clients


Reflecting on Anticipation: Navigating Expectations in Coaching and Life

On the left of this image is a black and white photo of Amelia Earhar taken in March 1937 when she was 39 years old. It is a photo showing her head and shoulders with what is apparently the nose of her plane in the background. She is a white woman with short brown hair standing facing forward and grinning at the camera. She is wearing what looks like the a flight jacket open with a checked collared shirt that is open at the collar. She is wearing a neck tie around her neck.
The text to the right reads: It's Thursday! Today's #QuoteOfTheDay is:
“Anticipation, I suppose, sometimes exceeds realization.” (Amelia Earhart)A handfull of #QuestionsForCoaches prompted by this quote is:
How does anticipation play a role in shaping our perceptions and experiences?
On the left of this image is a black and white photo of Amelia Earhar taken in March 1937 when she was 39 years old. It is a photo showing her head and shoulders with what is apparently the nose of her plane in the background. She is a white woman with short brown hair standing facing forward and grinning at the camera. She is wearing what looks like the a flight jacket open with a checked collared shirt that is open at the collar. She is wearing a neck tie around her neck.The text to the right reads: “Anticipation, I suppose, sometimes exceeds realization.” (Amelia Earhart)

It’s Thursday! Today’s quote is:

“Anticipation, I suppose, sometimes exceeds realization.” (Amelia Earhart)

This quote first prompted me to reflect on managing expectations and anticipation, particularly within the context of coaching relationships. Over my years of coaching experience, I’ve observed that certain aspects can hinder our ability to fully engage and benefit from our time together. Speaking to other coaches it seems that we often notice a common theme that can trip our clients up. It’s not the same thing for every coach and their clients but there’s usually something that we can take action to minimise from the start.

For example, one common challenge I found when working with coaches, especially those new to coaching, is that they could sometimes become overly preoccupied with analyzing the reasons behind specific questions rather than focusing on their own responses. It was completly understandable as many of them credited feeling a lack of confidence down to thinking that they needed a better understanding of questions and what to ask when. etc

Recognizing this tendency, I’ve adopted a proactive approach to address it. Before starting our first session together, I usually initiate a conversation with clients, about how to get the best from our time together. It’s at that stage I set the expectation that if I do revisit certain questions it doesn’t imply a lack of preparation or doubt in their initial answers. Instead, it’s an acknowledgment of the dynamic nature of coaching conversations and the potential for transformative insights to emerge in unexpected moments. By setting this expectation upfront, clients with limited coaching experience can shift their focus from overanalyzing to simply engaging with the questions in the present moment.

This proactive approach with a different set up meant that anticipation and expectation was managed. It is now not something that often comes up as something that gets in the way of our coaching clients. I’ve heard other coaches have similar conversations about it being OK to take a moment to answer a question – there’s no need to rush if it’s soemthing a client has never considered before. So if there’s a common trend you see with many of your clients – is it something that would bennefit from having a conversation about before you start?

Reflecting on the interplay between anticipation and realization also led me to explore the broader implications of our thought patterns on our present moment experiences. In the realm of coaching and beyond, our subjective reality is profoundly influenced by the quality of our thoughts in any given moment. By recognizing the transient nature of thought and its direct impact on our perceptions, we gain the capacity to navigate life’s uncertainties with greater clarity and resilience.

Consider, for instance, the common scenario of anticipating future outcomes. When we become overly fixated on hypothetical scenarios or expectations, we risk diluting our present experience with unnecessary worry or anticipation. Instead, by cultivating mindfulness and embracing the inherent wisdom of the present moment, we can navigate uncertainty with grace and equanimity.

Furthermore, acknowledging the role of thought in shaping our experiences opens the door to a deeper understanding of resilience and well-being. Rather than attributing our emotional state solely to external circumstances, we recognize that our inner resilience stems from our innate capacity to navigate the ebb and flow of life’s challenges with grace and resilience.

In conclusion, Amelia Earhart’s timeless quote serves as a poignant reminder of the intricate relationship between anticipation and realization. By embracing the fluidity of the present moment and cultivating a deeper understanding of our thought patterns, we can navigate life’s uncertainties with clarity, resilience, and wisdom.

About Jen Waller

Jen Waller

Jen Waller is on a mission to support, nurture and encourage coaching skills and talents from non-coach to coach and beyond.

As an experienced coach and trainer Jen is happy to utilise all skills at her disposal to assist clients from getting out of their own way and making a difference in the world with their coaching. Find out more about the support Jen offers here.


Uncoachable clients

Uncoachable clients

by Jen Waller

The image for the uncoachable clients post is a no-entry sign, a red circle with a line running top left to bottom right.

A surprising number of searches arrive at this blog looking for an answer to a variation of the question “who is uncoachable?”

It’s not the only things searched for that lead people to the blog but it’s this one that caught my eye and inspired me to share some thoughts around the subject. First, I want to look at how we can use such a question as a prompt for ourselves as coaches, and use it for our own coaching practices. Later, I will also share some thoughts from the perspective of those doing the searching.

For coaches

All the variations of the questions searched for imply that it is the individual and not any behaviour they are using that is not conducive to being “coachable”. Which also potentially implies that it’s a condition that can not alter, a person is destined to be “uncoachable” for eternity once labelled as such.

Fotolia 69221503 XS I’ll leave you, as a coach, to decide how those implications fit with your beliefs around coaching. I also invite you to consider how you would answer the question being asked “who is uncoachable?”

Consider this from a perspective of coaching in general as well as who you personally would consider uncoachable by you. Notice if there is any difference in your responses. It may be that your answers are exactly the same but it’s worth checking what answers come up for you.

Any coaching training you have already experienced may influence part, or all, of your answer(s). Perhaps you have been told that there are certain situations or types of behaviour you should not be coaching in.

Your answer may also have been influenced by an experience of working with a specific client in the past and it’s not an experience you wish to repeat!

Maybe you reason that you have learnt to look for specific signs.

Your answer may also be influenced by other beliefs and expectations about what behaviours a client should demonstrate. Equally, you may have expectations about behaviours a client shouldn’t demonstrate.

I’m not so interested in this post in saying which answers are right or wrong, I’m more interested in shining a light on how this works for you and your coaching.

If you have ever looked for a definition of coaching you will have found that different people and organisations use different wording (sometimes you’ll even find more than one definition from the same group.) So it’s not surprising that, whilst there are some overlaps, that different coaches have their own opinions about who is uncoachable.

As we’ve considered who is uncoachable, what about who is coachable? Are there any behaviours, characteristics etc that you specifically think make a great coaching client? Again, does your answer change if you consider coaching clients for all coaches and then your own specific ideal coaching clients?

Fotolia 69221503 XS So, what are your answers?
Once you’ve considered them, are they all actually true?
Having got these answers what are you doing with the information?
Is it information that is useful for you?
How can you use this information to build a coaching practice filled with clients you’d love to work with?

Obviously, it will depend upon the answers you came up with. Some coaches may find that they may want to tweak their marketing to make it less appealing to those they feel are uncoachable. It may also mean they can do more to encourage those that they feel are more coachable.

Alternatively, perhaps you realised that you have been unconsciously operating on assumptions and beliefs that you no longer think are true. Possibly it’s highlighted something you can include in your intake process to ensure that you are working with clients that are a great fit for you.
Maybe it’s sparked inspiration for a new program for those who you think are ideally coachable….

For those who have searched “who is uncoachable”

So what about those reading this because they have actually searched for a variation of “who is uncoachable”? Obviously, I’m going to have to guess at the possible reason for such a search and I came up with two potential reasons. (Feel free to comment below if you’ve searched and it’s for a different reason then the ones I’ve come up with.

1) You’re a coach in training and there is a training school somewhere that has asked their students to answer the question “who is uncoachable?”
2) You are interested in getting some coaching but for some reason suspect that either you personally or your situation is uncoachable.

If you’ve searched because you’re a coach in training:
Hopefully, for those in coach training I hope that the first half of this post has prompted some ideas. I would also encourage you to use your answers not just to be able to complete an assignment but to put it to use as you move forward with your coaching. I can only guess what your trainers and assessors are looking for in an ideal answer. I hope that they have given you pointers with your course so far.

Review what you have done so far in your training and the experiences you’ve had coaching. Are there situations and scenarios you feel don’t fit with your definition of coaching? Are there behaviours and characteristics you would want to look out for? What else would you want to know before deciding if a client was someone you wanted to coach?

How can you use knowing who is uncoachable to build your coaching practice? I know that the most common explanation I was given in some coaching trainings was that it is there to ensure that you don’t accept clients who would be better suited seeking other forms of support and help. (Which depending upon your country of residence may potentially have insurance/legal implications)

For those who are interested in becoming a coaching client and suspect you may be uncoachable:

Firstly, my own personal belief is that it’s not you personally who is uncoachable. You may be in a specific circumstance or situation where another approach other than coaching would be more appropriate to get the solution you’re looking for. This does not mean that you are any less “worthy” or that it’s a permanent diagnosis you’re stuck with forever.

Not knowing your precise situation I can’t rule out the possibility that in the past someone has said that you are uncoachable in response to a specific behaviour or attitude. If that’s the scenario you find yourself in, having not personally witnessed the initial situation, I can’t comment upon how appropriate the comment was at that time. I can say that behaviour and attitude can change, it’s not set in stone, and with a different coaching approach it may not be relevant.

To find out if coaching is right for you right now, the easiest way is to have a conversation with the coach who you’re interested in working with. Be honest with them and tell them your concerns. It may be that they feel that now isn’t the right time for you to work with them or that in their professional opinion another form of approach would currently be a better fit. Most coaches I know will point you in the direction of something or someone else if they already can see a better choice.

About Jen Waller

A headshot of Jen Waller smiling at the cameraJen Waller is on a mission to support, nurture and encourage coaching skills and talents from non-coach to coach and beyond.

As an experienced coach and trainer Jen is happy to utilise all skills at her disposal to assist clients from getting out of their own way and making a difference in the world with their coaching. One of the aspects of her role Jen loves the most is seeing individuals find their voice, grow their confidence and take the next steps. This allows them to make a massive positive impact and difference with their coaching. (For more info about Jen’s coaching click here, including the From non-coach to coach discovery session) Jen has owned and run Coaching Confidence, the coaching blog since 2010.

In her spare time Jen is a volunteer for the UK based charity The Cinnamon Trust. This charity supports elderly and terminally ill pet owners to provide care for their pets. As a volunteer, Jen regularly walks dogs for owners who physically often find that more challenging then they once did. As a pet owner herself, Jen finds it really rewarding to be able to assist an owner stay with an animal that has become part of the family. (Plus it’s a great additional motivator when working from home to get out and get some fresh air and exercise)

Jen also loves theatre and has been known to watch certain popular science fiction films and TV shows!


How do you deal with “I don’t know” as an answer to a coaching question? 2

To represent I don't know there is a question mark and an exlaimation mark written in what looks like a red tomato type sauce on a white background.

How do you deal with “I don’t know” as an answer to a coaching question?

by Jen Waller

Have you ever asked a question during a coaching session and been met with the reply “I don’t know”? I suspect most coaches have lost count of the number of times this has happened. “I don’t know” is a perfectly valid answer to so many questions. I’ve also seen some who are new to coaching find the thought of getting that answer really unsettling. So today’s post is all about getting “I don’t know” as an answer.

So let’s explore some of what could be going on when you get that answer to a question.

1) Your client doesn’t actually know the answer.

For example, you find yourself coaching Joy, who works in a large corporation. Her aim for the coaching session is to find a solution to a problem with a project at work that’s currently stuck on a technical issue. You ask the question “Who in the business would have the technical knowledge to help with this?”
It’s quite possible that Joy does not know who would have this technical knowledge. In which case you may then choose to question how to get that information.

2) Your client doesn’t understand the question.

This may be because the question used a term that may be familiar in certain job roles, companies or even on a bigger scale countries but isn’t a term that your client uses.

This can also happen if you are talking about something that may have a slightly different meaning to each individual – concepts and feelings often fall into these situation. For example, it may be what one person describes as confidence another thinks of as verging on arrogance. Or perhaps if you specialise in working with students you’ll discover that different students have different ideas about what “revision” means to them.

3) It’s a question that your client hasn’t considered before and needs time to find the answer

There is nothing wrong with allowing a client the time and space to find the answer. Silence really can be OK as a client considers something new. How long that silence lasts really will depend upon what new insights, calculations and general figuring out the client is doing for themselves. I suggest all you have to do as a coach is keep out of the way and wait until your client has finished “processing” that new thought/idea.

4) The client has “given up” trying to find the answer to that and is so used to not having an answer that it’s an automatic response without considering it again.

How you respond to this will depend a lot upon many things including your own natural coaching style, your coaching approach, the established relationship with your client.
Many coaches will respond to this in one of 4 ways:
i) challenging directly
ii) Finding a way to approach the situation from a different perspective
iii) Deciding that it’s a question that isn’t important in the “bigger picture” of the work that you are doing with the client and moving on.
iv) Temporarily moving on and planning to revisit it at a later time.

5) Your client has some belief that is preventing them from exploring that possibility or speaking the answer out loud.

For example, Lets imagine you’re coaching Bob who has answered “I don’t know” to a “what do you want question”. You discover that Bob firstly believes that if he “admitted” his answer he would have to start work towards it. Further questioning shows that he would want to make more money but has a belief that to make money he would have to work many hours, lose his relationships with his loved ones and generally have no fun.

6) Your client has an expectation that every answer they give must be perfect and “correct.

Which means if they are not 100% certain they aren’t voicing the possibilities.

7) Your client doesn’t know where to start

If you’ve ever been confronted with a huge task and not known the best place to start, this is the same thing. You may have your own coaching approach that applies to this, personally I suggest the pick one part and we can work from there.

8) They think you’ll judge them for their answer

This generally happens when they’ve already judged themselves for something, usually negatively. They are afraid that you will agree with that judgement and confirm that judgement.

9) They don’t want to share the information with you

This may be more common in some situations than others. For example, if you are a manager coaching one of your team that you may find that there are certain elements that an employee may not want to share with your other role as their boss.

So is “I don’t know” a problem?

Personally, I don’t think it is. At this stage it’s worth also pointing out that you will find that, even on the questions the client feels are important, not every client will feel that not knowing an answer is an issue. All that answer is, is an indication of what’s happening for that client at that moment in time.

I’m often asked how to deal with the “I don’t know” as an answer. I find it’s common when I’m asked that it’s an alternative/expansion of the coach fearing not knowing what to do in a session. I shared last week 7 suggestions for what to do when you didn’t know what to do.

So here’s an extra couple of points to think about when you get an I don’t know answer.

Consider why you may have got an “I don’t know” as a response. As I listed some of the reasons why you may have got that answer you may have formed ideas about what you could do in each situation. I suspect that you will have seen that each scenario is likely to respond to a different approach.

If you find you get a lot of “I don’t know’s” that you consider is down to a client wanting to be 100% correct or because of fear of being judged, is there anything you can do at the start of your coaching relationship to minimise this. Perhaps you can set the expectation that there may be times when you ask questions when they will be encouraged to list all possibilities, not just ones that are correct and the client feels they’d actually take action about. Maybe it’s about reassuring that you’re not asking them to sign anything in stone or make lifetime commitments when exploring a topic.

I suspect that over time you will have found a version of the question – if you did know, what would the answer be? Personally I found that asking someone if you did know when a client has just said they didn’t can prompt an indignant response to the question rather than focusing upon answering the question. So my personal version is often “if you had to guess what would the answer be?”

Have I missed a reason that a client may say I don’t know? Add your comments below or email me directly here.

About Jen Waller

Jen WallerJen Waller is on a mission to support, nurture and encourage coaching skills and talents from non-coach to coach and beyond.

As an experienced coach and trainer Jen is happy to utilise all skills at her disposal to assist clients from getting out of their own way and making a difference in the world with their coaching. One of the aspects of her role Jen loves the most is seeing individuals find their voice, grow their confidence and take the next steps. This allows them to make a massive positive impact and difference with their coaching. (For more info about Jen’s coaching click here, including the From non-coach to coach discovery session) Jen has owned and run Coaching Confidence, the coaching blog since 2010.

In her spare time Jen is a volunteer for the UK based charity The Cinnamon Trust. This charity supports elderly and terminally ill pet owners to provide care for their pets. As a volunteer, Jen regularly walks dogs for owners who physically often find that more challenging then they once did. As a pet owner herself, Jen finds it really rewarding to be able to assist an owner stay with an animal that has become part of the family. (Plus it’s a great additional motivator when working from home to get out and get some fresh air and exercise)

Jen also loves theatre and has been known to watch certain popular science fiction films and TV shows!


How to set clients coaching “homework”

Fotolia 118697007 XS and drop shadow

How do you set your clients coaching homework?

How to set clients coaching homework

by Jen Waller

Clients taking some form of action after a coaching session is an expectation that most coaches and clients have about the process of coaching. Often this action, the coaching homework, has been agreed during the coaching session itself between the coach and the client.

Sometimes this action is suggested directly by the client and on other occasions it is the coach that sets the “homework”.

A question I see and hear from time to time is a variation of the question – how do you know what coaching homework to set your clients?

In today’s post I’m going to share some thoughts around this topic. Firstly, I’m going to draw attention to language and specifically the word “homework”. Some clients will be absolutely fine with using this terminology without it having any impact. For others, for whatever reason, you may find that referring to something as “homework” has negative connections and provokes resistance and reluctance towards the task.

You will know your niche and client best so you can decide if you wish to label these tasks with a different label or not use any at all. Purely for the ease of consistency I am going to use the label “homework” for this article. In “real life” coaching I personally usually tend towards using the labels assignment or actions.

As a coach there are usually 3 different ways of working with clients and setting coaching homework.

1) Following a set format for every single client
There are some coaches who follow the same process for each and every single one of their clients. They work on a principle that if it is session 2 then their client gets set coaching homework B. This can be particularly common if the context that the coaching is occurring within is not bespoke – for example following an online coaching program or in some group coaching situations.

2) Another way of working is to look at where each individual client is, what they are working on, and set a bespoke piece of homework just for that individual.

3) A third way is a mix of 1) and 2) above. You may have certain pieces of coaching homework that each and every client will be set and others that you will create which is bespoke just for them.

Perhaps you always set a specific piece of coaching homework between the initial conversation and the first official coaching session. After which all other homework is crafted just for that client.

Or maybe you have collected a series of possible coaching homework exercises that you have at your fingertips depending upon what you feel is appropriate for that client in that stage.

I’m sure that if you were to think about each approach you could see positive and negative points for each. You may already be aware of points from a marketing perspective, others from a customer service viewpoint etc. As always, my own personal opinion is that if whichever approach that you are using works for you and your clients than that is great!

But regardless of which approach you are using how do you create a piece of coaching homework?

I’ve already mentioned one approach I often use – I ask the client if there’s anything that’s already occurred to them. I do this for several reasons:

1) My approach to coaching allows clients to access their own inner knowledge and intelligence. So it’s entirely possible that they will already have a perfectly crafted action that will be ideally suited for this situation.

2) The chances are that if it’s occurred to them that they will go and take the action anyway. I want to check in and make sure that it’s an action that is in-line with what they are looking to achieve.

This can be particularly relevant if during the coaching conversation it’s become obvious that previously action has been taken based on a limiting belief, faulty piece of logic etc. I want to test and make sure that they are not then making the same “mistake” in a slightly different context

3) I am conscious of avoiding overwhelming clients with actions. The amount will usually vary depending upon the client but as a general rule my clients achieve more when they are not overwhelmed with tasks.

So how do I decide upon the coaching homework to set. If I’m honest my thought process is usually no more complicated than it’s what occurs to me given the session we’ve just completed. I’m also aware that such an answer would have been of little use when I was just starting out so let me offer some more.

Much of what I set as coaching homework is based around what the answers are to certain questions. The answers to those questions aid me to decide what exercise, task etc will be a great fit or to devise something on the spot that is a match.

Whilst this is not an exhaustive list, here are some of the aspects and questions to consider:

Fotolia 69221503 XSWhat is currently getting in the way of this client getting what they want?

Fotolia 69221503 XSWhat outcome do you want by setting this coaching homework? How will you know that outcome has been achieved?

Fotolia 69221503 XSWhat would move your client a step closer to what they want?

Fotolia 69221503 XSWhat’s going to make the biggest difference for your client?

Fotolia 69221503 XSWhat’s the easiest way for that outcome to be achieved?

Fotolia 69221503 XSWhat’s the most fun way to work towards that outcome?

Fotolia 69221503 XSWhat is going to appeal most to your client?

Fotolia 69221503 XSHow willing is your client to do the suggested coaching homework?

Some of these questions I will already know the answer to based upon earlier work. Other questions I may ask the client whilst “setting the homework”.

It’s also worth noting at this stage that sometimes the coaching homework is actually not to do something – For example, taking a break from trying to figure something out can be a perfect “homework” in certain scenarios.

I invite you to pay attention to the questions you consider next time you set a client coaching homework. Feel free to share more questions and comment below…

About Jen Waller

Jen WallerJen Waller is on a mission to support, nurture and encourage coaching skills and talents from non-coach to coach and beyond.

As an experienced coach and trainer Jen is happy to utilise all skills at her disposal to assist clients from getting out of their own way and making a difference in the world with their coaching. One of the aspects of her role Jen loves the most is seeing individuals find their voice, grow their confidence and take the next steps. This allows them to make a massive positive impact and difference with their coaching. (For more info about Jen’s coaching click here, including the From non-coach to coach discovery session) Jen has owned and run Coaching Confidence, the coaching blog since 2010.

In her spare time Jen is a volunteer for the UK based charity The Cinnamon Trust. This charity supports elderly and terminally ill pet owners to provide care for their pets. As a volunteer, Jen regularly walks dogs for owners who physically often find that more challenging then they once did. As a pet owner herself, Jen finds it really rewarding to be able to assist an owner stay with an animal that has become part of the family. (Plus it’s a great additional motivator when working from home to get out and get some fresh air and exercise)

Jen also loves theatre and has been known to watch certain popular science fiction films and TV shows!


Psychological Triggers To Convert Subscribers Into Coaching Clients

In today’s guest post, Client Acquisition Strategist, Davis Lin focuses upon the popular question of how to get coaching clients, specifically looking at:

Psychological Triggers To Convert Subscribers Into Coaching Clients

by Davis Lin

Fotolia 121451562 XS and dropshadow

To turn your ideal clients, who do not yet know about you and your service, into paying clients for your coaching business, there are just two steps:

Step 1: Capture the attention of your ideal clients and get them as email subscribers
Step 2: Build a relationship with them, and turn them into coaching clients

Now that you have already gotten them as subscribers, you have already won half the battle. By now, they would already know what it is that you do, and you have also piqued their interests a little on how you can help them get the results they want.

The next step is to compound the value you give through your email sequence, and to do that you have to know how to pull the right psychological triggers to get them to sign up for your coaching.

As such, here are 4 psychological triggers you can start using today to turn your subscribers into paying coaching clients.

1. Make Problems Urgent

One of the most common concepts of human behaviours is that we are driven by the need to avoid pain and to gain pleasure. However often time, the desire to avoid pain is greater than trying to gain pleasure.

For example, I always wanted to go to the gym on a regular basis to help myself keep fit and look good, so I would set a regime to go to the gym at least two to three times a week. At first, I was able to stick to this regime for a couple of months. But as time went by, I found myself skipping gym more and more until I was only going just once a month.

However, just only a few months later, something happened that made me go to the gym every single day without fail. That was when I began to show symptoms that resemble those of diabetes. I started to fear I might actually have diabetes, and this fear led me to research everything I could on diabetes. Through my research, I found out that exercising would be the best way to lower the blood sugar and hence keep the disease at bay. Because of that, I started to go to gym again every single day without fail for a month, even when I didn’t know for sure that I had diabetes!

Fortunately, after several tests and doctor visits, I was relieved to know that I didn’t have diabetes at all. All of a sudden, the urgency to go to the gym every single day was no longer there. As you might have guessed it right, I went back to going to the gym only once or twice a month subsequently.

You see, the main reason why people come to you is because they have a problem they want to solve. However, not many people may realise the actual weight of their problem and the consequences of not resolving it. As such, they do not feel the urgent need to take action and get their problems solved immediately.

This is where you as the coach need to let them realise the weight and urgency of their problems. You do that by targeting and agitating the big pains they are going through, and highlighting the consequences of not having their problems solved.

For me, it was when I realised that I might have diabetes, and the possibility of me not being able to look after my family. The thought of that was so painful that it made me want to urgently do whatever I could to prevent it from happening.

This is also how you want to let your subscribers feel about their problems as well. So, understanding the exact pains and problems that your ideal clients are going through is important to get them to want to take action.

When they realise the urgency of their problems, and know that not resolving them will cause immense pain, it will compel them to seek a solution. And that’s where you come in.

2. Give Hope

Now, that you have agitated the pains your subscribers are going through, and have let them see that they need to take action, they now yearn for a solution.

It has been said that “when there is no vision, the people perish”. Even one of the most popular quotes in Star Wars is “Rebellions are built on hope”.

Hope is a very powerful emotion. This is why you want to give hope to your subscribers through a step-by-step solution that takes them from where they are right now, to where they want to be.

When you present your solution in a step-by-step fashion, it shows your ideal clients a clear roadmap to their destination, and it gets them excited with the idea of getting the results with your help and coaching.

It will also allow you to be seen as an expert with the knowledge and know-how to help them with their problems and guide them to where they want to be.

For example, if you are a career coach who helps stay-at-home mothers get back to the corporate world after many years, you can talk about the steps they can take to go from homemaker to a highly desirable job candidate for the job they want to apply.

By doing this, it gives clarity, confidence and hope to them that it is entirely possible to make it happen.

Hope is a strong motivating factor in making a buying decision. Because if we don’t first believe there is a possibility to get our problem solved, we would never engage the service of the coach.

3. Inspire With Proof

After showing them the step-by-step solution, you want to back it up with proof that it actually works. That is why social proof is an important element in getting your ideal clients to sign up for your coaching. In fact, it is one of the six principles of persuasion in Dr. Robert Cialdini’s book, Influence.

And the best way to do this is by sharing with them all the case studies and success stories of your previous clients. When you detail the case studies and success stories of your previous clients, it will let your subscribers see what is possible for them if they work with you.

The more detailed you are in the case studies, the more it can help your ideal clients relate with your past clients.

For example, if you are a relationship coach that helps people with their love life, you can talk about the problems that a past client went through, and how they eventually overcame them with your coaching. So, when people with very similar problems see what you had done for your past clients, it would give them the confidence that their problems can too be solved by working with you.

Furthermore, it holds more credibility and trust when the recommendation comes from other people, especially people who were once in a similar situation as them.

But what if you’re just starting out and don’t have any clients yet?

Then, what you can do is to show a case study of how you personally overcame a problem that many of your ideal clients are facing, and then show how you got to where you are now. It is equally powerful, if not more powerful, because it shows that you too have experienced the same problems as them and they would be able to relate more to you.

When you are able to show case studies, it inspires your ideal clients to see that if it’s possible for others who were once in a similar situation, then it’s possible for them as well. Because of that, it will get them compelled to get help from you.

4. Overcome Their Fears

Before people make any buying decision, it is common for them to have fears that they might not be making the right decision. This fear arises from unresolved concerns about your coaching offer. So, to help them overcome their fears, you need to adequately address their concerns and objections.

But first you need to understand what their concerns are. One simple way to find out is to ask them. Ask them what is holding them back from taking up your coaching offer. Make sure that you get them to tell you all the objections they have in mind.

The next step would be to address their objections one by one by reframing it. Reframing lets you to use what your potential clients have said to craft your response. This way, it makes it very hard for them to disagree with it.

So let’s say that one of the common objections that you get is that they are busy and don’t have the time for it. Then you can say that you have a coaching package that is specially designed for busy professionals and it only requires very little of their time – one hour each week for them to work with you ( Of course, this has to be true). Out of this one hour of their time, you then emphasize again how much value and benefits they can get from your coaching.

Once you have overcome these fears that the have in their mind, then there would be nothing holding them back from signing up with you.

Building Your Coaching Business For Long-Term Success

Too often, people want to get immediate results from their efforts. That means that if they have a subscriber today, they are hoping they would sign up for their coaching packages by tomorrow. And if that doesn’t happen, they give up on that subscriber and focus on getting more new subscribers, and they wonder why they are not getting more clients.

However, that approach would be too myopic because not everyone is ready at the same time. For example, I had a subscriber who signed up to my newsletter for a year before he became a paying client. When I asked him why it took him a year to join my coaching, he said that it’s because his situation just wasn’t right for him to engage my service at that point in time.

However, because I had continued to give him value each day even after a year, he eventually decided to take up my coaching when his situation allowed him to.

Had I instead just unsubscribed all those that have been on my list for more than a couple of months but never bought from me, then I would have missed the opportunity to get him on as a client.

Therefore, as much as we want our subscribers to become clients as quickly as possible, the fact is that not everyone is ready for your coaching when you want them to be. But if you approach your business with a long-term mindset and aim to nurture the relationship you have with them over time, then you will find that you will be able to sign on more clients from people who have been on your list for a long time.

About Davis Lin

davis profile pic 150 wideDavis Lin is a Client Acquisition Strategist and Founder of Client Acquisition Lab. He is very passionate about helping coaches and consultants upgrade and automate their client acquisition process, so they can spend more time doing what they do best – helping their clients, and still get more clients at the same time. To find out more, you can download his Client Acquisition Blueprint for FREE here.

 


Coaching “By the Book”?

In today’s guest post coach Jeannette Attryde shares an insight about coaching.

Coaching “By the Book”?

By Jeannette Attryde

"Coaching 'By the Book?'" By Jeannette Attryde

So much has been written about coaching. In fact, I did a search on Amazon.co.uk for books on coaching and it returned 43,367 results. If you narrow the search to just paperback books (to remove the duplication of multiple versions in hardback and Kindle) it still gives 26,786 results. So when you start coaching and you want to try and make sure you are doing it “by the book”, which book should you be doing it by?

I have a huge hang up about making sure I do things “right”. So when I first decided to start up my coaching business I felt I needed to know what the “right” way of coaching was. The fact that I had been successfully coaching people for over 20 years, with over 18 years of that having coaching as part of my job description too, almost fell by the wayside. In my head, there was some definition, or some model, out there which was “the” way to coach somebody and to be a “proper” coach I needed to learn and practice this way.

Having already read widely on the subject of coaching I already knew that there were multiple models out there but my obsession with “right” meant I was still looking for validation of a specific path to being a “proper” coach. My next decision was to look for an accredited coaching course because if it’s accredited it must be “right”, right?

It was on that course that the scales fell from my eyes. In essence, the only “right” is what works for the person you are coaching. The “right” I had been searching for was the wrong one. I had been looking for a process, a tool or methodology. What I needed to be looking for was an understanding.

The understanding and recognition of when the person you are coaching needs to be challenged, or reassured, or probed, or encouraged to reflect. Everything about coaching is about the person you are coaching and the outcomes they are looking for. How you achieve that will be different for each person because each person is different. Not only is each person you coach different but the relationship, the dynamic, between you and the person you are coaching will be different to the relationship between them and a different coach. Even if the same tools and techniques are used, you each bring something unique to the conversation and you will have a unique way of reaching the desired outcome.

Once I surrendered myself to this truth, I felt authentic again in my coaching. The coaching I had done throughout my career before starting my business, had been organic. It had been about me trying to find the best way possible to help a person achieve a goal. And at its heart that is what my coaching will always be. So whilst I will continue to read widely on the subject I have decided that the “right” way won’t be in any of the books I read, it will be a book I write with every coaching session I hold and every outcome my clients achieve.

About Jeannette Attryde

Jeannette AttrydeJeannette Attryde runs Different Perspectives, Coaching and Consultancy. She has over 18 years’ experience in leading and managing teams of varying sizes in a range of organisations including Blue Chip Financial Services companies. She specialising in Leadership and Management coaching, helping people to unlock their leadership potential. With her help, clients identify and implement action plans to overcome their challenges and be a more effective leader of a motivated, high performing team. Sessions are conducted face to face, by phone/Skype or online messenger.

Jeannette loves connecting with people and can be reached in the various ways below

Website – www.different-perspectives.co.uk

Twitter – @DP_Jeannette

Facebook – www.facebook.com/differentperspectivesuk

LinkedIn – www.linkedin.com/company/different-perspectives

 

 


What to do when it doesn’t work! 1

In this weeks guest post experienced coach Jeannette Attryde shares some insights from her work.

What to do when it doesn’t work!

By Jeannette Attryde

"What to do when it doesn’t work!" by Jeannette Attryde

There has been a recent trend on Twitter of the hashtag #IAlwaysGetAnnoyedWhen and it got me thinking about the last time I got annoyed. I am not the sort of person who is easily angered or frustrated so it took some thinking and I decided that the times when I get annoyed are usually when I can’t help somebody.

I decided to start my business to give me the ability to focus on doing what I love – helping people. The desire to help is also why I volunteer for the local council as an Employment Mentor helping the long term unemployed overcome barriers to work. So when I can’t help somebody I feel frustrated, disappointed and like I have failed.

There are likely to have been times when you have been trying to coach somebody, or manage somebody, and no matter how much you try or what techniques you use, you just can’t achieve the outcome you are working towards. How does that make you feel? Probably similar to myself. My first reaction is to look internally to try and work out why I “failed”, why my skills “weren’t good enough” on this occasion, and what else I “should have done”. But there is one simple truth I overlook – you can’t help everybody.

So how can you get some real perspective on the situation and why this happens?

Firstly, it is worth remembering that these occasions are very few and far between. When you assess the objective data you will see that these cases make up a tiny amount of the people you have worked with and it’s important not to forget all the successes you have had because of one or two cases which didn’t work out.

Secondly, as a coach you are there to facilitate change. As Angus McLeod describes in his book Performance Coaching,

“The coach is not the player, but an instrument, in service to the art of the coachee…”

so there will be occasions when despite your best efforts the coachee cannot or will not change. This can be due to lack of will, lack of skill, or lack of ability. There may be occasions, such as one I recently experienced, where the person I was working with needed a much more directive intervention than I could offer through coaching. In that case the best help I could give was to ensure he was referred to the best source of that support. If I had tried to work with his it would have been frustrating for him and may have weakened his trust in any interventions subsequently recommended.

Thirdly, to make a real collaborative team and achieve the goals the coachee desires will need an element of rapport. If the two of you do not have that rapport, then the relationship can be strained and any work you try to do together may be undermined. Similar to when you are looking for a romantic life partner, it is better for either party to recognise at an early stage that the chemistry is not there and to seek an alternative partnership which will be more productive. There is no shame in this, it is simply that you didn’t “click”.

And finally, as well as doing some self-reflection, use your coaching supervision, or other coaches/managers to discuss the situation. There is always something to learn from these events and it may be something that is visible to you through the guided reflection that coaching supervision gives you.

About Jeannette Attryde

Jeannette AttrydeJeannette Attryde is the owner of Different Perspectives, Coaching and Consultancy. She has over 17 years’ experience in leading and managing teams of varying sizes in a range of organisations including Blue Chip Financial Services companies. Whilst specialising in Leadership and Management coaching, she also works with people from all walks of life to identify and achieve their goals through tailored personal coaching. Sessions are conducted face to face, by phone/Skype or online messenger.

Jeannette loves connecting with people and can be reached in the various ways below

Website – www.different-perspectives.co.uk

Twitter – @DP_Jeannette

Facebook – www.facebook.com/differentperspectivesuk

LinkedIn – www.linkedin.com/company/different-perspectives

 

 

 

 

 

 


Networking on Social Media 101

In today’s guest post Dr. Rhonda Anderson shares some of her experience and knowledge with some practical advice:

Networking on Social Media 101

By Dr. Rhonda Anderson

"Networking on Social Media 101" Written By Dr. Rhonda Anderson

 

Social media has become a way of life and it impacts our personal and professional lives in a major way. There are millions of people each day sharing information about their lives, businesses, news, sports, and the list goes on. It is evident that in order for your coaching business to thrive, you must also utilize social media. If you are not using social media and you are successful as a life coach, then kudos to you. On the other hand, you are leaving a lot of money on the table by choosing not to be active on the world-wide web (www).

The one big advantage of using social media is that it is FREE! It adds tons of value to your bottom line when you market your services and products on these platforms. It is the first place people look to find you when you tell them you are in business. I am not a master at social media, but there are a few things I have learned that can help you with building your network full of potential clients to market your services to and to build a tribe who will respect you as a life coach. Below are a few tips to help you build your network without leaving your home. Especially, if at times you do not have time to do face-to-face networking. Below are a couple of things you can do to make yourself visible on social media and begin growing your network of potential customers and collaborators.

  1. Get social! Choose social media platforms that are right for your coaching practice.
  2. Establish yourself as a subject matter expert in your coaching niche(s).
  3. Start and/or join groups and discussions on your social media platforms where your target audience is.
  4. Don’t be afraid to connect with people you do not know. Add them to your network and establish a relationship before selling to them. Don’t be afraid to ask for a conference call or a face-to-face meeting if the person is local.

 

About Dr. Rhonda Anderson

Dr. Rhonda Anderson is a Life Transition Strategist and the President/CEO of A Scholars Touch, LLC. She specializes in Life, Education, and Business coaching. Dr. Rhonda serves youth (ages 12-21), adults, and entrepreneurs with obtaining success both personally and professionally. She has coached clients both nationally and internationally in group settings and individually. In addition, she is the co-founder of iNSPIRE Entrepreneurs and is the co-host of a web series called Changing Lives 365.

Web: www.ascholarstouch.com Social Media: @ascholarstouch