Find Your Ideal Copywriting Coach in Five Easy Steps
By Rebecca Matter

Does your copywriting career need a shot in the arm?

Does a six-figure writer's lifestyle seem more like an elusive dream than an impending reality?

If so, you may be considering what many now successful copywriters have done to boost their own careers – hiring a copywriting coach.

Finding the right coach can take years off your learning curve …

A good coach can give your career more focus, show you how to get and manage clients and, of course, help you improve the quality of the copy you write.

But not all coaches are right for all copywriters.

There are many factors to consider before choosing one that’s right for you.

And today I’m going to give you my five-step plan for finding the coach of your dreams.

But before we dive in, there are a couple of questions you need to ask yourself …

First up, how much are you willing to spend?

As you’ll soon find out, the rates coaches charge vary as drastically as the rates copywriters charge.

In general, you can expect to pay anywhere from $1K to $2K per month; however, some copywriting coaches will charge $5K, $10K, and even $25K.

And while all of those rates may seem expensive at first glance, it's an investment that can pay dividends for years to come. But it all depends on what you can realistically spend and what type of revenue you’re planning to generate from your copywriting business.

If you’re looking to only make an additional $50K each year working part-time, spending $10K on a coach may not make a lot of sense.

But if you’re looking to make $300K, then $10K may be worth the investment.

Like most things you buy, though, price should not be your only consideration. A coach that might be perfect for one copywriter might be a bad fit for someone else.

That’s why I've put together a five-step process to help you find the ideal copywriting coach … to help ensure you find the right person to help you move your career forward.

Before I get to Step 1, though, there’s one more question you need to ask yourself …

"Am I ready, willing and able to work hard?"

You can't just sit back and think to yourself, "I've got a coach now who will teach me everything I need to know, so I can take it easy now."

That's not how it works.

You must be prepared to work harder than you normally would. Because a good coach will keep you busy. They'll give you assignments and demand a high level of participation.

So if you're not prepared to make that commitment, investing in a copywriting coach might not make sense for you as this point in time.

But if you are prepared to work hard, here are my five steps to finding the ideal copywriting coach …

1. Prepare yourself for success – Before you contact a coach, it's important to take stock of where you are in your career. Write down your copywriting goals along with your desired timeframe to achieve them.

   Make a list of your strengths and your weakness in each of the five main copywriting areas that a coach can help you with: (1) Career planning (choosing a niche, ongoing education, etc.), (2) Writing copy, (3) Getting clients, (4) Working with clients, and (5) Business administration.

   Be as detailed as possible. Then write down the biggest obstacles that stand in your way of being successful. For example, do you lack confidence in your writing? Are you worried that you won't live up to your client's expectations? Are you having trouble finding the right niche? Or does the thought of getting clients paralyze you?

   Note: This is important to do even if you're not in the market for a copywriting coach. Writing down your goals and putting together a plan to achieve them is a great way to boost your chances of being successful in life.

2. Research potential coaches online – You can get a pretty good idea of a coach's capabilities and professionalism by looking at their website. Here are some questions to ask while examining their site:

   Is their own website professional looking? Does it do a good job selling their services? Does it feature testimonials from previous coaching students? How deep is their copywriting experience? Is their experience in a niche similar to the one you plan to pursue?

   What type of turnaround do they offer if you have a question? Same day? Within 48 hours? How much direct access does their monthly coaching fee include? Are they offering coaching over the phone and by email? Or just by email? Is their business strictly coaching, or are they a working copywriter who also offers coaching?

   If after looking at their site and answering those questions, you haven't eliminated them as a potential coach, proceed to Step 3.

3. Speak with each candidate on the phone – Almost all coaches offer an initial consultation with you over the phone. Often it's free. Sometimes there's a minimal charge for the call which they allow you to put against your coaching fee should you plan to move ahead with them.

   This is your opportunity to determine if the coach's style is a good fit for you. Do they make you feel like you'd be in good hands with them? Are you comfortable with their style? Do they come off as someone who knows what they're talking about? Do their strengths match up with your weaknesses?

   Ask them to break down a typical coaching week for you. Ask them how quickly you can expect a response if you email them a question or some copy to check over. Confirm pricing, the terms and conditions, including their cancellation policy with them. Does their price per month go down with a longer time commitment from you? (Note: Even if it's spelled out on their website, it never hurts to ask!) And finally, ask them when they are available to proceed should you decide to move forward with them.

   If after the call, you are comfortable enough with them that you want to move to the next step of your evaluation, ask them for the names of two or three people who they have previously coached that you can call.

4. Gather insights from their previous coaching students – Now, obviously they're not going to refer you to someone who had a terrible experience with them, so chances are the students will all have positive things to say about the coach. But it doesn't mean you can't get some important insights into whether that particular coach is right for you.

   Ask them about the impact their coaching experience has had on their career. Start with why they decided to hire a coach in the first place. What level where they at before they started their coaching session and where were they when they stopped? Did they make more money afterwards? Have more confidence? Try to find out all the benefits they received.

   Also ask about how responsive the coach was to their comments and questions. Ask them: if they could improve one thing about the person's coaching methods, what would it be? If they had to do it all over again, would they use the same coach? Do they still keep in touch with the coach?

   Try to call at least two or three people so you don't just base your decision on one person's impression.

5. Analyze the information and choose the person who is the best fit to help you succeed – By end of Step 4, you should have enough information to make an educated decision about whether a particular coach is right for you.

   Hopefully, at this point you can come to the best decision for yourself and your career. Go ahead and let the coaches you won’t be working with know that you’ve decided to go with someone else. You never know, they could say something to you that might change your mind.

   And then call up the winning coach and let them know the good news!

There are lots of different reasons to hire a coach …

Many new copywriters decide to hire a coach right after they get their first client. They're a little unsure of themselves and they want to make a good impression and exceed their client's expectations every step of the way.

Others hire them when they want to take their copywriting business to the next level.

Personally, I hired a coach twice last year when I needed help better focusing and prioritizing my professional life.

Whatever your reason for hiring a copywriting coach, it could turn out to be one of the best investments you make. And it might be just the kick in the pants you need to get over the "newbie copywriting hump" and start enjoying the benefits of the writer's life that you've heard so many people talk about.

Just make sure that if you decide to hire one, you hire someone that you’ll be able to work well with, and that you’re willing to really put in the time and effort needed to ensure a big return on your investment.