You believe it’s time to engage the services of someone who can help you set goals, create strategies, identify resources and achieve growth in a way that’s not just better but faster. The decision to hire a business coach has benefited businesses across all levels – small to big and across industries, and it’s sure to add significant value to the way you approach your success goals. However, finding a business coach who’s the right fit for your business, can seem somewhat of a challenge. Incorporating these 6 tips into your search process will lead you to finding an expert you’ll love learning from, listening to and working with on the path to bigger success.
1. Know your goals
In a world where business problems and challenges come in myriad forms, business coaching services too come with wide-ranging specialties. Some may be experts in sales management, while some may be exceptional at inspiring leadership capabilities. Likewise, you’ll find coaches for success planning, team management, strategy, communication and so on. Once you set your goals, you’ll know which part of the coaching spectrum to start looking at, to find a small business coach who’s right for you.
2. Look up their credentials
The next step is to check the background of the business coaches for entrepreneurs available in the area of your focus. Consider their educational qualifications and professional certifications, their mentoring experience, their contribution to industry in terms of presentations at conferences and seminars or write-ups in industry journals, as well as their career or performance track record with businesses. Reading reviews and asking for references can also be a vital part of your due diligence.
3. See how well you gel
A great small business coach is many things rolled into one - friend, mentor and taskmaster. For the relationship to be fruitful, there needs to be a requisite level of compatibility. The more comfortable you are with a coach’s views and approaches to your business, the more confident you feel about their vision and strategy for your growth, the better will be the outcome of your association. A good way to test the fit is to have an initial chat where you can discuss your specific business needs, problems or goals and check how the business coach responds with their views, opinions and solutions.
4. Check availability and fees
You may find some great coaching and mentoring professionals who seem just right for your business needs. But are they available, to put in the time and effort needed to help take your business from where it is to where you want it to be? Ask for details about their business coaching programs in terms of duration, frequency and number of sessions that will be made available to you. This should give you a fair idea of just how involved any of the coaches shortlisted by you are likely to be, with your vision, goals and passion for your business. Another factor to check for is affordability.
5. Check their analytical skills
An outside perspective is beneficial to know how efficiently you’re operating your business, where you’re going right, where you’re going off track and how you can make things even better. The right coach for your business should have sharp observational and analytical skills to pick up inconsistencies immediately and identify areas where you need to focus on.
6. Look for drive
Business coaches who have a passion to excel or achieve that’s closely aligned with your own level of involvement with your business, will roll up their sleeves and get down to work just like you do. They will take deep interest in getting to know your business as intimately as you, and will view your growth and success goals as their own.
Finding the right business coach may seem akin to looking for that ideal customer amidst an ocean of prospects. However, if you base your search process on the points listed above, you will increase your possibility of finding an expert who’s suited to your business’ unique needs and goals. Visit polarisone.com to book an appointment that will change the course of your business, or download your free copy of ‘What Every Great Salesperson Knows - A No-nonsense Guide For Sales Success’ by Robert Arzt. Rest assured, hiring a business coach will definitely be one of the best decisions you take, on the path to success.
