You know what I love about great comedians?
They can change their lines, interpret different personalities or break character live,
and they’ll still always make you laugh.
Because they’re great at what they do.
It’s the same with coaching.
You can have different clients, niches, methodologies,
and packages, but as long as you’re great
at what you do, you’ll always create results.
Hi, this is Ajit Nawalkha and today we are diving deep
into how to deliver transformational
coaching sessions for your clients.
The power of the transformation
lies in the power of the conversation.
Let me repeat that so it sinks in.
Whether you’re having a 15-minute get-to-know chat,
an hour long coaching conversation or a 4-hour intensive,
what you do to make the most out of this time
is what will define the results you create for your clients.
Which is why our clients hire us.
Now before I show you how you can consistently create results for your clients,
let me put up a disclaimer that we don’t really need,
but I have to say it because obvious is often not obvious enough.
Any format I share on this show, on emails,
or otherwise comes from research and testing.
They work often, which is why I am suggesting you try them.
Don’t make it the only way you do things, but do try
and see how it translates to your coaching practice.
Let’s go back to delivering a powerful coaching session.
A coaching session that creates lasting transformation for your clients.
The first step to delivering a powerful coaching session
is having a solid coaching session structure.
Now before you roll your eyes in disgust
of the word “structure” and stop this video.
Hear me out.
I know what you’re thinking...
Why do I need a structure?
It’s restrictive!
I can’t be creative inside a box!
And yes. That’s true.
But here’s the thing…
A box is a structure, but a structure doesn’t have to be a box.
Structures are powerful.
They give us a format to act from,
they create certainty of results.
It also saves us from frantically looking through
our past notes to see what to do with our clients.
If you jumpstart your coaching session and
go straight into the nitty-gritty of how to help your client
overcome their roadblocks, you’ll spend the whole time
trying to tackle multiple items that might not even
be the core issue your client has.
Or you might finish your session without setting
any action steps for your clients to work on before your next session,
which means progress will take much longer
and their results with you even more.
Maybe they’ll even lose their initial drive in the process
and this is definitely something we want to avoid at all costs.
A weak introduction loses the opportunity of “deep discussion.”
If we don’t go deep with our clients,
we won’t be able to create the results we wanted
with that session.
It’s like wanting to make a movie with a bad director,
even worse actors, and a terrible script.
You might become “popular” but for all the wrong reasons.
I hope by now you understand why this is
such a vital element for your success as a coach.
So let’s dive deep into how a coaching session structure should look like.
There are 3 parts every session should have:
The “Lead Up” is your starting point.
Consider it as a warm up to get your client
comfortable and establish rapport
before turning the heat of the conversation up.
Whether it’s a new or existing client,
use this time for a quick check-in,
how they are feeling and what’s been happening lately in their lives.
Listen in on what they are saying.
It’s not about knowing the events of their life,
but to recognize the state they are
entering the coaching session at.
If they have had a tough week, you might find it harder to get through to them
or they might open up easily.
Lead up also is vital to set expectations.
This means identifying the purpose and desired outcome of the conversation.
This will allow you to have control and
steer the conversation towards the right direction.
Some of my go-to questions to get started are:
Once you’ve agreed on the topics you want to tackle,
you’ll have more clarity on where to start diving deep into the conversation.
Which brings us to Part 2: Breakthrough Conversation.
This is where the magic happens.
And the best magic is performed by the best magicians.
You can be the David Blaine
or David Copperfield of coaching.
Or Dumbledore.
We all know we wanna be Dumbledore.
This is where all your coaching skills
and methodology come out to play.
Your starting point is the desired outcome which you’ve identified in part one.
You have two choices here: Option A - You can ask your client
“What would be the best way to start?” and take it from there,
or Option B - Based on your experience and judgment,
you can suggest a topic and start
with a powerful question that could unravel the conversation.
I tend to go for Option A first as it’s more empowering for your client
and gives them more ownership of the conversation.
But Option B comes in very handy whenever you find
your client uncertain, confused or in need of guidance.
This is where you invite your client to explore
different opportunities, perspectives or ideas to achieve their goals.
Your most impressive magic trick in this part,
the ace up your sleeve,
will be mastering the art of powerful questions.
Powerful questions guide clients to discover who they are and what they want.
Questions that challenge, bring clarity,
and invite your clients to dig deeper in introspection
and create shifts and transformations.
These are my two favourite questions to ask.
Don’t be afraid to stop your client in the middle of their sentence
if you notice them rambling on, going around in circles,
or heading off track into a different topic.
It’s not rude, it’s needed.
Your clients want you to stop them in the trenches.
And remember: this session is about them,
not about you.
Not everything is about you.
So always be present, practice active listening,
and ask powerful questions.
If done right, your client will start having insights and aha moments,
and the session’s desired outcome should start coming up,
which leads to the third part: The Takeaway.
Often underestimated, the closing of the conversation
is what sets your clients to win.
It’s the time when you invite your clients
to summarize their key takeaways so they can
process what’s been covered and reflect on it.
This also allows you to see how much your client has
taken from the session and if shifts have been created.
Needless to say, is your immediate measure of success
to know if you’ve delivered a transformational session or not.
Don’t end the session without defining your clients’ next steps.
Change starts during the session,
but it really happens when the client takes
the learning and insight into the real world.
If your client doesn’t commit to taking action,
there will be no progress until the next session
and your client will stay stuck in a rut.
Medal-winning athletes don’t succeed by training a few hours a day.
They live, breathe, and sleep their sport.
Look at Michael Phelps,
the Williams sisters
and Usain Bolt.
Your role as a coach is to help them move forward,
so make sure they commit.
Keyword: They.
Don’t choose their next steps for them,
make sure they do.
And keep them accountable to it.
You can use questions like:
For extra points, you can also give your client some homework post-session.
I tend to always have something they have to work on post our session.
And that’s it!
Congratulations!
You’ve now completed a successful coaching session
that will create consistent results.
How do you think these elements will enhance your performance as a coach?
Share your thoughts below in the comment box.
For more insights on how to deliver
powerful sessions and honing your coaching skills,
come over to Evercoach.com.
We’ve joined forces with the best coaches
to provide you with all the tools you need
to become a successful coach.
If you found this video useful, click on the subscribe button below
and share it with someone who can use this video.
Until next time, thank you for watching and have a phenomenal day!