When clients contact me for coaching, they often don’t know what they want. They know a decision needs to be made or they’re in a rut or they’re stressed or they need help sorting themselves out or something, but they don’t know what.
As a coach, my job is to help them get clear on what they want.
Clients Always Tell Me What They Don’t Want.
Have you noticed you do this? When a waiter asks you what you want you often say “I don’t want steak and I don’t want fries. Um, I don’t want vegetarian….” while the waiter (patiently, I hope) waits for you to tell him what you DO want.
Get my drift?
Maybe this sounds like you and you don’t want to contact me because you’re worried I’ll take your money and leave you worse off emotionally and financially than you are now.
Good job I offer a free 30 minute initial chat for new and returning clients.
Initial Chat.
Your free 30 minutes is where you find out more about coaching and I find out what you need help with. I won’t take you on as a client unless I know I can help. I’m not having you spoil my success rate!
When you turn up for your initial chat, you may feel like the design at the top of this post. There’s all this stuff going on with spikes and jagged bits, and it feels like you’re in the middle of a maze with no idea how to get out. Yeah?
By the end of your 30 minutes, you’ll have lost some of the spikes because you’ve shared it with someone. Even better, you’ve shared it with someone who hasn’t judged you or put you down for the way you feel or the situation you’re in.
What Next?
You’ll be clear on what it is you want. Comparing how you felt with the design, the spikes and some of the jagged bits have gone. You have ideas about how you’re going to tackle it but, well, it would be good to have guidance and support from a coach especially when it gets tough.
Book your Initial Chat at:
https://thecoloringcoach.acuityscheduling.com/
Look forward to meeting you!
Warmly,
Shan
Mike Gardner says
Love the phrase “I’m not having you spoil my success rate” classic
Shan says
Thanks, Mike. It’s true
Anna says
What a wonderful post!
Shan says
Thank you
Claire Brotherton says
It’s the same with websites. Clients only know what they want when you deliver something else! 😀
Good idea to have the “qualifying” talk first. It’s as much for your benefit as theirs.
Shan says
Hi Claire. I bet that fills you with joy
Thanks for reading and commenting.
Garth Delikan says
LOL! Trying to “nail” someone down specifically can be quite difficult sometime as people are scared to share and let go, don’t you find that?
Shan says
Hi Garth. Yes, not willing to share does happen sometimes. How do you deal with it?
Garth Delikan says
That’s a great question!
I find the best and easiest way for me is once I’ve rapport is to have a “general conversation” but peppered cleverly with searching questions so they’re giving you information without actually knowing it. Using your skills you can then quite easily begin to narrow them down.
elaine mitchell says
Excellent and so very true I like to think that I help my clients get rid of their spikey edges, If that is what they want or to embrace their curves.
I really love that you acknowledge how people know what they don’t want before they know what they do want as that is a large part of a coaches job to help clients discard and lose the don’ts and begin to see with clarity and full colour the version of themselves they want to reveal to the world.
Shan says
Hi Elaine. Yes. I like “….the version of themselves they want to reveal to the world.” So true.
Thanks for reading and commenting.
Jackie Rose says
It took me a long time to figure out what I wanted and what my passion was…
Shan says
Hi Jackie. It’s not easy but wonderful when you do. What do you want and what’s your passion?