If factors such as time, cost and distance have held you back from hiring your own business coach, you may find that some of the most respected business coaches can assist you via E-Mail. But is E-Mail as effective a medium as the phone or in-person training?

According to Joeann Fossland, president of Advantage Solutions Group, E-Mail coaching is designed for the convenience of the Realtor, and will suit each client's unpredictable hours and needs.

"My job as a coach is to help them get the interference out of the way so they can reach their potential," explains Fossland. "People are held back by what they think they should be doing, instead of trusting themselves and realizing that everyone has different gifts. I help them to be more in touch with their gifts and to leverage their gifts, rather than fixing anything that's wrong or giving them prescribed answers that are a one size fits all prescription for success.

Fossland models her E-Mail coaching after her phone coaching: 1 session per week. She sends her Realtor clients a pre-session focus form which they answer, and then she sends additional comments, suggestions and resources. Among the questions are:

1. What did you accomplish this week?
2. What did you plan to do that you didn't?
3. What opportunities are available to you right now?
4. What challenges do you have right now?
5. What are you grateful for this week?
6. What do you want to use the coach for this week?
7. What do you promise to do or need to focus on for the next week?

"The client sends me this form each week at the same time," says Fossland. "In addition, we'll be focusing on specific goals identified in the initial sessions as short and long term goals."

Fossland sees a growth in her business toward the E-Mail coaching model, but admits that E-Mail coaching isn't for everyone. "The client probably needs to be well motivated to communicate this way. I do see a need for it and think it could become as much as 25% of my practice," she predicts.

Dirk Zeller, president of Real Estate Champions, provides some coaching via E-Mail, but warns of a few inherent limitations.

"Coaching is a one-on-one relationship," observes Zeller. "From an electronic medium you have a harder time because it doesn't take into account all the communication options. If I have a client struggling with scripts and dialogs, for example, I can't convey voice inflection, power, delivery, or conviction via E-Mail.

"I use E-Mail for regular communication as a value-added tool rather than the base tool to communicate with our clients between live coaching sessions (phone sessions,)" says Zeller. "It is a great way to have access to somebody, and as a coach, I can work it around my schedule. When I have 5 minutes, I can E-Mail a response. If we did all the coaching by phone, there might be times when the client couldn't get me or I would return the call and couldn't get them."

Zeller reports that where E-Mail is most effective is when clients communicate with him on specific, often sticky questions. Recently a coaching client asked Zeller how to handle a listing presentation with a divorcing couple when they aren't speaking to each other and only one will attend the presentation. Zeller fired off a reply to go ahead with the presentation and get a listing agreement signed, then contact the other spouse and get their signature as well.

"Often when clients are creating a new marketing piece, or an action plan, they will E-Mail it to me, and I might make some adjustments," says Zeller. "It is an integral tool, and it also saves clients time and money."

Both Fossland and Zeller agree that E-Mail coaching should require "homework" to increase the effectiveness of new habits.

"Coaching helps solve one key problem we all experience," explains Zeller. "The key problem is implementation. The availability of knowledge is not the problem for most agents. It's the application and implementation of that knowledge that makes all the difference."

Fossland adds, "I think it is less about knowing and more about having a partner to bounce ideas off of. The coach is familiar with the real estate industry and knows how to keep important things prioritized. Having a coach gives the Realtor accountability and structure. It's easier to break a promise to yourself, but harder when you have to tell someone else you didn't do what you said you would."

Zeller poses the question: Have you ever had a great idea that if you implemented it in your business, it would make you more money? Why haven't you done it?

"Implementation is the barrier," says Zeller. "A coach who doesn't give you a specific action plans isn't coaching," insists Zeller.

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Published: February 1, 2000

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Blanche is a renowned author of five real estate books. Her newest, Bubbles, Booms and Busts: Make Money In Any Real Estate Market, McGraw-Hill, was rave-reviewed by The New York Times. She was also selected from hundreds of real estate experts to contribute to Donald Trump's book, Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies, Rutledge Hill Press, and is featured on page 68. Order Now Review - Honors In 2006, Blanche was selected among scores of candidates to author two consumer real estate guidebooks for the National Association of Realtors: The NAR Guide to Home Buying, and The NAR Guide to Home Selling, Wiley & Sons. She is currently planning two new books for the NAR and its members.       Known for her keen insight into real estate industry issues and for her ability to make complex subjects easy to understand, Blanche is a sought-after keynote and continuing education speaker. Real estate organizations from MLSs, to brokerages, to franchisors, to associations hire her to provide up-to-the-minute analysis of real estate industry news and advice on how to improve revenues. Her passionate delivery, peppered with stinging wit, is a huge hit with audiences and fans. Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, Blanche Evans, Richard Courtney, president 2007, GRAR "The GNAR membership meeting last week featured Blanche Evans as the keynote speaker. Her comments and insights resonated extremely well with those in attendance and we have had many requests for copies of her PowerPoint Presentation. She was a terrific part of the membership meeting and convention program!" - Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors Coverage from WSMV, Nashville - 8-14-2007 That Interview Guy - Get Inside The Head Of Today's Generation 2007 AE Institute Session - To purchase 2006 AE Institute Session - Parts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 HouseValues Mastermind call - Parts 1 2 Blanche's fireside chat with Jeremy Conaway, HAR - Click here. For more articles by Blanche, click here.