What To Expect - Part 1
Hiring A Business Coach
What to expect when meeting up with the Coach for the first time:
Whether you approach a boutique Business Coaching firm or one of the larger franchises, all of them will put their best foot forward in order to acquire your business. So how do you filter through all that information they present to determine what’s best for you? This article aims to address that.
Expect The Best Presentation They Can Offer
Business Tip 1
Look at what they can do for your business. Look at the person who is going to work with you and what he has done for other businesses. Can that Coach help you? You decide.
The ‘Interview’ Process
As Ironic as it may sound, the first meeting may end up with the Business Coach interviewing you as much as you are ‘interviewing’ them. You may be asked a series of questions by the coach, often referring from a piece of paper. This is a process that helps them in determining how to work with your business so do not be surprised. It really depends on what you are after. When you see a doctor for the very first time, would you like one to look at a piece of paper and fill out information on a sheet? Or someone to look at you and ask you what’s wrong? It’s really up to you.
Our Philosophy at Excelerated Business Solutions (EBS) is that the first time we meet is always about getting to know the person and the business that is represented as a whole. To identify the challenges facing the business and whether EBS has the capacity to make it better. A lot of times, the meeting becomes a ‘get to know you’ session and getting an idea on how the challenge is to be addressed.
Business Tip 2
Look at their testimonials (if they have presented it to you). Ask for them. Look at whether they are targeted at a company level or at the individual. Ask for references and contact them. If you are going to invest money on the Business Coach to improve your business, the least you can do is to do a bit of research.
Price for Services Rendered
People are unique, yet they posses very similar preferences. All of us want the best services for the ‘best’ price (i.e. lowest price). Yet when we sell our own product to someone else, we want the ‘best’ price (i.e. highest price) that we can get. Note the difference.
This is something that I request you to keep in mind after you have narrowed down your choices and are about to select the coach to work with. If you believe that:
• The coach has fulfilled your evaluation criteria and is qualified to work with you in your business, and
• The coach has presented to you a plan on how to address the business issue that is pragmatic and achievable.
Only then, ask for the price to get that done. The price should be the last thing of discussion and a matter to discuss after the coach has passed your criteria.
Finding the right coach is not easy and the value that you can get out of the business can be very beneficial to your company in the short, medium and long term, long after the coach is no longer working with you on that particular challenge.
There are many viewpoints to take in when considering how much the coach can be worth to the company.
Tomorrow, I will send you an email, sharing with you about Cost-Benefit Analysis, along with two examples of looking at how to quantify the value the right Business Coach can bring to you business.
I wish you all the success in your business.
