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Why having an experienced coach is paramount for success.

Guest post by: Roy Derrick

Article Overview: In much the same way that having a good coach in sport is paramount to success so too is having a good coach in business. A successful coach will be able to pass on great advice on how to succeed in your business venture and also the pitfalls you will need to avoid based on their own vast experiences. This article advises on what to look for in a coach and how to select the best coach to guide you to succeed in your business.

Why having an experienced coach is paramount for success.

In the business world, as in the sporting world, a good coach can make the difference between a good business person and a great business person; can make the difference between success and failure. A coach will not only help you identify your goals, they will motivate you to achieve them when you've lost momentum or gone off track. Being in business can be a lonely affair and a good coach can be worth his or her weight in gold.

There are various statistics bandied about in relation to goal setting and achievement. However, there seems to be a general consensus that written goals are more likely to be achieved than unwritten goals. Even more likely to be achieved are goals which are shared with a colleague, friend, relative or confidante and individuals who are coached are up to an astounding 95% more likely to achieve their goals.

Here are just some of the things a coach could bring to your business table:

1. Experience. A successful coach, by implication has experience. He or she has gained that experience through good times and bad and like any good role model can share these experiences with you to help you smooth your own route to success.
2. Forewarning. No matter how successful a coach, they'll have made and worked through mistakes in their lifetime. One of the main things a good coach can help you with is forewarning you of things that might stand in your way of success. They have faced the pitfalls and survived. They can share these survival strategies with you to help you avoid pitfalls wherever possible.
3. Confidence. Something often lacking in new business owners is confidence. They may well believe 100% in their idea and (most of the time), think they can be a success, but when the going gets tough, it's often their confidence that "gets going". One sure-fire requirement of business success is confidence. By working with a coach you trust, whose style you relate to, you will gain the confidence you need to be a success, to allow you to reach your goals.
4. Attitude. Whether coaches are born or made is a very difficult question to answer, but there is no doubt that successful coaches share a common attitude. That attitude is "can do!". There is no such thing as impossibilities, there are only opportunities. This attitude can be learned and is best learned from someone who you respect and can relate to.
5. Network. One of the keys to business success is knowing you can't do everything yourself and time spent "re-inventing the wheel" is time wasted. Successful coaches draw on a network of support in different disciplines that helps them to help you be the best you can be. If you work with a coach, it's more than likely that they'll share their valuable network with you, which will save you lots of sweat, blood and tears finding solutions on your own.

In addition to these key benefits, a good coach will allow you to feel as if you always have someone there for you. Time with your coach will be time where you feel you're able to focus on you, your success and the identification and achievement of your goals. This "you" focus is a luxury which shouldn't be underestimated if you're serious about your business objectives.

Your coach is the person who, when no one else wants to know, will challenge your ideas, spur you on and give you the encouragement you need to really get to where you want to be. On days when you think you've tried everything and nothing is working, a good coach will pull a trick out of his or her bag and get you back on track. You can share your inner fears and demons with your coach without fear of criticism or judgement in the knowledge that nothing will shock, nothing will disappoint, nothing will be held against you. With your coach, you know you're always in a safe place where your goals will be understood and supported; these are great reasons for having an experienced coach!

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Article Tags: a good coach, a successful coach, being in business, difference between success and failure, gain the confidence you need to be a success, goal setting, great business person, identify your goals, key to business success, new business owners, reach your goals, requirement of business success, route to success, successful coaches, working with a coach you trust, written goals



Related Forum Posts
Re: Has a coach helped you? - [quote="OmnivoreInk":1rrrl97v]And is a coach different than a mentor? I don't really feel I need a coach... anything I need to know how to do I just find a book and read up on it. I would like to find someone to give me a quick and inexpensive lesson on content management systems (yes...I publish ezines without using a content management system!), but that's not the same thing, eh?[/quote:1rrrl97v] Great question about the difference between a coach and a mentor, and you'll probably hear many different opinions on this. For me this main difference is that a mentor has been there and done it and can tell/show you how to do it. A coach is trained and skilled in helping you to find the best way to achieve something perhaps through challenging your thoughts and beliefs, goal setting, accountability, brainstorming ideas, seeing and holding the bigger picture for you. As for learning more about content management systems, I'd say you need someone experienced with that specifically. Tell me more about what you want to learn and I'll see if I can point you in the right direction. Wendy
coach needs a coach - Yes... I remember that my coach had a coach. Makes perfect sense. Plus you're getting more stimulation as to HOW to be a better coach.
Re: The greatest gold mine in the world - If you haven't experienced the success you envisioned so far, what can you do to challenge yourself to think differently?
Re: 10 Reasons Who Startups Fail & Book Recommendations - Great post. But there is a paramount reason why business star up fail that is not addressed here. Which is the fear of failure. Someone said the fear should not been seen as a monster, but should be seen as horse that you can tame and ride as you like.
Re: Who hates cold calling? - You used the word 'confidence', which in my opinion is paramount when giving presentations. All the great presenters ooze confidence: Steve Jobs, Guy Kawasaki, Seth Godin (to name but a few)


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