The Major Flaw in all Coaching and Personal Development

People who like the book or movie The Secret are often those who are willing to pay for different kinds of coaching or other personal development classes or seminars. I have paid for some myself, and my wife has paid for quite a few different ones in an effort to improve her business. To be willing to pay for such things is a very good thing.

But I have been noticing something a little disturbing in all of these. . .

By and large, I mean generally, they HAVE NOT worked for us. That is if you define "working for you" as being able to get the kinds of results that the marketing of all these kinds of programs says you can get. It just has not happened for us (yet), but it is not for lack of trying.

Here is a dirty little secret that they do not want you to know: The Personal Development and Coaching industry is the only industry on Earth where the sellers can charge a lot of money for attendance, and yet take absolutely *no* responsibility for the results of what they teach.

My wife especially had had at least seven different coaches in the last four years.

And none of them helped her to increase her business.

And all of them wanted their $350.00 a month, up front. One wanted 12 months up front.

Your conclusion to this data may be that she must not have done what they said.

Well she did do what they said. Exactly what they said.

Well perhaps she did not understand it.

Possible, but who is in charge of making sure she understands it?

Or, best one of all, perhaps she just has the wrong vibration and as such she drove her own business away.

Well, that is certainly possible.

Are you noticing any pattern here?

The Coaches all charged at least $350.00 a month and in some cases much more.

None of them helped her.

None of them took the least bit of responsibility that she did not increase her business results. Notice how all the failure possibilities were her fault.

If this happened in any other industry, it would not be tolerated. I run a computer business. Let's say that I offer you a deal where I charge you $350.00 a month to keep your computers running smooth, fast and virus free. Price seems pretty high you think but it might be worth it if the worry about the computers were taken away.

But here is the best part. By your paying me $350.00, you get to come to my seminar, and to participate in my conference calls, I will teach you how to keep your computers running smooth! Well that's great, except perhaps you were thinking I was going to do that fixing part.

But here is the better than the best part (for me at least). If you fail to keep your computers running smooth after all the great information that I give you, then it will be your fault! My contract with you says that I still get paid even though you failed to fix your computers. Maybe you just do not have the right "computer vibration", how can I be responsible for that?

I doubt you would do this deal in a million years, and yet thousands of people make this same kind of deal every day when they hire a coach or sign up for a personal development seminar of some sort. The secret here is that I know how to troubleshoot computers, and troubleshooting is a talent that you have or you don't. If you don't, it's hard to imagine how anyone could teach it to you. And yet my marketing would say that since I have 17 years experience, I am the master teacher. And in fact I have taught it to others in such a way that they greatly improved; but they had some talent to start with.

Unfortunately, some of the absolute worst purveyors of this problem are the very teachers that are in the movie The Secret. Bob Proctor is currently advertising a program that includes dinner at his house for $12,500.00. The James Ray harmonic wealth weekend is about $997.00. If you want to learn from the "eminent" (as described by Rhonda) Dr Tony Quinn, you can attend the Educo seminar for 18,000 British pounds, which is well over $35,700.00 USD at exchange rates in place on 3-31-2008.

You know what? I know at least two people (not me) who have attended this Educo seminar. The seminar did not help them build their business in any way; and once the seminar is over, Dr. Quinn will not so much as talk to them on the telephone. You would think that after paying someone that kind of money that they would be willing to talk to you on the phone, but in the case of Dr. Quinn you would be wrong on that.

Now in all fairness to Dr. Quinn, I know of another Educo attendee who took the materials learned there and discovered oil in Belieze. I am not saying that there is not value in what he is teaching, I am saying that there is no way to know going in if what he is teaching will help you or not, and that is a pretty darn expensive gamble there. You could do better in Vegas.

There is an easy solution to the problem, but it will be VERY hard to find someone who will do this.

Only hire a coach who is paid a percentage on your increased business.

Quack coaches will of course want no part of this, because their living is earned from people paying them who do not yet know that they are quack coaches. Oh and do not forget the 30 day notice clause, you will pay for at least one more month even after you quit coaching with them.

Experienced coaches would say that this is not fair to them, because they cannot control what another person does. There is some merit to this argument, but they way things currently stand they have no skin in the game at all, and no real incentive to help someone succeed. They are typically good enough at other kinds of marketing that they do not need word of mouth.

Here is an example of another industry that does better.

Lawyers will take cases on contingency. This means they only get paid if you win. It's a win win deal. You do not pay if you lose, and they still win because they charge more on the contingency than they would for strait time. You also have the option of strait time, it's your choice.

Another example. The property tax consultants in my county will help you dispute your taxes, and they charge 50% of your savings. It saves you a lot of time. If you do not save any money, then they do not get paid.

Why won't the personal coaches and the seminar people do the same thing? I would be willing to give a coach 50% of my increased business (above an agreed upon level set going in) for all the time I coached with them plus 6-12 more months after that. If they really helped me to increase my business, then they would stand to make a lot of money, as would I, and that is the whole point. If they failed to help me increase my business, they get nothing.

As it should be, IMHO. Your coach needs to have some skin in the game. I guess that a hybrid deal could be worked as well, partial up front fee and rest based on results.

So here is what I suggest: Until you find a coach who is willing to have skin in your game, just buy the book. You have all the time you need to understand what is said, and if it does not help you, then you are only out the cost of the book; and not even that if you got it at the library.

Good reading!

Joseph

P.S. To the legitimate coaches out there who really do care and who bust your butt to get results for your clients, first of all where are you? Have not found any of you in at least 10 attempts. To you I apologize if my broad stroke paints your business sour. Please leave comments on this post explaining in detail why you would not be able to work on a contingency basis, because you may have valid arguments that I have not considered. Thanks in advance! --- Joseph