For almost 15 years I have taught hundreds of coaches and therapists that have studied with me: “Never give away free sessions – because coaching or therapy that’s given away for free is worthless” I felt really good saying it, and not one single one of them ever objected. Last year I changed my mind – and this article is showing why it is a good idea.
The secret of choosing right
Do a quick Google search for the word “Coach” – and you’ll get around 146 million hits. Really. So how do you choose which person that should be trusted with your money, time and possibly influence your future self as a person – and professionally? I suggest two methods:
1. Use your network.
Your network has probably experience with business coaches – listen to their experiences, and write down the apparent success criteria that they have in common. Use these to guide you when talking to prospective coaches. Be cocky – you deserve the best match possible!
2. Take a test drive
I do not know about you, but when I spend about 100.000 on a new car, I take it for a test drive. Choosing the right coach will influence your future economy and more importantly how you feel about yourself and your work – a lot more than the value of a car. So please, do not buy coaching services the way you buy lottery tickets.
How you can spot the CONMAN
Successful coaches love their work. They only work with clients that share their values, which they learn from; they enjoy the company of their clients. They do not work with everyone with a pulse and a checkbook. If they did, they would experience burnout in a short time. So a mark of a great coach is that he or she will screen you. They will ask questions, and they will have a personal conversation with you. Not to sell – but to find out whether you are right for them. And they will probably not charge you for this screening.
The price is right
Let me be honest. Most of my clients choose me to help them make as much money as possible without sacrificing their family lives and personal values. This includes selling their services at the highest price their market will by them at. They rightfully believe that their coach can teach them how to do this – and double or triple their income. So –what are the chances that their coach shares this desire for maximizing profits – quite big, yes? This leads to the simple reasoning that your coach should be able to get a high, but fair price (compared to the value you get from him or her). Any coach charging below USD 100 per session is surely cheap – but think of the traits you want to adopt regarding pricing your services – is CHEAP really what you’ll go for? I think not. On the other hand, well known “gurus” like Tony Robbins and Seth Godin can charge insane amounts – without even coming close delivering. These guys charge in the thousands of dollars – and this means you will not afford to do enough sessions to assess, evaluate, design, implement and evaluate your process. I have personally worked with Tony Robbins, and I had him refund me my money. If you’re interested in their hyped standard solutions, my advice is to spend 20 bucks on their book.
What have you learned ?
I wrote this article after two horrible coaching experiences – and I realized that I needed to be better at picking the right coach for myself. So this article started as my personal how-to… I hope that you have gotten a few pointers on how to pick a coach that is right for you. And I hope that you avoid a few of the errors I made. And if you’re a coach yourself, I have doble hopes for you… Good luck in your adventures!
Remi Marents is a business coach specializing in helping service professionals like coaches and therapists get booked solid. He works by combining his extraordinaire skills as a leading psychotherapist with his proven business skills. With his unique Book Yourself Solid process, his clients experience mastery, personal and professional growth – and they become more aware of and in sync with their purpose in their business. They attract as many clients they choose to work with, and learn to work with only the ones that inspire and excite them. And it’s all in the hardcore business realm. If you are tired of worrying about having enough clients, please schedule a free session to find out how you can get booked solid. Register at www.byscoachremi.com, or send an email to remi@remimarents.com.