Picture the scene: you feel thrilled to buy yet another $19 e-book, which promises to make you a six-figure blogger. You can quit your day job, work at home, spend more time with your family, travel around the world and, best of all, do something you love for a living. Finally, all your dreams have come true!
You start the e-book with enthusiasm. You keep reading it and doing the exercises but, as the days go by, the enthusiasm fades away.
That e-book that you were so excited about is now yet another piece of digital clutter on your hard drive. You feel frustrated again as you realize that you are no closer to quitting your day job.
Then one day, after you have forgotten about the e-book, a very compelling offer lands in your email inbox. You purchase the product without any hesitation and you are full of excitement again!
You are now in a loop where all your money and time is wasted, but you see no tangible results.
Let’s start with you
Before you blame yet another info product as a failure or a rip-off, evaluate yourself!
Your own actions are most likely the cause of your failure to reach success. Ask yourself: do you know your goals well enough? Are you trying too many ideas at once? What about ‘shiny object syndrome’ – are you buying one training program after another without waiting to see if any of them actually work?
Any (or all) of these reasons can be putting roadblocks in the way of your success. But there could be another roadblock as well, and it could surprise you.
A $19 blueprint for 6-figure success!
Let’s say you need to learn to dance in time for your wedding, where possibly hundreds of people will be watching you. Do you order a wedding dance DVD from Amazon, or do you hire a professional dance teacher?
I don’t know about you, but personally I would hire someone to give me private lessons. In fact, this is what my wife and I did before we got married. This way, the teacher paid attention to just us and no one else.
So, if you want to reach six-figure success online, do you want to take a generalist approach or a private approach?
I’m guessing you want to take the private approach.
So why is it that people still buy $19 e-books and expect to be super-successful? Because they think they can actually reach that success by reading the e-book, following the instructions and taking the prescribed action. Unfortunately, this isn’t always true.
Now, I’m not saying info products don’t work. In fact, there are great products out there which do what they promise.
But there is still one potential issue that could put you off tracks, even with the clearest instructions or blueprint. E-books are a general approach, which is geared towards anyone buying the product.
When you get stuck with one product, you are stuck. Even if the sales letter comes with a forum where you can ask questions, it doesn’t necessarily mean that your particular questions will be answered.
In the worst-case scenario, the product author won’t check the forums, so your only support comes from other users of the same product.
Get serious with your success
Instead of pinning your hopes of success on a $19 e-book, save your money for something more life-changing: hire a coach.
Yes, a coach: a business coach, an online coach or a blogging coach – whatever you want to call them.
The reason is simple: whereas any info product can only offer you a generic solution for your problems, a coach can offer you a personal approach. This is faster way of reaching your goals compared to using the generic info product blueprint.
Coaching has many other benefits as well. Although your coach may not give you step-by-step instructions all the time, he/she will help you to move in the right direction. Also, a coach can spark your creativity by giving you new ideas for moving forward.
If you hire a coach with a proven track record for getting results, listen to his/her advice carefully. Success is inevitable at some point if you are willing to work your butt off. Most likely it’s only your actions that define how long it takes.
With more focus and built-in accountability, you get the right stuff done in a timely manner.
Stop wasting your money on the majority of info products that don’t do their job – save that money for a coach instead. You’ll be doing yourself a favour and you’ll thank yourself many times over.
Steps to take before you hire a coach
To put you in fast-forward mode to success, take these steps when hiring a coach:
1. Get a coaching mindset. First, you should be ready for coaching. When you start a coaching relationship, understand that you are the one who has to do the work – not your coach!
Also, remember that your coach may not always tell you exactly what to do next. At times you will have to figure it out by yourself.
2. Find someone you trust. Find a person you can trust. Before hiring my current coach, I worked with a blog coach who helped me launch the previous version of my blog.
The reason I chose my previous coach was that I trusted them (and I still do). I felt that they were good at what they were doing and, once the trust was there, it was an easy decision to hire them.
3. Find someone with a proven track record. This one’s quite obvious. If the person is just a talker, then what’s the point of hiring him/her in the first place? Let the results speak for themselves.
4. The chemistry must be there. Chemistry between you and your coach is essential, otherwise working with them every day will become impossible.
If you are afraid to bother your coach or you are not able to make your own opinions heard, then the relationship will be hard.
5. Your values must match. It is also worth noting the values that you both share. If your coach’s values are radically different to yours, the relationship won’t develop as it should.
6. Is he/she accessible? Finally, before you hire a coach, figure out how you will contact them. Is it by email? It is by phone or can you hook up for a Google+ Hangout? Find out if you can you meet him/her in person.
At the very least, having email and Skype addresses is important for when you get stuck.
Closing words on the need to hire a coach
My decision to hire a coach has been one of the best things I have done for building my online business. You should consider it too if you aren’t finding success using info products and blueprints.
The cost to hire a coach may be high, but it is still a small price to pay – you can reach success much faster with a coach than with $19 e-books.
Over to you: do you have a coach? If not, what is keeping you from hiring one? What benefits have you experienced after hiring a coach?
Useful tips.
To me “Your values must match. ” is one of the important ones. It doesn’t matter how successful a coach is if the approach they use doesn’t resonate with us.
A coach will guide you in that path, but at the end of the you have to do that work! 🙂
I think it’s also important to have goals and areas that you want to focus on.
Thank you Shamelle!
Yep, values play a big part when it comes to choosing your ideal coach. No matter if I would get results, it would be impossible for me to work with someone whose values wouldn’t match with mine.
Cheers,
Timo
It would be awesome if someone very successful would offer a service like that and take your hand through the whole process. Those kind of services are often very expensive, because the person has to hold your hand and give you a lot of their time.
Ivin,
Sure, that is true – it is far more expensive to use a coach.
On the other hand, I believe that you’ll reach your blogging goals faster this way (and the payoffs can be big if you are willing to do the work).
Cheers,
Timo
Hi, Timo
This is want happens on WF. Mostly its because they are new to Internet Marketing and they just want to use the easiest method of making money, they don’t realise that their is no magic button or instant riches system to follow.
I think its down to the mindset of the person, until they change that they will always be vulnerable to products that promise the world.
Simmeon,
Sure. Mindset plays a big part in your success.
It’s very easy to buy a product which you think will change your life.
This is possible, but again … you have to do the work. And as you said, there are no shortcuts to success.
Cheers,
Timo
Obviously Timo, the best way to go by and secure success is being coached. Reading an ebook is just a one-way conversation that produces little results. Ebooks don’t listen to their readers and that’s a strong limitation.
Getting the right coach has always been an issue but you dealt with it correctly in this post. My first attempt to hire one for one specific purpose was bad. I didn’t do enough findings to prove his competence. However, the same mistake cannot be made again after reading this post 😉
Thank you Enstine 🙂
I liked your sentence: “Ebooks don’t listen to their readers”
That’s the strongest point with coaching: you have a live person to respond to your questions and giving you advice that is perfect fit – just for you.
Cheers,
Timo
Hi Timo, great info in your post. I also think, that hiring a coach is better than buying some ebooks. But finding good coach isn’t easy, especially when you really need him/her.
BTW – IMHO offline coach is better than online coach, because I like to talk “face to face” 😉
Thanks for sharing.
BR, Chris
Hi Chris!
Sure, offline coach would be the best fit. In my case, I’m living in Finland while my coach lives in Canada, so the distance is too big for having a face-to-face meetings.
But sure, meeting your coach offline would bring new perspectives (and depth) to your coach/client relationship.
Cheers,
Timo
Yes, hiring a coach is more reliable then believing in Ebooks.
nice article thanks for sharing it…….
Prakash,
Thank you for reading the post and glad to hear you found the information valuable!
Cheers,
Timo
Timo,
Great to see you here buddy and great article!
When you talk to top level people in any industry… The people that are really killing it… I think the natural inclination is to assume they just have some gift that has allowed them to achieve such amazing results.
Not the case… I’d say 9/10 have had a coach, a mentor or an expert help them along the way.
The e-Book is nice for general information and theory but putting things into practice is so much different.
Thanks,
Ryan H.
Thank you Ryan 🙂
I agree.
A very few people manage to reach the success by themselves. In fact, you success is always dependable of other people.
I would say that having a personal advisor/coach/mentor is required if you want to reach the top.
Cheers,
Timo
Nice post Timo, yes a coach can save you a lot of money in the long run, just depends if the person becomes addicted to coaching sessions like they do buying eBooks, It can and does happen.
Coaches can be a quick route to success, if the person being coached takes action.
Andi,
Thank you 🙂
Yep, there are always to parties involved: you and your coach.
No matter how good advice your coach is giving you, it is useless unless you put the advice into action.
Cheers,
Timo
We all get excited first and then we get Lazy towards the end.We need to understand and evaluate ourselves and then start with what we want with a positive mind and approach . This is an awesome article and this article made my day 🙂
Thanks a lot
Prateek,
So true, thats because we are charged full of energy and once we don’t reach our unrealistic goal we become distant and detached.
Prateek,
Awesome – great to hear!
You’ll definitely want to do some self-exploration first, decide what you want and then take action.
You might have heard the saying “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear”. This was true in my situation as the coaching spot for my current coach was opened 🙂
Cheers,
Timo
An excellent point, Timo!
It is easy to become distracted between the hook to buy and the follow through. Even if the information product you find is solid, the only guarantee that you complete the 7 steps to a 6 figure income is your own perseverance…the interaction and accountability from a coach can fire you up for success.
Trevor,
Thank you 🙂
Accountability is very important. In fact, I would say that this is one of the most critical components – something that e-books are missing.
When you are fully committed, you want to make sure you get the stuff done that you coach asked you to. That is the only way to keep the momentum alive.
Cheers,
Timo
Hiring a coach is something I’ve thought a lot about recently. As a creative person, I have too many ideas and not enough focus. What’s held me back so far? I have no idea who to hire. I want a coach who knows my field. I have some general awareness of what’s happening in my field, but if I needed to do the research – then I feel what’s the use of hiring a coach? What do you think about this?
Hi Louise!
I’m a creative person too and my coach gave me the needed focus. I was constantly trying many things and I wasn’t committed enough to see if those methods worked for me or not.
Now, as I have a coach, I have a strategy to follow and I’m focusing on it 100%.
I guess that the first question you have to ask yourself is: what do you want? What is the goal you want to reach?
Once you know this, you should pick the person you love to follow. Now, I don’t know graphics design field that much, are there certain blogs you follow or buying products from certain people? That is the right path to start looking for coaching candidates.
Finally, once you have a list of candidates, it’s a matter of doing some research and find out, who is offering coaching, whose values match with you and do they have a proven track record.
Once your requirements match with what is available, you have found your person.
Do you think this information helps? Let me know and I try give you more advice if needed.
Cheers,
Timo
Yes, thank you, that makes sense. I know a friend of a friend who’s a coach, but when I contacted her, she said she’s not a business coach. I then realized I don’t know much about the field of coaching. I think I’m looking for easy answers, and there aren’t any! But I’m getting closer to defining a goal as I’ve bumbled thru some “wrong” paths. As long as they’ve brought me closer to the right one, eh? Thanks Timo.
Awesome!
Great to hear I was able to help you out.
Cheers,
Timo
Great article! I especially like the part about getting a “coaching mindset.” And, I realize it is so obvious, but I think some of us could possible forget who is doing the work. Love this article. Thanks! -Deborah
Deborah,
Thank you very much 🙂
Yep … coaching mindset is important. Otherwise the coaching may not bring you the results you need.
Cheers,
Timo
I have to agree and disagree because it really comes down to the individual.
For example, I’m not a very social individual and interacting with someone, via coaching, is actually a bit discouraging so I tend to find myself exploring my options via products because I can set my own pace and go off in directions I feel important (in comparison to what I’m being told.
However, there are HUGE benefits to coaching if you want to get right to the point. As I mentioned, going off in your own direction can be distracting and add a lot of stressful work to your already busy schedule. Having a coach can keep you focused and you’re tapping into a very valuable skillset.
For web-related things, I don’t really go for the coach angle but I’m definitely game when it comes to the big items such as learning a higher level math via math tutor or a personal trainer if you really want to lose the weight. The reason being is that these are skills that are solid – if you find the right coach, that is – because there has been structure to their learning and many, many years of practice behind it vs. what someone might say after learning a technique just a few months ago and found some success.
Overall, excellent subject. I may find myself looking for a coach in the near future as things get heavier (in college and with my online work).
Thank you Murray for you comment!
Sure, coaching is not for everyone. In fact, I’m not that social myself and it was a big jump for me to get started with a coach (not to mention that I’m not a native English speaker).
However, I feel that it was a right decision to make as I have been able to improve my results and – to be able to work with a person I trust.
Cheers,
Timo
Hey Timo,
I couldn’t agree more (but then I am a little biased ;-)).
Interesting how you can earn a 6-figure income for $19 eh?
The other extreme is also interesting – high price tag info-products which still have no direct contact with the coach/expert – not that there’s not a place in the market for these but I think any recorded material whether on paper, in your ears or in a film is a very poor second to a true 1-2-1 relationship actually talking with somebody directly.
Interesting stuff…
p.s. there is also another consideration – is what you need really a coach, a mentor, a trainer or a consultant (technically all very different things).
take care & best wishes,
Alan
Alan,
I think that this is the power of 1-2-1: it’s very personal. So, there is actually someone interacting with you instead offering a generic solution which doesn’t necessarily work.
Cheers,
Timo
Exactly 😉
Plus a few of the commentators have said that coaches are very expensive – not exactly – there’s a huge range some will even offer coaching for free as they try to build up their experience and coaching hours (there are more coaches than people who need coaching)…
… but generally you get what you pay for.
take care & best wishes,
Alan
Great advice Timo.
Self-help guides and ebooks do have their uses, especially if you are looking for some specific training (ie there are several good tutorials for learning to set up a Facebook Page, or a LinkedIn Profile) AND if you have the discipline to turn what you read into action.
But hiring a coach can be a valuable investment in YOU and your business, and can really save you money in the long run (or at least make your business more profitable more quickly).
Nearly everyone with a 6-figure income in their industry (I’m thinking of Mari Smith, Amy Porterfield, Marie Forleo, Danielle Laporte, Melonie Dodaro, Sandi Krakowski) all happily admit that they hired coaches who helped them to focus on what was important to their business growth at the time.
Here’s 2 things I would add:
Since business coaches can run from $100 – $1000/hr, I’d suggest “testing out” whether they are a good fit with a less expensive service first. Many coaches and educators run private group membership sites for $19-$50/month.
See if the coach is open to questions, or do they dominate the Q&A sessions and coaching calls. Are they organized with how they present content, or have a loose approach? Depending on your learning style, you may prefer one or the other. Are they available frequently on their own forums within that membership site to answer questions, or do they leave it to other forum members? Joining a private membership site also gives you a deeper understanding of their values, and you will quickly know if what they provide is at the right level for you and your business, or too advanced or too basic.
Second, I would suggest you figure out where specifically you need help. I hired a business coach that wasn’t really a good fit, even though they had been recommended by someone (who is quite similar to me). This part might be a challenge, because as they say, “you don’t know what you don’t know”. But think of where your strengths are in your business, and what you think you need to improve.
Do you need to learn how to focus your efforts, and target your business?
Do you want to move on to public speaking engagements, and need a coach on preparing presentations, soliciting speaking gigs, or even a voice coach?
Do you want to improve your marketing?
Do you need training in how to close the sale, and get more client leads?
Are you unorganized, and need help with admin work (maybe get tips on how to outsource) or do you need a step by step system created just for you?
Hiring a coach can be a good investment, as long as it’s a good fit, and of course, you actually follow through!
cheers,
Angelique Duffield
Bright Spark Media
Angelique,
Thank you for this insightful comment!
Sure, there are many points to consider when hiring a coach. I liked your advice of learning a bit about the coach by joining a private coaching group. That’s definitely less expensive than hiring a coach working for you only.
Also, I agree, it is important to know in which area you need more help with. Being more specific helps to choose the right type of coach for you.
Cheers,
Timo
Product information for me is more valuable because they’re inexpensive and we can reuse them as many times as possible without required a coach to repeat what they did.
Thank you – Ferb
Ferb,
Sure, products are inexpensive.
In my case, I have spent thousands of dollars for products and I progressed a bit – but not that much.
Also, I feel that the information that you coach gives you may in some cases be more current than the information on an e-book you bought (especially if we talk about e-books that are 6 -months to 1 year old).
Cheers,
Timo
I agree that having a coach or a mentor is important. If you feel you can’t afford a coach look into getting a mentor. Professional organizations will sometimes offer mentoring for their members. This is a way you can work with someone that has a track record of success in the same industry while receiving that personal interaction to ask questions.
Electra,
Thank you for pointing that one out! I didn’t know this until now and I know that many readers will appreciate this advice 🙂
Cheers,
Timo
You’ve made a good point Timo! Information products are good for getting information across but not necessary help in any way in getting experience. It is those who do and make vital mistakes are the ones to tell the story. Taking action is the most critical step, but most people who buys information products can sometimes be so loaded with information that they don’t do anything…
Tony,
Yep, there is the information overload aspect.
In fact, when I hired my coach, I stopped buying products almost completely. In fact, I realized that I don’t have that much need for them as I have a personal advisor and I’m following a strategy we set.
Cheers,
Timo
I think that it is the chicken and the egg syndrome. Many people who start out do not have the funds to hire a coach and even that $19 is a huge stretch.
Neil,
I can totally understand that. However, there are more inexpensive options (as Angelique pointed out) and you don’t need to hire a coach right away – just test the waters first.
Cheers,
Timo
I agree with you Timo. I do not begrudge coaches as they have painstakingly spent years crafting their trade and they should be rewarded for this.
Surely coaching is better than books, because they are the most updated sources
But in India we don’t really have enough of them and the only source of man to man knowledge here is Conferences and seminars.
Nice article !
Thank you Divyansh!
There really weren’t any options in Finland either … that’s why I had to look overseas to find mine (in Canada 🙂
Cheers,
Timo
Divyansh: Ironically, coaches are becoming a dime a dozen in North America, and I’ve seen Google Ads to become a “certified” life coach in 60 hours.
I skype with people around the world in my social media business, so I don’t think coaching necessarily has to be face-to-face (but it depends what you are comfortable with).
You said there are a lot of conferences in India – that might be a way to “test” a coach, plus it’s a great networking opportunity where you could meet big names in any industry – most are receptive if you introduce yourself, then follow your gut instinct if they are a good fit to move into personal coaching.
Just my 2 cents 🙂
See, I knew that being a cheap skate would benefit me one day, I hate paying for things. 😛
Dean,
🙂
Thanks for dropping by leaving a comment.
Cheers,
Timo
I think hiring a coach is carries a much heavier cost. My strategy is to learn all by myself. I hope I’ll get better in the future. =)
Adam,
Sure, it might work but at the same time it may take a lot longer to reach your goals.
Cheers,
Timo
I never thought of hiring a coach, but it is very true that experience and knowledge come with a cost. I would consider it after much research as trusting someone I just met online and hiring them to coach me would be a big step.
Mariella,
Sure, it takes some research and learning more about the person. That was the way I chose my coach.
Cheers,
Timo
Hello Timo,
Buying $19 E-book is good on increasing a knowledge on a specifia topic, but hiring a professional coach when it comes to learn the secrets of building a successful online business.
Timo, as you’ve done this already, I wanna know that how much will it cost to hire a coach?
Hi Ehsan,
This depends of the coaching plan.
Some of the cheapest coaching packages I have used in the past have been around $20 per month but the more expensive (and the private version) up to $500 per month.
However, there is a big variation in price depending of what kind of package you choose and who is the coach (and what is included in that monthly price).
Cheers,
Timo
You mentioned that hiring a coach might be expensive and I don’t think that’s a bad thing at all.
A lot of people who buy ebooks usually don’t act on them and it just becomes a “thing” to do. I think that if you actually invest a large amount of money into something, you are much more likely to take action on it.
Richard,
I agree. When you invest your money, it shows that you are serious about the coaching. The more likely you are taking action on the advice given.
Cheers,
Timo
E-books and other information materials are all just floating around the net with most of them having $1 tags. There are a lot of these e-books that are just copied from resources on the Internet. A lot more are also written by people who knew nothing better than link building and blog commenting. Hiring a coach will surely solve all of your problems.
Hi John!
I have a lot of e-book that are “nice” but I didn’t take any action.
I’m not saying that all e-books are bad. In fact, there are great ones out there.
For me, I found that coaching works the best and lessens the need to buy yet another e-book.
Cheers,
Timo
This is a great read. Always a coach is better than e-books or other learning materials available. Hiring a coach who is an expert in the niche is at all times better as it can provide a much easier and trouble free path to achive success. Undoubtedly hiring a coach can be much costlier than buying an e-book but it is worth spending the money.
Sure Suneeta!
And think of it like this: if your coach can help you to reach success, the coaching fees aren’t the issue anymore.
Cheers,
Timo
Books are informative, but a real assistant is always better. Advices in books are very generic and are nowhere close to someone’s personality. Thats why this article is great for read as it shows an excellent way to improve, if you have some money to spend.
Rashimi, I agree!
I prefer the personal approach since I find it to be the most effective.
Cheers,
Timo
I think there is a lot of truth in it. In the beginning we all do it jumping from one ebook to another and looking for answers. But the best information I ever had was from an ebook on wordpress. If I could get a coach at a reasonable price, I would definitely hire a coach. Thank you for this great information.
Thank you Shalu!
Great to hear that you liked the post!
Cheers,
Timo
hiring someone can help my job, btw, Can you refer someone who has been proven to work well and of course the price is not too expensive?
Hi Dave!
I have worked with Hector Cuevas of InBoundPro (http://www.inboundpro.net/) (when launching my former blog) and now with Danny Iny of Firepole Marketing
I’m satisfied to both of them.
Cheers,
Timo
hi timo, Wonderful post!This is very useful to many readers like me.Being a student, I am requiring myself to read articles more often and your writing just caught my interest.Thank you
Thank you!
Great to you enjoyed my article 🙂
Cheers,
Timo
I am going to throw the cat among the pigeons and ask this question. Why don’t coaches work on they get paid if you succeed principle. It is very easy to become a self professed Internet marketing guru, however there is no comeback when the client does not get results.
Hi Wade!
That’s a great question and I agree: it’s easy to become one but it doesn’t necessarily mean the person is worth the money.
The criteria I used when I chose my coach was that he had already the proven track record in what he does.
That made the decision easy (and I haven’t regretted my decision).
Cheers,
Timo
Nice post! we can give a try to learn all the things by ourselves but always remember that some things comes with experience only, for those we need a coach, who is expert in same niche.
Cheers!
Hi Chaitanya!
Yes, it’s totally OK to ask for help from someone who is more experienced.
Cheers,
Timo
We should hire a coach instead of wasting our time. This is really good for newbies. So we should go for it. Nice post thanks for sharing it.
Hello Timo
Nice post with great information.Hiring a coach is good choice.But As you already said,only hiring a coach is not enough.What you had did?just hire a coach…nothing big.The real hard work is start now.Hard work in a strategic way.The coach tell you about right way, and we have to follow it with full devotion.
Nice article Timo .Thanks for it.
Hi Mahendra!
You are correct – true work begins after you hire a coach.
Coach is an advisor but you have to put the advice to practice.
Cheers,
Timo