You have your brand new coach certification on file, your office is set up and the clock is ticking to your first free 30-minute coaching call with the first prospective client. However, a cold sweat is beginning to trickle down your back because you aren’t sure whether you planned the structure of that complimentary call correctly. We at Performance Coach University have you covered, for we have put together this brief guide to help you to ace that free call which will confirm to the client that you are the right coach to work with.
Step #1: Build Rapport with the Client
This step is extremely important because it can make or break the coaching relationship right off the bat. Put yourself for a moment in the shoes of the prospective client and imagine what is going through their mind; he or she is probably unsure about how the call will go, they may have doubts about your ability to help them, and they are probably wondering whether they would get value from their investment in a coaching relationship with you.
The very first task that you have once you hop onto the call with this client is to put them at ease to such a degree that they can trust and open up to you. Easier said than done, right?
To get over any initial awkwardness, start by asking the client any basic questions to get the conversation started between the two of you. For example, you can ask the client to tell you what has been good about their day, or to explain an act of kindness that they were on the receiving end of recently.
Related: 5 Daily Tasks To Grow Your Coaching Business
The idea here is to put the client in a positive state of mind so that they are at ease to interact freely with you.
This first step is also the time when you ask the client whether they have ever undergone coaching, what they think about the process and the specific concerns that have brought them to you.
The responses that the client makes to your queries above will form the basis of what you do in Step #2 below. The first step could typically take a couple of minutes, but there is no need to rush since proceeding to the next step without establishing rapport will be an exercise in futility.
Step #2: Add Value
During this step, you could help the client to define what exactly their expectations are for the coaching process so that realistic expectations are set.
For example, you can ask the client to explain how they will tell that they have achieved what they wanted to achieve by the end of the coaching sessions.
You may also ask why such an outcome is important to them, and why it is that they have not been able to attain that goal up to this time.
As you ask those probing questions, you will get deep insights into the motivation, psychology and the ability of the client to follow through with the work needed in order to move them from where they are to where they desire to be.
While the client should do most of the talking (at least 70 percent), you as the coach have a role to play in guiding the discussion so that the coaching client is helped to diagnose the problem correctly.
As you may know, the hardest part of solving any problem is defining it effectively. Once the problem is defined, your importance as a coach will be undisputable and the client will be ready to be taken to Step #3 of the complimentary call.
Step #3: Present Your Best Coaching Package
Now that there is agreement about the change that needs to be made within the client, it is time to present the coaching package that you are sure will deliver the desired results.
Make the whole process to be about the client and show them how they can get to the future they desire through the package that you are recommending.
If you can, steer the conversation away from the cost of the package and keep it on the results that the client will enjoy at the end of the process. In this way, the value of the coaching sessions will outweigh the investment and you are likely to secure the nod to proceed with the client.
Note that we used the word investment when referring to the fees your client will pay for your services. An investment has an inherent promise of gains or profit, while a cost implies that money is being taken from you and it will not return. “Investment” is therefore the most appropriate word to use because it takes away the pain of giving away money and turns it into putting away that money with the expectation of getting it back, with a profit.
If you went through steps 1 & 2 properly, getting the client to accept the coaching package that you recommend will be a foregone conclusion. Your first paying client will be queued up!
It can be hard to master the art of taking prospective clients through this 30-minute free coaching call, but you can get a soft landing by getting some practice under your belt. Ask friends, family members and colleagues at work to take you up on that offer of a complimentary coaching call and let those individuals give you feedback about how the call went.
Based on that feedback, keep honing your skills and by the time clients come calling, you will be confident and will nail that call every single time. Remember, each coach has their own approach so as you experiment during those complimentary coaching calls, you will learn how best to allocate the time to those three steps described above. Each client is different, so learn the subtle clues that alert you that it is time to move to the next step in the process.
Keep improving your success rate during those free 30-minute sessions and you will soon learn how to quickly profile potential clients. The world has lots of problems and your professional help is needed, so get out there and help some folks!
To Your Success,
Jairek Robbins + Team PCU
Ready to level up your coaching and leadership game? Want to make a big impact in the lives of others? Add more power to your purpose with our 12-week online Performance Coach certification course. Apply here: Course overview & Application!