Coffee Shop Coach - Benefits

Two men sat in a coffee shop. One of them, looking as worn out as his wrinkled grey suit, hunched over a black coffee.

"My friend said you could help me with a business problem," said the first man, Richard. "How, exactly, he didn't specify. What do you do?"

"I'm a coach," the second man replied.

"Okay, so what does a coach do?" asked Richard.

"Well," said Coach, "let me show you. What's ailing your business?"

Richard gave Coach a skeptical look, and then shrugged. "Alright, I'll play along." He shook a packet of sugar and emptied it into his coffee. "My business isn't going well. It seems like I'm working ten times harder but not making more money. I'm a financial advisor."

"What led you to this business?" asked Coach.

"I grew up in this industry. I used to work for a firm for a couple of years and enjoyed it. Starting my own business just seemed like the right transition."

"What do you think is the main reason your working harder yet your business is not growing?"

"I don't know. I'm trying to convince all these mid-income families to invest in their life and their business, but it always seems to be an uphill battle.

Coach nodded. "And when you worked for someone else, were your clients high-income families or mid-income families?"

"High," Richard answered. "My boss' brilliant idea. He didn't seem to care that there are more mid-income families than high-income families. That's why I'm targeting them?they're the market my former boss ignored."

"Did you help your ex-boss make a lot of money?"

"Yes."

"So what caused you to let go of a strategy that was working, that you knew well and could work with?"

There was a pause. "I thought mine would work better? -  I mean it makes sense - sort of?"

Another pause. Richard stared into this coffee.

Coach asked, "Did you like working with high income families?"

"Definitely yes."

"Given that," Coach said patiently, "what should you consider doing?"

"I suppose I should sell to high-income families for awhile. I mean, I know the market inside-out and I enjoy it."

"Yep."

"Wow," said Richard. "I can't believe I missed something so obvious."

"Don't worry about it," Coach replied. "Sometimes we get so wrapped up in fixing the situation we can't see where the problem ends and the solution begins. Half the time we don't realize where we went wrong. You figured that out yourself by going through a simple yet effective questioning process. You've probably also gained a little insight about yourself-what you enjoy doing, what you're good at, maybe even what your thought process is like. That's part of what coaching is - helping you discover your motives and your blind spots, and how they affect every facet of your life."

"Wait," said Richard, pointing a stir stick at Coach, "So this is not just for business?

"That's right," answered Coach. "Coaches work with individuals to help them achieve the life they truly want for themselves. In doing this, a coach may take on different roles based on the client's needs. Counsellor, consultant, mentor-whatever role is necessary to help that client succeed. We don't tell you just how to fix the latest problem. Instead, we give you tools and raise awareness to empower you to overcome any problems, as well as maintain a purposeful course to success." He paused while Richard looked thoughtful. Then Coach asked, "Have I given you a good idea of what coaching is?"

Richard looked up, his face a little brighter. "Yeah, and it sounds great. I can't wait to start."