Acquisition Ace runs 600 to 800 active clients on three full-time client success managers plus fractional coaches. Disclosure: Diego also builds Ben's website.

Result from a named client with written permission. Typical clients of this cohort saw a range of outcomes; nothing here is a guarantee. How we handle claims.

What is a head of coaching?

A head of coaching leads the coaches. They set what is taught, how calls run and what a good coach looks like in this program. They answer for the quality of the coaching, not for every client's progress.

The title shows up once a program has more than a couple of coaches. Most coaches in online programs are fractional, paid per call or per client. They need one person who sets the standard they all teach to.

What does a head of coaching do?

Five jobs, and none of them is chasing clients.

  • Decides which coach teaches what, and keeps calls inside the curriculum.
  • Reviews recorded calls for quality.
  • Hires and trains coaches, with SOPs, Loom recordings and a few training sessions.
  • Keeps the video training current; videos recorded two years ago are outdated.
  • Tells the client success team where clients get stuck on calls.

The numbers it answers for are on-track rate per stage and attendance on live calls. If coaching works, clients move through the stages on time.

When do you need a head of coaching?

When several coaches teach the same program and clients get different answers from each. Below that, the founder or the lead coach covers it.

Spend carefully. On fulfillment, spend as little as possible; the one place worth spending is client success managers. A head of coaching earns the seat when calls are the product. Think of a premium tier with one-to-one time, or a big group program with many weekly calls.

I hire very few people and take a long time. There is no meeting until they send a Loom of themselves, and in the Loom you read the person more than the track record. Working for a big offer means nothing. Emotional intelligence, calm, confidence and communication matter, plus what the role needs. Out of about 30 Looms I meet one or two.
Diego Miescher
Founder

Head of coaching or head of client success?

The head of coaching owns what is taught. The head of client success owns whether clients get through it: onboarding, check-ins, the overdue list, proof and the handover to the next offer. Give the two jobs to two people. Coaches are paid to teach, and the overdue list does not wait for a free hour.

What goes wrong with a head of coaching?

Promoting the best coach by default. Teaching well and managing coaches are different jobs, and the program loses its best teacher.

Letting coaches chase clients. Follow-up is client success work, and coach time is the most expensive time in the program. Then there is no call standard: without an SOP for a one-to-one call and a group call, every coach runs their own program inside yours.

Further reading: How to review coaching calls for quality · How to hire coaches for an online coaching program · Your best coach is not your head of client success

This week. Watch two recorded calls from two coaches on the same topic. If clients would leave with different next steps, you need a call standard before you need a head of coaching.