Articles for Entrepreneurs
How to Find the Right Business CoachMany successful business owners have found that using the services of a professional business coach can help them pump up their revenue and create a profitable, sustainable company. A coach assumes the role of your business advisor, your mentor, and your partner, yet doesn’t share in your business profits. Finding the business coach that's right for you takes research and a little intuition.
1 Coaching differs from Consulting. Determine if your candidate has received coach training.
If you want the help of an expert in your industry, you go to a consultant. If you want someone who will teach you to think for yourself, find your hidden strengths, and create a profitable business path, you go to a coach. A professionally-trained coach will want to know a lot about you and your background. What motivates you and moves you forward? What approach takes away motivation and hinders growth? A coach will help you to realize your true values, your needs, and your wants, and will help you co-create a plan to build a business based upon your authentic self. A coach will step in with advice when you are lost and need guidance. Through training a coach knows that the client usually has the answers, and through questioning, a coach is able to draw out possible solutions that work for the client, not the coach.
2 Is the coach certified by the International Coach Federation?
The International Coach Federation (ICF) is an independent organization that is to coaching what the American Medical Association (AMA) is to the medical profession. The ICF provides three levels of certification for the coaching profession: Associate Certified Coach (ACC), Professional Certified Coach (PCC), and Master Certified Coach (MCC). Each level has specific requirements including accredited training hours, client coaching hours, letters of recommendation from accredited coaches, and an oral exam. There are many people calling themselves a coach who have never had formal training. It’s easy to jump on a popular buzz-word bandwagon, so be conscientious about hiring a coach who is either certified by the ICF or is working towards certification. You can go to www.coachfederation.org to verify whether a coach is certified.
As you interview candidates, ask if they are a member of the ICF. If so, they have consented to a strict code of ethics that prevents them from divulging your company secrets. An ICF certified coach will not identify a client without their permission due to ethics and confidentiality.
3 Does the coach have business experience?
Visit coach websites, read their bios, their qualifications and testimonials, to see if they have the business experience necessary to guide you. A coach who specializes in work-life balance may not be the right coach for you if you need help with marketing, sales, or time management. You can ask for references from clients who were in a similar situation that you face today.
4 Give the coach a test drive
Most coaches offer a complimentary interview session. During the sample session, try to get a feel for the coach’s style. Some may be more inclined to push you and hold you accountable for your actions, while others may prefer to allow you to gain ground according to your own timeframe. What does your intuition tell you about the coach? Is there is a good fit between the coach and your personality style? Did you laugh during the session and share important information about your background? Did you feel as though you were heard? Did the coach “get” who you are?
5 What is included in the coaching package?
Most coaching professionals offer various packages to choose from with telephone coaching being the most common option. In-person coaching tends to be more expensive due to commuting and other variables. Coaching via telephone is usually offered in 30-minute or 45-minute options carried out three times per month, usually with a time commitment. Fees range from $350 to $700 per month for experienced, credentialed coaches. Find out what else is included, such as sample business plans, exercises, and recaps after each call.
Remember, successful business owners who are determined to play a bigger game and be the best in their industry usually hire a coach. Some of my clients call me their “secret weapon”. They understand the true value of coaching and realize that athletes have coaches, so why not business owners? Just think of the possibilities you could achieve with your own coach.
© Copyright 2006-2007- Suzanne Muusers - All Rights Reserved
About the author
Suzanne Muusers is a Business Coach and Business Expert based in Scottsdale, Arizona. She has owned or managed a business every year for the past 25 years. She is a credentialed member of the International Coach Federation and works exclusively with entrepreneurs and financial advisors who want to leave behind their lives as business workers to become business owners earning six figures and above annually. Download her Free Report “Top 5 Business Mistakes Entrepreneurs Should Avoid” at http://www.prosperitycoaching.biz.
Copyright© 2004-2007, Suzanne Muusers | All Rights Reserved|
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