Oh the promises…and the compelling ads. They pop up everywhere, when you least expect it. You know, when you are mindlessly and maybe with a little guilt playing Candy Crush. Bam-here’s how to stop wasting your life and your time, just invest in my course.
Making you feel like a failure because you don’t have the $5,000 to “invest in yourself”.
Like you are “less than” and not doing enough.
#Truthbomb it’s not that easy and it’s not that cheap. It doesn’t happen overnight and it’s not a short road. Folks who will tell you differently are basically selling you oceanfront property in Arizona. If the motivation driving the course is “the deeper your pain, the more they can charge” you are going to be shelling out some serious money to get some answers!
Am I saying all e-learning and virtual coaching is a scam? Absolutely not. I have benefitted from so many folks who share their genius and their walk which is beyond my own that it has allowed me a voice in this same space! Here are my 5 Best Tips to consider BEFORE Hiring a coach.
- Take advantage of free offerings for where you are lacking
- Listen to a multitude of teachers, learn the same truths said differently to broaden your knowledge base.
- Apply what you learn to see what works and where you still need to learn.
- Identify the teachers that you learn the most from. Whose voice resonates most deeply with you?
- Take advantage of all their free offerings
Let’s dive into how I have drilled down to these precepts.
Take advantage of free offers
If you are a newbie (pick your area), ANYBODY who is further ahead of you on the path will seem like an expert. It’s easy to listen to one voice with great marketing or speaking skills and think they are the only one offering what they are selling. Not so. There are so many awesome thought leaders sharing content that you should take advantage of learning from as many as possible. Especially if they are offering FREE content. The old adage, “A fool and his (her) money are soon parted.” is so true if you do not know what you are paying for or actually getting for your money.
Listen to several different people with similar messages
Listen to a multitude of teachers because you hear different truths at different seasons and times in your life. It very well may be that two potential coaches are saying the same thing, but the presentation or way that one of them says it will resonate with you. Or, you will “hear” it from one and not the other. I see that when training in my teams ALL. THE. TIME. I will do what I think is a killer training, dropping all kinds of action items with training only to have it inspire half of the team. But, when another leader teaches THE SAME THING it lights a fire under the other half of my team and I get an excited, “Guess what I just learned…”. From me it was blah, blah, blah for some, from another teacher it was brilliance.
Apply your new skills and see what you still need help with
If learning from another thought leader provokes action, I’m all in on that! That’s the third thing I would encourage before hiring a coach. Don’t get stuck in “learning mode” thinking you have to know it all before you can take a step forward. Apply, apply, apply! Application is where the learning bears fruit. It’s also in the application of your new skills that you see where you are still weak or need help. Honest evaluation of yourself helps you determine whose voice lines up best with where you are in your business.
Find teachers you learn from and that you can afford
Identify the teachers that you learn the most from. Whose voice resonates most deeply with you? Who has as their niche or ideal customer-YOU? Typically, you will gravitate to their podcast, their YouTube channel or books. But, before you can even begin to evaluate who speaks to your heart and your head, you will have had to listened to a variety of folks. Many of the folks who are spending the big bucks on advertising and doing “organic” outreach have specifically targeted parameters you fit. Make sure THEY are a fit for YOU. If their program includes a $3000 beginning fee with a $1000 monthly maintenance fee that would mean you need to be generating $4000 profit to even hire them. Be Wise. A 6 figure promise is just that-a promise. Make sure you can afford to take the next step.
Take the leap
Take advantage of all their free offerings and then, when you feel you are ready, Do what it takes to afford the coach or course you truly feel will help you move to your next level. I truly believe we all have unique gifts, but sometimes we need help to stop hiding from our greatness. Because you don’t know what you don’t know, there is incredible benefit in having a coach or mentor walk alongside you. You need a coach who is not so far ahead of you in the business world that they do not understand the obstacles you are facing. One who has addressed your issues in a way that you could apply what they taught and now you are ready to move to the next level. Sometimes, all it takes to move ahead is deciding it’s time. Facing your fears, pulling up your big girl panties and stepping up in your business. Once you’ve decided to move forward, having a coach that motivates and encourages you can help you make the changes you need to soar.
Cheers to taking flight!
