It seems like everyone has, or is, a business coach these days. I am a true believer that the fastest way to move forward is to work with someone who is getting the results we want, and therefore they can pull us forward faster. However, it can be tricky to determine who is actually further enough ahead from where we are in our own businesses because it’s pretty easy to “fake it until you make it” with online marketing.
Coaches come in every form, from health coach, to business coach, to social media consultant to business coach. With very low barriers to entry, and a lack of regulations for the industry, anyone can call themselves a coach, consultant, advisor, or even coach~sultant these days.
However, in order to be an effective coach, there has to be something of value to offer the clients. People will quickly see through any pretense and find out very fast if you are not qualified. They want to see results.
Think about the children’s fable, The Emperor’s New Clothes, where some fast talking tailors convince the emperor that he is wearing clothing that cannot be seen by ignorant people. Though nobody wants to speak the truth and tell the emperor he’s been fooled, a child eventually explains to everyone that the “clothing” is fake, and the entire thing is a setup. Well, that’s a paraphrase of the story, but you get the picture.
Every business owner needs a mentor, especially when they are first starting out, and up until the “next level” isn’t desirable any longer and the status quo is acceptable. But, finding the right coach, someone who can actually help you achieve your goals and not just tell you what you want to hear (like telling the emperor how nice his new clothes were) is important.
I’ve had various coaches over the years, and still have a coach and am a member of a mastermind group, because I truly value investing in myself and my business.
If we believe in coaching, we should have a coach. It’s extremely difficult to attract clients who value coaching if we are resisting investing in one ourselves. It’s a universal law that it’s difficult to attract what we avoid, makes perfect sense, right?
Here are a few tips to make sure you hire the right one:
- Hire a coach who has accomplished what you want to accomplish. Whether you’re hiring a contractor, or a coach, you want to make sure that they are walking their talk and aren’t learning as they go, and be clear about what you are looking to accomplish as well. The two things must be a match.Look at your prospective mentor’s testimonials to see if the clients they work with and results are a good fit for what you’re trying to accomplish. If they do not have testimonials or references that are specific to your own goals, proceed with caution.
- If a business offers their service as one that is able to help clients achieve a particular result, look for evidence of those results. Approach this with an open mind rather than skepticism, because if you’re looking for an excuse to not move forward, you’ll probably find one.
- Expertise comes from experience: Look for a specialist, not a generalist. Be cautious of the jack of all trades approach. If you wouldn’t go to an internist for heart condition, or hire a tax attorney to handle your divorce, you probably only want to work with a specialist for your particular business challenges. How many years have they been in business, do they have enough experience in what you’re trying to accomplish, both in their practical experience as well as consulting?
- Sample the goods: Dip your toe in, buy a smaller program, note how they handle your initial consultation, etc. Do they seem organized, on time, and a good fit for your own personality and style? Subscribe to their list and get a good feel for their style and expertise.
- Trust your instincts: I always tell my clients that they know instinctively at the moment of our conversation, if I’m able to help them. If it’s a yes, then that’s a great sign to move forward. How we do anything is how we do anything, so “thinking about it” and being indecisive usually is an indication of why they aren’t moving forward in their business, because most likely that’s an established pattern of behavior.
Don’t look for reasons to stay within your comfort zone, look for reasons to move forward and be clear about the difference in the two.
If there are red flags that indicate a “no,” listen to those and move on. But don’t waste anyone’s time either, do your homework first and exercise your due diligence and then have the confidence to move forward with your investment. And when you do, take action and implement so you can get a quick return on your investment and be able to help more of your own clients in the future.