There are firms who help you hire the right employee and agencies who pair you with the right virtual assistants. There are even matchmakers who help you find a great partner in life. But how do you select the right business coach for you and your company? Let’s clarify the who’s who – there’s a difference behind those titles.
The Difference Between A Coach And A Consultant
Typically, a COACH is someone who asks the tough questions, helping you see what you can’t readily see. They’re all about helping you focus 
and guiding you toward a different approach. They don’t do the work for you, they help you see how your current thinking is not getting you to your goals. Coaches get you to think critically by asking or framing questions differently. Coaches are often compared to therapists, for good reason.
In most cases, a CONSULTANT takes time to understand how your company is doing things today, what the blocks are, and support you with suggested changes and new tactics to follow. Consultants are natural problem-solvers. Unlike coaches, consultants focus on actions rather than behaviors. They may ask a lot of questions, but are focused on finding solutions and implementing processes.
A term not often used is an ADVISOR. This person has “been there, done that” and is there to give you advice based on their personal experience. They’ve been in your shoes and are there to help you stay out of the danger zones.
More Aspects To Weigh While You’re Deciding.
Sometimes these professionals will have some sort of certification but not all of them do. Sometimes they’re highly specialized in an industry. Sometimes they look for a particular size of business to work with. And, sometimes they’re looking for a long-term relationship and may have annual contracts.
Beyond the person’s individual personality and professional experience, decide what METHODOLOGY is important to you.
- If you’re not crazy about someone giving you advice and holding your actions accountable, then you’ll want to steer away from a consultant.
- If your questions feel mirrored back to you and it feels that this process is taking longer and you want advice leading to actionable solutions, you’ll want to stay away from a coach.
What’s Really Important To You? Ask Yourself These 12 Questions.
- Do you require your coach/consultant to have loads of expertise in your industry?
- Do you prefer someone who’s already run their own independent business?
- Do you require them to have some sort of certification, and is it up to date?
- Do they seem too relaxed or too assertive?
- Do they require a contract and if so, how do you get out of it?
- Do they help you manage expectations about the relationship up front?
- Do they encourage contact in between sessions?
- Are they willing to include 1 or 2 key players of your team in a session?
- Do they proactively follow up after a session or wait until you ask a question?
- How many other clients are they juggling at once?
- Do they seem to understand your business model?
- Are they in line with your company’s brand, style and personality?
Next Steps
If you’re going to be spending the next few months working with a person, you will want to interview a few candidates and find the answer to these questions before you sign on the dotted line. If possible, ask to speak with one or two of his/her clients.
Don’t be shy asking those questions. And feel free to ask to schedule and pay for an independent session or two before signing a long term contract.
I hope this helps. And if you’re wondering which category I fall into, I’m a consultant/advisor. I have run my own businesses and still do. I’ve already made all the mistakes and don’t want to see you do the same. I’m a process-oriented problem solver, advice giver, and challenge analyzer. I will ask lots of questions but then I’ll jump into creative problem solving mode. And I will hold you accountable (a.k.a. nagging).
You owe it to yourself, your company AND your clients to find the business help that fits your personality, your brand, your current needs and future goals. If you’re not “feeling it” then don’t sign a contract. Interview a few people and ask trusted fellow business owners for personal referrals.
If the idea of working with a consultant/advisor aligns with your preferences and you’d like to interview me for my style, I’d welcome that. START HERE.
For entertainment purposes, here’s a personal story:
I signed up for a weight loss app that was going to give me a ton of tools, including coaching. Well the “coach” only made an appearance on the app once a week. If you had a question the next day, you had to wait 6 days for an answer. On coaching day, I would say something like, “I’m having trouble fitting exercise into my schedule. How can you help me?”
And I would get in return, “it seems to me that fitting exercise into your schedule is an issue for you”.
Um, yea, I just said that…. Did I fall into an echo canyon?
Imagine a few more back-and-forth’s like this. Until I said, “Oh, I see, I’m talking to a robot”. And then she/it got insulted and swore she was a real person. (that’s even sadder, if you ask me). I finally gave up and confronted her/it – “why are you only rephrasing my questions?”
And she/it said, “ a coach’s job is to ask you questions so you find your own answer”.
If there was a way to hang up on a text conversation, you would have heard a click.