Brick wall ahead – non techie about to come crashing through!

I’ve gained so much technical knowledge these last 6 months or so now that I think I get a wee bit carried away with myself and sometimes I think I’m a lot better than I really am.  I try and be too adventurous and it always comes back to bite me on the proverbial.

What I’ve been trying to do for the last xx hours is something that probably sounds really simple to some people and it is to do with setting up accounts.  It was in place, or so I thought until I went to move some accounts around and realised I hadn’t quite got it right with one of them in the first place.  In the end I got so frustrated with trying to backtrack etc, I just closed the account and opened a new one.

Do you ever find yourself doing that, taking the long way round things when a really simple solution is staring you straight in the face?  Pragmatism is a large part of my personality and most pragmatists don’t take time to read instructions, they just plough straight in.  Well that is me over and over, and I never learn.  It doesn’t always result in errors but when it does, I would give anything to be the opposite type of personality and be a reflector.  Someone who doesn’t make decisions quickly but takes lots and lots of time to evaluate, to weigh up all the pros and cons and then takes things one baby step at a time.

So, that’s where I’m at right now.

On the positive side, I attended a fantastic webinar with our marketing group tonight and learned of really exciting things happening.  I’m always amazed at how we never sit still, there’s always some other high money making venture waiting to be thrust into our laps.

Tonight was extra exciting though – not only is there some really HOT STUFF coming our way but we are putting on a timebound promotion where people can try before they buy with all our marketing and coaching club.  All this for just $1 - I just can’t see how it is possible but if that’s what the boss says, that’s what we can offer.  I just wish I had this opportunity to access the best training materials and make lots of money for just $1 – I would have been laughing all the way to the bank.

So, here it is - grab it while you can because it won’t be there forever and could be taken down at any time.

How can I find an online coaching business that is right for me – 10 point check list?

If you were to type into the search engines ‘online coaching business’ there will be thousands of sites that appear but how do you gauge the one that is right for you?

It is very easy to get caught up in a lot of the hype that is out there and amidst all of that, there are hundreds, possibly even thousands of good, well intended and reputable online coaching businesses.  When you are completely new, it is very easy to get sucked into something that looks as though it is exactly what you are looking for, but from personal experience can fall far short of what was originally promised.

So how can I, through this article prevent you from making similar mistakes I did in the early stages?

• Firstly you need to identify what is it you really want to learn?
• How much online marketing experience do you already have?
• What credentials does the online coaching business have?
• How many clients do they have, are you going to be one of thousands?
• How do they conduct the online coaching, is it on a 1-1 basis, is it through a series of emails, video tutorials or is there a real person you will be dealing with?
• How accessible are they going to be to you?
• What guarantees are they giving you?  This is one to watch as no-one anywhere can guarantee your success.  Your success or otherwise rests firmly with you, your motivation and mindset to succeed.
• What fees are they charging?  Is it a one-off fee, a monthly recurring fee, or perhaps you pay for individual consultations?
• How current are they in the knowledge they are passing on?  The online world and ways of marketing are changing almost daily and what worked well this time last year may now be ineffective.
• Do they have a forum set up whereby you can liaise/network/share learning experiences with other online coaching business students?

I would advise that before you sign up to any online coaching business that you use this check list above.  You may have several other questions in addition to those above.   I would suggest you cut and paste them and leave space under each question to write the answers as you assess the online coaching business and its suitability to meet your needs.

The world of online marketing is like no other, and like many others moving into internet marketing, I tried to bring a lot of my experience from the offline world into my business in the early days and quickly learned it is almost incomparable.  Due diligence is the key of the day; there are many ruthless online coaching businesses although thankfully these are outnumbered by the genuine opportunities that can also come your way if you just take the time to assess exactly what it is you need.  On a similar level on the scale, assess what you don’t need.  There will be many FREE offerings to get you to sign up with a specific online coach and my advice here is, if it is something you are not actively looking for at this time, focus on what it is you are looking for and leave the free gift for another time.   Ask yourself if it is a ‘need’ rather than a ‘want’ and that should provide you with the answer.