A good business coach helps you develop the clarity, confidence, and capability to grow your business faster and easier. A good business coach has had business success, is a good listener, asks great questions, and holds you accountable. If you are looking to work with a business coach, this article shares 13 things to look for in a business coach.
Finding the right coach is critical if you want to achieve your goals and grow your business. When choosing a business coach, there are certain things you should look for in a business coach.
Business coaches have different levels of experience and capabilities. Look for a business coach with specific expertise and a positive attitude. A good business coach should increase your skills and solve any issues your business is facing.
When looking for a business coach, find a business coach you share a rapport with and who will help you clarify your goals. Before hiring a business coach, make sure there is chemistry between you. Book a call to see if you are the right fit to work together.
13 things to look for in a business coach
Here are 13 things to look for in a business coach.
1. Find a coach who asks good questions
If you want to achieve your goals quicker, look for a business coach who asks good questions rather than gives all the answers. A coach should ask good questions that make you think differently.
A good business coach understands that you have many of the answers but need good questions to clarify how you think about them. Read more about developing good listening skills.
2. Look for someone who provides clarity
Business coaches will gain clarity on what success looks like for you. A good business coach will help you gain clarity about what you want to achieve in the future and help provide a framework to achieve those results.
A coach will provide simplicity instead of making things more confusing and complex. Rather than giving solutions, a good business coach will help you find answers quickly and easily.
3. Find a coach with chemistry
One of the most important things to look for in a business coach is chemistry. Finding a coach who is the right fit for you and what you want to achieve in business and life is essential.
So, look for a coach with who you have chemistry. If there is no chemistry, it becomes difficult to trust and take action on what the coach advises. Find a coach who is easy to talk to and is an active listener.
4. Find a coach who gives you perspective
Business coaches provide perspective and a sounding board. The right coach will have been through many business challenges and should provide perspective on your vision, your goals, and any challenges or obstacles you may be facing currently.
It is difficult to do everything alone, so having the perspective of a coach with business experience and expertise can be transformational.
5. Look for a coach who holds you accountable
A good business coach provides the right amount of accountability to keep you on track towards achieving your goals. Positive accountability ensures you are focused on what you want to achieve and are committed to taking action.
Together with your coach, you’ll set goals and work towards them every week. There may be some specific actions you will undertake, and the coach will hold you accountable for doing them. Read more about accountability coaching.
6. Find a coach who gives you confidence
A good business coach focuses on your strengths and achievements rather than trying to fix things. A good coach never makes you feel bad about yourself and helps you focus on the positives.
As a result, you expand your self-confidence and build your self-esteem. Get proven self-confidence tips.
7. Look for a coach focused on business growth
Look for a business coach focused on you and your growth rather than themselves. A good business coach will help you clarify what is important to you and what you want to achieve in the future. Beware of business coaches who want to talk about themselves and their achievements.
Effective business coaching is about helping you clarify what you want and building a path and plan to achieve those goals.
8. Look for someone with experience
A good business coach must have experience in the specific areas of business that are important to you. If you have specific business challenges that you want to overcome, working with a coach who has experience in those areas would be beneficial.
The coach will also have experienced setbacks and failures, so they can guide you on how to overcome similar challenges.
9. Find a coach with expertise
Look for a business coach who has expertise in the areas you’re looking for guidance and support. A business coach who can deliver specific results in an area of importance to you is beneficial.
For example, if you wanted help with your time management skills, don’t look for someone who doesn’t have expertise in that area. Find a coach who is the right fit for the area you want to grow or improve. Read more about time management coaching.
10. Look for a coach who can help you set better goals
An essential capability to look for in a business coach is a coach who can help you set better goals. When you have specific, measurable goals to work towards, it’s easier to see tangible progress.
A good coach will have a goal setting framework to help you set better goals. Goal achievement builds momentum and motivation and allows you to see the true value of working with a coach. Read more about goal setting.
11. Find a coach who understands the obstacles you face
Find a business coach who has walked in your shoes and understands the obstacles you face. When the business coach understands your goals and the obstacles you face, they will work with you to build strategies to overcome those obstacles.
12. Look for a coach who can provide shortcuts
Entrepreneurs look for business coaches who can reduce the learning curve and provide shortcuts that will save time and money. A good business coach will have business experience to call upon to provide shortcuts and breakthroughs that may take months to achieve on your own.
13. Find a coach who will focus on your strengths
Some business coaches are focused on fixing weaknesses. Work with a business coach who will help you identify and maximise your strengths. When you are clear on the work you love to do and are great at, you want to do more of it.
A good business coach asks you questions that will help you tap into and expand your greatest skills.
Conclusion
There are many things to look for in a business coach. Finding the right coach means getting clear on where you are now and where you want to go.
You may want to work with a business coach to help you overcome a specific challenge you face or work with a coach to provide ongoing support and accountability to help you achieve your goals. Finding the right coach often starts with simply having a conversation.
Ready to turn your goals into reality?
As a strategic business coach, I provide business coaching programs and business coaching services that help business owners grow their business faster and easier. Get clarity on your bigger future as well as a proven path and plan to achieve your goals. Book your free 30-minute coaching session.
One-on-one coaching will help you build a better business and also a life that you love. Book a free 30-minute coaching call today by clicking the link below.
About the Author
Mark Pettit is a business coach based in Colchester, Essex, UK and the Founder of business coaching company Lucemi Consulting. Mark is a small business coach to business owners who want to simplify their time, energy and focus so they can multiply their freedom, impact and results.
Get more articles, tips and tools to help you simplify your time to multiply your results on the blog.
Sign up to my Time For What Matters newsletter to get proven tips to grow your business quickly and easily..
Grab your free Productivity Mastery Daily Planner to 10x your productivity and achieve your goals quicker.
