Coaching
How to choose a business coach: 7 questions to ask
Seven practical questions to ask before you hire a business coach, plus the warning signs that a coach is not the right fit.
By Clyde LangleyUpdated 5 min read
Quick answer
Choose a business coach who understands owner-run businesses, works with numbers as well as people, has a clear method, tracks progress between sessions and is honest with you. Ask how they run sessions, what you will measure, how they handle confidentiality and how you can stop if it is not working.
Seven questions to ask on the first call
- What kinds of businesses and owners do you usually coach?
- What does a typical session look like?
- What will we measure, and how often?
- What happens between sessions?
- How do you keep what I share confidential?
- How will we know if coaching is working?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Good signs
- They ask more than they talk on the first call
- They have a clear structure but adapt it to you
- They want to see your numbers
- They tell you when they are not the right fit
- They put commitments in writing
Warning signs
- Big promises of specific results
- Long lock-in contracts before you have worked together
- Lots of motivation, little structure
- No way of tracking what you agreed
Chemistry matters
You will be telling this person things you do not tell your team. Trust your instinct on the free strategy call. If you would not want to hear hard truths from them, keep looking.
Related questions
Certification shows training, which is useful, but it does not guarantee a good fit. Ask about experience with businesses like yours and how they work.