Almost invariably, when meeting a prospective client, they pose me the question: “Why do I need a business coach or mentor?” Usually, there is an innuendo, implying that my qualifications are not worthy of their custom.

Hmm! It is true that mentors have not spent years, negotiating exams like doctors and accountants. On the other hand they bring to the table a very special cluster of skills, which need to be understood in greater detail. Three recent stories, impacting on clients of mine in the Jerusalem area, highlight what I mean.

Let us call our ‘heroes’ Arnie, Bertie and Chrissy.

Arnie was a troublesome client. He never allowed himself to be pinned down to set meeting times. Clearly talented, he claimed he had excellent clients. And yet he was looking for help.

Progress was slow. He did begin to hail in a few new clients, as he became more time-focused. However  suddenly, after three meetings, he disappeared. And that was that for about three years…………until I read about him yesterday. He is clearly on top of his game and loving it.

My point is that I would like to think that I had a hand in ‘getting Arnie straightened out’. I had started to pose questions, where the answers required a combination of facts, strategy and some very deep soul searching.  What did he really want to do next and how? While I could see that he was finding it a struggle, evidently something eventually changed for the better within him.

Bertie is more amenable to challenging questions. Early on in our meetings, he told me how one of his own and more lucrative clients was about to end their contract. I encouraged him to look at the picture differently and then to offer an updated business model. This he did, and they were delighted with his subsequent performance.

Bertie sent me an email this week, enclosing a copy of a message of recommendation from that same client. Their business had been transformed. It looks as if they are about to re-engage him.

And then there is Chrissy, full of talents and seeking to establish a very innovative business in Israel.

Chrissy sent me an email, outlining why she felt his next avenues are blocked off to her. For example, key persons are not returning her phone calls. With no seemingly obviously connection, she went on to outline the three things that she needs to do next. “What should she do?”, she asked me in frustration.

My response was brief. I showed Chrissy how she could ignore the setbacks, and just carry out those three tasks. What had happened was that she had linked her frustrations of the past to the next set of important tasks, probably in order to procrastinate. She was doubting her abilities.

The common theme of these stories is a message for those contemplating where or not to choose a business coach. This should be a person who has the ability to see beyond what is obvious to you. That talent does not necessarily come from taking exams, but usually emerges from years of hands-on experience.