I want to start today with a piece of encouragement: Getting a business coach means you are doing incredible. I often see wedding planners who think having a business coach means their business is failing. But that is far from the truth! Business coaches (similar to health coaches, trainers, etc.) will help give you professional advice, tips, and tricks they’ve learned through trial and error, motivation, accountability, and guidance.
Having a coach is another set of eyes on your business – one that understands your business, industry, and challenges. Yes, bouncing ideas off of your spouse, family, friends or colleagues could certainly help. But they may not fully be able to relate to what you may be going through. Scaling, adding additional revenue streams, growing a team, developing systems, etc….a coach can help you think big picture and hold you accountable for your goals.
But if you invest your time, money, and energy into a coaching series, it’s important to know that your approach will make all the difference in terms of the results you achieve! That is why I wanted to share secrets to being a coachable client – so that you get the most out of your investment!
01. Have An Open Mind
Working with a coach isn’t about focusing on the past – but how to move forward, past your comfort zone, and into a new era of your business. That is why an open mind is one of the most important things when working with a business coach. Your coach might have suggestions you never thought of or ones you have been hesitant to do. But that is why they are there! As a business coach, I work with my students to give them the skills they never knew they had and guide them to a path of success! So if you are closed off to change, or you feel like you already know everything there is to know about running a business, then coaching might not be the best fit. It’s all about having an open mind!
02. Don’t Make Excuses + Take Action
For coaching to work, you need to take ownership of any mistakes you have made and take action to improve. Making mistakes is okay! We all do it, and it’s perfectly okay to make them. As wedding planners, we all have moments of hard times and moments where we need to change how we make decisions. And that is where taking action comes to play. Instead of focusing on what you did wrong or why you made a mistake, we are here to focus on how to take action and move you forward. Taking action is key to being a coachable client!
03. Be Prepared To Do The Work
Part of taking action is doing the work! Sometimes, clients think that a coach will implement the tasks for them. But if that were the case, they would never grow! A coach is there to guide you through the steps, but it is up to you to take the action and do the work. That also means setting time each week to implement the changes. You need to give yourself space during coaching so that you can get the most out of your coach and the time to do the work.
Even if your coach runs their own business similar to what you want to do, their processes might not be the exact same as your own business. So asking to copy their price list or training materials isn’t helping your business! Instead, it’s about working together to create your own unique business materials and processes.
04. Ask Questions + Take Notes
As a business coach, I always have action steps laid out after every coaching call, but it’s still important to ask questions and take notes! I believe that ALL questions are valid and important. No matter how small or silly they seem at the time! I encourage my coaching students to ask all the questions so they can learn everything they need to know.
05. Being a Coachable Client Means Speaking Up
A huge part of business coaching is making the coaching work for YOU. If at any point of your coaching, you decide that you want to shift gears or focus on something else, you need to speak up and let your coach know. Sometimes, our clients have an Aha Moment that changes the trajectory of our time together, which is incredible! Or maybe they disagree with something I suggest, or it doesn’t align with their vision. That is when you need to speak up! Being a coachable client means that you need to embrace all of the thoughts and ideas you have fully.
The last thing I want to do as a coach is having someone neglect to speak up and internally be disappointed with what we covered on our calls. That is why I encourage all my clients to really own their feelings. If you’re feeling frustrated, anxious, or stressed – let your coach know. And if you are feeling amazing, with a moment of clarity, let them know that too! It’s all about being transparent in the journey together.
06. Know Your Numbers
We talk a lot about numbers on our blog, but for a good reason! So many small business owners, especially wedding planners, don’t know their numbers. In fact, many don’t even know what they brought in last year, or how much they are projected to make this year! It is so important to know your numbers (like cash flow!) Especially if you want to be a coachable client. You can’t scale and grow unless you know where you are starting from. And you can’t set goals unless you know your numbers.
07. Take Advantage Of The Coaching
While every coaching package will be different, it’s important to take advantage of everything your coach offers you. For example, with my business coaching, we offer unlimited email communication, where clients can send questions anytime between the calls. It also allows them to send files for review to get a second opinion on everything. However, not everyone takes advantage of this as they should! I offer this unlimited email support for a reason, and the clients that make the most of it often hit their goals sooner. So make sure to know everything your coach offers and get the most out of the experience!
Ways To Work Together
If you feel that now is the time to grow and scale your business, it’s time to find the right coach! Hiring the right coach will help you reach your best potential, and you will be so thankful you took the time to focus on yourself and your success.
As a coach for wedding planners, I offer a few different ways to work together!
First is Booked Out Wedding Planner – my 12-week group coaching program for wedding planners and coordinators to grow their businesses from startup to established.
I also offer 90-Day Business Coaching and VIP Days for wedding planners who crave one-on-one business coaching to up-level and reach those business goals.
No matter which type of coaching you need, I’d love to hear from you! Coaching is truly a game changer and the best way to move forward in your business – with help every step of the way!
Xo,
Jess
