The actual buying process for coaching seems to depend on the nature of the coaching sought.
However, in the vast majority of cases, the final decision on coach selection seems to rest with the person-to-be-coached. In the case of business/executive coaching, an initial shortlist may be made by the Human Relations (HR) or talent management department in the organization (at the request of a general manager, C-Suite executive or other leadership of the company). The final choice will usually depend on the personal chemistry between the prospective coach and the person-to-be-coached combined with trust that the desired personal development results can be delivered by the person-being-coached.
Coaching is such a personal and intense relationship that it is usually best for the client to select the person they feel best able to work with. It may prove necessary to transfer to another coach after a period of time when the person-being-coached is able to take advantage of a different, perhaps "tougher" approach.
In the case of career coaching and personal coaching, the selection may well be made by the person-to-be-coached with no formal external input or financial support. Choice may be based on referrals or in some cases search engine results followed by website review and a phone call that may then lead to a chemistry discussion or meeting. In some cases, the person-to-be-coached may rely simply on a referral as long as the personal chemistry is adequate.
This sort of impression in business/executive and career coaching is almost certainly a product of the fact that there is limited regulation of such coaching and little by way of agreed accreditation factors. In other words, it is hard for buyers to form a view of coaches and their capabilities, based on a common and consistent set of objective criteria.
Individual coaches therefore have an opportunity to use this situation to their advantage, with the help of an experienced mentor coach, in differentiating themselves from possible competitors.
Source: Stephen Newton: Success as a Coach: Start and Build a Successful Coaching Practice
Frank Bresser: The global business guide for the successful use of coaching in organizations