As people start to realize that I offer coaching services to Virtual Assistants, the question always arises: how do I know who is the right coach for me?
This is great question.
First of all, it’s important to realize that your coach has to be a good fit for you. Just because someone is a well-known coach does not mean that working with them will be a good investment for you.
You need to make sure of several things before you take the plunge.
1. What is their area of specialty? It’s essential to know what they offer as their specialty – because if it’s not a fit for what you need right now, then it might not be the right time to work with them. Business coaches will help you build your business model, forecast revenues and budgets, set goals and do a lot of the strategy behind your business. Career coaches may help you transition from working in the corporate world to being a business owner. Marketing coaches will help you to plan how you are going to advertise and promote your business. Sales coaches will help you to refine your sales conversations and crunch your numbers. Networking coaches will help you to find great pools of potential clients and help you strategize your efforts so you make better connections. You get the idea! It’s important to identify what they do best, and make sure that it’s what you need right now.
2. What is their career history? Where have they come from, and what makes them qualified to coach you in the area you need? If they are business people, check out their track record like their testimonials and their presence online. Is it important that they have been where you are now? That’s usually important to me. I want to have a coach that has gone through what I’ve gone through, and can show me a better, faster way to success. Maybe you even need them to have worked in your own industry. Some VAs also want to work with people who have been VAs. To others, it doesn’t really matter. It’s up to you to decide that part.
3. What is their rate? If they have several packages that you can choose from for private mentoring, what is the investment you will need to make to get where you want to go? When you are investing in coaching, it’s important that your investment drives you to action. In short, it should cost you just slightly more than you are comfortable paying right now. That may sound cruel, but I have seen firsthand over the last several years, that people put in so much more effort when they have paid a higher price for a program. They are invested themselves, because they have invested their hard earned money. The people who go through programs for little to no investment often have not taken them quite as seriously as the ones who have paid more. I know that sounds like a generalization, but there is much truth to it!
4. What is their personal life like? Are they married with kids? Are they single? What’s important to them? How does their life compare to your life? If you want to build a life that includes travel to exotic lands, you should look for a coach who is doing that – because they are where you want to be. If you want to have more time to spend with your family, find someone whose priority is that. It’s an essential piece to working with someone who is going to help you build your business. This also encompasses their core values. You want to be sure that they have the same values as you. It’s something that helps you understand each other better.
5. What is their personality like? How do they work? How do they communicate? You have to feel comfortable speaking with them and taking direction from them. If you work with a coach who is loud and boisterous, and you are not, you might find yourself feeling like you are being bombarded sometimes. If you are outgoing, don’t work with someone who is not – for the opposite reason. It’s possible they could hold you back. Personality and compatibility is so important in your coaching relationships because your conversations will be personal. Find someone who is compatible with you, and you will have an easier road to where you are going.
And just on a final note, when I talk about coaching, it actually extends to training as well. If you are choosing to do some training with someone, use the above tips as well.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on selecting a coach – share it on my Facebook page!