This is perhaps one of the most important questions you can ask yourself when looking for a business coach. The good news is that there is plenty of data out there to help you get a complete picture of who is looking for a coach.

In mid-2009, the International Coach Federation published a worldwide study on coaching. This study looked at the demographics of who chooses a trainer, why they are looking to train, and what their overall return on investment was. Some of the data is quite surprising as to who chooses a coach and for what reasons.

First, let’s see who chooses a coach. The conventional wisdom is that corporations hire a coach to help their executives. The study found that it is usually the individual who looks for a coach. These people often have college or graduate degrees. Many of them are in leadership positions, if not business owners themselves. When it comes to gender, 65% of those who select a coach are women. This tends to make sense as more women have increasing managerial responsibilities in corporations and are the top founders of small businesses.

Second, conventional wisdom would tell you that a business coach is mostly hired by corporations. Whereas in the past a corporation would hire a coach to curb the bad behaviors of a particular executive, it has now become a badge of honor for many executives to hire a business coach. The reasons to hire this trainer are many, but if you come, a few stand out. The number one area to hire a business coach is to improve the job performance of the executive or his team. This was followed by improved conditions for career opportunities and improved management or business relationships.

Looking at the data clearly demonstrates that those individuals and companies looking for a coach realized that interpersonal or “soft” skills are important to successfully pursuing any business or career opportunity. Business coaching helps transfer the important fundamentals necessary for your clients to achieve these goals. Coaches are seen as providing action plans that deliver value rather than a “couch” process. Unlike therapy or other methodologies, business coaching is a contractual relationship. Sessions are one hour long and the business coaching relationship typically lasts less than six months. This appeals to the busy business owner and executive who must juggle multiple responsibilities.

The business coach is no longer seen as a stigma or a blot on a permanent record. Establishing a business coaching relationship is considered more of a badge of honor and pride for many business owners and executives. As shown above, the use of a business coach is not exclusive to large Fortune 500 companies. Instead, it is a tool for the individual who wants to rise above their current position and reach new heights. He is a small business owner and individuals looking for a business coach.