Open Door Conversations

Ep 59: #AskAkua // The Top Questions You Need to Ask When Hiring an External Facilitator or Coach

Episode Summary

Investing in outside support for your team can be intimidating. If you are a business leader, founder, or manager, you might be asking yourself what kind of service provider to invest in for that support and how to get the most out of your investment. Here you will learn why it's important to reflect on the type of help your team needs, and all about pricing and whether the cost of bringing in a professional is worth the investment. As a certified professional coach, facilitator, and speaker, Akua Nyame-Mensah has an insider's perspective on pricing and budget to share with you. She'll also help define what success looks like as you're supporting your team or individual. This episode is the last in a three-part #ASKAkua series in which Akua guides you through the process of finding an outside service provider to support your team or a team member. In part one, Akua talks about how to identify if your team could benefit from a professional coach. In part two, she discusses the types of service providers and the differences between a course, workshop, and coaching.

Episode Notes

Investing in outside support for your team can be intimidating. If you are a business leader, founder, or manager, you might be asking yourself what kind of service provider to invest in for that support and how to get the most out of your investment. 

Here you will learn why it's important to reflect on the type of help your team needs, and all about pricing and whether the cost of bringing in a professional is worth the investment. 

As a certified professional coach, facilitator, and speaker, Akua Nyame-Mensah has an insider's perspective on pricing and budget to share with you. She'll also help define what success looks like as you're supporting your team or individual. 

This episode is the last in a three-part #ASKAkua series in which Akua guides you through the process of finding an outside service provider to support your team or a team member. 

In part one, Akua talks about how to identify if your team could benefit from a professional coach. In part two, she discusses the types of service providers and the differences between a course, workshop, and coaching. 

Highlights in this Episode: 

• Because each team is different, Akua shares the importance of coming up with your own metrics and approaches when you are thinking about working with a coach, trainer, or facilitator.
• Akua describes some misconceptions decision makers often have when considering external learning and development service providers. 
• When working with someone outside your business, it's important to consider timelines, scope, and pricing. 
• As you're engaging with the possible service provider, keep in mind who this person will be supporting. Is it you, your team, or an individual? 
• Understand this potential service provider's direct experience. Are they going to deliver content, or are they facilitating, or both?
• Akua outlines the questions you need to ask about a service provider: Are they part of a larger company or a "one-man band"?
• When it comes to pricing, you want to know your budget beforehand. It saves a lot of time and energy for both sides.
• When you hire a service provider, don't ask for an hourly rate. Providers are pricing based on the result they hope to bring you, not the time. Remember, you are paying for the experience and possibly even additional accountability after the training is over. 
• Akua talks about the many things involved behind the scenes when it comes to a service provider's time. It's not just that "one hour" of consulting. 
• When comparing prices and coaches, remember that price is not a good indicator of their impact.
• Akua talks about overwhelm when it comes to reacting to a provider's cost and puts it all into perspective. 

A note from Akua: Enjoy this podcast content and guests? These are the kinds of conversations (and amazing humans) we will have in my new community and container. If you are an action-oriented and accomplished professional who is pivoting into service-based entrepreneurship and are ready to get out of theory and into practice, join my waitlist to cut through the noise and get to the money here: www.akuanm.com/cheatcode

Connect with Akua Nyame-Mensah:

Instagram: @akua_nm
Website: www.akuanm.com
LinkedIn: @Akua Nyame-Mensah
Twitter: @akua_nm
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