No one said starting and running your own coaching business would be easy.
It takes a lot of time, energy, and dedication to get it off the ground – not to mention a lot of hard work. But that’s why having the right team by your side is so important.
So how do you go about putting together the perfect team for your coaching business? Here are some tips:
The First Key People you should be Hiring
The first step is figuring out what positions you need to fill.
Do you need someone to help with marketing and social media?
Someone to handle customer service or bookkeeping?
Everyone you hire should either:
- Free up your time OR
- Help you get more revenue
Here are some suggestions:
#1 Administrative role
As you start your business obviously there will be a lot of administrative work that needs to be done…They will be responsible for handling things like scheduling, correspondence, and social media.It may not be the high-value work that moves the business forward, but it is an important role nonetheless to help you save time.
When it comes to hiring someone to fill that role…
Look for someone detail-oriented, organized, and good with people.
They should also be comfortable taking on a variety of tasks as your business grows.
If they get easily flustered or panic if suddenly given a variety of tasks to deal with they might not be the best pick…
Calm and collected are key traits you want the person to have for this role.
#2 Customer Service
While you would still be dealing with clients, the person in this role would help you with the more mundane and repetitive tasks…
Such as handling returns, taking calls, and dealing with the tasks you would normally end up dealing with…
Which gives you more time to focus on other things, such as developing new products or services and working on your sales and marketing.
This role can be a great asset to any coaching business – just make sure to hire people who are friendly, efficient, and have good problem-solving skills.See how they present themselves, how they speak, and their skill in conveying information to other people.
Retaining clients is important – whether they purchased a group coaching program or an info product. This person’s goal is to make sure your customers stick.
#3 Personal Assistant
This would be the person doing prospecting for you…
As well as scheduling appointments, handling paperwork, and managing your social media accounts.
They should also be helping you keep track of things in the business, by creating to-do lists and reminding you of important deadlines.
Be sure to interview several candidates and find someone with whom you feel comfortable working alongside.
Remember that it is important to clearly communicate your expectations and what you need from them before taking them on.
Your personal assistant should enable you to focus on high-value tasks.
#4 Bookkeeper
You will need someone who is detail-oriented and good with numbers.
Starting out they will help you do the basic level of accounting from tracking your expenses and income…
As well as preparing tax returns.
While you may be able to hire a part-time bookkeeper – you might want to consider planning ahead of time for this person to one day assume a full-time role.
Make a list of the Type of People you would like to join the Team
No not your friend from college you got along with…(Unless you think she has the skills)
Examples would be what traits do you want them to have? What would their personality be like during working hours?
For example:
– Are they well-spoken?
– Do they appear passionate or driven?- How do they present themselves?
– Are they receptive to feedback?
– Are they self-motivated?
If there were any specific skills or experience desired then include those too, just make sure the person you hire has all the skills you need.
This will make it easier for you to find someone that will be a good fit for the business.
Reaching out and Screening Potential Candidates
(Why you would want to screen candidates)
Once you know what you are looking for, start advertising for candidates
Be proactive in seeking talent for your company, sometimes the best candidates might not even realize you exist in the first place!
Here are a few places to look for potential team members:
- Online job boards (Indeed, LinkedIn, Glassdoor, etc.)
- Referrals from people you trust
- Networking events
- Job fairs
Once you’ve identified a few, screen them to see if they meet the qualifications you are looking for.
Prepare a face to face or video call interview and have a set of questions already in mind you would like to ask them…
Steve Jobs was notorious for asking really ‘left-field’ questions to test applicants such as:
“When was the first time you had sex?”
“Have you taken LSD before?”
While this is an extreme example… There is no harm in asking thought-provoking questions to see how your applicants respond.
Hiring and Training
You’ve been through a lot of different people, but now it’s time to make your final choice.
Hopefully, by now you have narrowed down the list of people you would like to have in your company.
Choose the one you think best fits the role you require and you feel has the most potential…
Not just for the job at hand but their potential for growth in the future.
Once you have the right team in place, it’s important to make sure they feel supported…
That means providing adequate training and resources, as well as regular feedback sessions.
Set KPIs and goals together… and make sure they are reaching them.
It’s also important to allow employees the opportunity to grow within the company.
When they feel like they have a chance to advance their career, they’ll be more likely to stick around and continue being productive members of the team.
Remember, good team members can transform your business… while a bad hire can cost your business millions.
So choose wisely.
Re-evaluate
A lot can happen in a span of a few months or even weeks for most companies…
People’s priorities can change, as well as the direction of the company, the workload, or the job scope.
Sometimes the people you hire and help train end up falling behind…
Perhaps they have trouble keeping up with the workload or lose interest, maybe even find out the job wasn’t what they really wanted in the first place.
Be sure to keep communication open with your team, so if such things crop up they can be quickly addressed and fixed.
But if all else fails, remember you’re helping them as well as your business by letting them go…
There is nothing worse than having someone work for you who hates their job, or isn’t passionate about it…
Especially for a company focused on growing with its workers.
It is sometimes better to replace them with someone else…
Just like getting out of a bad relationship, it might hurt but down the road, you realize it’s for the best.
And that’s why putting together the right team is essential for any coaching business…
By following these tips, you’ll be on your way to building a successful team that will help you reach your goals.
Leave a comment below and let us know how you go about finding and assembling your team!
1 thought on “5-Steps to Building the Right Team to Grow your Coaching Business”
I couldn’t refrain from commenting. Exceptionally well written!
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