An examiner.com columnist wrote an in-your-face column about job-seekers who won’t take action. In this case, he encouraged them to make calls to coaches to get “free” advice. He couldn’t understand why coaches weren’t being inundated with free calls.
Wow…did he get an earful! Most of the comments were scathing.
Read the article and comments here and (in case you can’t see it) below is my response. Please click on “comments” to add your input to this blog (and “share this” if you would like others to see it).
As a career consultant, I would discourage anyone from calling a coach for “free advice and tips” unless you are seriously interested in following up with paid coaching. Here’s why:
(1) Most coaches use their “free” calls as sales calls. Marketing coaches teach techniques for turning the free call into a way to convert queries to clients. You won’t get a lot of great advice in a short call.
[That’s why I stopped offering free calls awhile back. Instead, prospective clients can listen to hour-long mp3 calls where they find out what I’m really like.]
(2) Coaches are busy. Even though they say, “No obligation,” I don’t think it’s ethical to take an hour of someone’s time if you have no intention of buying. Anyway, many of the most successful coaches are too busy to take calls.
(3) Free calls typically don’t help you make a wise decision about hiring a coach. I like to say, “The whole dynamic shifts when money changes hands.”
(4) You can get lots of free info when you visit sites by career coaches: articles, mp3 recordings, even live teleseminars. That’s a legitimate way to get free help.
(5) Not everyone is coach-able. Not every situation benefits from coaching. And no coach is right for everyone.
Please click on the “Comments” button to add your opinion.