Finding The Right Business Coach:

A good business coach can transform your business; a bad one can destroy it.

Here are some ways to find the right business coach to positively grow the business not muck it up:

1. Know what you want: Well duh! Sounds obvious but oftentimes it is not. Finding a coach who can provide specific How To’s of management or sales skills is very different than having a sense of being lost and in need of general clarification to get back on track. Figure out what you want first and then you will recognize when you find it.

2. Say what you want: It is vital that you be able to crisply state precisely why you are hiring a coach. What is your bottom line? How will you measure success? Where will the result be seen? If you cannot articulate in one sentence the exact challenge to be overcome then it may not be the time to hire a coach.

3. Beware of sizzle no substance: Coaches tend to be charismatic easy to like people very good at selling – selling themselves. Be sure to go deeper than personality and promises. Does the coach bring real-world grounded values to the challenge at hand? Does he possess the expertise that you need? Is she experienced in technical areas critical to combat your problem? Be sure the coach can support sizzle with substance.

4. Know your time-frame: Minor improvements happen right away. Major improvements take time. What is your time frame for dealing with this challenge? Can the coach deliver in the time available? If it’s a big rocks issue can you see yourself working with this person over the long haul?

5. Coach or consultant: A coach will help you discover what you need to do (or stop doing) to achieve greater success. A consultant tells you what to do. Conflict can be avoided by making the right fit in advance.

6. Be ready to be coached: If you are blissfully happy with where your business is now and where it seems to be headed in the future you don’t need a coach. Similarly, if the business is in deep trouble, money is scarce and times are truly grim it’s probably too late to hire a coach. The timing is right when business is good but you just know it could be better, when you are determined to grow and expand results and when you are fully committed to taking action to make it happen.

A good business coach can transform your business; a bad one can destroy it.

Finding a good business coach isn’t easy yet neither does it have to be too tricky. Ara Parseghian said: “A good coach will make his players see what they can be rather than what they are.”

Find the business coach who can see a better business in your future and who will work with you to have you see it for yourself.