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!

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

© 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.

Let Silence Be a Coach's Ally

Silence can be deafening!

There are only two reasons for being silent during a conversation:
1 - A person has nothing to say, in which case there really is no conversation going on, or
2 - The person has something to say, but is not saying it!

We all have experienced these moments of ‘awkward silence’. It often happens when there is disagreement on an issue and the silent party stops articulating its point of view. And when that happens, the other person starts to panic. Nature abhors a vacuum, so we feel compelled to break the silence!  

We start to speak!

When we speak to break the silence, we are filling a void. And we fill that void without the benefit of well thought-out, meaningful and properly articulated dialogue. When we panic to fill the silence, we usually fill it with drivel!

Why do we feel so awkward during an extended period of silence? Why do we feel so compelled to fill the void? Why do we blink first?

Simple!

It is the “fear of the unknown”! We don’t know what is on the other person’s mind, if he/she doesn’t speak it! And that uncertainty is often intimidating and unnerving. And when silence is combined with body language, it can be downright scary! The proverbial calm before the storm!

When you break the silence or when you blink first, you are often at a disadvantage. Great salespeople have honed the technique of the “silent close” to a fine art. Silence is control!

There will be times when silence is your hidden coaching ally. It allows your clients to reveal their deepest fears or hidden desires. Let them carefully formulate their thoughts before communicating them. Then give yourself the opportunity to respond in a timely fashion! Don’t use the typical coaching jargon to frame your responses. Don’t use metaphors that confuse the clients, rather than clarify their position. Wait for the moment that will have your client fully engaged in your coaching call. The subtle anxiety you create with your silence. Don’t blurt out a response, unless it is laser-targeted on the result your client is looking for! Then when your client is at a state of heightened attention, you introduce a solution of a new path forward. It’s what an effective coach does.

Let silence be an ally and not a distraction. Of all the things that could be said during a coaching call, the words that aren’t spoken are often the most powerful! They will always be understood, but they will never come back to haunt you! 

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

© 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:

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.

7 Strategies For Charging High-End Coaching Fees!

Here are seven strategies that, when fully implemented, will result in the high-end coaching fees your clients will be eager to pay you. Each one of these seven strategies contains a piece of the puzzle that, when put together, becomes the framework for a results-driven coaching practice!

As with any puzzle, if one of the pieces is missing, you will not be able to produce the results your clients are looking for, nor will you be able to justify the high-end fees you’re entitled to! I refer to these strategies as the “7 R’s of Results Coaching”.
They are:

1. Reason
2. Relationship
3. Representation
4. Recognition
5. Regard
6. Responsibility
7. Result

If you follow these seven steps in the order they are presented you will soon begin to reap the benefits of being perceived and rewarded as a Results Coach!
Let’s begin

Strategy #1 – Know Your Objective!
The first “R” stands for REASON.
There are two essentials for entering into a coaching relationship with a client:

1. You must have a compelling reason for wanting to work with the client.
2. The client must have a compelling reason for wanting to work with you!

Let me explain the interdependence of these two essentials!
As a Results Coach you share a clear objective with your client. And that objective is to achieve a result (or Desired Outcome). What is often less clear, is your shared understanding of the Desired Outcome.   Many coaches will enter into a coaching program that has no specific objective in mind! They’re just happy to be coaching someone!

Anyone!

If you’re not perfectly clear on the objective of your coaching program, you don’t have a compelling reason to coach your client. If you don’t understand the result your client wants to achieve, or if the Desired Outcome is not an absolute MUST for your client, you will not be able to target your coaching program on the objective! If a coaching program cannot be focused on a very specific outcome for the client, you will not be able to achieve the results for which your client will pay you high-end coaching fees!

It is equally important for your client to ascertain that you are the coach who can ultimately deliver the results the client is looking for. If you’re client is not certain about your ability to facilitate a Desired Outcome, your coaching program will be sabotaged from the start! A lack of certainty leads to a lack of commitment on the part of the client! This will ultimately diminish the value of your coaching program and undermine the effectiveness of your coaching relationship.

So before you and your client commit to a coaching program, make sure that both you and the client have a clear understanding of the overall objective and a mutual determination to achieve a desired result!

Here are two critical components of this mutual evaluation process:

1. Introductory Coaching Session (ICS)

This is an exploratory 30 minute session to determine whether there is a solid interdependence between the client’s objective to work with you, and your ability to facilitate this objective. You may offer this ICS call for free, but I do not recommend that! Anything that creates value requires an investment. Even if you have nothing but time on your hands, you should always insist on attaching an investment to your time with a client! So charge $97 for the ICS, with a refund option if the ICS did not measure up to the client’s expectations!

1. ICS Prep Sheet

Prior to the call, you need to send out an ICS Prep Sheet that serves a dual purpose:

1. It prepares the coach for the upcoming call by providing details about:
2. The client’s issue(s), challenge(s), goal(s) and objective(s)
3. The emotional and financial cost to the client for not achieving a Desired Outcome - (Cost Assessment)
4. The emotional and financial value to the client for achieving a Desired Outcome – (Value Statement)
5. It show the client that the coach is investing time and effort into creating value for the client during the ICS.

Once the client completes the ICS Prep Sheet, you can then determine whether the issue merits a custom coaching plan that you will prepare and send to the client immediately after the ICS call has ended!

Your 30 minute ICS is structured in such a way that it validates you as the Results Coach the client needs in order to achieve their Desired Outcome. There are 4 components to the ICS call that will accomplish this objective:

1 - Issue (5 minutes)

Have the client communicate in their own words how they would describe the issue or challenge they’re dealing with. This could be a personal issue, such as a relationship or a weight loss problem, or a professional issue dealing with a career or business. Since your client already summarized this issue in the ICS Prep Sheet, you should be able to condense the description to a maximum of five minutes!

2 - Impact (5 minutes)

Have the client communicate in their own words how this issue is impacting their personal and/or professional life. Key elements of this component will be the emotional impact on their daily routine or their quality of life. It is crucial to the outcome of the ICS that you engage your client at a highly emotional level to describe the pain and despair this issue is causing and the situation that they find themselves in. Review and confirm the “Cost Assessment” on the ICS Prep Sheet of not achieving their Desired Outcome. Please allow 5 minutes max and make sure you take copious notes before you move on to the next component.

3 - Resolve (5 minutes)

Ask your client a direct question at this point! “Is your Desired Outcome an absolute MUST to achieve, or is it just a wish or desire?” In order for you to work with a client and achieve a Desired Result, the resolve needs to be an absolute MUST. You are a Results Coach and not a “dream weaver”! You are 100% dedicated to help your client achieve their Desired Outcome, but your client needs to be equally committed to the goal! Again, allow 5 minutes max and make sure you take detailed notes before you move on to the next component.

4 - Solution (15 minutes)

Up to this point, the client has done most of the talking. Now it’s time for you to take the helm! This is your moment to deliver!

• You fully understand the objective for which your client seeks your help.
• You fully appreciate the impact this has on your client’s personal and/or professional life!
• You feel inspired and motivated by your client’s determination to achieve their Desired Outcome.
• You have decided that you want to work with this client and you are going to spend the next 15 minutes explaining how your unique and proprietary coaching program is going to deliver the desired results!

Strategy #2 - A True Life Coach is a Coach for Life!
The second “R” stands for RELATIONSHIP.

One of the major challenges many coaches face is finding a proper balance between delivering results in the short-term and maintaining a coach-client relationship over the long-run.

But here’s the good news!
A
long-term relationship with a client does not compromise your ability to deliver desired results. In fact, as your client’s goals and objectives change over time, the desire for a life-long coaching relationship will grow ever stronger!

We all know that the only constant in life is change, and your ultimate role as a coach is to facilitate change for your clients! You don’t want to enter into a single issue coaching “affair” with a client! You want to enter into a long-term “coaching marriage” that is based on trust and respect!

As your relationship with a client “matures” over time, you will be able to delve deeper into your client’s true motivation for working with you as a coach. You develop a level of trust and respect that fosters a life-long relationship and produces the transformational results that will continue to generate high-end coaching fees!

But transformational results are never arbitrary! The very nature of a transformation is that it takes place incrementally and over an extended period of time.   A transformation occurs when a dream becomes a vision.

When a Mission Statement becomes a Vision Statement!

Unfortunately, many coaches are so anxious to meet their clients’ demands that they focus on a long-term vision rather than a short-term result!

THIS IS A HUGE MISTAKE!

You cannot coach a dream, nor can you coach a vision! You can support it, but you cannot coach it! But you can coach the incremental steps that become the building blocks for the transformation. You can coach the “milestones” that your clients must achieve in order to complete the transformation over time. These are the “Milestones” that will be perceived as the results your clients will pay you high-end coaching fees for!

But before you can take your clients on this transformational journey, you must have a systematized approach to Results Coaching! You need to have a coaching system that is flexible, adaptable and client specific!

You must create a coaching system that is results-driven and goal-oriented! A coaching system that is uniquely yours and defines you as a Results Coach!

Which brings us to . . . . .

Strategy #3 - Design your Signature Program
The third “R” stands for REPRESENTATION.

As a Results Coach, you must design a Signature Program and use it as the template for your Coaching Program. But here’s an important distinction! While your Coaching Program is based on your Signature Program . . . THEY ARE NOT THE SAME!

The best way to describe a Signature Program is to compare it to a self-help book. This self-help book has unique and valuable content that the reader can use to arrive at a Desired Outcome. The “modules” of a Signature Program are like the “chapters” of this book. And because you created and designed the program, it bears your signature!
Hence the name Signature Program!

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

The format of the Signature Program that I will describe for you is meant to be a guide to get you started. Once you’ve created your outline, defined your message and stated the objective(s) of your program, it is simply a matter of “filling in the blanks” with your content!
The Signature Program you need to create will be a 12 week program. Of course you can design your Signature Program to be as long as you like, but I recommend that you create your initial program around a 12 week framework and only expand on it once you’ve had a chance to work with it for a while.

As I stated earlier, the Signature Program you’re going to develop will have a total of 12 Modules. One module for each week of the program. First you’ll create the ‘framework’ for the modules. Once you’ve created the ‘framework’, you can populate each module with an outline and structure for the content.

The content of your Signature Program must be applicable to anyone in your coaching niche. It is “niche specific”. When you incorporate your Signature Program into your Coaching Program, you can make your content “client specific”.

There are 4 criteria that need to be met to make your Signature Program “niche specific”!

1. Identify the biggest challenges of your coaching niche.
2. Identify the common goals of your coaching niche.
3. Describe your unique attributes or qualifications when it comes to working with your coaching niche.
4. Explain how your approach to coaching is different from other coaches in your coaching niche.

If you don’t have a Signature Program for your coaching practice, you will not be able to create the results your clients are looking for and generate the high-end coaching fees to provide you with a lifestyle of choice!

Strategy #4 - Develop a Unique Coaching Proposition
The fourth “R” stands for RECOGNITION.

You need to be recognized as a Results Coach in order to attract high paying clients and charge high-end coaching fees! You must have a “Unique Coaching Proposition” (UCP).

A “Unique Coaching Proposition” is the perception a Results Coach must create to convince the client that his or her coaching program is different from and better than that of the competition. Unless you can convey to your clients what makes your coaching proposition unique in a world of homogeneous and traditional coaches, you cannot target your niche market successfully.

Deciding on a UCP is possibly the most important decision you can make about your coaching practice. If you make your coaching practice stand apart from the crowd, everything you do will be easier. Clients will be easier to come by and will gladly spread the word about the results you achieved for them.

On the other hand, if you don’t develop an effective UCP, getting any potential clients to pay attention to you will be a constant struggle. Your UCP can mean the difference between success and failure.

Your Unique Coaching Proposition is what makes you stand out as a coach. It’s what makes you different from other coaches and earns you a special place in the minds of your potential clients. Differentiating your business is a good thing, whether you’re talking about your coaching itself, your products or your marketing. I like to think of your overall UCP as your reason for coaching. Think about it from your client’s point of view. With hundreds of potential coaches out there, you have to answer the question, “why should I work with you?”  If you don’t answer that question quickly, your potential coaching clients will move on. It’s really pretty simple.

It’s not about being the best coach. It’s about delivering the best RESULTS!
When you’re just starting out or if your coaching practice is struggling, it’s often hard to compete on coaching quality alone. You need to change the conversation. Instead of screaming “hey, look at me, I’m a great coach too,” you want to confidently say, “Hey, I’m all about RESULTS! I do things differently. If you’re looking for a Results Coach, I’m the coach who can deliver!”

How to define your Unique Coaching Proposition
There are a lot of different approaches you can take. Your UCP might end up being a combination of things. There’s no one right answer. And depending on what type of coaching you do, even a small amount of differentiation could lead to a much greater level of success.

Here are a few simple ways to differentiate your coaching practice.
1 - Use your personality
Oftentimes your personality as a coach can make a powerful difference in the way you develop a coaching relationship. By putting your personal stamp on your coaching practice, you create a Unique Coaching Proposition no other coach can replicate (there is only one you, after all).
2 - Explore Coaching Methods that focus on RESULTS!
Think about your Signature Program and how this makes your coaching programs unique. Your UCP doesn’t require inventing something new, just combine your Signature Program (niche specific) and your Coaching Program (client specific) into a unique coaching experience!.
3 - Narrow your Niche.
By narrowing your niche, promoting your coaching services to that niche becomes much easier. Once you know where to find your niche and where they hang out online, you can target them.
4 - Narrow the Focus of your Coaching Practice.
Finally, you can focus on one particular aspect of your coaching. Instead of being a life coach, become a Results Coach who can deliver the results that clients are prepared to pay high-end coaching fees for! Instead of being a business coach, become an Executive Coach who specializes in helping CEO’s from large corporations.

Remember, you’re not trying to appeal to everyone!
When starting out, creating a UCP might seem like you’ll be leaving out some potential clients. It’s a natural tendency to want to coach everybody. But when you try to coach everybody, you’ll end up delivering weak and unsatisfactory results. The goal of your UCP will be to connect more strongly with your niche clientele. When you connect strongly with a smaller niche audience, your influence will spread much more quickly.

Strategy #5 – Your Coaching Proposal
The fifth “R” stands for RESOLVE.

Many coaches dread the moment where they have to bring up the subject of their fees! Some coaches try to avoid having to deal with this issue by posting their fee schedule on their website. By putting it out in the open it shows a level of transparency on the part of the coach. No hidden fees and no surprises.

Other coaches simply blurt it out! They take a deep breath and hastily tell the client what their fees are. Then they wait for that awkward silence that precedes the client’s response. Sometimes the client says “Yes”, but most of the time the client defers any commitment to some future date.

The reason for all this discomfort with coaching fees is very simple. The client’s perception of coaching value does not match the coaches’ resolve to charge high-end fees for the coaching services he/she will provide. But more importantly, the coach has not had a chance to sufficiently communicate the value of the coaching services in the time allotted for the Initial Coaching Session (ICS).

Whether the ICS is free or provided for a nominal fee, there simply isn’t adequate time to:

• outline the scope of the coaching program
• determine its value to the client, and
• present the coaching fees in a professional manner.

For many coaches, rejection becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy!

It always amazes me that for a profession that is so reliant on service and goodwill, many coaches still insist that the ICS is the time and place to enter into coaching agreement! It’s where the deal is done and the value and fees are determined!

Nothing could be further from the truth!

The ICS call is not meant to be a coaching session. It is not designed to “sell” your coaching services! And it is not the time to discuss your coaching fees! An ICS call only has one purpose! Its sole function it to move the client to the next phase in the process of attracting highly motivated and valuable coaching clients. And what is that next step?

As soon as you finish your ICS call, you must send your client a Coaching Proposal. Your CP consists of 5 parts that are all designed to accomplish one thing - To confirm to the client that you are the Results Coach who can facilitate their Desired Outcome! Each of the 5 elements of the Coaching Proposal adds a unique value and authenticity to your ability to help the client achieve a desired result.

1. The first element gives your client the outline for your coaching program. It answers the HOW question.
2. The second element identifies the goals and objectives of your coaching program. It answers the WHAT question.
3. The third element sets out the commitment that is required to achieve the Desired Outcome. It answers the WHY question.
4. The fourth element determines the mutual accountability for coach and client. It answers the WHO question.
5. The fifth element brings it all together. It answers the HOW MUCH question. This is where you spell out your coaching fees, how they are determined, how they are to be paid, etc.

With a properly prepared Coaching Proposal, your clients will see the value of you program and the justification behind your fees. And you will no longer have to deal with any “fee anxiety”!

Strategy #6 – The Accountability Factor
The sixth “R” stands for RESPONSIBILITY.

If the objective of a Results Coach is to facilitate a result for the client, to what extent should the delivery of that result be the responsibility of the coach? In other words, when you enter into a Coaching Agreement with a client, are you responsible for the client’s Desired Outcome?

This is probably one of the most controversial aspects of coaching. Many traditional coaches will argue that “it’s up to the client to achieve the Desired Outcome” and therefore delivering results is not the role of a coach.

I personally consider this a cop-out and an excuse for not wanting to create a level of accountability on the part of the coach. True, you can’t control the client’s ability to achieve a Desired Outcome and that is certainly not your role.

But it is your role to hold your client’s feet to the fire and if the client is not progressing at the rate you originally estimated his/her feet are going to be awfully sore!

You and your client are about to embark on a voyage through uncharted waters. Even though you’re the captain of the ship, your client is paying the fare! And because your client is paying you high-end coaching fees, he/she gets to travel first-class!

If there is turbulence ahead for your client, adjust the altitude of your coaching plane.

If there is a storm brewing, find shelter for your client.

If the prevailing winds are favorable to your client, hoist all sails!

If your client’s ship is drifting aimlessly, grab hold of the rudder!

But while the coach is accountable for the safe passage to the Promised Land of a Desired Outcome, the client is accountable for determining the ultimate destination. It is their Desired Outcome you’re travelling toward, not yours! It is your job to ferry the client to their Promised Land. But let the client choose the port of entry. It is your job to interpret the navigational charts. But let the client choose the direction. It is your job to set the course. But allow the client to ‘adjust’ it. It is your job to get them from Point A to Point B. But let the client select the itinerary and the stops along the way.

If results are the essence of your Coaching Program and commitment is the glue that bonds, then accountability is the shield that protects your Coaching Program from the effects of harmful influences that may cause your client to veer off their intended course.
While you are accountable to your client for facilitating their desired result, your client is responsible and accountable for the successful achievement of a Desired Outcome. Your role as a Results Coach is to show the way!

No coach/client relationship can survive without a high degree of accountability on both sides! As a Results Coach, you’ll not only raise the bar on the delivery of your coaching program, but you will also raise the bar on your client’s performance!

And that is true accountability!

Strategy #7 - From Perception to Reality!
The seventh “R” stands for RESULT.

When differentiating between traditional coaching and Results Coaching, I always try to qualify those labels in terms of measurable and quantifiable results. In sports competition, the difference between good and great is decided at the finish line. In the corporate world, these differences are dictated by profitability, productivity and market share.
But in coaching, the quantitative measures are far more subjective and illusive. The difference between a traditional coach and a Results Coach is often measured in degrees of perception.

Results coaching fuses the concepts of performance, accountability and achievement by helping the client change their perception of a desired result, thereby facilitating an outcome that is aligned with their expectations. And is your client’s expectations (or perception) of results that will ultimately lead them to pay your high-end coaching fees!
By changing the client's perception of a goal or objective, a Results Coach allows the client to change the perception of their Desired Outcome and turn it into an achievable reality!

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

© 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.