Hiring a Business Coach
Wondering if a Business Coach is worth it?
Business coaching has become a very popular topic of discussion for many people starting out in business today. There also many people out there that call themselves business coaches that really don’t have any idea on how to coach someone in business.
How do you choose one?
Generally if you have to ask yourself if you need a coach, you might actually need one. Using a business coach is no different than using a personal trainer to get into shape or a language tutor to learn another language.
The purpose of using these types of professionals is to help you learn the right way to do something… the first time.
How many of you have gone to the gym to work out and tried some of the newfangled workout equipment? You sit down, do a set and then get up. Someone else sits down in a totally different position and does their set and everyone after that uses the same position. You realize that although you are working out you are not using the tools the correct way to get the correct benefit.
This is when you decided to hire a trainer to show you how to take the best advantage of the tools. The same goes for using a business coach.
A good coach will help you with the following;
Access your strengths and weaknesses
Develop your business action plan
Selection of the correct tools to achieve the plan
Help you stay on track as you execute the plan
Selecting the right coach will help you move forward with more intention and success with your business goals and objectives.
How to find and select a Business Coach
The term business coach has become a very popular title used by many consultants today. Just about every new consultant is now either a life coach or business coach. There are even new organizations that give training and education to certify these coaches.
The easiest way to determine if a business coach is successful is by the results of their own business and the success of their clients.
A Few Questions to Ask
How long have the person been in business?
If they are new to the coaching business and have no direct past experience how can they help you? They are most likely using the equipment the wrong way.
How successful is their business?
They should be able to show you how successful they are by either listing past clients or projects.
Can they show you a defined coaching plan?
They should have a defined documented plan that they can show you. This plan will be modified specify for you but it must exist. Otherwise they will be charging you to develop a plan that they should have.
Can they provide you with references from clients?
They should have a proven track record of providing coaching services to other businesses and organizations and be able to quickly provide you with the contact information for you to contact.
Can you do your own research to find out information about their business?
You should be able to use the internet to do research on them to find websites, articles, books, reviews and other information that will support the success of their business.
Business Coaching Methods
Business coaching comes in many different flavors. The usual methods are;
One on One Coaching
Lesson by lesson coaching
Online coaching
Group coaching
Self paced coaching
Tele seminars coaching
These are only a few. Your coaching program will most likely have a mixture of all the above. Your plan will be developed to match your available time and life style.
A good business coach is always uncovering the gold in you and your business. It is often hard to see inside your business when you work inside your business every day. With many coaches operating via e-mail and fax, you may not even have to be in the same city as your coach, but they’re just a phone call away with advice when you need it.
If you were a professional athlete who already had the skills you needed to play your sport but wanted to get better at your game, you’d hire a coach, right? The coach you hire will work with you behind the scenes to help you become stronger and more focused, making you a better player.
A business coach will do the same thing for you and your business, using their expertise, experience and knowledge to help you find solutions to fulfill your potential. They act as a sounding board and adviser looking to make you a better business player.
What Is The Role of A Business Coach?
A business coach is accountable for eliciting ideas, insights and motivation from you and holds you accountable for achievement of your desired goals. They help you improve your thinking, facilitate solutions, create work/life balance, in order to overcome challenges, discover possibilities and reach your full potential. In short terms, to increase performance, achieve goals and enhance the quality of your life and your business.
Some core competencies of growing your business are:
Formulating strategy for systems, marketing and client acquisition
Developing goals that can lead to organization and automation
Assigning dates, deadlines for measurement and accountability
Developing activity plans and monitoring progress
Cultivate, innovate and create
Continuously improve on performance
The optimal goal is a greater ROI (Return on Investment)
Think about anything you want to achieve in your business (your goals, your intention, your vision, your impact). For anything you want to achieve, there’s a specific system you can follow to reach your outcome. Accomplishing that will determine your ROI (return on investment).