What’s The Difference Between An Independent Certified Coach And An Impact-Employed Coach

You’ve read “They Ask You Answer” by Marcus Sheridan, and you think it is a framework that would benefit your business.

And you’re looking for a certified coach to guide you and your team to success.

Choosing The Right Coach For Your Business

When it comes to working with a certified They Ask You Answer (TAYA) coach, there are two options you can choose from:

• Work with an IMPACT-employed coach, the company mentioned in the book, or
• Work with an independent TAYA coach, certified by Impact.

This article was created to help you understand the key differences between the two coaching options. 

At the conclusion of this article, you will be armed with the information you need to help decide which one may be the right choice for your business.

What Is An Impact-Employed Coach?

Impact is a company dedicated to teaching and implementing the They Ask You Answer framework. Impact is the company that built the certified coaching program, developed the educational and training tools for both coaches and clients and employs They Ask You Answer specialists in content, sales, and video. Impact coaches are solely dedicated to implementing the They Ask You Answer program. Their goal is to help companies build in-house expertise and break their costly dependence on outside agencies.

What Is An Independent Certified Coach?

Independent coaches may be agency owners or employees of an agency that have obtained They Ask You Answer certification by working directly with Impact’s team and Marcus Sheridan.  They may be specialists in a particular industry, language, or geographical area. Independent coaches may be self-employed, have employees, or work with contractors for various services.  Independent coaches also help companies train and build in-house expertise to decrease the dependence on outside agencies. Along with the They Ask You Answer framework, Independent coaches may offer various other marketing and consulting services for business clients.

Both Are Focused On The Framework 

Independent and Impact-employed coaches are certified to coach and teach the They Ask You Answer framework. 

Both can help your organization bring your marketing and sales teams together, improve your qualified sales leads, and grow the impact of your inbound marketing efforts.

Both can help implement a customer-focused content creation culture in your business.

The primary difference between the two choices are in the flexibility of pacing, pricing, and marketing priorities for your business.

The Key Differences – Pacing, Pricing, Projects, and Priorities 

Priorities

Impact coaches offer one They Ask You Answer program, the “Mastery” program. This includes implementing the key principles outlined in the book, including assignment selling, content creation, video production, sales training, and Hubspot management. Besides the Mastery program, the Impact team also offers website development and ad management services.

Independent coaches may offer additional services along with the They Ask You Answer coaching, such as website design, marketing strategy, branding and messaging, public relations, and digital marketing services.

Pacing

Impact coaches work primarily with clients through “Mastery” engagements, a dedicated and consistent 12, 18, or 24-month planned program.  This program includes working with sales, marketing, content, leadership, and videography in regular and consistent intervals.

An Independent coach’s pacing may vary depending on your organization’s needs, goals, capacity, and makeup.  Independent coaches can provide greater flexibility regarding process and project priorities.

Projects

Impact Coaches do not provide “do-it-for-you” services as part of the They Ask You Answer mastery program. Impact as a company provides website design and paid search services. But not as part of a They Ask You Answer engagement.

Many independent coaches engage in project work within and outside the They Ask You Answer framework.  This may include “do-it-for-you” work within the They Ask You Answer engagement, such as outsourced content writing and video production. Project work may also include engagements aside from They Ask You Answer coaching, such as website development, social media management, or rebranding. 

The ideal result of a coaching engagement is to train and develop resources, processes, and skills inside your business – or “insourcing” – to alleviate the reliance on outside agencies. However, the path and time to get there can be more flexible, working with an independently certified coach.

Pricing

Impact coaching engagements cost between $99,000 and $270,000 in total. This includes a $10,000 commitment fee followed by monthly payments that vary depending on your chosen pacing (12, 18, or 24 months). See pricing structure here.

Independent coaches design customer engagements based on the priorities and services included.  Commitments for programs can also range from 12-24 months, and typical pricing for They Ask You Answer coaching can range from $3,000 – $10,000 per month. Pricing for other marketing engagements can usually be folded into the monthly retainer fee or priced separately. See details of Cary’s pricing here.

Conclusion 

Implementing the They Ask You Answer framework into your business is a team sport. It takes a commitment of more than just a content writer to make a meaningful and measurable difference in your organization.  

The full program includes time commitments from leadership, sales, and marketing, as well as investments in both equipment and personnel. 

Some companies are prepared and positioned well to go “all in” with the program from the start. Other companies may not have the resources or capacity to simultaneously make significant personnel changes or time commitments.

The good news is there are options for all companies to succeed in many ways by utilizing the principles outlined in the They Ask You Answer framework.