Hiring A Business Coach? Here’s How To Choose The Best Fit

If you’re thinking about hiring a business coach (or any kind of coach for that matter) but are feeling overwhelmed by the big decision, it’s completely understandable! 

Investing hundreds or thousands of dollars into a coach is no small thing, even if the intention is to receive back exponentially more than we put in. 

That’s why starting off being grounded in your Self Leadership and clarifying your needs will be imperative. By doing this, you’ll be able to confidently choose a business coach who supports you in fulfilling those needs and aligning with your truth, rather than someone who’s pushing you towards goals and ways of doing things that don’t feel right for you or align with the business model you’ve envisioned for yourself.

So, if you’re wondering how to hire a coach as you embark on this journey of starting a coaching business, growing your coaching business, or scaling, then this blog is for you! 

There are 5 simple hiring tips to focus on if you're going to bring a coach on board. Expanding your awareness on these 5 topics, will help you to be more in tune with your intuition and able to make clear and accurate decisions, instead of being swayed by marketing messages, flashy branding, or success stories of 6, 7 and 8 figure coaches.

In saying that, let's get to it.

Hiring A Coach Awareness #1- Know What Phase You’re In

Knowing what phase you’re in is crucial because it will determine the type of coach you need, and the focus areas you’ll be working on.

You see… the mental, emotional, and physical steps will be entirely different for a new coach who’s laying the foundation of their business, a coach who’s had some results but is intending to create consistent income, and a coach who already has a profitable business model and they’re looking to take it to the next level.

Regardless of your niche, each online coaching business goes through 5 phases. 

1. Phase 1 is the idea phase-  In this phase you have a general idea of what you intend your coaching business to look like, and you’re ready to learn about what’s involved in building a solid foundation. In this early stage of starting your coaching business you may need a coach who can help you clarify your niche, hone in on your personal branding, and choose the main topics you intend to be known for.
2. Phase 2 is the creation phase- In this phase you begin the process of extracting your genius, experiences, and skills from your mind and organizing it into a sellable offer. You may need a coach who can help you structure your offer suite, design your first signature coaching program or online course, and clarify the perfect client or student for your signature offer.
3. Phase 3 is the packaging phase- If you’re in the packaging phase, you’ve developed the full framework of your signature offer and are deciding how you’d like to sell it first!  Maybe it’s a signature coaching program, or an online course, or a simple digital product, or a group coaching experience.  In this phase you may lock arms with a coach to support you in deciding one of the 30+ ways you can package your offer, as well as decide which coaching package it belongs in, and/or what online learning platform you’ll use to deliver your content. 
4. Phase 4 is the marketing phase- In this phase you are solidifying a marketing message and choosing a marketing funnel that feels authentic to you.  You’ll also be increasing visibility, actively promoting your offer and working on building your audience. You may need a coach who can help you refine an aligned marketing strategy, optimize your marketing materials, and build your following, as well as a solid email list strategy.
5. Finally, the 5th phase is the enrollment phase. Here, you have an audience and are ready to start enrolling clients & students. You may need a coach who can help you develop a sales strategy, optimize and/or automate your enrollment process, and support you in selling your offer.

So, now that you have a small idea of what’s included in each phase, take a moment to determine where YOU are in your coaching business. This will give you a clue on what type of coach or offer to invest first!

Hiring A Coach Awareness #2- Know What You Need

Once you’ve identified what phase you’re in, the next step is to identify what you need. What specifically do you need support with in that phase? What are your goals and intentions for working with a coach?

For example, if you are in the creation phase and need help developing your offer, you may need a coach who has experience creating successful coaching programs. 

If you are in the marketing phase and need help building your audience, you may need a coach who has expertise in social media marketing, content marketing, or ads.

It’s important to be clear on what you need from a coach so that you can find someone who can provide the specific support that you require.

And this is extremely important, because the coaches you follow are likely great at marketing… meaning, what they say will sound like what you need. And here’s the thing… at some point in your coaching business that may be true! 

However, if you don’t have a clear offer or a clear audience, then you may want to solidify that before you dive into making millions with ads. Make sense? 

It’s important to start with where you’re at.

Hiring A Coach Awareness #3- Know How You Work Best

Everyone has a different learning style and ideal way of working with a coach. Go in knowing how YOU learn and work best because this is going to be extremely important to communicate ahead of time. 

It ultimately can make or break you being aligned with and hiring certain coaches!

In saying that, you’ll want to consider your preferences regarding:

• How willing you are to watch coaching videos in between sessions, complete assignments independently, and discuss awarenesses with your coach 
• You’ll want to consider what you intend your coaching conversations to be like. So, do you intend for your sessions to be like training sessions, or tutorials, or sessions that support you with implementing certain aspects of your business, or more life coaching type sessions. 
• Also, when you’re hiring a coach, consider if you typically need time to process before you respond 
• And lastly, consider if you don’t like being told what to do. 

As a coach, I prefer to have my clients watch training videos in between sessions so that we can use our coaching time on implementation, and/or any of the mental, emotional, or spiritual set backs that might come up. But every coach has their own vibe. That’s why it’s important to have an idea of how you work best ahead of time.

Knowing and sharing your strengths will support your coach in meeting your needs from the beginning. 

It will also help your relationship be more free flowing which will lead to you going further, faster.

Remember, your coach is NOT your boss. They’re not there to tell you what to do.

Your coach is there to be one aspect of your support team that helps you thrive just by being YOU. 

When working with the right coach, you won’t need to change or be different than you already are. The right coach will support you in a way that feels natural to you, and will help you step deeper into your own way of doing things! 

Hiring A Coach Awareness #4- Choose the method (1:1, group, online course, Membership, digital product)

Once you’ve identified what you need and how you work best, the next step is to choose the method of coaching that will best suit your needs at this particular phase. 

And it might surprise you to know that 1:1 coaching isn’t always necessary, and oftentimes NOT the fastest way to accomplish certain goals depending on the phase of business you’re in. 

For example, maybe you’re clear on the type of business model you’d like and you’re ready to create your first signature program or signature offer. In this case you could purchase a self led online course like Signature Program That Sells that walks you through it step by step. And this particular online course even includes BONUS comment box coaching!

Or perhaps you thrive hearing how others are building their businesses and are feeling called to join a group coaching experience or high level mastermind.

Friend, there are several different coaching methods you can choose from. There’s:

1. One-on-one coaching: The 1:1 business model could look very different depending on your coach.  Some coaches might do monthly or weekly zoom calls. Others may give you a bank of a certain number of 45 minute calls that you can schedule within a certain number of months.  And there’s even a Tele-Coaching model that some coaches use, where you can jump on an ongoing Monday through Friday coaching thread on Voxer, Telegram or WhatsApp. 
2. Group coaching: Group coaching is a great option if you're looking for a more affordable coaching option or if you thrive in a group setting. In group coaching, you'll work with a coach and a smaller group of like-minded individuals who are working towards similar goals and intentions.
3. Online courses: Online courses are a great option if you're looking for a more self-paced approach to coaching. With online courses, you'll have access to pre-recorded videos, worksheets, and other materials that you can work through at your own pace.
4. Membership programs: Membership programs typically provide ongoing support and monthly resources. These programs are a great option if you're looking for continuing support, guidance, and community.
5. Digital products: Digital products like e-books, workbooks, mini courses, masterclasses,  templates, and done-for-you options that are great if you're looking for a more affordable coaching option or if you prefer a quick self-guided approach to coaching.

When choosing the method of coaching that works best for you, it's important to consider your learning style, communication preferences, and your budget.

In saying that, based on whichever phase you’re in, you may not need to invest thousands on a 1:1 coach! Maybe an online course, or even a simple digital product will work well for where you’re at!

Hiring A Coach Awareness #5- Your Hiring Energy

Lastly, it's important to consider the energy you’re bringing into the hiring process. 

So, are you hiring a coach from a place of fear, scarcity, or desperation? 

When you hire from this disempowered place you’ll be expecting your coach to tell you what to do, what to say, who to be, and how your business model should look. 

And THIS can lead to you running a business that feels inauthentic and oftentimes overwhelming.

The other option is to hire from a place of abundance, trust, and confidence.

When you hire a coach from this empowered energy, you’re going into the relationship knowing who you are, the type of business model you’d like and a general idea of how you’d ideally like to work with clients and create income.

Friend, no one will know what’s best for you better than YOU. You need to enter the coaching relationship knowing how capable and powerful you truly are, and knowing that your coach will be ONE aspect of your support team. 

Your support team can be:

• YOU having your own back
• Books
• Podcasts
• Youtube videos
• Blogs
• Online Or In Person Community
• Therapist
• A supportive spouse or partner

The point is… the more intentional and deliberate the energy you're bringing into the hiring process, the more likely you’ll connect with the perfect coach or product for you!

And after you’ve considered all these hiring tips, the real goal is to determine if you even need to hire a 1:1 coach. 

Now that you’re more aware of all the different products, programs and services you can invest in, a good idea is to take a look at your favorite coaches “Work With me” landing page or “Coaching and Courses” page to see your options!

And, if you’re curious to see my coaching and courses landing page, go ahead and click HERE to check that out now!

📣 And, if this blog was just what you needed in your coaching business, please let me know by sharing it with your coach friends.

Until next time, Coach… keep building your empire!

XO, KellyAnne

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