"Because you can't pack your life into a box."
Every day is independence day!
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"Because you can't pack your life into a box." Every day is independence day! |
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How to hire a marketing coach...or not
1. Hire a coach who knows your product and your market. Coaching, pet-sitting, organizing, marketing and weight loss services are not marketed the same way. You can't reach high-powered business owners and stay-at-home moms the same way. Don't accept a canned list of tips, tricks and techniques. What you need is an understanding of your customers and how they buy. 2. Good coaching goes beyond "here's what I did." Some marketing coaches don't understand their own success. Some were just lucky! One "book coach" admitted she never looked at her own web statistics. She had no idea where her own business came from. 3. "If it ain't broke, don't fix." Feeling discouraged by your
numbers? 4. Just because a lot of people are doing something doesn't mean it's working. You want to know, "Are they making money from what they're doing?" 5. Calculate expected results in dollars. "Double your ebook sales" sounds good -- but what if you've only sold one for $20? Sell two and the coach kept his promise! At t his rate, you'll need a hundred years to recover the coach's fees. 6. Your coach should read and analyze your materials before each meeting -- not during the call. Ask for thoughtful insight, not impromptu, top-of-mind ideas. 7. Evaluate coaching by results. I've learned to listen carefully when I check references. Danger sign: "Great coach! My website looks terrific! Well, I didn't really increase sales -- but I loved my coach." 8. Get an idea of what process the coach suggests -- and decide if you can or will implement those steps. "Just write a book." 9. Testimonials and references are just the first step. People respond very differently to a particular coach or consultant. When you're calling references, most likely you're talking to strangers who may be very different from you. If you can't get a referral from someone you know, pay for a single session. Try out a few ideas. Allow enough time to see results. Then, and only then, schedule follow-up sessions. 10. You can lose more than the fees you paid. One marketing consultant said, "I charge $100 to evaluate your website and I guarantee my work. There is no risk!" Wrong! If you follow bad advice you can lose clients and business for months. And there's the rub. You
hire a consultant because you feel clueless -- but blindly following
advice can do serious harm. Visit my new career/business website. Subscribe to Your Next Move weekly ezine. Ask me about one-to-one consultation.
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