Somewhere out there an ideal client is reading this. Unsure about what I do, how I do it, why I became a coach, if I can help solve their problems, and so on…
All fair curiosities and questions. And isn’t that what we’re all asking when hiring a professional:
“Hi, can you really help me?”
And I don’t mean “Hi, can you help me in a weak-ass, mediocre and unimpressive way?” We’re all searching for someone to meet our needs & wants in that awesome, incredible, impressive, and wait-until-you-see-how-this-pe
And how do we determine whether we trust someone to deliver that kind of experience, service, and results?
At some point, we all have to take the plunge. Whether it’s choosing a lane at Target, deciding to buy the truck even though the salesman was a little pushy, finding an accountant we can actually rely on, choosing a real estate agent from the few we’ve heard of, and even deciding “yeah… this person is worth the risk of a first date.”
Like these examples, my coaching clients often don’t know much about me until they experience how I can help them. They hear about me, see my posts, get wind of something cool I helped someone with over a long period of time, and when we first talk the question usually comes in some form of “Hi, can you really help me?”
We’re all asking this when it comes to professionals. And we should. So how do I answer it when it comes to my coaching?
Usually with questions.
I could explain more about what I do and how I do it, yet ultimately this person will show me relatively quickly whether I can help with their ideal outcomes or not by the way they answer some questions. For example, take the client who needed help finding more time in her day, guidance in controlling her wandering mind, techniques to help with how she allowed people to treat her, clarity in how she wanted to run her team of professionals, and help with making decisions about a new professional trajectory. (My clients are confidential unless they want me to disclose them, so let’s call this one Nora.) Nora is a chronic overachiever, her husband has a phenomenal job in finance, and their growing family has a great reputation in their community for being helpful, happy, energetic, and hungry to experience all that life can offer. (The last bit is a big reason I chose to work with her!)
So Nora hears about me from one of my first clients and decides she wants to learn more about what I do, how I do it, why I became a coach, and if I can really help her. Wouldn’t you want to do the same thing before hiring someone you were going to speak with all the time??
On the first call, I learned Nora has little room for weak-ass, mediocre, and unimpressive people in her life. She values relationships, yet she’s to-the-point about making her life better, creating a happier life for her family, and seeking deep personal and professional growth.
She doesn’t settle for mediocre. Luckily, neither do I.
So we talk about her goals, where she rates key areas in her life right now, what her dreams are, and after 50 questions we understand each other. Isn’t it great when you know the professional you’re talking with “just gets you” and understands exactly where you are right now??
In five sessions, Nora has learned quickly: She understands she has all the time she needs for what is truly most important, she is learning how to control her mindset and create new conversations for the people around her to grow into, she turned her team around (in a great way), she’s learning not to tolerate interruptions, she limits her distractions, she’s making decisions from a place of trust and clarity (vs. fear and confusion), and she’s having a great time exploring her newfound potential.
Not bad, right?? (This is where we clap for Nora and say “You’re a badass, Nora! Keep it up!)
So somewhere out there you’re reading this and might be wondering one of a few things:
1) “Is Nora real?”
— Yes, and she’s an incredible client haha. I wouldn’t make this stuff up. Trust me, no lie is worth my reputation. Nora shows up to her calls prepared, ready to do the inner work, and sets out immediately afterward to improve her life. (You can clap again for Nora if you want.)
2) “How did Nora decide she could trust you?”
— I coach all of my clients this universal truth from Susan Scott’s Fierce Conversations: “the conversation IS the relationship.” That means we must actually have a conversation to determine what our relationship could evolve into next. And more importantly, Nora didn’t know she could trust me at first. She had to take a leap of faith that I was worth my salt, that I could coach her to the outcomes she really and deeply wanted, and that I could hold the space for her when she showed up with trouble or fell short of a goal. And yes, that does happen on most calls. Failure is part of the growth process. It’s all part of the fun of this.
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