Recently I got an email from someone I’d met at a networking meeting. She was looking for a new career and heard I did some consulting in this area. She visited my site, said she’d like to set up a consultation.
But, she said, she had questions. Over a series of emails, she raised them. She wanted to be sure I could work with someone in her field with her particular challenges. She was concerned about the fee. What exactly would be included? Would we have enough time in one session?
I assured her I had worked with others in her situation. I was genuinely confident that I could help.
But, like most experienced consultants, I realize the client’s perspective will make a huge difference in the outcome of a consultation. When someone’s resistant, it’s hard for me to do my best work.So I suggested she reconsider. When your intuition sends mixed signals, usually it’s time to find another path to reach your goals.
There are no absolutes. I’ve worked with clients who received “A Session With Cathy Goodwin” as a gift. They were completely skeptical and didn’t expect much, yet they walked away surprised and satisfied. A couple of times clients have written, “I didn’t think we’d accomplished much in our session but a few weeks later, I realized how much you’d helped. I’d like another session!”
So if you’re thinking of working with me (or anyone else) on your career, here’s some guidance for the decision:
(1) When you resent the payment amount, just don’t buy. (Actually this rule holds for just about everything, in my opinion.) And if you have to sacrifice to pay for career consulting, don’t do it. Wait till you can comfortably afford the session(s) and then move forward. A good coach will be ready when you are.
(2) When you’re about to go on a vacation, relocate, get married, finalize your divorce or deal with another transition, wait. You’ll feel differently when it’s over.
(3) Listen to your intuition. (I just happen to have an Amazon Kindle book on Career and Business Intuition. You don’t need a kindle reader. Look it up here.)
Sometimes being nervous about hiring a consultant means, “Don’t go there.” But for some people, being nervous is a sign you’re moving in the right direction. Only you can know the difference.
Finally, if you get a consultation as a gift, grab it! For some reason, in my experience, people who get gifted with a session tend to have really good outcomes — even if they resist the process at first.
I have a course on changing careers – the Great Career Escape on Udemy. Look it up here.