Winners & successful people have this in common…
All of the elite in their industries have coaches. Every single one of them has reached the pinnacle of their careers by using coaches to help them get there. It’s a known fact that it’s abundantly easier to grow with the help of experts.
You might need coaching in different areas as you go through your career and your personal life.
There is no shame in getting coaching help in the areas where you want to excel: leadership, managing people for the first time, growing a business, even with skills you want to learn or certifications you want to obtain.
Coaches are available for all things personal and professional! If you’ve ever worked with a personal trainer at the gym, you understand how working out with expert guidance can be much more effective than going it alone. Professional coaching is like a personal trainer for your business. You can get general help to deal with specific pain points you’re facing as a business owner, or hire a coach that specializes in a specific area, like a business finance coach or an executive leadership coach. Some coaches work with your entire team, and others on an individual basis. If you need help with something, there’s likely a business coach who specializes in it.
What to look for in a business coach
Chemistry: you may select a coach that you don’t necessarily like at first but you have great chemistry. If you and your coach don’t have the right chemistry, it will be difficult for you to have a successful relationship and as a result, difficult for them to build a connection to help you scale your business.
Business experience of their own: It’s essential to look for someone who has experience in growing a business. Would you go to a mechanic for a sinus infection?
Ask about the businesses they have built and learn about the specifics of their achievements. Ask about the challenges they faced. Because a coach who has never coached before is going to have a hard time leading you, you need to find out everything about a potential coach.
Understanding their style and approach: You need to get to know the coaching style and how they work with you. Is it with the help of one-on-one guidance? Is it via a coaching program for groups? Is there some sort of training program involved? Is there a plan in place?
Some coaches don’t have a procedure at all and you simply meet with them to discuss your business issues. Then there are certain coaches who have a well-defined training plan. It’s important that their coaching style and your preferred method of learning align. If you’re a visual person who likes to watch videos, you’ll want to look for a one-on-one coach. If you’re shy and don’t do well in a group setting, you should avoid group coaching.
Transparency & vulnerability: A coach must be honest and open with you. You are paying someone, to be honest with you and telling you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. You want someone that is objective, tells you the truth and gives you a clear direction on what you have to do.A coach has to be honest and open with you. You are paying someone, to be honest with you and telling you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. You want someone that is objective, tells you the truth and gives you a clear direction on what you have to do.
Also, you have to be honest with yourself and willing to be coached. Do you have the ability to be transparent and vulnerable? Can you accept critical feedback? Can you get in touch with your feelings and open up and share? Can the coach ask the questions to challenge you and connect on a feeling level?
Community of like minded: Commonly, coaching programs have a group of people present. If a coach has a lot of people in their community, this is a very important element to look for. However, it is not a requirement for success.
A coaching program can benefit from other as it offers you access to other professionals with developed skill sets. Therefore your coaching fees also get you access to other professionals.
The importance of strong ethics: Many things are shared between entrepreneurs and their business advisers, including some very personal information. You have to ensure that your business coach will keep any such information to themselves. For this, your coach must be ethically strong.
When looking for a coach, remember to ask for recommendations and follow up on them. One of your best information sources will be the experiences of other entrepreneurs. Look for a business adviser who has scaled multiple businesses before and also has success stories of their clients.
Clearly identifying goals: Before hiring a coach, understand your goals and expectations from yourself. If you want to grow your business in 90 days or in six months, you really need a business strategist. But if you hire a mindset coach, you aren’t going to have the right growth strategies because it’s obvious! They can only help you with your mindset.
Understanding your goals is important if you want to achieve your goals. When looking for a business coach, make sure to find someone who makes more money than you. If you are already making 6 figures, you should hire someone who has scaled businesses to 7 or 8 figures.
Motivating: Select someone who is really concerned about your success. Rather than talking about their own achievements, your potential coach should be questioning you to get a better understanding of where your business is standing and where it needs to be.
What I’ve learned in my own process:
Being a counselor and coach myself has offered me the openness and willingness to ask for help. I believe my own success comes from asking others who have other experiences and expertise, to share with me. I truly can’t imagine my life without professional support. It’s an essential element of my overall wellness plan. I build the expense into my budget, it’s necessary and comes before other things in my life. I cherish my sessions and as a result of all of the wonderful professionals I have worked with, I am also more and very effective with my clients. If you are interested in processing this topic and would like a free 15 minute consultation, contact me at 440-212-4987.