In today’s guest post Allan N. Mulholland shares criteria he considers essential for how he works:

Turn Your Coaching Session Into a Coaching Experience

By Allan N. Mulholland

There is much more to coaching than simply picking up the phone at a pre-arranged time and connecting with your client for a 30 minute chat! The old axiom “You only get out of it, what you put into it” was never more true than for your coaching session. The client must receive maximum value from the session, while the coach receives maximum fees.

If you want to facilitate the successful achievement of your client’s Desired Outcome, every one of your coaching sessions must be purposeful, results-driven and goal-oriented! If you want to charge top coaching fees, you better be prepared to go the extra mile and turn your coaching session into a coaching experience.

There are many elements that make up a properly executed coaching session. Here are the 10 session criteria that I consider essential for creating a coaching experience!

1 – Preparation

Before I connect with a client, I always allow myself 15 minutes to properly prepare for the session. This is the time when I do all of the following:

• a) I review all my notes.

Every time I conduct a coaching session, I take detailed notes on everything that happens during the session. I am always amazed at how many coaches rely on memory from one session to the next. If you don’t take notes, you are not a credible and professional coach! Winging it is for the birds!

• b) I check my Coaching Timeline.

Every Coaching Program that I prepare for a client is based on a 3 – 6 month timeline. I use this timeline to hold both the client and myself accountable for achieving measurable progress toward a Desired Outcome.

• c) I read the “Prep Sheet”.

Prior to every session, my clients submit a Coaching Prep Sheet where they write a brief summary of the progress they made since the last session and where they want to spend some extra time during the next session.

• d) I prepare a Session Agenda.

Based on the notes, timeline and prep sheet, I create a simple agenda that I will use to keep the coaching session on track and on time. Now I’m ready to make the call!

2 – Maintaining Control

When you engage in a coaching session with your client, it is imperative that you are in control of the conversation at all times! You are the conductor of your “coaching bus” and your client is the passenger! While your client may have an itinerary of places he or she wants to go, you’re the one who is driving the bus that will take them there!

This is especially true if you’re giving away a free initial coaching session! You’re passenger hasn’t even paid for the bus ticket yet, so don’t let them grab the steering wheel! If they can drive the bus themselves, why do they need you? Yet so many coaches allow their clients to “hijack” the coaching bus and take control of the session.

If you want to deliver a quality coaching session, you’ve got to be in control! How do you maintain control? By asking questions!

3 – Asking Questions

Lead the conversation by asking questions! These questions must be targeted and focused on the Desired Outcome. Listen intently to your client’s answers!

Ask more questions! Maintain control! And then wait for the “Coaching Climax”!

4 – Creating Coaching Climaxes

A Coaching Climax is the ‘mental trigger’ that validates and authenticates a pivotal point in a coaching session. I deliberately chose the word ‘climax’ as a metaphor for the powerful impact it has on a coaching client. A skillful Coach can achieve multiple Coaching Climaxes for a client during a coaching session.

If your client does not experience at least one coaching climax for every 15 minutes of coaching, your coaching session did not measure up to the rigorous standards of a Coaching EXPERT!

5 – Achieving Milestones

A sure-fire way to keep your clients motivated and on track is to provide measurable accomplishments during and following each coaching session. Recognize the progress the client has made since the last session and point out any recent ‘milestones’ that he/she has reached. A ‘Success Formula’ is created when a string of ‘milestones’ are recorded along the path to achieving a Desired Outcome.

6 – Keeping focus on the Desired Outcome

If you don’t keep focus on the Desired Outcome, the client may start to wander in different directions. While you certainly do not want to stifle any opportunity for your clients to achieve a Coaching Climax, you must guard against any random deviations from the session agenda. If you don’t, the session will miss its objective and will be difficult to record in your notes in the context of the overall Desired Outcome.

7 – Inserting the Accountability Factor

The “accountability factor” must be ever present throughout the session! As a Coach, you must hold your clients accountable for their actions.

• Without accountability, there can be no discipline.
• Without discipline, there can be no commitment.
• Without commitment, there can be no achievement.

8 – Reviewing the session

Before you wrap up your coaching session, you must do a quick verbal recap of the things your client achieved during the call. This will re-enforce the client’s perception of value and the investment the client is making in you as a coach!

9 – The Assignment

Always assign some homework that the client must complete by the next session. This could be writing a new resume, drinking less alcohol, starting a new project for their home or business, celebrating a special occasion, etc.

10 – The follow-up email

For me, this is the ‘icing on the cake’! As a true professional, you must send a brief email to your clients that recognizes the Coaching Climaxes that were created, the Milestones that were achieved and the Assignment that is to be completed by the next session!

Incorporate these 10 elements in your coaching sessions and discover how you can create a unique and valuable coaching experience for your clients!

About Allan N. Mulholland

Allan N. Mulholland is the founder and president of PersonaCoach (Int’l) LLC, which provides training and certification for life & business coaches. He is the author of “Change Your Perception, Change Yourself!” and writes on all aspects of coaching training and development.

To get Allan’s free eBook “Become a Coaching EXPERT and Charge EXPERT Coaching Fees!” go to http://www.personacoach.com

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