CRS Members

For ICF Credentialed members, one of the benefits of membership in the ICF is a listing in the Coach Referral Service (CRS), a searchable directory of ICF Credentialed members. All ICF Credentialed members are automatically listed in the CRS. Members may opt out of the CRS by updating their member profile here.

Potential clients use the CRS to locate coaches. Clients can select certain criteria and enter keywords to search for a coach. ICF members who are listed in the system are encouraged to keep their member profile up-to-date.

ICF members who do not hold a current ICF Credential can learn more about earning a credential by clicking here. 

See current RFPs here (ICF Credential required).

CRS Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do I become a member of the Coach Referral Service?
As of April 1, 2007, only ICF Credentialed members will be listed in the CRS. ICF Credentialed members are automatically included in the Coach Referral Service database.

How do I update my CRS profile?

• Visit the ICF website and login in with your user name (email address) and password.
• Visit your member profile.
• Within your member profile, there is an option to edit your CRS profile.

How do I upload a photo?

• Visit the ICF website and login in with your user name (email address) and password.
• Visit your member profile.
• Within your member profile, there is an option to edit your CRS profile including an option to upload a photo. Photos must be 180 pixels wide or less.

How do I look at all the Request for Proposals?
Login to the ICF website. You are not restricted to viewing only the RFPs for which you were selected. As an active CRS user, you can view and/or respond to any RFP that was created during the last 30 days. All RFPs are open for 30 days from creation date, and then expire (unless the person who posted the RFP closes their request sooner).

To view all the proposals from the past thirty days, please click on the "View All RFPs" link on the CRS RFP page.

How long are RFPs open on the website?
Individual request for proposals (RFPs) remain on the site for 30 days unless the poster contacts ICF Headquarters and asks to have their RFP removed.  

How do I receive and reply to a Request for Proposal?
You will receive a message from the CRS mailbox icfheadquarters@coachfederation.org. It will inform you to Click Here to view the Request. Once you are on the website, there is a table with a Respond prompt for each RFP. In addition, as a member with CRS, you have the opportunity to View All RFPs that are sent through the service.

How will I be found when someone is searching for a coach?  
The search process is done by matching the criteria the searcher chooses with the criteria the coach has on his/her profile. The coaches come up in any particular search in order of "match level", which is the percentage of matched criteria. The coaches that match the most will come up on the top of the list, and will be listed in descending order from highest match to lowest match. If there are many coaches with the same percentage, then they are listed randomly within that percentage. The searcher also has the ability to limit or increase the number of coaches that come back in their search. The "search scope" is defaulted to 10, but can be changed to 5, 25, or 100. If the search scope is 10, then the top 10 matches will come up in the search, if the search scope is 25, then the top 25 matches come up, etc. The numeric ranking that you gave your coaching specialties also plays a part in how you come up in a search. For example if a searcher chooses "Executive Coaching" as a specialty they are looking for and you chose "Executive Coaching" as your #1 specialty, you will come up in a search before someone who had that listed as a #2 or #3 specialty. (They will come up too, but with a lesser percentage match, thus coming in lower on the list.)

Look at your profile from a searcher's point of view:
When your profile is activated, go into the system as a searcher (potential client) here. Follow the prompts until you get to the page where you can enter the criteria you are looking for in a coach. Choose a couple of criteria that match your own. For example choose your #1 and #2 coaching specialties along with a couple of your Professional and Life Experiences. Then see who comes up in the search along with you. See what these people have written in their profiles and how closely it matches what you are doing. How could you make yours similar? Different? Look through the eyes of a potential client...which coaches are you most "attracted" to? Which ones would you be most likely to call and interview? Also make sure that all your information is correct, that there are no typos, that you like the look of your teaser, bio, etc.

Why do I get RFPs that don't seem to match me?
The RFP process sends RFPs to the number of coaches designated in the searchers "search scope." If they chose a scope of 100, then that RFP probably went to 100 coaches. It will go to every coach who matched any of the criteria the searcher chose. For example if the searcher chose: Executive Coach, Business Coaching, Financial Management, Banking, and Female. If you happen to have selected Banking, even though you don't meet any of the other requirements, you may get this RFP.

How do I come up in more searches? Get more hits? 
To attract the right clients for you, complete your profile so it best describes who you are as a coach and what you can offer someone. Use descriptive words when completing the comments section.

What are the best keywords to use in my comments section to increase my chances of coming up in more searches? 
Depending on you, your background, the type of coaching you do, and what a searcher is looking for will depend on the types of keywords people use when doing searches. Some actual examples of keywords that have been used: motivational, golf, gay, landmark, teams, intuitive, deaf, yoga, media, Christian, feng shui, humor, software, free, executive, caregiver, musician, politics, etc.  So as you can see, the keywords can be anything.  None are "better" than others. Incorporate words into this section that you think someone may use to find a coach like you. For example: Any degree or certification you may have; special talents, training, or hobby; types of clients you have worked with or work well with (actors, executives, entrepreneurs, astronauts...whatever applies to you), etc.