Seven Incremental Steps to Coaching for RESULTS!

Many traditional coaches are reluctant to embrace the concept of “Coaching for RESULTS”. They have conflicting views on the role of a coach and they are skeptical about any coaching process that is designed to deliver RESULTS for their client!

Much of this “coaching anxiety” stems from a lack of awareness of the incremental process that takes place between the moment you connect with your client and the time your client arrives at the end of your “Coaching Trajectory” that I wrote about in a previous article.

Today, I want to talk about the transformation that take place when a client achieves a Desired Outcome. The seven incremental steps to “Coach for RESULTS”!

If you use the word “RESULTS” as an acronym for these seven steps, you will be able to deliver the results for which your clients will pay you high-end coaching fees. And when you implement these steps, you will create a replicable system to lead your clients to their Desired Outcome!

Step 1 – “R” stands for “REASON”

You cannot deliver results if your client does not have a compelling REASON for wanting to achieve a Desired Outcome. You are a coach and not a “dream weaver”!  Your client’s reason for wanting to achieve a result must therefore be absolute and unequivocal! And your personal reason for delivering these results must be equally unambiguous!

You must be clear on the result your client is after! But no matter what that result may be, the first thing a coach needs to ascertain is the WHY behind the result! What will truly compel your client to the make the commitment to follow through on all the action steps of your coaching program? What is the VALUE to the client for achieving the result? How is this value measured, determined and calculated? Is it an emotional or spiritual value? Or can this value be expressed in monetary terms? And what would be the COST to the client for NOT achieving the result? Again, is this cost emotional, spiritual or financial?

The correlation between reason and result is a very powerful one! Yet I’ve seen many traditional coaching remaining blissfully ignorant on both these elements, even though the duelling forces of “cause & effect” are major determinants in the effectiveness of your coaching programs. So why do so many coaches skip this first step? It’s because they are conflicted about their role as coaches to get involved in this process.

And there is another compelling reason to skip “Step 1”. It requires . . . . .

Step 2 – “E” stands for “EFFORT”

Coaching for RESULTS takes effort! While the traditional coaching mandate evolves around “listening, empathizing, asking questions, inspiring and motivating”, coaching for results requires determination and effort. You may “listen” to your client’s challenges, but it takes effort to resolve issues! You may “empathize” with your client’s situation, but it requires effort to bring about change! Ask all the questions you like, but it requires effort to find the right answers! Inspiring and motivating makes for great “sound bites”, but taking action requires effort!

Step 3 – “S” stands for “STRUGGLE”

If you cannot relate to the struggles that your clients are experiencing, of what value are you to them as a coach? The ONLY reason that clients will want to work with you, is because your life followed a similar trajectory to the one your clients are travelling on. They need to know that you walked in their shoes! So give some anecdotal examples of situations you have dealt with in the past for which you have found solutions and that you are now ready to help them find similar outcomes!

Step 4 – “U” stands for “UNDERSTANDING”

Don’t just “listen, empathize, ask questions, inspire and motivate”! Show your clients that you understand their struggles and that you are the best coach to help them deal with their challenges. You must create a unique relationship with your clients that is based on trust, respect and a deep level of understanding. Your understanding of the clients’ situation . . . . and their understanding of your ability to deliver desired results!

Step 5 – “L” stands for “LEADERSHIP”

Coaches that deliver RESULTS are leaders by default! As a coach, you’re the captain of your coaching vessel that ferries your clients to their Desired Outcome. You’re the pilot that navigates your coaching plane trough all the turbulence along the flight route but still lands the plane safely at the client’s destination!

Your role as a leader is imperative in achieving the results your clients are looking for. Cloaking your communication with indiscernible coaching jargon or confusing metaphors does little to bring clarity to your clients’ issues. As a leader, your coaching message must “cut to the chase” by being clear and concise!

Step 6 – “T” stands for “TRANSFORMATION”

Always remember that a true coach is both a leader and a servant. You “lead” your clients through their personal “transformation”, while serving your clients in their quest to achieve a Desired Outcome! The ultimate goal for any coach is to facilitate the client’s transformation to a desired result using leadership and foresight, but without ever compromising the client’s ability to be in charge of their destiny!

Step 7 – “S” stands for “SUCCESS”

In the final analysis, coaching is about delivering results for the client. It is what today’s sophisticated clients are demanding and it behooves us all as coaches to heed this ultimate “reality check”!

“Clients don’t pay for coaching. They pay for RESULTS!”

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

© Allan N. Mulholland

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, WEB SITE or CONTENT PROMOTION? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

About Allan

Allan N. Mulholland is the founder and president of PersonaCoach (Int'l) LLC, which provides training and certification for life & business coaches. He is the author of “Change Your Perception, Change Yourself!” and writes on all aspects of coaching training and development.

To get your physical copy of Allan’s free book “Clients Don’t Pay for Coaching. They Pay for RESULTS!” go to www.personacoach.com

Coaching Is Always About VALUE and Never About FEES!

The paradigm shift that many traditional coaches struggle with is to take the client’s focus away from coaching fees and direct it instead to the value of their coaching services! Let me illustrate this point with a simple analogy!

If you’re in the market for a new car, there is a wide range of options to choose from! Yet all these options have one thing in common! They will all get you from point A to point B!

The difference is in “how” you get you there! If you’re looking for simple transportation, you may opt for a KIA at a reasonable price point. But if you’re looking for the “ultimate driving experience”, you’re probably in the market for a BMW!

And it is this “ultimate driving experience” that will motivate you to pay the premium sticker price for the BMW instead of the economy of the KIA! If you’re focused on the “value” of a BMW, then the “fees” associated with climbing behind the wheel of this luxury vehicle become irrelevant!

WHY?

Because if an “ultimate driving experience” is the outcome you’re looking for, then BMW will deliver that RESULT!

As a coach, you must present your clients with a similar alternative! If all you offer your clients is a series of coaching consultations at a premium price, you will likely be challenged on your high-end coaching fees! There will always be other coaches who offer their services at lower rates!

But what if you could shift your client’s focus away from your fees and make it all about your “ultimate coaching experience”? A coaching experience that will result in a Desired Outcome for the client!

So how can you create the “ultimate coaching experience” that is always about value and never about fees?  There are 8 value-items that will make your “ultimate coaching experience” both unique and existential to your client’s success! Incorporate these 8 value-items into your coaching program and your clients will invest in you, as if you were the “BMW of coaches”!

1.    The Value of the Initial Coaching Session (ICS)

There is a disturbing disconnect between the value of coaching and the fees that coaches charge their clients. Many traditional coaches are unable to effectively convey that value to a client when they first engage during an Initial Coaching Session. 

The reason for this is simple! If the intent of the ICS session is to “sell” the client on your coaching program, you are shifting the client’s focus away from the value of coaching and redirecting it to the cost of coaching. 

You need to make sure that your client remains completely focused and engaged for the duration of the ICS session!

·         This is not a social call!

·         This is not a coaching call!

·         This is not a sales call

·         It’s a “value confirmation” call!

As a professional coach, your ICS session is not about selling your services! It’s about confirming the value of your services.

2.    The Value of your Signature Coaching Program

Your Signature Coaching Program represents your uniqueness as a coach.  It defines you as a coach!  It is your proprietary method for creating the changes that will lead to the achievement of a Desired Outcome. It is specifically designed and created for those who are in your coaching niche.

If you don’t have a Signature Coaching Program, you will not be able to create the results your clients are looking for and generate the high-end coaching fees you’re entitled to!

3.    The Value of your Expertise.

Many coaches undervalue their expertise! “Expertise” has little to do with having an in-depth knowledge of the client’s Desired Outcome! Coaches are not consultants! (Unless the have specialized knowledge about the subject for which a client seeks coaching). But “expertise” has everything to do with the coach’s ability to coach a client to a certain outcome. The RESULT that the client wants to achieve!  

4.    The Value of your Resolve.

When you undertake a coaching assignment, you require tenacity and resolve to see it through from start to finish!  Half-measures lead to unsatisfactory results! As a coach you are a leader. So act as one! Your clients need to know that you have the resolve to help them find solutions to issues. The resolve to change course when a client is headed in the wrong direction. The resolve to take action when action is needed!

5.    The Value of your Integrity.

Of all the values you must bring to the table, integrity is at the top of the list! Every aspect of your coaching must be intrinsically linked to the level of authenticity and integrity that you possess as a coach! These are the enduring qualities that enable you to deliver the “ultimate coaching experience” clients come to expect!

6.    The Value of your Commitment.

Every type of relationship stands or falls on the value of commitment. Whether it is a personal or professional relationship, without absolute commitment to achieving the desired result, a coach/client relationship is disingenuous. But if your client senses that you’re committed to achieving the RESUT your client is after, your relationship with that client will be enduring and rewarding!

7.    The Value of your Social Proof.

Social Proof is the “holy grail” of any coaching practice. Whenever others testify to your ability for delivering RESULTS, your credibility is enshrined! Always ask for testimonials and gather it as evidence of your ability to create value for your clients.

8.    The Value of the RESULT!

The “Value of the RESULT” represents the correlation between the client’s Desired Outcome and the role you played as a coach! If you provide the  “ultimate coaching experience” by delivering on these 8 values, you will successfully shift your client’s focus away from coaching fees and allow the client to perceive the true value of your coaching program!

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

© Allan N. Mulholland

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, WEB SITE or CONTENT PROMOTION? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

About Allan

Allan N. Mulholland is the founder and president of PersonaCoach (Int'l) LLC, which provides training and certification for life & business coaches. He is the author of “Change Your Perception, Change Yourself!” and writes on all aspects of coaching training and development.

To get Allan’s free Book “Clients Don’t Pay for Coaching. They Pay for RESULTS!” go to www.resultscoachmastery.com (Available January 14th, 2016)

Why Your Coaching Clients Should Expect the Unexpected!

I firmly believe that coaching is about creating a level of expectation! The expectation that, by working with a coach, there will be some type of Desired Outcome. Some type of RESULT!

The problem with traditional coaching is that this level of expectation is usually pretty low! There is often a correlation between a lack of expectation and a lack of motivation! If your clients don’t expect to achieve measurable results from being coached, they will not be motivated to take action and they certainly won’t feel compelled to pay you high-end coaching fees!

And this conundrum accounts for the disparity in income between the 80% of coaches who are struggling financially and the 20% who prosper! Your coaching revenue is in direct proportion to the level of expectation your clients have about working with you as a coach!
While the “expectancy factor” is a huge challenge for many coaches, it is an incredible opportunity for results-driven coaches to raise the bar and deliver the unexpected!  And raising the bar on expectations starts well before you begin to deliver your coaching message!

In fact, it starts with you creating the perception that you are a coach who can deliver results! You must create the assumption that your clients can expect the unexpected! Most clients that you’ll work with will be somewhat sceptical that you will be able to deliver the results they’re after! At the beginning of your relationship with a new client, the level of expectation will likely be rather low. And because of that, they are not willing to make a significant investment in you!

Let me ask you this. If your marketing strategy for coaching is centered around giving away “free sessions”, what do you think will be the level of expectation? My guess is that it will be pretty low!  Even the “psychic” at the County Fair charges $25 for a 10 minute “reading”! And people will pay that amount, because there is a perception that the “psychic” will have the answers to questions that are important to the visitor. There is the expectancy of a RESULT! But more importantly, the “psychic” actually creates an “expectation of the unexpected”!  And it’s the “expectation of the unexpected” that triggers the decision to pay $25!

By offering a “free session”, the level of expectation is at par with the investment by the client! There is NO cost for the session and therefore there is little or no expectation about the outcome! The level of expectation is near ZERO!

For that reason, you should never give away “free sessions”! But there are 5 steps to raising the level of expectation from a “one” to a “five”. And with each step, your clients become more “invested” in you as a coach! With each step, you will raise the level of expectancy to the point where your clients will begin to expect the unexpected!

Step 1 – Raise the Level of Expectancy to a “One” with a $97 fee!
Set a “Value” for your ICS (Initial Coaching Session). Nothing in life is free, and that includes your time as a coach! Time is not a free commodity! Your time is valuable and your clients need to recognize and appreciate that fact!  This goes to the very core of your professional credibility! So set an arbitrary “value” for your ICS. I suggest $97 for this initial call. By investing this small amount, your clients will attach some level of expectation, even if it’s only a “One”! But before you connect with your new client by phone or Skype, it is time to raise the expectancy to a Level “Two”!

Step 2 – Raise the Level of Expectancy to a “Two” with a “Prep Sheet”
In Step 2, you will start to develop a “level of trust” with your clients. You must create the perception that you are a coaching professional by demonstrating that you take the ICS call seriously!  Before you pick up the phone, you need to know some details about your client! What is the goal that the client wants to achieve? What are the challenges he/she is facing? How will this impact the client? What will be the cost to the client, if nothing changes?
So prior to the call, have the client submit an ICS “Prep Sheet”. Once you have that information, you can tailor your ICS call around the issues that the client seeks coaching for! I talk about this in great detail in “Results Coach Mastery”!

Step 3 -  Raise the Level of Expectation to a “Three” with your Signature Program!
Your clients will equate the expectation of a RESULT with the implementation of a SYSTEM! If you cannot communicate “how” you’re going to deliver results, your client won’t invest in you! Forget all the coaching jargon and fluff! Once you show them that you have a unique Signature Coaching Program, they’ll show you the money! So make sure that you have a coaching system in place that is “niche specific” and can function as a template for all your future coaching sessions!

Step 4 – Raise the Level of Expectation to a “Four” with your Coaching Proposal!
At the end of your ICS call, your client will decide whether or not to move forward with you as their coach!  If you properly and effectively implemented steps 1 through 3, the likely outcome will be a resounding YES! But there will be one caveat on the client’s mind!  “How much will this cost me”!  DON’T ASNSWER THAT QUESTION DIRECTLY!  In stead, you must send your client a Coaching Proposal that spells out the details of your coaching program, your coaching philosophy, the projected Timeline for your program, the RESULTS your client can expect to achieve and the “investment” your client needs to make! Haggling about price on the phone is totally unprofessional! With a properly crafted Coaching Proposal, your clients will realize that “it’s always about value and never about fees!”

Step 5 – Raise the Level of Expectation to a “Five” by signing a Coaching Agreement!
Once your Coaching Proposal is accepted by the client, you must ratify the terms and conditions in a Coaching Agreement. The Coaching Agreement creates a measure of commitment and accountability on the part of coach and client.  And since “the devil is in the details”, I dedicate two complete training modules to this subject in Results Coach Mastery.
Once you implement these five steps, you clients should expect the unexpected!

The RESULTS they will pay you high-end coaching fees for!

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

© Allan N. Mulholland

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, WEB SITE or CONTENT PROMOTION? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

About Allan
Allan N. Mulholland is the founder and president of PersonaCoach (Int'l) LLC, which provides training and certification for life & business coaches. He is the author of “Change Your Perception, Change Yourself!” and writes on all aspects of coaching training and development.

To get Allan’s free Book “Clients Don’t Pay for Coaching. They Pay for RESULTS!” go to www.resultscoachmastery.com (Available January 14th, 2016)

CLICK HERE to join our LinkedIn Group.

The Coaching Triad

One of the greatest attributes coaches must possess, is the ability to see the BIG picture that the client doesn’t see! But this “clairvoyance” is often obscured by the objectives that our clients have when they seek our help as coaches!

When a patient suffers from an ailment and consults with a doctor about the “pain”, that patient will point to a “symptom”! It’s up to the doctor to identify the cause. The doctor must be able to see the BIG picture!

When I first started coaching, one of the biggest challenges I faced was looking beyond the clients “symptoms” and understanding the underlying challenges or motivations that the client needed to address! It was one thing to listen to the client’s “reasons” for wanting to work with me. But in order for me to deliver the RESULTS that my client was after, I had to dig deeper!  Much deeper!

I began to realize that any coaching program must follow a certain “trajectory”. I referenced the “Coaching Trajectory” in previous articles, but today I want to focus on the three main components of any coaching program. They are:

1. Objective
2. Odyssey
3. Outcome

Objective
Understanding your client’s objective is paramount to delivering the RESULT that your client wants to achieve! Don’t just ‘listen, empathize, ask questions, inspire and motivate’!

• Listening to your client is “passive coaching”! Understanding your client’s needs and being fully focused on the RESULT is “active coaching”. It is the key to delivering a Desired Outcome!
• Showing empathy is “reactive coaching”. You must go beyond “empathy” to seek solutions! Empathy alone will not sustain your coach/client relationship.
• Make sure that your questions aren’t always open-ended or create a continuous “loop”. At some point you and your client must exit the freeway in order to arrive at a destination!
• Inspire your clients to go beyond their initial objective. That’s where they’ll find true fulfillment!
• Motivate your clients to achieve their “impossible” by raising the bar on their “achievable”!

Once you have a clear understanding of your client’s challenges at their core, or discover the true motivation behind your client’s Desired Outcome, it’s time to take your client on an “epic journey”!

Odyssey
Most coaching trainers and gurus create the simplistic notion that coaching is about taking the client on a journey to the “Promised Land”. They make it sound as if coaching is some idyllic “voyage” that will ferry the client from a “place of despair” to a “place of desire”! But all the coaching “jargon” will not navigate your client to his/her destiny and all the coaching “fluff” will not lift the fog that envelopes their Desired Outcome!

Working with a coach to achieve a RESULT is not a leisurely journey!  It is an Odyssey!
There is a path to follow! There are ‘milestones’ to achieve! There are roadblocks to maneuver!  There are detours to navigate!  There will be turbulence to throw your client off course!

And every leg of the Odyssey will require some type of action on the part of the client! Every step along the way will demand accountability and determination from both coach and client!
This is not a coaching “kumbaya”!

Your client’s “Odyssey” is fraught with challenges . . . . and opportunities!

You are not a “tour guide” on some coaching bus! Your job as a coach is to be the navigator while the client is at the helm! Together you will steer the ship through the eye of a storm. Together you will hoist the sails in search of opportunities!

And when your client’s Odyssey is finished, you will have made good on your promise!
You have delivered the RESULT your client hired you for!

Outcome
Your client’s world is changing at an ever increasing pace! To think that your client can reach a Desired Outcome with only a handful of coaching sessions is naïve at best and absurd in the absolute! Your “Coaching Trajectory” will still be there, long after the illusive rainbow (your client’s simplistic “objective”) has disappeared! I don’t believe in illusions so I don’t create any!  I don’t cloak my coaching promises in jargon! I don’t attract clients by luring them into a coach web spun with “fluff”!

If you want to deliver the RESULTS that clients will pay you high-end coaching fees for, create a “Coaching Triad” that can lead them to their Desired Outcome!

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

© Allan N. Mulholland

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, WEB SITE or CONTENT PROMOTION? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

About Allan
Allan N. Mulholland is the founder and president of PersonaCoach (Int'l) LLC, which provides training and certification for life & business coaches. He is the author of “Change Your Perception, Change Yourself!” and writes on all aspects of coaching training and development.

To get Allan’s free Book “Clients Don’t Pay for Coaching. They Pay for RESULTS!” go to www.resultscoachmastery.com (Available January 14th, 2016)

CLICK HERE to join our LinkedIn Group.

How To Develop a Coaching Persona That Achieves RESULTS!

There is only one reason why a client wants to work with a coach!

They want to effect change!

They may be looking for a new relationship, a more rewarding career, a healthier lifestyle or a unique business opportunity. They may not know exactly what that change will look like or how to achieve it, but they know one thing for sure! They are unhappy with their current situation!

Many traditional coaches will embark on a quest to alter that current situation and create a path toward the goal the client desires! It is what coaches do! But before you can effect change in a client, you must understand the reality of the client’s current situation. Or more importantly, the reason the client finds him/herself in this situation!

And this is where traditional coaching often goes off the rails!

It is not about your client’s shortcomings, although there may be many!  It is not about your client’s motivation, although that may certainly need to improve. And it’s not about your client’s ability to achieve results! It is all about your client’s perception of “who they are”!  And that perception is responsible for the situation they are in!

I’ve written about the importance of perception in several previous articles, but there are really only two types of perception:

1. The perception we have about ourselves, which is an internal perception, and
2. The perception we project onto others, which is an external perception.

Now, unless your client is an accomplished actor or a delusional sociopath, these two types of perception are a part of the client’s persona.  I will delve a lot deeper into the complexities of a persona profile in future articles, but the takeaway for today is that you (as a coach) must recognize the existence of the various personas that are responsible for, or contribute to these two types of perception.

In order for you to coach a client to effect meaningful and measurable change, you must first discover which personas are affecting your client’s current situation and then help your client to develop the personas that will be instrumental in creating the results your client wants to achieve. And for coaches, there is only one way to deliver those results. You must create a “Perception Makeover” for each client that you work with!

Creating a “Perception Makeover” is one of the core coaching programs that I offer my clients. If you’d like to find out more about that program, just send an email request to coach@personacoach.com and I’ll give you all the details.

But essentially, a “Perception Makeover” looks at the results the client wants to achieve and then helps the client develop one, two or three personas that will deliver that result!

I have identified three types of personas (or personae – if you’re a linguistic purist).
They are:

• The Attractive Persona
• The Assertive Persona
• The Innovative Persona

The “Attractive Persona” is responsible for projecting an image that will be perceived as a genuine representation of all the values, characteristics and qualities of “the person who would be successful” in creating a Desired Outcome. For example, if you are a relationship coach, your client’s “Attractive Persona” must resonate with a prospective partner or “soulmate”

The “Assertive Persona” is responsible for projecting an image that will be perceived as a representation of the strength, moral character and determination that your client possesses. For example, if you are a career coach, your client’s “Assertive Persona” will display all the element that will make him/her fully qualified for the career position.

The “Innovative Persona” is responsible for projecting the perception of someone who can take something to a new level. Someone who can create a new concept. Someone who can inspire a new idea! Some who can develop a new concept.  For example, if you’re a business coach, your client’s “Innovative Persona” can become the driving force behind a new venture or opportunity in their professional life!

Given the diversity of clients that I personally work with, I often use a combination of these three persona types to help the client create the ideal person for the task! And I do this by engaging the client in a “Perception Makeover” that aligns the new persona with the inherent talents and characteristics traits that are unique to the client.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

© Allan N. Mulholland

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, WEB SITE or CONTENT PROMOTION? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

About Allan
Allan N. Mulholland is the founder and president of PersonaCoach (Int'l) LLC, which provides training and certification for life & business coaches. He is the author of “Change Your Perception, Change Yourself!” and writes on all aspects of coaching training and development.

To get Allan’s free Book “Clients Don’t Pay for Coaching. They Pay for RESULTS!” go to www.resultscoachmastery.com (Available January 14th, 2016)

CLICK HERE to join our LinkedIn Group.

3 Compelling Reasons Why You Should Be Coaching For RESULTS!

When a client achieves a Desired Outcome with your help as a coach, the VALUE of that result will be far greater than the coaching fees they invested in you!

In one of my previous articles, I explained the concept of creating a “Coaching Trajectory”. It’s the “pot-of-gold at the end of the rainbow”! It is the “one thing” that clients want to achieve. And it’s the result you must deliver!

But often this “trajectory” goes off course! The arrow misses its target. The golf ball lands in the rough. The goal is out-of-reach!

In my early days as a coach, I would always set my sights on the VISION that was my clients target! But invariably that “vision” shifted over time. It would become blurry and unfocused.

The trajectory missed its mark!

I spent years trying to create the perfect trajectory for achieving results! But there is no “perfect trajectory”! When an airplane follows a certain trajectory to fly from point A to point B, it constantly “adjusts” the course trajectory. It makes compensations to avoid turbulence. It climbs in altitude to take advantage of favorable wind currents! It never flies in a straight line!

Your coaching trajectory also requires constant changes in direction. As a coach, you are the “navigator” on your client’s plane. You are constantly plotting new directions for your client’s journey without ever losing sight of the final destination.

The RESULT your client is after! The “one thing” they want to achieve with you as their coach! And there are 3 compelling reasons why you should be coaching for results!

1 - RESULTS = High-End Coaching Fees
Clients don’t pay for coaching. They pay for RESULTS! In a previous article, I outlined the specific formula for determining your high-end coaching fees! The closer your “Coaching Trajectory” is aligned with your client’s Desired Outcome, the higher you can set your fees and the less resistance your client will have to paying you what your worth.

But you must create the perception for the client that you are in fact delivering those results with your coaching program. And that perception must be constantly reinforced with the achievement of each “milestone” along the trajectory! (I discussed the value of creating “Coaching Timelines” in a previous post)

2 - RESULTS = Long-Term Client Relationships
If you want to develop long-term relationships with your clients, there is no better way than consistently delivering results!  Most people are creatures of habit. And when the find something they like, they keep coming back to it!

I used to be a “news junkie” on CNN. I would faithfully watch Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper and a variety of other CNN notables. I spend hours watching these people spinning the same “breaking news” and then analyze it “ad nauseam”. And then I realized that I didn’t care so much about “what they said”. I just wanted them to be in my living room! They had become a part of my “extended family”!

When you deliver the results your clients are looking for, you will become a part of their extended family! You will become their mentor and confidant! And as long as you keep delivering the results they need to achieve, they’ll “adopt” you!

3 - RESULTS = Constant Client Referrals
Marketing legend Zig Ziglar said, “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”  For your coaching clients, that “one thing” is RESULTS!  You see, you can have higher coaching fees, but your referral sources will always support you because you are a coach who delivers results!

Leadership expert John C. Maxwell says that leadership is influence. Nothing more, nothing less. How do you get influence with your coaching clients? By delivering results! Bring them results and they will bring you referrals. It’s the “Law of Reciprocity”!  You can be the most “accredited” coach in the world, but without delivering results no one will care and you’ll go broke! 

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

© Allan N. Mulholland

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, WEB SITE or CONTENT PROMOTION? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

About Allan
Allan N. Mulholland is the founder and president of PersonaCoach (Int'l) LLC, which provides training and certification for life & business coaches. He is the author of “Change Your Perception, Change Yourself!” and writes on all aspects of coaching training and development.

To get Allan’s free Book “Clients Don’t Pay for Coaching. They Pay for RESULTS!” go to www.resultscoachmastery.com (Available January 14th, 2016)

CLICK HERE to join our LinkedIn Group.

Do You Have a Coaching Trajectory?

When a client hires a coach, they always have a certain objective in mind. This may be a relationship, a new career, getting into shape, starting a new business venture, the list goes on and on! Call it what you will, but every client you’ll work with will have some sort of result they want to achieve “at the end of the coaching rainbow”.

For many clients, the “results” they want to achieve are often as illusive as the “pot-of-gold” that lies at the end of the rainbow. They want to make that “special connection” with someone, but they don’t know how or where! They want to make a career change, but they just don’t know what new career they want to pursue! They want to get into shape or lose weight, but every time they start a new diet or fitness program, their long-term commitment fizzles! They want to become entrepreneurs, but the process is just too overwhelming!
The “rainbow” is always out there beckoning your clients, but the “pot-of-gold” seems out of reach! And that’s why they need your help!

Many traditional coaches make the mistake of offering to coach their clients toward a goal without a systematic approach to deliver the results that clients are after! Instead of following an illusive “rainbow”, your clients must follow a very specific “trajectory” that will take them to their goal and deliver the results they want to achieve!

But a “Coaching Trajectory” is not the same as a “Coaching Timeline”! Coaching “timelines” are very specific in duration and outcome. They must achieve a certain goal or objective within a specified time period. I usually create coaching timelines between 3 to 6-month maximum. That way I can deliver results with a degree of certainty and accountability! If it takes longer than 6 months, I am coaching a vision!

Visions are impossible to coach toward, for they lack clarity and focus. They are subjective and impossible to measure! Yet, these “visions” are often what clients want to achieve. They want to meet their “soulmate” for a lifetime of happiness (VISION)! They want to find their “dream job” (VISION)! They see themselves in that slimmer, trimmer dress (VISION)! They want to be the entrepreneur who can build that amazing business. (VISION)!

So, while the “rainbow” may be illusive, the coaching timeline is often restrictive. But if you sign a client up for a one-year coaching program to find an ideal relationship, their prospects for getting a life partner are suddenly projected onto a one-year timeline! Good luck selling that package! So set interim goals (timelines) to achieve certain milestone, e.g. a first date! Reaching milestones with your coaching program creates accountability between coach and client!

A string of “milestones” eventually creates a clear and solid path toward the ultimate Desired Outcome . . . . in this case finding a “soulmate”! The same principles apply to other types of results that your clients are after. Finding a “dream job” may require a number of milestones that your client must achieve. Maybe a different degree or specialized training? Maybe a relocation to another city or state?

Creating interim goals for weight loss may lead to the body image your client has envisioned. Building a start-up business has so many moving parts, that the objective can be intimidating and overwhelming. Yet each “moving part” is a milestone on a coaching timeline!

No matter what, the path to achieving a Desired Outcome is a “trajectory” for the client. But instead of chasing rainbows in search of an illusive “pot-of-gold”, you will have a “Coaching Trajectory” that will deliver the results your clients hired you for!

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© Allan N. Mulholland

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About Allan
Allan N. Mulholland is the founder and president of PersonaCoach (Int'l) LLC, which provides training and certification for life & business coaches. He is the author of “Change Your Perception, Change Yourself!” and writes on all aspects of coaching training and development.

To get Allan’s free Book “Clients Don’t Pay for Coaching. They Pay for RESULTS!” go to www.resultscoachmastery.com (Available January 14th, 2016)

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