You’ve decided it’s time to hire a business coach. You need help with the next phase of your business.
You want to grow or change directions or whatever. You should also know what questions to ask a business coach before hiring one.
In this article, we’ll give you five such questions and the reasons why you should be asking these questions.
How will you work with my company and my team?
For you to have a successful relationship with your business coach, you’ll need to know how your business coach will work with you and your team.
You need to make sure the business coach’s personality is a fit with your corporate culture and yourself. If you don’t like your business coach, it’s probably not going to be a very fruitful relationship.
By asking the business coach about their approach to handling the people you work with and for, you can gauge whether the relationship will work.
What is your background and how does it apply to my business?
This is a very important question to ask your potential business coach.
Admittedly, a good business coach doesn’t need to know the intricacies of your business. However, they will have to have a solid grasp of basic business needs and requirements.
The business coach will need to have a general base of business knowledge that can be applied to your business.
Who is your coach?
If your business coach doesn’t have a coach or a mentor, then you may not want to work with him or her.
The best business coaches realize that they need help too and cultivate mentorships with other business people. Oftentimes, a mentor will help us see our blind spots and provide external accountability.
Your business coach is going to do that for you so it’s okay for you to ask who does it for them.
What three words would your clients use to describe you? This question will help you decide what type of professional your potential business coach is.
Pay careful attention to the answer and if any red flags are raised, be sure to call the business coach out on them and ask for clarification. It’s important that you are sure that this is the person you want on your team.
What are the top 3 books you’ve read that have had the biggest impact on you professionally?
A business coach should be actively reading books that help them grow personally and professionally. The person you hire needs to be interested in their industry as well as be willing to learn more about yours.
Reading is a great way to learn and open your mind. A business coach that is willing to do both will be beneficial to your organization. Of course, there are other questions that you can ask your potential business coach.
You should customize them to your business and your situation.
We can help you out
Idea Labs Consulting is an Austin-based team of coaches and consultants helping small businesses solve a wide range of business problems since 2011. Our team is composed of experienced entrepreneurs and technical experts.
We offer three distinct ways to work with you based on your current needs.
- Unlimited business coaching and consulting for a full year [$100 per month or less]
- Access to the resource platform of our products and services [pay for what you need]
- Business products and tools we recommend [free]
While there are plenty of sources for start-ups and small businesses to receive help, funding, and mentorship, Idea Labs operates like a marketplace by meeting the needs of your business ecosystem. As opposed to the common consulting and business coaching trope of increasing billable hours or project scope in order to maximize revenue, we prefer to be a place you can depend on during crucial stages of your business journey. We can help connect where you are now and where you want to be.
Idea Labs Consulting
www.idealabsconsulting.com
(512) 348-6344
