How to Customize Your Coaching

Have you ever been upset when you were treated just like everyone else?

Someone tried to give you things you didn’t need…

…and only a tiny bit of what you actually wanted?

Me too.

A one-size-fits-all approach never sat well with me.

Why do so many coaches look for cookie cutter methods?

Why do they want one approach to work with every client?

You need to customize your approach to each client.

Every client is unique.

Every client is unique.”

Start customizing your coaching approach before a client starts coaching…

…in the Discovery Session.

It’ll impact how you connect with your client…

…which will affect your ability to enroll them into coaching.

3 Things to Know About Your Client BEFORE You Enroll Them Into Coaching:

1. Style:

Every client has their own way of doing things.

Are they fast-paced or slower-paced?

Notice the speed of their voice.

Clients who are fast-paced make decisions quickly. Clients who are slower-paced need more time to make decisions.

Is the client connection-oriented or object-oriented?

People who are connection-oriented are more likely to make a decision because it ‘feels right’.

People who are more object-oriented may have a lot of questions. With object-oriented clients, make sure they feel safe asking questions and address all of their concerns.

2. Values:

Every client will care about different things.

It’s up to you to discover what motivates them:

• Is it getting the best of everything for themselves?
• Freedom and autonomy?
• Learning and sharing knowledge?

Make sure your coaching connects with what matters most to your potential client.

3. Blueprint for decision making:

Your client has a unique process for making decisions. I call this their Decision Making Blueprint.

How has your potential client made decisions in the past?

• Did they talk to friends/family?
• How long did they take to make the decision?
• Did they make the decision immediately because it felt ‘right’?
• Or did they have a lot of questions to address before they felt comfortable?

This process is the only way to get your clients past their blocks…

…in a way that’s so clear…

…that everything fits like a glove.

Then you’ll develop trust…

…enroll them into your coaching program…

…and transform their lives.

For example…

Different clients may tell you things that sound very similar…

…but you can’t coach them based on those surface responses.

You must understand your client as well (or better) than they understand themselves.

Make sure your coaching connects with what matters most to your potential client.“

Here are two real life clients of mine, BOTH of whom told me,

“I Have to talk to my wife before enrolling into coaching with you.”

CLIENT #1:

At the end of one of my first discovery sessions, this (potential) client told me that he had to talk to his wife…

…even though he had been running a successful business for years.

So I called CLIENT #1 on his bluff…

“What is your wife going to say if you tell her that you are hiring a business coach?

Is she going to say you can’t?”

He was silent for a moment.

Then, CLIENT #1 signed up for a year of coaching.

Later he told me…

“If you hadn’t called me out…

…I would have assumed you were a newbie coach…

and would have never worked with you.”

CLIENT #2:

During the discovery session with CLIENT #2…

…that same challenging tone would have repelled him.

When CLIENT #2 told me he wanted to discuss coaching with his wife…

…I set up a 3-way call with her…

…and when she said, “I’m all in for that!”…

CLIENT #2 told me that he still had to think about things…

I could tell by his style that time to think and process was critical.

So I gave him the time and support he needed…

…and eventually, CLIENT #2 enrolled into coaching with me.

What was the difference between CLIENT #1 and CLIENT #2?

Everything…

…even though they said the EXACT SAME THING TO ME.

That’s why you need to understand your client.

Recovering From Mistakes

When this custom approach works well…

…you demonstrate to your client that you not only understand them…

..but accept them unconditionally.

That kind of trusting relationship is priceless.

Even if you go out on a limb with your client…

Even if you make a mistake…

…you can recover if you’re flexible enough.

What does that flexibility look like?

If CLIENT #1 had told me, “Yes, my wife might say ‘No’ to coaching…”

…I could have recovered by re-connecting…

…and then continuing to ask questions with curiosity…

…until I understood what his real concerns were.

Discern Authenticity Issues

It’s up to you as the coach…

…to discern the real issues…

…from the fake ones.

The same issue can be real in one client…

…and a sham in another.

Clients usually don’t mislead you maliciously.

Usually something’s going on that they aren’t aware of.

But you need to know your client so well that you can call them on their B.S…

…just like a good friend would.

And THAT is a function of understanding your client better than they understand themselves.

With both CLIENT #1 and CLIENT #2…

…if I hadn’t understood them…

…they wouldn’t have enrolled in coaching.

They would have been left out in the cold.

But because I took the time to truly understand them…

I was able to work with them…

…and see their businesses transform.

It took time, energy, and work to customize my coaching approach…

…but I didn’t become a coach because I wanted something easy.

…some cookie-cutter solution to everyone’s problems.

I became a coach because I’m not ok with leaving people stranded…

…especially after I hear them tell me about their dreams…

…and what achieving those dreams will make possible for them.

My motto is “No Client Left Behind”.

My motto is “No Client Left Behind”.”

I believe that when I do whatever it takes to transform my clients’ lives…

…they will pay it forward…

…and make the world a better place.

What about you?

Colette “Custom Coaching” Coiner

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