In every industry there will be frauds.
People who have no idea what they’re doing but, because they see easy money they jump right in and convince others to follow them. Some of them know just enough and, because they are blessed with knowing how to speak, they convince unsuspecting victims to spend their hard earned cash on systems, policies and procedures that bring absolutely no return on investment.
This is one of the reasons why got into business in the first place. I was really tired of seeing clients investing in things that did not help their brand. Too often I would hear of business owners being ill advised by persons claiming to be marketing professionals or communication experts
Trust me, the horror stories are real!! Before long they’ve spent thousands of dollars on systems that do not work.
Lately, the ‘flavor of the month’ is the term ‘coaching’ as it seems that everywhere you turn there are coaches of every variety. From business to life coaching, the descriptions are endless.
I actually heard of someone who literally went to bed in one profession and woke up as a coach, and, because they seemingly gave good advice by telling people what they wanted to hear, their practice has led to a type of cult like phenomena where all the members seem to be repeating the same baseless phrases over and over.
There’s another person I heard of who claimed to be a coach but had absolutely no idea what they were coaching about or who they should be helping.
Now don’t get me wrong, there are some qualified, educated and truly fantastic coaches out there. I have personally met a few who were a dream come true and are extremely knowledgeable at what they do. As a matter of fact, I would strongly advise any serious minded entrepreneur to invest in a business coach to keep them on track of their goals.
But how do you find the right coach?
Well first things first, let’s look at the definition of a coach.
According to www.freedictionary.com a coach is: A person who gives instruction or guidance
Notice there’s nothing about qualifications or experience here. By definition, the individual needs to know just enough about the profession they’re coaching about to show a potential client what’s holding them back and a possible solution forward. This is all the ‘go ahead’ some people need to establish a ‘career’ in the field.
No training, no experience but dispensing their version of ‘knowledge and expertise’ to unsuspecting victims
Offering mentoring services when they need to be mentored
Offering advice that they need and refuse to take themselves
Offering persons a dose of hope with no real backing behind it
And while it may work some of the time, these frauds would NEVER get repeat customers because their marketing and promotion is motivated by money.
This is what separates the frauds from truly gifted professionals out there.
- Real coaches have had specific training and, have not only amassed a wealth of knowledge, but have had a proven track record of truly helping others with specific and measurable results.
- Real coaches never stop learning, growing and evolving in their craft.
- Real coaches have their own coaches to keep them accountable and on track
- Real coaches are 100% honest with you and tend to truly push you out of your comfort zone in order for you to achieve you goal. They do not tell you what you want you want to hear but what you NEED to hear
- Real coaches understand that quality is more important that quantity so they truly invest themselves into helping others
Bear in mind as well that some consultants can actually be coaches in their own right. Being a consultant suggests that there is some measure qualifications and expertise that have been acquired over time in a particular subject matter. For example, I have over a decade worth of experience in the field of marketing, advertising and communication, therefore, if necessary, I can actually take on the responsibility of a marketing coach for some of my clients (but only in that capacity)
Real coaches are masters at what they do. Protect yourself and do your research so you don’t get conned.
My advice would be for you to determine the type of coach you need and take your time and do a bit of research. Allow them to provide references and actual success stories with measurable results. If there’s a free consultation or discovery call, use this to ensure they’re the right fit. Look out for phrases and words that don’t really mean anything or don’t have any real substance. Ask them to explain specifically what they can do for you and how they can help you achieve your goals.
Do you agree?
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