So you want to hire an online business coach. How do you know what to look for?
There are specific things to keep in mind when you’re looking for a coach — tangible and intangible things!
And here’s a game-changer — when you hire an online business coach, you might be able to stop reading all those blog posts, listening to all those podcasts, and watching all those YouTube videos.
Yes, I’m going there.
You could STOP all that if you work with the right online business coach!
Finding a coach can be challenging. There’s no rating system for online business coaches. The best coach for you might not be the best coach for your friend.
Let’s figure out how you can find the exact online business coach you need right now.
Find the best online business coach for YOU
Working with a great online business coach can be one of the most effective ways to make progress in your online business fast.
There’s a lot of information online. There are lots of single-topic courses.
You can take a course about creating courses.
You can take a course about email marketing.
You can take a course about launching.
But when you work with the right online business coach, that person will show you how all of those topics come together to form a cohesive strategy that works for you.
Related: Business Focus: It’s Why Some People Triumph Online and Others Never Make It
Related: Stop Burnout Before It Starts with This Simple Product Strategy that Grows Your Business
Online business coaches vs “regular” business coaches
An online business coach understands business and has lots of additional expertise — like knowledge about the online buyer’s journey, how to use email marketing, lead magnets, blogging, social media, joint ventures, and more.
Online business coaches know how all these tactics work together.
If you’re going to build your business online — if your storefront is on the internet — you need an online business coach, not a regular business coach.
A great online business coach has tangible experience markers
Tangible experience markers are things that are obvious on the surface, that you can verify by looking at coach’s website.
Start by looking at how many years they’ve been in business for themselves.
Why is that important?
You can’t compare experience as an employee with experience at the helm of your own business.
If you want a coach who understands the ups and downs of being in business, hire someone who has that practical experience, preferably a lot more than you have.
Make sure they have the receipts for that experience.
You want to find someone who’s done at least some of the same things you want to do — like online offers, or creating a course, or building a membership community — so you can learn from their lived experience.
Now I’ll say something that might be a bit controversial.
Good authors or speakers aren’t necessarily good coaches. They can be, but remember this:
The skills needed to write and publish a book or to be a great speaker are vastly different from the skills needed to run an online business.
Don’t pick an online business coach only because you loved their book or you heard them speak and enjoyed that experience.
Look for tangible experience markers as well as the the intangible traits we’ll cover next.
A great online business coach — intangible traits
Intangible traits are things that will only come to the surface if you talk with a coach, ask them questions, and get to know them as people.
Working with an online business coach means you’ll spend a lot of time together and will really get to know each other.
What you’re looking for is a mysterious thing called FIT.
What makes a good fit between you and a prospective coach?
You want to look carefully at their coaching style — their approach to online business and the way they serve their community.
- Are they in your face?
- Are they open and friendly?
- Are they aloof and distant?
Look for an approach that mirrors how you would like to show up online.
Imagine being coached by someone who has already figured out what you want to do — that’s what FIT means.
Related: How to Love What You Do, Love Your Customers, Love Your Results
Another thing to look for is reliability and responsiveness.
If you reach out to inquire about coaching, see how they respond:
- Do they get back to you pretty quickly?
- Do they respond to your questions?
- If you schedule a “get to know you” session before you become a client, do they show up for that session on time?
“When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time. People know themselves much better than you do. That’s why it’s important to stop expecting them to be something other than who they are.”
Maya Angelou
When a prospective online business coach shows you who they are, believe them the first time.
Pay close attention during the pre-sale period to see how your prospective coach behaves. If you don’t like what you see — find someone else.
How much should you pay for an online business coach?
Your online business coach should be committed to help you make your business be successful — to earn more revenue.
Coaching prices vary, but if your eyes pop out of your head when you see the price, take a moment to think.
What skills will you master quickly with an experienced online business coach at your side?
How much time — your valuable time — will you save by hiring a business coach?
How much money will you make this year, next year, and years from now as a result of those skills you’ll master?
Alright my friend, I’ve given you some things to think about! Watch the video above to get all my advice on hiring an online business coach.
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