While we are so incredibly fortunate in this day and age, to source a wealth of free knowledge online, investing in a Personal & Business Coach can see you take your ability and productivity to the next level. Here are a few tips to help you differentiate between the imposters and the real deals.
Pay attention to the language.
We all know that if it sounds too good to be true… it usually is. Is someone promising to teach you how to make $100,000 overnight? Change your mindset so you, too, can buy a yacht and cruise the Caribbean while your $1,000 investment makes you millions? Come on. Let’s get real and get connected. You're much better off hiring a coach who cuts through the flashy language and guarantees results when you commit and put in the work yourself.
Ensure your coach walks the walk.
This is one of the first items to vet when evaluating coaches. If a coach promises to teach you how to make seven figures a year but can't make it him - or herself, keep looking. To use another metric: Your health coach shouldn't be sipping on a soda every time you meet and your dentist should have good teeth!
Do your research. Make sure this person achieved what he or she claims to have accomplished. Then dig a bit more. Apply your critical-thinking skills to determine if his or her starting point was much more favourable than your own. In other words, are the coach's accomplishments likely a result of personal work or some other set of fortunate circumstances you can't replicate?
Watch out for sales tricks.
Aside from inflated claims, pay attention to shady sales tactics. For example, a coach might “throw in” 10 bonuses to justify the program's high cost or keep a strict no-refund policy. A website with an annoying countdown clock is a red flag you're being pressured to make a decision -- especially if you're considering a four-to five-digit investment. These tricks reveal the coach is unsure of the program's value. Even worse, such questionable behavior also hints at the kind of relationship you'd be getting yourself into.
Choose a coach who understands your current situation or life stage. At minimum, a great coach is a decent human being who realises you need some time to consider a hefty purchase. Instead of applying pressure, a solid coach will show the program's true value before you sign up. That makes your decision easier and saves you buyer's remorse later.
Analyse the available content.
The Coach’s service must provide some sort of insight you can't find elsewhere for free. Review their website, peruse the available content and evaluate the value of their offering. If a few blog entries on "the best strategies to do X, Y and Z" leave you thinking, "Well, obviously," you haven't found your coach. She or he isn't necessarily out to get you and your money. After all, the advice could be useful to people in earlier stages of their journeys.
The quality of free content directly correlates to the level of expertise you'll receive in paid courses. I've found that most coaches will state all their core strategies in free blog posts or videos. But you'll pay for the deep dive to guide you through each of the "how-to" steps. Look for content that blows your socks off with at least one of the following: wealth of experience, depth of information or originality of strategies. If you're not impressed with the information a coach provides for free, you shouldn't expect to see a higher caliber of insight from his or her paid program.
Go with your gut.
If something seems off, it probably is. It could be an inconsistent story, a host of pressure tactics or simply a combination of attitude and behavior. A brilliant athlete or entrepreneur with a nasty personality can't possibly be a good coach. When you decide to invest in your growth and knowledge, you deserve a good experience. Great coaches - just like great people - don’t brag about themselves or put you down because you’re not at their level.
Investing in yourself can be the ultimate use of your resources. Just make sure you're getting everything you’re paying for.