I have had the good fortune to sit down with several new clients just recently. Some of them were skeptical as to why they should meet with a business coach, and that attitude still reflected on their faces in the opening sessions.

Their commercial environments varied considerably, including retail outlets, service providers, manufacturers and more. Only two obvious factors connects them all – they are located in / near Jerusalem and they are ‘stuck’. So, are they making the right decision in meeting with me, a mentor?

Let me introduce you to three case studies that may also reflect on your own businesses.

Client No’ 1 is very presentable and very able. They are able to answer a question before you have asked it. Theoretically, with their knowledge, they should be able to proceed by themselves. They listed their problems, as they saw them. What did I suggest?

Bad news. It is not the job of a coach to suggest anything. More often than not, a coach will not be an expert in the particular field of the client. It is up to the coach to encourage the client to use their talents in order to obtain the solution. In this case, we are talking about a client, who needs to be pushed out of their comfort zone.

Client No’ 2 is again no fool. Similarly, they expect me to roll up with a list of solutions. The difference is that they are not prepared to give the time to itemize the issues which need to be resolved. Their character has not allowed for this solid approach in the past, which has led to the current paralysis. Here, as I mentor, I will be looking to introduce a new style of management and strategy-setting.

Client No’ 3 has a young business that they are looking to take in to new and stronger direction. What structure should they set up? Again, they were calling on my advice.

And this is the point. I see that my task as a business coach or mentor is to encourage people to change and thus to allow their organization to prosper. I show people how this can be done, even if I am not familiar with a specific industry or technology. Usually, the process kicks off by verifying that they have a solid vision.

The question a potential client has to ask themselves is do they need to change their ways and are they prepared to do so?