So you might be thinking about working with a business coach? Maybe you need help with the next phase of your business. Or you want to grow or change directions or whatever. Whatever the reason, you know you might need a business coach.
Regardless of the Coach you are considering, you should also know what questions to ask a business coach before engaging with them.
These are the questions that I would be asking a Business Coach or Consultant before signing any agreement or engaging with them.
1 – Who is your Coach?
If your business coach does not have a coach or a mentor, then you may not want to work with him or her. The best business coaches realize that they need help too and cultivate mentorships with other business people. Often times, a mentor will help us see our blind spots and provide external accountability.
Your business coach is going to do that for you so it’s okay for you to ask who does it for him or her.
2 – What is your background and how does it apply to my business?
This is a very important question to ask your potential business coach. Now, admittedly a good business coach does not need to know the intricacies of your business. However, he or she will have to have a solid grasp of basic business needs and requirements. The business coach will need to have a general base of business knowledge that can be applied to your business.
A business coach who has successfully scaled their own business will be able to identify more strongly with your fears, pain points, and issues …. because they’ve been there.
3 – What three words would your clients use to describe you?
This question will help you decide what type of professional your potential business coach is. Pay careful attention to the answer and if any red flags are raised, be sure to call the business coach out on them and ask for clarification. It’s important that you are sure that this is the person you want on your team
4 – What will the Return On Investment be?
The ROI can be measured through tangible and intangible benefits such as:
Tangible or quantifiable benefits include : increase in revenue, increase in the number of new customers, decreased employee turnover, fewer cases of absenteeism, decreased customer complaints, increased productivity and improved bottom-line profitability.
Intangible benefits : are made evident by better working and customer relationships, more effective teamwork, enhanced self-awareness, increased self-confidence, more effective self-management and increased motivation.
The answer I would be seeking out from a Business Coach is “a minimum of 5 times ROI on program cost, or I walk away”.
5 – What happens if the “fit” is no longer there?
Programs can last from 6 weeks for small On-Line Program through to 12 months plus engagements. Be wary of responses that focus on the “fixed term” of the engagement. This response tends to come from a space of numbers, or revenue.
A response which acknowledges there needs to be a fit on either side. For example, a 30 day notice period to end an engagement from either party, indicates the focus is on the result…. Not the revenue $
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