People ask me all the time, "How do I know if you're the right coach for me, and if you're not, how would I go about finding someone?" I have no difficulty answering this question honestly because I feel very strongly that there truly is no competition.

There are three important pieces when finding the right business coach, teacher, or mentor for you:

1.) You have to be in alignment with the person's message. Does the way they market, the way they present themselves, and the way they speak feel right for you and feel right to you?

2.) Make sure they seem like they have a systematic approach. For instance, I have the Help More People system. They should have some kind of step-by-step process or series of criteria used to help their clients get from where they are to where they want to go.

3.) The third piece is – and this is the piece that makes some people a little squeamish, but I just want to be honest about it – you need to make sure that the person has made a significant amount of money beyond what your money goal is.

If your goal this year is to make six figures, you want to make sure that person has proven themselves to make at least $400,000, for example.

The numbers may be different in your situation, but my point is that there are a lot of wonderful people out there who have the best of intentions, who are calling themselves marketing and business coaches, but frankly they haven't even filled their own practices.

So again, here are the three important elements to look for when choosing a business coach:

• Be sure that they're in alignment with your heart and with your message.

• They should have a systematic approach to marketing and business.

• That they monetarily have gone past where you want to be.

If you're wondering how to get this information before hiring someone… ask them! It sounds a little bit scary but it's true.

You should also keep these three elements in mind when you're considering whose advice to follow, even if you're not working with them directly.

I always choose about three people to follow at any given time, and I let everything else go into a filter that when I have a chance or I have time then I will then catch up on it.

So instead of being subscribed to 20-30 different ezines (which can make your life very difficult), only subscribe to people who fit the three criteria I outline and unsubscribe or filter out everything else.

If you are a business or marketing coach, remember to evaluate your own approach from the perspective of your clients through these criteria as well. The people who need you most (your clients) should be able to see that you are a good fit for them based on these same three important pieces as well.