Reason #5: No Program Equals No Clients

Our fifth reason in this blog series stresses the importance of creating a coaching program.  We must be more than just provocative questioners.  The Socratic Method is not enough if we want to consistently acquire the numbers of clients it takes to sustain our livelihood.

First . . . Start Coaching to Practice Skills

We all want to practice our coaching skills.  If you have received formal coach training  (and you have met all the requirements) then you have practiced those skills enough to take on clients.  There comes a point when you must stop practicing and start getting paid for your expertise.

And remember that each and every time you work with a client you are practicing your skills.  You most certainly will make mistakes.  The good news is you can always follow up with the client by practicing the kind of candor we encourage from these same clients. As we optimize our skills we can begin to focus more on the bigger coaching picture, our framework.

Second . . . What Is Your Framework?

I have heard many coaches say the following when asked what they do for clients: “I ask empowering questions,”   That is not enough . . . but it is a start.  Asking questions to get to what?  And what else do you offer that helps clients obtain what they want?  What are the tools, skills, and methods you use to be the most effective? How are they packaged?  Each session must be more than just “so what would like to work on this week?” if you expect to create a full-time career out of your passion.

So as you pick up clients, it’s time to formulate a framework.  Your framework is the equivalent of a scientist’s hypothesis.  This framework should be grounded in science and experiential.  It’s your opening salvo-strategy each time you meet a client and it is very tactically flexible.  You must always coach with an experimental ethic, knowing that your clients are also served by this same ethic.

Third  . . . From a Framework to Your Program

Your framework then gets more sophisticated.  You test it on many clients and soon it becomes a program that is effective, streamlined, and scalable.  In addition, you have the clients to back you up on that claim.  It answers the questions:  What do all of your clients get from you?  What are your coaching program deliverables?  What is your coaching point of view?

I urge you to come up with your own program.  Think about the best TV shows out there.  They all have a seasonal arc.  The very first episode of the season and the last are linked by common themes and characters.  It’s climactic.  So what is your coaching arc?  Where does it come from?  Who can attest to the power and effectiveness of its individual steps?

It is hard work to create your coaching program.  It will evolve after many meaningful conversations with colleagues and innumerable coaching sessions with clients.  It requires exhaustive research and beta testing.

I also believe it is of paramount importance that we are willing to live our lives according to the principles of our coaching program.  We cannot expect our clients to buy what we are selling if we ourselves do not regularly use our own methods to reach our goals and live a life of well-being and accomplishment.

Building a coaching program is about walking the walk of the coaching lifestyle for you and your clients.  The coaching program must maximize the well-being and goal-achievement potential of our clients and of ourselves.

—

If you have any questions about coaching please feel free to contact me at scott@kineticcoaching.co, and remember I always offer a complimentary 30-45 minute session to prospective clients to determine if we want to work together.