How To Hire The Right Business Coach

Speak with successful business owners and one of the most important things they’ll tell you is that they couldn’t have made it without the wise advise of others.

Seeking advice from people who have been there, done that can cut your learning curve down significantly, increasing your chances of succeeding. Go it alone, and you’re doomed to make mistakes that can cripple your business in the long run.

Chances are though, if you’re reading this post, you already know this. And you’re seriously searching for the information you need to start your business on the right foot.

Often, the problem is finding the right business coach to hire. With so many people hanging their business coaching shingle on the internet, it’s hard to know who to hire to help you. And prices vary widely. I’ve seen non-guru coaches charge as much as $300 a month for four coaching sessions. And I’ve worked with coaches who only charged $120 for the same amount of time.

So, how do you know who to choose when you’re looking for a business coach?

I’ve worked with two business coaches and I’m one myself now. So I’m going to share my experiences with you, to help you make the right decision.

1. Find someone with experience in your area. If you need help starting a product selling business out of your home, don’t hire an executive coach. No matter how impressive her credentials are, she is not going to “get” where you’re at and where you’re trying to go.

2. Find someone that you can afford. Now, this doesn’t mean that if there is a coach who is a perfect fit for your situation, but charges a bit more than you can afford, that you should not save your pennies to meet with her.

What I am trying to say is that if the coaches charges are in the stratosphere and you’re firmly planted on the ground, you may need to look elsewhere, particularly if you aren’t 100 percent certain that the coach can help you. Chances are, if her fees are that outrageous, she is working with a clientele that is not in the same situation you’re in.

I have had personal experience with this situation. I hired a business coach whose fee was in the $300 a month range. My goals were to figure out how to get out from under my workload and make more money. Since I couldn’t afford $300 a month, I agreed to a barter situation with this coach, in which I would provide my services to her. What ended up happening though, is I found myself stressing out over the work I was doing for her, and not accomplishing anything in my business.

When I switched to my second business coach, who only charged $120 a month, I was able to pay her outright and in return, she helped me revolutionize my business. In this situation, it wasn’t so much about the money (other than the fact that I could afford her) but about the fact that she understood where I was at and knew how equip me to grow my business.

3. Find someone who can give you what you need. My first business coach tried to change my attitude. Well, what she perceived was my attitude. But my attitude, other than some latent insecurity, was just fine. What I needed was information, tools and a push in the right direction. The first coach charged a lot of money, but didn’t help me a bit. The second coach helped me focus, put me in touch with materials and sources that I needed. In my opinion, she is worth her weight in gold.

4. Find someone who is professional. Remember that first business coach I mentioned. The one who wanted to charge $300 per month? Apparently, she had issues with people in her life who were angry. And so, when I disagreed with her about our arrangement, she assumed I was angry and lashed out at me via email.

Trust me, you don’t need this in your life. Make sure your coach behaves professionally. We’ll talk more in a bit about how to avoid nightmare coaches. Suffice it to say, if you’re in this situation, it is not your fault. Get out.

5. Check credentials. Even if the coach has 15 business degrees, 10 letters after her name and a list of impressive corporate positions held, it all means nothing if she can’t identify with you and your situation. Chances are, if you are a work at home mom, just had a baby and are trying to figure out how to start your business, she is not going to be of much help. Her idea of starting a business involves going to the bank and getting a loan. You’re going to need to know how to bootstrap a business.

So what does this mean for credentials? First of all, forget the papers hanging on the wall. Look at her experience. Did she start a home business? Did she bootstrap her business or get a bank loan? Has she sold physical products online or worked closely with people who have? She needs to have been closely associated with your type of busines (as in worked with several people in your type of business, or had your type of business herself). Think of it this way: If you were wanting to learn everything possible about the Civil War, you’d either want to talk to someone who was in it (impossible now) or someone who has immersed herself in the historical study of it for some time.

Keep this in mind when you’re looking to hire a business coach. As I said before, don’t hire an executive coach who wants to charge you $300 a month to tell you to go on a $500 spa day when all you need is someone to tell you how to setup a website by yourself.

6. Ask for references. Ask the coach for the names and phone numbers of clients who were in situations similar to yours, so you can call them and find out what her coaching style is like, and whether or not she had a positive effect on the client’s business. Also, look around the coach’s website, do some Google searches and see if you can find anyone else you can talk to about the coach.

7. Do a personal evaluation of the coach before you commit. Basically, get her on the phone and interview her. Make sure both of you are on the same page and have the same goals for where you are headed and how you will get there. Remember, coaching is a partnership, and both of you should perceive the relationship as such.

8. Make sure the coach offers you a written contract. You should get your agreement in writing. This will protect both of you. Also, make sure there is a clause in the contract that details how either of you can exit the relationship, if needed. Whatever you do, don’t sign an agreement that allows the coach to end the relationship — but not you.

9. Make sure you understand the relationship between yourself and your coach. The first coach I hired made it very clear that she was in charge of the relationship. She got to decide what I was going to do, how much she would “pay” me for my bartered services and whether or not we could get out of the agreement. I don’t think this was right and I found out what a coaching relationship should be with my second coach.

We talked about what I needed to talk about, she gave me her input and direction and we both were able to end the coaching sessions at any time, with prior notice. If I accidently missed a call, she was understanding and rescheduled ASAP. Likewise, if she accidently missed a call, we did the same thing.

Now, this shouldn’t happen very often, but my second coach and I worked together for a year, speaking once a week, so it was bound to happen. I felt she was very professional and understanding in her handling of these situations.

10. Evaluate her coaching style. Some coaches may have a lot of paperwork that they want you to fill out. This is fine if you like that soft of thing. Other coaches just expect you to take good notes during their calls (or they record the calls for you) and be prepared to discuss your progress on a regular bases.

Some coaches have written, audio or video materials put together for you that you can use during your coaching relationship, while others can recommend materials for you to purchase. Either style works, depending on what you need.

Are you needing just verbal encouragement, or do you need someone who can teach you as well? Do you need a structured learning environment, or are you a self-starter who can lead yourself, but just need to know how to get where you already know you’re going?

Take all of these questions and thoughts into consideration when you’re hiring a business coach and you’ll avoid that nightmare coach who takes more than she gives.