We talked about this topic a little bit in a previous article, How to Keep Clients for the Long-Term. If you have not read that one, you might want to go back and look at that. Now, to dive specifically into keeping coaching sessions fresh for the client.
You likely have a standard set of questions for opening and closing your coaching sessions. The challenge here is to ditch them.
Get rid of those questions because what is happening is you are getting into a certain rhythm that is no longer connected to the client and only connected to yourself. Does that make sense?
How You Start Your Session
Those first two minutes after you ask the client the initial coaching questions:
- How are you showing up to this call?
- What is going on for you?
- In what headspace do you find yourself?
- Where is your heart today?
- What stories are you telling yourself today?
Whatever that opening question you ask, listen to those two minutes of what the client gives you. Those first two minutes give you the roadmap for your entire conversation for that session.
Keep Sessions Fresh in Your Listening and Questions
The client will shape the questions that you ask. They are going to shape the way that you listen.
If the client is coming to the session invigorated, you do not want to come in with “Debbie Downer” questions. If the client comes to the call very confused, you don’t want to ask questions about all you think they should know.
The reality is that the client is coming to the call overwhelmed. They don’t know anything. As you adjust your approach to how that client shows up to the coaching session, you find the client invigorated and refreshed every session.
You begin to meet the client where they are instead of trying to draw the client into a standard coaching process, where you are most comfortable. You will both be surprised by the results when you begin to focus on how to keep coaching sessions fresh.
