Posted on September 27, 2012 by Cynthia Gunsinger
The fees that a coach charges depends on their level of expertise and experience, and there are various factors to consider when deciding which coach is the best fit for you.
But one key thing to remember is that you, the client, will get out of your experience working with your coach what you put into it.
Investing in coaching is one of the best things that you can do for yourself, and in order to get the most bang for your buck, consider the following when deciding whether to financially invest in a coaching program.
1. Commitment: Do You Have It?
You will need to devote time and energy into the work you do with your coach. Take a look at yourself: will you allot the time and make a sincere effort to take the actions required to be successful?
2. Flexibility and Adaptability.
Are you open to hear hard truth and act on the commitments that you make with your coach?  Being willing to take risks and suggestions throughout coaching and open to the coach’s delivery methods is important to ensure a successful outcome.
3. Real Desire for Change.
Bottom line: do you want to work towards creating change? You can be afraid of change, but if you really aren’t connected to the results, then hiring a coach is not for you.
Once you hire a coach, you will need to put in the time and effort, work with the coach to contribute to the coaching and take action in accordance with the coaching agreements.
Wonder if you are ready to invest in hiring a coach to help move you along? We would be happy to talk to you about it!ÂÂ
These three points are the foundations for powerful outcomes in a coaching relationship, and I would offer this to the mix.
What we place value on, we will invest in.
We don’t consider it an investment or a commitment to eat healthy food, we do it because we want a healthy happy body. Another word for commitment is hunger… how hungry are to live the life you truly dream of? Often folks come to coaching with “To-Do†lists, they think it’s all about goals and lists but when they get into it, they start to enjoy the conversations and the transformations, big and small that begin to appear in their lives, and suddenly it isn’t a commitment, it’s a hunger. They look forward to the coaching call each week, they revel in taking big leaps, they see goals not as things but as signposts to a more fulfilling life journey. How does that shift happen? It happens when you invest in yourself. You are your most precious commodity.
How you spend the energy we call money depends on what you value, so I might ask the same question about why anyone would spend money on a TV, as I don’t see the value in having one and have lived without TV for almost a decade.
If you value exploring your own life and your own mind, if you value understanding how you work and where you get stuck, if you want to clarify what’s important to you and gain fresh perspective, and if you want a champion in your life, then you would want to pay for a life coach, the same as you might pay for a personal trainer if you wanted to take your fitness to the next level or pay for a holiday if you wanted relaxation.
For me coaching isn’t just about fixing problems, it’s a idea, a type of conversation one has with ones self and with the world, and your coach facilitates that conversation. The coaching relationship can last a lifetime, and it only gets richer and deeper with time.
I don’t need my coach, but I desire to have that unique relationship in my life and it makes my life much more rewarding on so many levels.
It is also helpful to keep me accountable in my daily life to the things I say are important to me and it helps me reach cherished goals so much faster. It’s also a lot of fun having a coach
Steve Jobs had a coach for many many years. Eric Schmidt, the executive Chairman of Google for 10 years, had a coach. His name was Bill Campbell and he coached both men.
WHY NOT YOU?
The great thing about coaching is you can try it out for free. So forget what you think coaching is and just try it out. You’ll be surprised what a game changer it can be.
Good calls, David. As we have said, coaching isn’t about bringing the positive mojo and unicorns to someone’s life: it’s heavy lifting. And this heavy lifting can’t be done if the client doesn’t really feel like they are valuable enough to invest the energy in themselves.
P.S. I really wish for everyone to know that they ARE indeed valuable and worth investing time and effort in.