And now for the results of my experiment ... Coaches Console is a keeper!
Yes, it does have some downsides -- I imagine that's true of any system that is so robust. When taking session notes, remember to click "save" ... otherwise, those nifty notes are gone for good. After one "disappearing act," I quickly got into the habit of periodically hitting "save" during calls.
And it does take time to set up ... again because there are so many features. If you want to use your own client questionnaires, expect to spend about 15-20 hours to get "client ready". It's not difficult (and there are plenty of how-to videos for reference) ... it just takes time to remove the Coaches Console samples and add your own content.
However, if you don't want to do much customization and are relatively familiar with the ins and outs of WYSIWYG formatting, you can probably get started in just a few hours. A mentor coach client told me she was up and running -- and proudly professional -- in a day.
I expect to stick with my current QuickBooks routine for invoicing, payment recording and financial reporting. Although Coaches Console has a QuickBooks export function, it doesn't match the QuickBooks level of detail that I desire. And I didn't have much luck with importing Outlook contacts -- even though I took great care to match data fields. In general, the jury is still out on Coaches Console's ability to easly interface with other programs.
But who cares what I think? My clients LOVE it! They easily found their way around. The e-mail session reminders are a hit. They love the private client log (and I do too). Overall, it provides valuable structure for the coaching relationship, helps clients recognize and anchor their progress, and maintains a professional coaching image.
One more thing: Customer Service. The staff is responsive to questions and fix requests via an on-line "ticket" system. There's a growing library of help videos and weekly business building calls, with much available even before you sign on to the service.
I still have to integrate Coaches Console into my company website. In the meantime, if you'd like to take a look, you can find it here: https://transformingwork.coachesconsole.com
And if you give it a try, let me know how it works for you.
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