Coaching Agreement – There is always something to be learned from an ordinary or poor coaching experience but by far the biggest lesson is to avoid a Coach that does not have a fair and well thought out Coaching Contract.
Are you satisfied with your coaching experience?
Engaging a coach requires you have a rapport with the coach, you resonate with how they present, and their messaging is all about solving your issue.
It is often the case you hire a coach because you have rapport and their message to help you grow or save your business is compelling. But the cost is high and often the results leave you feeling disappointed in yourself and your business.
Had you asked for a contract and looked into the Coach’s services, expectations and the quality of their Agreement closely, then you may have escaped a potentially bad situation for your business and yourself.
What can you learn from this experience?
You can save yourself a lot of money and remorse and regret by doing your homework BEFORE investing in a coach who is asking for a substantial longterm investment.
Definitely ask questions, HOWEVER, protecting yourself and making an informed decision about spending your money with a Coach is much easier than remembering to ask all the right questions.
Ask the Coach for their Coaching Agreement?
ASK the Coach to provide their Coaching Agreement BEFORE you pay any money. This is the most important question you can ask your business coach. The coaching agreement will tell you a lot about the coach. Does the coach care enough about their client and their business to have a Coaching Agreement in the first place?
READ the coaching contract.
Does the Coaching Agreement make sense to you?
Is the Coaching Agreement you are reading
- written in clear and simple language? Do you have to trawl through the legal jargon to find the important bits that matter to you?
- explain clearly what services you are buying from the Coach?
- spell out the conditions of working with the coach?
- state in detail what is expected of YOU?
- set out payment conditions, refund and cancellations policies?
- show you what to do if you are not happy with the service or if there is a dispute?
- deal with your consumer rights and guarantees under Australian Consumer law?
Are you happy with the Coaching Agreement? If, and only when, you are happy with the Coaching Agreement, should you part with any of your hard-earned and saved money.
Does the agreement sound like it’s been prepared with an understanding of the client relationship and is fair and just? Or does it sound like a template that is very generic and doesn’t address the reality of doing business with the Coach?
Coaching Agreement should include KPI’s? What to expect and When?
Good business coaching can make or break your business. And a good coach is a coach that has a developed service and an equally well-developed coaching agreement that provides you with the information you need to make an informed decision about engaging the Coaches service.
Asking for the Coach to provide a Coaching Agreement is the most important question you can ask a Coach you are thinking of working with. If you are prepared to spend the money, then consider investing in getting legal advice to have the contract explained to you and renegotiated if necessary to suit YOU as much as it suits the Coach.
Get legal advice or 2nd Opinion before you sign?
Getting a contract reviewed is common and normal business practice and this practice applies to Coaching Agreements. Talk is cheap and sales pages and discovery calls are not promises to deliver. A legally drafted Coaching Agreement is legally enforceable and will hold your Coach accountable to deliver the service that the Coach has advertised or promised.
A Coaching Contract drafted by a lawyer with an understanding of small business is what provides both coach and clients with a platform for negotiation and a strong, mutually beneficial long term relationship.
Therefore while you are asking the Coach questions – make sure you ask the Coach – Can I see your Coaching Agreement please? and apply the advice above. If you need legal opinion book a power session with Shalini.
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