Take Your Coaching Face to Face
Thanks to the internet, the ways in which we can deliver coaching have changed dramatically during the past decade. Career coaches are now capable of providing actionable advice from any location in the world, by email or phone. This certainly has its advantages, especially if you’re in an industry like traveling sales. However, there’s something to be said for face-to-face contact. Sometimes, face-to-face interaction is more beneficial than phone calls or email. Are you a good candidate for this kind of consulting? See if person-to-person coaching is the best fit for you.
You Kick It Old School
Some of us just prefer direct interactions in person because they allow us the nuance that’s lost in other forms of communication. Hand gestures, facial expressions, and eye contact are all things that become lost in virtual meetings. Being able to calculate a person’s reaction based on non-verbal cues can give us a better idea of just how knowledgeable a person is about a particular subject. If you’re in the process of hiring a career coach, a face-to-face meeting can give you the perspective needed to make a decision.
You Crave a Stronger Partnership
There’s no point in denying the impersonality of email. It’s easy for things to be misconstrued when you can’t identify the tone of a person’s voice, particularly when you’re dealing with a contentious subject matter. Meeting face-to-face is also important for establishing trust, especially at the onset of a relationship. Taking the time to schedule a few direct interactions at the beginning of the relationship with your career coach can make a huge difference. You can later switch to phone or email in subsequent sessions, or better yet, use video chat for the best of both worlds.
Your Primary Goal Is Innovation
Each career coaching partnership has different end goals. Some simply require guidance devising a business plan, or establishing a mission and vision for a solo enterprise. Some clients seek career coaching or consultations because they feel they’ve fallen into a rut. These people often benefit from face-to-face meetings because innovation sessions and brainstorming are best conducted in real-life rather than virtually. It helps to see how people react in real time to assess the efficacy of a new idea. You also tend to mimic one another in a face-to-face meeting, which builds rapport and makes any brainstorming session feel more productive and exciting than it would have over email or phone. For this reason, some companies ban emailing and demand person-to-person meetings for innovation sessions.
You Get What You Pay For
Career coaching conducted exclusively through email or over the phone may be the most cost-effective and viable choice for some people. In most cases, this is perfectly fine. However, if you need extensive help, face-to-face meetings are the way to go. Even if the price point differs significantly, think of it in terms of return on investment. The extra help you get from enjoying a personal interaction with a quality career coach can make a world of difference. Remember, what you put in will be reflected in your final results.
Looking for a career coach in Short Hills or the surrounding areas? CLICK HERE for our Breakthrough Career Coaching program.
Additional Resources: