Free teleclasses (aka: teleseminars, teleconferences) are an incredible way to learn amazing new stuff from top-notch leaders.
Most new coaches and a lot of not-so-new coaches love to spend time on fantastic teleclasses. The reasons are 5-fold:
1. Teleclasses are a cheap, easy and convenient way to connect with like-minded people from around the world to talk about stuff your family and neighbors may not give a hoot about.
2. As a new coach, you have a lot to learn. What better way to learn it than to listen to the experts tell you how they did it and how you should do it.
3. Practically everyday, another not-to-be-missed teleconference series is launched that you simply must attend. Often, these conferences are free, so how can you say, 'No'?
4. You can sit in your bedroom, wear your underwear, pet the cat, drink coffee and answer email; all while you learn from the world's greatest thought leaders.
5. (Biggest reason) As long as you're taking teleclasses, you're moving forward on your path to becoming a successful coach, because you're learning and growing, right?
If you're like thousands of other coaches, probably not.
Free teleclasses are like the crack cocaine of coach training: Cheap, available everywhere, trendy (for a while), and incredibly easy to get addicted to. That last point explains why they are so available: Because people get addicted to them, they make perfect marketing vehicles.
The reason I say you are not moving forward with your business when you are on teleclasses, is for one simple reason: You can't build your business that way. You just can't.
And if you're like many of the newbie coaches that I know, the real reason you spend so much time hanging out on teleclasses is that taking steps to build your coaching business is scary, uncertain and you are soooo afraid of making mistakes.
Teleclasses are the coach's favorite excuse for procrastination.
Sorry. The truth isn't always pretty. What can you do about your teleclass addiction? Well, until they come with Surgeon General's Warnings or alarms, red flags and flashing lights, you need a plan. And you must stick to your plan. Here are a few points that might help:
- Figure out how many client hours you want to be coaching each week.
- Double that number and you have the number of hours each week you need to spend on building your coaching business.
- Mark those hours off on your calendar and use them to actively build your business. Daily.
- None of those business-building hours should be spent on teleclasses.
- Consider time spent on teleclasses as entertainment time.
- Limit your hours on teleclasses, just as you would limit a child's time watching television.
- Don't worry if you miss a teleclass program. If EnlightenNext is doing it this month, you can bet MaestroMonth will do it next month. You'll never miss a thing.
Some teleclasses will benefit you more than others. Prioritize those that are part a progressive (usually paid) program that actively teaches you how to do something you need to know, gets you into action, and gives you feedback on how you're progressing. Also prioritize those programs that you lead, yourself, those that you actively participate on and those that teach you something you need to know this week, because you are applying the lessons right away.
Have a big vision for your coaching business and actively create it in reality.
Unless your big coaching vision is of you sitting in your bedroom, wearing your underwear, while you pet the cat, drink coffee and answer email, step away from the teleclasses.
Photo by jerine at flickr creative commons.