Well, the very best clients are those:

• who are driven to succeed, have a quest for knowledge and are continually seeking to improve,  

• have the firm intent and desire to discover what success is to them and their businesses,

• understand that the business environment and the marketplace is always changing and that what is working now may not work tomorrow, 

• have made an irrevocable, committed decision to pursue their dreams and lead their teams through the changes and help them align, and

• see the value of using a springboard to close the gap.

 Not all clients will meet all the criteria – but those that do will turbocharge their successes by optimally utilizing the right business coach. Coaches have high expectations for their clients!

 So, what should clients expect from coaches?

Consider these expectations within the context of the key benefits of business coaching:

 • Being held accountable

Given that the challenge is to move from a "current" to a "future" state, managing the change, while improving the business, is vital. Typically business owners know what to do – but it is those very things, the things that would drive the business (and their lives) forward, that are the most difficult to do. The result is procrastination out of fear, discomfort, and distraction.

 • Having an independent, objective perspective 

Business owners cannot but, be emotionally involved with their businesses. It is their "baby", livelihood and responsibility, whether they are the founder, bought or inherited the business. While being the boss is great, it is often a lonely position – and not easy to get objective, honest input from those within the organization even family or friends, all of whom have some vested interest.

 • Gaining greater clarity concerning their true motivation 

The real "why you do what you do", to better connect their work to their sense of purpose. This connection will give business owners a point of reference for everything they do going forward. They will be able to make more intentional choices resulting in more rooted and aligned decisions.

• More insight into their “blind spots”

The uncomfortable truth, as blunt as it might sound, is that if the business is to move forward in its life, so must the owner.

 To deliver these benefits, the ideal coach then should be someone:

 • With extensive business experience 

– not necessarily an expert in your field, you are looking for a coach, not a consultant – someone who will focus on the process, not do the work. 

 • Who is clear on their role as a coach:

 - who is comfortable with you building your business your way,

 - prepared to be your mirror, to ask questions, to probe and hold you accountable,

 - be in your corner, and believe in you, even in those times when you may not believe in yourself, because they know what's available on the other side, and

 - who has faith in what you are doing and is dedicated to pulling you through.

 • Who is courageous 

– who dares to tell their high achieving clients what they need to hear and not just what they want to hear. The best coaches see their clients not only as they are, but as they could be. They hold a massive vision for their clients. Moreover, they are unafraid to focus on the areas where their clients are not performing as well as they could be. They know that highlighting and then working through their client's "weak spots" is a crucial part of their development. Their professionalism always exceeds any need to be liked.

The best coaches can maintain these attributes, even when things go wrong, as they inspire and influence the clients to see themselves through their coach’s eyes, - and that’s the place where the magic happens.

 Ivan Keshwar