Decide to run in the marathon and you’re going to need advice. Advice on nutrition, running style, pacing yourself, the correct type of trainers to wear, and advice on how to correct any mistakes.
Decide to compete in the Olympics and you’re likely to need to up the ante on that advice. You’re likely to have advisors on mind-set, looking after your body, getting the correct diet as well as achieving and then surpassing your optimal performance.
Decide to take to the stage and you hire experts to help with projecting your voice, speaking or singing the lines properly, and advice on how to communicate the story to the audience.
Decide to start up a business, and….well…..it seems to be a different story. The business owners I know who have coaches are the most successful. Why is this? Because having a coach immediately gives you time in the month to concentrate on your business; that alone can make for a big difference in your business.
Having a business coach gives you someone to support you, to offer insight, to offer you a different perspective, to help you think through an issue (of which there are plenty in business). Your business coach will be there in your corner to not only applaud you when you get spectacular results, but to also help you understand when it doesn’t go so well.
The results of having a coach, or selection of coaches, in your business can directly impact your bottom line for the better. One business I know has four different coaches for different reasons (I’m his marketing coach). He has pretty much tripled his turnover in the past three years because of it.
Choosing A Business or Marketing Coach for your Business
There are plenty of business coaches around, not so many marketing coaches. However, your job is to first understand what it is that you need from a coach. Write a list of the help you need, not just now but for the future. Where are you intending to take your business? If your plan is to grow it into a sizeable company then you may well need a coach who has experience of that world. If your goal is to penetrate a particular sector, then it may be helpful to have a coach with experience on how to approach that sector. Notice that I said you “may” need: it’s not an absolute necessary: good business and marketing coaches will have experience in lots of sectors and can bring that experience to you and your business.
Think about personality type and your values. What type of person can best support you? What kind of coaching style do you need? Not all coaches are suited for all people, and any business coach will tell you to choose the coach who is the best fit for you personally. It is a close working relationship and it’s thus one that needs to have trust running through its core from the beginning.
When looking for a marketing coach, you need to look at their skills and their background. Have they got a solid marketing background that can bring you a wide breadth of knowledge and experience? Or are they specialised in just one area such as Linked In? Either is fine, but again it depends on what support you need from your marketing coach.
You may also decide to add a Life Coach into the mix. Our business affects our personal life and vice versa, and you may find it helpful to consider support from a Life Coach too to give you perspective and support for you personally.
Where To Find a Good Business or Marketing Coach
Once you have decided the type of coaching you need and the type of person you need, (and there’s no reason why you can’t have a Business Coach, a Marketing Coach AND a Life Coach) then you need to find them.
Ask the successful businesses owners you meet. It’s highly likely that they will have a coach or two and will happily recommend them to you.
Look around at who’s speaking at events, who’s active on social media, who’s out networking. Check them out, download their free stuff, sign up to their newsletters, check out their backgrounds, check out the qualifications they hold and check out their testimonials.
Make a shortlist and then meet with them. All good coaches will give you half an hour to an hour for free to understand what kind of support you need and whether they are the right person to give it. You need to understand whether they are the right person for you – do you like them, do they tick your requirements boxes, when can you work with them?
How To Afford a Good Business or Marketing Coach
You pay for what you get in life and coaching is no different. A good coach is likely to charge a higher than average fee and this should be seen as an ongoing committed investment in your business. Coaching will not work if you’re not committed to it for a period of time, this you can agree with your coach at the outset.
Don’t underestimate the change that a coach can bring to your business. At times you need an entire hour or two session to figure out a problem or plan a step change in your business. At other times, their perspective and insight means they could simply say one thing and that will give you a light bulb moment that will have a huge positive impact on your business.
My question then is how can you not afford to have a coach?!
To Your Success,
Kim O’Rourke
The Marketing Coach
www.MerrieMarketing.com
For a no obligation chat about Marketing Coaching and Training for your business, then please visit www.merriemarketing.com or call Kim O’Rourke on 01452 223306.
For a no obligation chat about Business Coaching and Training, please visit www.skillstogo.co.uk or call Miranda Jenkins on 07968 227736.
For a no obligation chat about Life Coaching, please visit www.osmosisdynamics.co.uk or call Emma Kingscott on 07803 314308.
