Insights into the Value of Being an ICF Member

A year ago, as I was reading the ICF Newsletter, I came across the announcement for the ICF Business Development Series. As I was in the process of completing my goal-setting for the year, it felt like a perfect fit: having access to webinars on relevant topics and resources to help me build my business.

Time slipped by as I got busy and side-tracked, and registering for the series got buried under the ‘to do’ pile. You can probably imagine my disappointment when I realized I was too late to register. When I saw the announcement this year, I booked it then and there.

Little did I know that in addition to providing great value in terms of information, tips and tricks from experts as well as powerful exercises to help me hone in on creating the impact I want for my business, there would be even more concrete value-adds since I was a member of ICF. For instance:

The 50% discount I received upon registering
Access to the recordings from the 2015 Business Development Series
Access to this year’s recording as and when I want, so that I can go back to and get even more gold nuggets every time I listen to them
Free offers to presenters’ tools, like William Arruda’s 360 REACH branding assessment – a saving of $97.00

This is all good and well, but am I getting anything out of the program? Absolutely! I’m learning tips and tricks to help get clarity on my niche, improve my business plan, refine my brand, and much more.

If you missed out on the program this year, you can still purchase the recordings. And as an ICF member, you guessed it – you will get a discount.

And that’s not all our ICF membership gets us. In addition to discounted rates on event registrations, we have access to ‘free’ services. For instance, as coaches, we all recognize the value of having a coach. As a member of ICF, you can join the reciprocal peer coaching program and receive professional coaching from one colleague, while honing your own skills coaching a peer.

There are communities of practice that meet monthly, focusing on specific areas of coaching, from energy work, to career coaching to executive coaching and working with teams. Not only do you get to connect with like-minded people all over the world to engage in great conversations, you get CCEs for free. That’s more savings.

In addition to the knowledge that I am part of a professional community operating at a level of high standards, being an ICF member has many benefits. It does require us to be pro-active to take advantage of the benefits provided by our membership, like any membership. ICF continues to work on providing value to its members, and in my opinion, it is achieving its goal.

Don’t take my word for it. Check-out the ICF Global Website. Log-in. Then type a word in the search box on a theme that interests you. And see what comes up. You won’t be disappointed.

Suzanne Ricard-Greenway