Things are really, really about to change for you. You’re excited and pumped up. You’ve never been as sure as you are right now that you’re on the right path. You’ve made a huge decision—you’re going to hire a coach to help you in business.
It’s funny, before people decide that they need a coach to help them in business, they seem to be cynical about the idea. They either think that those who hire a coach just can’t hack it on their own, or they think that it’s not worth hiring a coach until you’re at a specific level in business.
But then, it becomes clear that absolutely anyone, at any point in their business, can truly benefit from hiring a coach. That’s when you get a mindset shift. Now you realize that hiring a coach can really shortcut things for you. You can reach success more quickly because you’ll have someone specifically focusing on you and your business. You’ll have someone to show you the short cuts and help to hold you accountable when it comes to taking action.
Maybe you took a lot of convincing before you knew you were ready to hire a coach or maybe you knew it pretty much right away.
Either way, you’ve arrived at the decision to go ahead and hire someone. I applaud you for making that choice because I think it can really make a huge difference for you.
Pause For a Moment…
Don’t get too caught up in all of your excitement, though. As wonderful as it is and as much as it can help you, it’s so important to make sure you choose the right coach.
There are lots of people out there who would be happy to take your money without truly giving you any benefit. Those coaching call centers where gurus’ hired guns talk you into paying thousands of dollars for “coaching” by someone they pay a minimum wage to are a huge, discouraging, disgusting scam. Luckily, they don’t seem to be around in as much abundance as they used to be.
There are coaches out there who give themselves the label of coach but don’t know any more than you know. I don’t mean to say that someone has to have 40 years of experience in something to offer coaching. In fact, I’m an advocate for that fact that as long as you know something more than the newest person and can help new people achieve real results, you can offer coaching.
But, there are people out there who see how lucrative business-to-business coaching can be. They decide to offer coaching services even though they don’t have any real experience themselves. This type of person will take your money but won’t offer you any sort of real benefit.
Be Careful Who You Choose
The point here is that it’s really important to be careful about who you choose as a coach. You should know enough about them to feel incredibly confident that they are the one for the job.
This is an investment you’re making for yourself. Don’t make that investment on a whim. Your time, efforts, and money are too valuable for that.
It’s okay to take some time to make this decision. Don’t be swayed by fancy sales pages and pie-in-the-sky promises. Make sure it’s a good fit. Talk with the potential coach before you make the decision.
There are different levels of coaching out there, of course. Some coaches offer group coaching and materials that don’t take up much of their time. You can often join this type of coaching for a relatively low price. You wouldn’t have to make as much of an investment to vet the coach in this instance since the financial cost is low. Still, you don’t want to waste your time.
You’d spend the most time evaluating a coach you’d hire on a one-to-one basis. You will likely be spending hundreds or thousands of dollars so this is a decision to be really smart about. It’s not enough that the coach knows what they’re taking about, they should also be good at sharing that information and helping to drive you to action.
Things to Look For In a Good Coach
There are some things that are really important to look for in a good coach.
First, they should know what they’re talking about—they should have walked the walk. They need to have experience in the field they’re coaching in. This means having book-learned experience as well as practical, real life experience. You don’t want to hire someone who only has experience in theory.
They should also work well with your personality. Just because a coach is considered to be really good by others doesn’t mean they’ll be a great fit for you. Make sure your personalities will mesh before you hire the coach.
It’s great when a coach does come recommended. It’s always very reassuring when you know that others had great experiences with a coach and found real results.
The coach should also be prepared to take you on. Remember that you aren’t leading the coaching, they are. They should be prepared to guide you… to truly coach you. Make sure the program they have in mind will work for you.
Consider Where You Are and What You Need
Some coaches are better at working with those who are very new to business. Others are better at working with those who are more advanced. Still others tailor their coaching to whatever the client needs.
You have to know what you need. Consider the level you’re on. Make sure the coach will work well with someone at your level and help you reach the next level.
Think about what you most need help with. Maybe you need more help with strategy. Maybe you need more help with motivation. Maybe you need help de-cluttering your business. Maybe you need help figuring out how to boost your profits and grow your business. Maybe you need help starting a business in general. Figure it out.
It’s important that you be able to very clearly convey what you need to your coach. They can’t get into your head, so you have to be very open and honest. Don’t hide things from your coach—you’ll only be hurting yourself.
Hold yourself accountable. Make sure your coach knows it if you need them to help you stay accountable. Don’t waste your coaching—stay on top of it, complete the assignments, and make progress. Don’t ignore your coach just because you’re embarrassed that you didn’t make any progress. A good coach will help you work through that and come up with strategies that will help you make progress from that point forward.
Evaluating a Prospective Coach Is Key
A coach has to be a good fit. Don’t be shy about asking questions and making sure they are. Don’t be shy about choosing a different option if the one you thought you’d go with at first doesn’t turn out to be a good fit.
Find a good coach by being strict with yourself about who you choose. Don’t just hire the first coach who comes your way. Hire someone who really motivates and inspires you. Hire someone who’s been down a similar path and has achieved what you want to achieve.
You’ll get so much better results and save yourself time, money, and frustration if you take the time to evaluate a prospective coach. You’ll also be a lot more likely to achieve the results you want.