I never played sports as a kid. I played the piano, but not sports. This meant that I never had real-life experience being coached. Sure, I had plenty of adults that spoke truth into my life, but there’s something unique and special about having a coach.
A coach has your back. A coach wants the best for you. A coach wants you to succeed. A coach can see when you’re not living up to your fullest potential. A coach sees your blind spots. A coach will tell you like it is.
It wasn’t until I became an adult that I truly understood the value of having a coach. I believe everyone needs to have a mentor or accountability partner in their life but coaching takes this paradigm to another level.
A coach is more than a mentor. Most notably, a coach is a compensated partner. I don’t know a single time I saw an invoice from one of my mentors. A coach is committed and consistently involved in the client’s life and business for a set duration. For example, our contracts usually range from 6 to 24 months. These terms can always be extended, but there is a set duration of time that’s defined inside the contract.
Additionally, the monetary payment from a client to their coach is more important than you might think it is. The financial payment has proven to be a vital component of the success of my clients. Now, this may seem like I’m skewing this argument in my favor to make more money, but I promise that I’m not. Rest assured that there are good reasons for requiring payment in return for coaching services.
First, my time is valuable. Time is the one currency on our planet that is indeed finite. And once the time is spent, you can never get a refund. So yes, I do expect to be compensated for the time I spend working with my clients. Hugs and wishful thinking don’t pay the bills.
More importantly, coaching clients need to have a “buy-in” as a physical and economic motivator to take action. I demand my clients have some skin in the game. This is the primary reason why I don’t coach for free after our initial consultation.
An entrepreneur can get all sorts of free advice by watching some YouTube videos or by reading some books. But if a client is spending their hard-earned money to hire me as their coach, there’s an expectation on the part of the client to get a return on that investment. My clients expect results, as they should!
Here’s the other fundamental revelation about coaching: I can’t do the work for my client. I can plan, model, strategize, clarify, propose, and prioritize until I’m blue in the face, but it’s the client who has to execute the plan and do the work. Writing that check is an extremely effective catalyst to inspire change.
Plainly, the financial payment is a psychological incentive that precipitates results. I call this the “Buy-In Factor.”
Coaching: The Best Kept Secret to Growing as an Entrepreneur
Our Approach
The coaching process between me and my client is one that involves both coaching and consulting. Because of the multiple dimensions of business, this hybrid approach is required for our relationship to be successful.
To get started, we’ll setup a 15 minute initial no-pressure consultation. It’s important that we get to know your business and you get to know us before we make a decision to work together.
This initial consultation is completely free. Also, there’s no high pressure sales tactic to force you into signing a contract. Financially, hiring a business coach can be a big commitment. Maybe you need to take the time to talk with your spouse or business partner. We get that. There’s no pressure – ever.
We are so confident in our knowledge, process, and problem solving techniques that we offer you a 30-day 100% money-back guarantee if you’re not happy with the progress we’re making together.
No pressure and no risk. It’s really a no-brainer. Sign up today for your free consultation with Harpkey Consulting.