difference do you make in their daily life?

Benefits

Tell your clients exactly how their life will improve when they choose to work with you.

E.g. Clients working with me grow more confident, improve their connections with others, and move forward in their careers.

Who

Who are your target market? What specific group of people do you want to help with your services?

When you write your mission statement like this, it reaches out to the exact people who will get the most out of your help.

Service

What kind of help do you give clients and how is it structured to support them? Which formats do you provide training through – private coaching, team classes, or online lessons? Your mission statement must show how you create value for your clients.

Purpose

Clearly tell your clients why you run your coaching practice. Why do you do what you do? What do you hope your clients will have accomplished after they work with you? Your mission statement should give both you and your clients something to strive for.

Examples of Strong Coaching Mission Statements

Life Coaching Mission Statement Example

“We help individuals reach their full potential and live their best lives, energized—by providing personal insights, actionable plans, and relentless commitment.”

Business Coaching Example

“Our purpose is to guide entrepreneurs and business leaders in finding, creating or developing innovative strategies, developing growth mindset, and achieving sustainable success in their interests.”

Mindset Coaching Mission Statement Example

“We help individuals break free from limiting beliefs, establish resilience and nurture a growth mindset to help them go after their personal and professional goals.”

Health and Wellness Coaching Example

“Our mission is to inspire and support people to live healthy, balanced and sustainable lifestyles through personalized nutrition, fitness and mindfulness.”

Relationship Coaching Mission Statement Example

“Our mission is to empower couples and individuals to build strong, loving relationships using effective communication tools, emotional intelligence development, and creating your own relationship strategies.”

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Your Coaching Mission Statement

Crafting a coaching mission statement is an important task, but it’s easy to fall into certain traps that can weaken its impact.

So the obvious question is: what are these common mistakes that coaches make, and how can we avoid them?

Being Vague or Generic

You can say something along the lines of “I help people achieve their goals” or “I empower individuals to succeed” and you may feel that you’re supporting a noble cause, but that’s not specific enough.

These are the types of statements that can apply to almost any coach and are, thus, forgettable, ineffective statements.

just a statement is not a mission statement

Therefore, concentrate on what makes your coaching different. Which clients do you help and what specific challenges do you help them overcome? What areas of transformation do you prefer to focus on?

So instead of saying, “I help people make their lives better,” you could say, “I help young professionals during career shifts and boost their self-confidence in their leadership potential.”

The more specific your mission statement is, the more it will resonate with the right people. Not only does specificity make your statement stronger but specificity also talks to those who can benefit from your services.

Making it too Long or too Complex

Don’t use technical jargon or overly complex language that will confuse potential clients. Simplicity is key.

Read your mission statement out loud. If it is a mouthful, or it takes too long to explain, it is too complicated. You don’t want complexity, you want clarity.

Not Focusing on Your Clients

It’s normal to want your mission statement to reflect your heart and pains but don’t overdo it.

A common mistake is focusing too much on “me me me” when the focus should be 100% on the clients.

For example, a mission statement like: “I’d like to become the top life coach in my industry” is entirely focused on the coach’s ambition.

A better one could be: “I help people to overcome self-doubt and create a life lived with confidence and purpose.”

By placing the spotlight on the client experience, instead of the coach’s personal aspirations, you’ll be able to better resonate with clients and their needs/wants.

In general, it’s a good rule of thumb to minimize using “I” statements and focus on phrases of client needs and results. This approach not only makes your mission statement more client-focused, it also shows empathy and makes clear your commitment to your clients and to serving others – things that really hit home with your prospective clients.

How to Use Your Coaching Mission Statement

A mission statement isn’t something pretty to hang on the wall. This is a powerful tool to carry on a coaching practice.

Here’s how to put it to work:

Incorporate It Into Your Marketing Materials

Make your mission statement the center stage of your marketing. Put it on your website and social platforms and in your deliverables. It is a quick way for prospective clients to understand what you are about.

Use It to Guide Business Decisions

In making decisions about your coaching practice, return to your mission statement. Is this new opportunity mission-aligned? If it’s not aligned, maybe it’s best to pass. A mission statement will help you connect with your ‘why’, and hence enable you to stay focused on what’s really important to you.

Connecting Your Service to Your Mission

When you create new coaching programs or services, use your mission statement as a guide. All your offerings should be congruent with your core mission. Consistency is good for your coaching practice and part of building a strong brand.

Strategy of Placing It Across Different Platforms

Don’t keep your mission statement hidden. Your mission statement isn’t something to hide. Use it in your email signature, print it on your business cards, copy it in your coaching contracts.

It only gets more and more powerful as you make it part of your business, as it starts to resonate with you and your clients.

TL;DR

Your mission statement is your home beacon and your ideal clients are attracted to it. If your potential clients can empathize with your mission, then they will choose to pick you as their coach.

Your mission statement also separates you from the crowded coaching market. It allows you to show your unique approach and your values in a way other coaches in the niche can’t.

Running a coaching business can be tough. Your mission statement will act as a constant reminder of why you’re doing what you’re doing, keeping you motivated and focused on getting the results you want.

Which is why crafting a powerful coaching mission statement is more than just a branding exercise – it’s a fundamental step in building a successful coaching practice.

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