Coaching Skills Program PDF

Coaching Skills Program
Week 1
THE BUILDING
BLOCKS OF COACHING
© 2011 The Life Coaching Academy Version 2011/1

Week 1
THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF COACHING
This module is divided into two parts. The first part is found in the
workbook and recorded on audio. In studying this unit you will learn:-
"The history of coaching.
"How the Coaching Academy was founded.
"What coaching is and is not.
"Different methods for delivering coaching.
"The ethics and responsibilities of a coach.
The second part of this module is included in the workbook, but not on the
audio. In this second section you will find written information and guidance
about the course itself and how it works. Topics covered will include:-
"The course syllabus.
"The assessment procedures.
"The practical coaching requirements.
"The requirements for the written assignments.
"The support you will be offered.
"The accreditation process.
Included in the second section you will also find a reading list with brief
descriptions of the texts as guidance. There is space to record what you
have read, your learning points and any ideas you would like to pursue in
greater depth.
The Building Blocks of Coaching Page 2

How The Life Coaching Academy was founded.
When we launched The Life Coaching Academy as Australia's first life coach
training facility in the summer of 2001, we had high hopes. The reality has
exceeded our expectations as we have grown to become the largest
organisation of its kind in Australia.
This phenomenal growth is largely the result of word-of-mouth

recommendation and, of course, we have constantly added value to our
training programmes to ensure that we retain our position as brand leader.
The Life Coaching Academy is Australia’s market leader in life coach training. The
Academy has roots in personal development and has been at the forefront
of life coach training for ten years.
The Academy operates out of offices in Queensland. 2000 coaches

from all over Australasia have trained, or are training, with The
Academy. These people have backgrounds in areas such as education,
health care, alternative medicines, counselling and therapy, sports
coaching, human resources and training, and many other careers where
“getting the most out of people and moving them forward” is seen as an
essential skill.
We are particularly proud that The Academy has raised the standards of life
coaching and life coach training and that so many of our graduates are now
helping their clients whilst earning excellent incomes from their own
practices. Our coaches go on to run full or part-time practices or they take
their skills back into the workplace. Some of our life coaches operate solely
in the private sector, some in the business world and others work in both.

What is coaching?
Coaching is personal development in action. It is a completely practical
skill, underpinned by a good knowledge and understanding of the theories
and applications of personal development. It is influenced by the entire
body experience – typically defined as mind, body and spirit.
In Miles Downey’s own words, “Coaching by definition encourages

learning, invites creativity and delivers high performance. Coaching is the
art of facilitating the performance, learning and development of another”.
In Take Yourself to the Top, Laura Berman Fortgang offers a more

simplistic, but equally valid definition. She says coaching is about, “Where
you were, where you are now, and overcoming the hurdles to where you
want to go”.
Life Coaching is about ‘the now and the future’. A life coach gives people
the confidence and ability to move forward in a positive manner in the
areas of their life where they crave change. Life coaching is about breaking
down barriers that prevent this change from happening and creating the
ideal environment for positive action to take place. It is a totally holistic
approach that looks at the present and sets goals for a totally successful
future.
Life coaching begins with an awareness that every human is born with the
ability to be, do or have, whatever they want in life. By the time we become
adults, many of us have lost this ability. But, eventually, we experience the
feeling that our lives are drifting off course and that “there must be
something better than this”.
Coaching can take place face to face or over the telephone. It can be used
with private individuals or within a business environment. Life coaches can
specialise in particular areas or offer a general service.

In essence, life coaching is a highly practical and portable skill that can be
tailored to suit you and your clients. It provides unlimited opportunities to
create your own successful part or full time practice. Your life coaching
skills can also be a valuable addition to your own career portfolio, which
you can use for the benefit of your employers.
What life coaching is NOT!

By now you will be building up a comprehensive picture of what life
coaching is all about. As you work through the course material you will
gradually become more familiar with the role of the coach, the skills of the
coach, and the constituents of an effective coaching relationship.
Just to be absolutely clear let me reiterate that:-

Life coaching is not about the past. It does not dwell on what has
happened or why it has happened. It is not the medium through
which serious abuse or addictions can be treated. If you become
aware that your client has been the subject of physical, mental or
sexual abuse, or has an addiction to drugs or alcohol you must
suggest they seek the help of a trained professional. Coaching is
not therapy.
Life Coaching is not designed to support individuals in times of deep crisis

or serious emotional trauma. It is not designed to help individuals
overcome feelings of intense grief, deep depression or other psychological
conditions. As a coach, if you become aware that your client has a serious
problem relating to something that happened to them in the past, or
something that is unresolved and still troubling them, it is your duty to
recommend that they seek professional help. Coaching is not counselling.
Life Coaching does not teach, show or demonstrate how to approach new
situations, nor does it give people the answers or solutions to their

problems. Coaching is about helping clients to explore their own solutions;
the agenda belongs to the client. Coaching is not mentoring.
A life coach encourages and facilitates clients in identifying their own

personal challenges, dreams and goals and works alongside each client to
help them to achieve those self-defined goals.
Who trains to be a life coach?

Life Coaching is a skill that can be developed through effective training. It
is a skill easily learnt by those people who…
"Are good communicators;
"Have a keen interest in personal development;
"Believe that they have the ability to motivate, inspire and guide
other people to improve their lives.
Why do people use a life coach?

If it were easy to alter those things that prevent us from changing our ways
or moving forward, then wouldn’t we all do it tomorrow? The reality is that
many of us put off change. We accept our lot and just live our lives, still
wishing for change.
One could argue that help should come from family, friends or work
colleagues. The truth is that these people often come with preconceived
ideas and prejudgments about us. The reality is that we feel that we will
never move forward but are likely to just go round and round in circles.
A coach comes to us with an open mind and the skills to make things
happen! They start with a ‘blank sheet’ – they find out what makes us tick,
help us to discover what we truly want to change, and then they set about
helping us to create those changes.

Life coaching really can change lives…
Ask any person who has experienced life coaching for themselves and they
will tell you that it has changed their life – that it has brought them personal
satisfaction and success, a deep sense of achievement and that they feel
energised to move forward in a positive and purposeful way.
The benefits become truly visible and tangible when clients address their
domestic situations, improve personal relationships, uncover hidden skills
and talents, kick start their careers, change jobs, rid themselves of the
things around them that are holding them back – the list is endless!
How does coaching work in the practical sense?

At The Coaching Academy, coaches are trained to work with clients in two
ways:-
Face-to-face – the coach will work one-on-one with the client in an

environment conducive to the confidential nature of coaching.
Usually the client visits the coach, however, in the corporate sector,
the coach will visit the workplace. Care must be taken with the
layout of the room, seating arrangements, lighting etc. The client
and coach must feel at ease and comfortable. The coach will have
the facility to take notes and will have any necessar y
documentation to hand.
Over the phone – the coach will arrange for the client to ring at a
pre-arranged time. The coach will need to be prepared to take the
call, with any paperwork and notes to hand. The coach must also
be situated in a place where they will not be disturbed. Similarly,
the client must also be situated comfortably where they can give
their undivided attention to the coaching session.

The skills you will learn through studying the modules will equip you to
coach in either situation, or both.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Hardly a day passes without some mention of coaching in a newspaper,
magazine or radio programme. Many of these items are testimonials from
people who have benefited from their coaching experience. Understandably,
they arouse interest in the reader or listener, generating questions in their
minds. Questions need answers.
This guide addresses, in plain language, the most frequently asked

questions about the subject that is our business and our passion.
You will soon realise that coaching is about helping people by providing
signposts to actions that will produce beneficial results. This section is
firmly in this category. It is simply a no-nonsense guide to the basics that
you need to know. Some answers conclude with a quote from an actual
client.
Think of it as your first signpost to a journey that could provide greater

happiness and success in all areas of your life.
1. What is The Coaching Academy?

2. What is coaching?
3. Where did coaching originate?
4. How does life coaching differ from therapy or counselling?
5. How does coaching differ from mentoring or consultancy?
6. What is executive and business coaching?
7. Could I become a coach?
8. Could I make a living as a coach?
9. Does The Academy give accountancy or legal advice?
10. Is there any support after the course?

1. What is coaching?
Coaching is a professional and personal relationship between two people,
the coach and the client.
Some coaches and clients prefer to work face-to-face, but the majority of
coaching sessions are conducted by telephone. The client calls the coach at a
pre-arranged time for a discussion in absolute confidentiality. These calls are
generally at weekly intervals and each one typically lasts at least half an hour
and will not be longer than one hour.
It is unlikely that the client will achieve significant results in fewer than
three sessions (although the benefits begin after the very first session). It
is unusual for a coaching process to last longer than three months without
a break.
The role of the coach is to help the client. The role of the client is to agree
to a total commitment and honesty to dealing with the issues that concern
them.
Coaching is an interactive process where the coach guides and facilitates

the client’s progress towards defined goals. These may concern
relationships, career, self-confidence, financial matters, or – and this is
common – an uneasy feeling that “life has drifted off course” or “there
must be something better than this”.
Your coach is a listener who is totally non-critical and non-judgemental. As

each goal or desired outcome is defined, the coach will propose specific
actions that will move you ever closer to the results that you seek. Whilst
these actions are important, it is the outcome from those actions that
achieve success.
Each session closes with agreement on the actions that you will take before the

next call. The subsequent session will review those actions, their results and your
feelings about them. It is this immediacy and need to report back which make
coaching so effective.
"Coaching helps me define where I want to go and it gets me there

faster and more easily than if I worked on my own."

2. Where did coaching originate?
The concept of a professionally trained coach running his or her own
practice originated in the United States of America.
Many personal development and self-help techniques can be traced back

to a few individuals, who took an idea and packaged it to make it
accessible to all.
Coaching has no such pedigree and no founding father. It is the result of a

gentle evolution, which owes much to these other techniques, and, like all
the best ideas, it has grown in response to a need.
Until economical transport was readily available and long before modern
communications were developed, there was probably no need for a coach.
In those days of large families, who usually lived all their lives in the same
neighbourhood, there were plenty of relatives and older siblings to call on
for help and advice.
The first popular self-help books were published in the 1930s. The post war
years saw a boom not only in these, but also in the growth of various forms
of analysis and therapies. Some of these worked well, but were usually
limited to addressing a single medical or mental condition. A few were less
effective because they created a dependence on the analyst.
That was more or less the situation until the 1980s when therapists
realised there were many life situations that embraced more than one
issue and needed a wider view. The smaller and fragmented family, the rise
in divorce rates, and an awareness of the importance of a holistic approach
to matters that were often presented as ‘stress-related symptoms’ led
some of these therapists to review their way of working.

The therapists became coaches, their patients became clients and the
coaching profession was born. Its growth has come almost totally from
‘word of mouth’ recommendation. In other words, the results have created
the phenomenal worldwide demand that now exists.
"Coaching may not be magic, but the results are certainly magical"

3. How does life coaching differ from therapy or
counselling?
There are three major and significant differences that set coaching apart.
In many situations, a therapist or counsellor will look to the immediate or

distant past to prescribe an appropriate solution to a patient’s problem.
Although your coach will have a good understanding of how your past has
created your present, the focus of every coaching session will be on where
you are now and where you want to be in the future. Your coach has no
prescriptions because every situation, every session and every client is
unique.
The next major difference is that therapy or counselling may address a

single and specific physical or mental condition. Your coach is interested in
you as a whole being from an awareness of the interactions between all
areas of your life. Instead of delving into causes, your coach will focus in a
holistic manner on your mind, body and spirit to help you achieve your
objectives.
The remaining difference is that your coach has time to work with you.
During your session, your coach will be totally committed to you and your
needs. You work together but it is you who defines what you want from life
and how you will get it. Your coach is a ‘catalyst’ who will do whatever it
takes to help you.
The main purpose of coaching is to empower you to take control of every

aspect of your life along with acceptance of your personal responsibility
that is an integral part of such control. Your coach can show you how to do
this and will guide you every step of the way.
"My coach said he would be like a control tower talking me down to

a safe landing. He did this but, unexpectedly, he showed me how

to take off in exciting new directions too."

4. How does coaching differ from mentoring or
consultancy?
Coaching in a business environment differs from mentoring or consultancy,
with which it is sometimes confused.
A mentor will generally guide and teach someone in a specific task or job.
The mentor will draw significantly on their own experience, will pass on
short cuts and tricks of the trade and will teach the acolyte how to gain a
specified result. The mentor will be expected to know the answers to a task
related situation.
Like a sports or physical fitness coach, the mentor has often ‘been there
and done that’. Effective coaching does not require that the coach have the
personal hands-on experience of the client’s job, profession or occupation.
Some would even claim that it is the very absence of this experience that
adds to the effectiveness of the coach, who, by standing apart, can still
see the wood from the trees.
A mentor knows the answers. Your coach works with you so that you
discover the questions and their answers for yourself, not just for a
particular task, but also for all your life situations.
Consultants are invited to investigate a particular work related situation.

They gather facts to support their qualified and quantified proposals. Then
they may be involved in the implementation of their proposals.
As with the mentor, their focus is on resolving one particular issue. The life
coach will adopt a people and personality behavioural approach where the task
or job is a by-product of the process. With their breadth and depth of
understanding about attitude and results, your life coach will often achieve
benefits that are realised faster and will last longer than those resulting from
a mentoring or consultancy approach.

"I was worried that I didn't know the answers. My coach showed me
that I did know them all along, it was just that I hadn't seen the
problem from every point of view."

5. What is executive and business coaching?
As more and more clients discover the amazing benefits of professional
coaching, many of them have wondered if these same benefits can be
realised in the workplace? The answer is a resounding and undeniable,
YES.
You may have heard the phrase, ‘it is lonely at the top’. A senior manager
or executive risks losing face and respect if he or she is tempted to discuss
any doubts or worries with a subordinate or superior. An executive may not
have any peers, especially in a highly competitive commercial environment.
Some coaches decide to tailor their practice to meet the very special needs
of the executive market. Having trained in the coaching profession, they will
then take further training in the application of its principles to the executive
and boardroom situation. As always, the process will be totally results
oriented and conducted on a one-to-one basis in absolute confidentiality.
Coaching focuses on establishing and achieving personal goals. Business

coaching retains this focus, but instead of these goals being personal, they
are applied to a team or work group. The objective here is to ensure that
every member of the group has a full understanding of the corporate aim
and shares the attitudes and commitments that allow that aim to be
achieved.
The coach still works in confidence with each individual. The subtle difference
is that the organisation's objectives take precedence over the individual’s
personal targets. This process may well highlight changes that will allow one
person to contribute fully to the group’s shared endeavours and, in so doing,
may add to individual happiness and satisfaction. That, however, is a side
benefit and not the prime purpose of the business coach assignment.
Executive and business coaching are valuable resources to increase personal
and group productivity to the benefits of all concerned.
The Building Blocks of Coaching Page 1 8

"It is our experience that training with life coaching is 75% more
effective than when the training is delivered on its own."

6. Could I become a coach?
Probably! There are no restrictions to entry on grounds of gender, race or
social background. Age is not usually a limiting issue, but it is unlikely that
anyone under 30 will have the necessary levels of maturity and judgement.
If you are more interested in people than in things, then you already have
a good start. If you truly want to help others, you are almost there. Your
attitude is more important than prior coaching knowledge.
Some successful coaches left school before their 16th birthday and have
no academic qualifications. Others have a university degree. All have the
basic ability to read and write and a talent for clear communications.
The Coaching Academy's three-month training course will build on these

basic qualities and introduce you to the broader world of personal
development. Our pre-course study material means that every student
starts the residential workshop with an equivalent level of understanding.
The course is demanding, but not difficult and it has been carefully
structured so that each lesson is learned before you move on to the next.
You will need:-
• determination,
• commitment, and
• a willingness to learn.
Apart from these basic personal qualities you will need a quiet room or
space where you can talk to your clients by telephone. You will also need
somewhere to write notes. These are the basics. Only you can determine
the time that you will devote to your practice. Some coaches see their
practice as a useful source of part-time income whilst others make it a full-
time career.
"I went to the Introduction session out of casual curiosity. Now I

have a brand new career and no need to commute to London every
day."

7. Could I make a living as a coach?
Yes! Many have after their initial training. A word of caution is that, in the
same way that a driving school can teach you to pass your test, this is just
the beginning. To become a coach or driver of excellence you must add
practice, experience and on-going training.
Professional coaching is never offered as a “business opportunity”. It is a

professional practice with a code of ethics. It is not a trade, an art or a
craft.
As with so many aspects of life, your rewards are in direct relationship to what
you are prepared to put in. Coaching is not an easy option but it is a rewarding
and enjoyable career that you can work and develop from the comfort of your
own home.
If your income needs are modest, you will enjoy a good secondary source
of new money by working part time, with just one or two clients a week.
If you are committed to life coaching as a full time career, then you can
earn far more than most of the salaries advertised in the ‘Vacancies’ pages
of the national press – with the added benefits that you are in control,
totally.
If you need more money, you attract more clients or increase your fees.
During the course you are given comprehensive advice on all aspects of
selling and marketing coaching, including pricing.
You will need to spend time and money on promoting your practice, but you
do not need a significant ‘up front’ lump sum as you would if you were
buying an existing business or a franchise. You will need time out to
maintain your client notes and records, but, even so, you should be able to
create a healthy full-time income in a 38-hour week.

The course provides you with the knowledge and tools you need for
success. It provides support and on-going encouragement. Your ultimate
success is down to you, the individual. It depends upon your commitment
to your studies and your dedication to personal success.
"I thought I was charging too much. Then another coach told me to
look at the value of what I was doing, from the clients' viewpoints
and I realised I was charging too little."

8. Does The Academy give accountancy or legal advice?
Not as a general rule. You should contact an expert in these fields.
9. Is there any support after the course?

During and after the course you have the support of The Academy in the
form of an ‘in house coach’ and ‘coach support team’. They are always on
hand to answer your questions about anything to do with coaching. Our
network of coaching circles is part of the on-going learning experience of
coaching.

Professional Code of Ethics
All staff, tutors, students, graduates, associates and members of The
Coaching Academy must agree to follow the Code of Professional Conduct
(The Code). Alleged breaches of The Code will be fully investigated by The
Coaching Academy and, if proven, may lead to the expulsion of the guilty
party and the withdrawal, without compensation, of all and any rights
previously bestowed by virtue of that individual’s connection with The
Coaching Academy.
The Code
All staff, tutors, students, graduates, associates and members of The
Coaching Academy agree to:-
"Always conduct themselves to the highest levels of ethics,

integrity, accountability and responsibility.
"Treat all clients and potential clients with absolute dignity,

confidentiality and respect as free and equal individuals.
"Respect the commercial confidentiality of The Coaching Academy

by not divulging business information to any third parties.
"Maintain the good reputation of the coaching profession in

general and The Coaching Academy in particular.
"Comply with both the spirit and the letter of any commercial
agreements made with clients, potential clients, professional
colleagues and The Coaching Academy.
"Make commercial agreements with clients and potential clients

that are fair and will respect all parties to such agreements.

"Represent true levels of status, title, competence and
experience in order not to mislead, misrepresent or defraud.
"Clearly state to clients and potential clients, the terms of any

commercial agreement including the expectations of both
parties.
"Make no claims or implications of outcomes that cannot be

demonstrated or guaranteed.
"Obtain written permission from any client or potential client

before releasing their names as referees.
"Respect the absolute rights of clients’ confidentiality except as

expressly permitted by the client or potential client in writing or
as required by law.
"Recommend different coaches or resources when these will be

more appropriate to the clients’ needs.
"Avoid all conflicts of interests and give notice of such potential

conflicts to The Coaching Academy. Advise both The Coaching
Academy and the client on the risk of conflict if a relationship
moves beyond
a coach/client situation. (For example a personal or business
relationship.)
"Refrain from offering professional information or advice that you

know to be confidential, misleading or where the accuracy is
beyond your competence to assess.
"Endeavour to enhance public understanding and acceptance of

professional coaching.
"Share skills and experience with fellow members and associates

of The Coaching Academy to further increase the body of
knowledge, skills and competencies of such parties.
"Respect all copyrights, agreements, work, intellectual property,

and trademarks and comply with all laws covering such areas.
"Use the tuition, definitions and works provided by The Coaching

Academy as the basis for all coaching procedures, practices and
objectives.
"Avoid coaching minors (people who have not yet had their 18th
birthday) without the express written consent of parent, guardian
or teacher as appropriate.
"Contact The Coaching Academy immediately if you find yourself

in a situation which may create conflict, litigation or bad publicity.
"Comply with all laws and by-laws of the UK and, if coaching

clients based abroad, with the laws of the clients’ country.
"Ensure that all advertisements and promotional materials,

whether verbal or written, are legal, decent, truthful, honest and
in compliance with the requirements of the UK Advertising
Standards Authority.
"Make a copy of this Code freely available to clients if they

request it.

Recommended Reading List
Take yourself to the Top by Laura Berman Fortgang

Published: Thorsons. ISBN 0-7225-3771-9
Written for everyone who has a desire to take responsibility for success in
his or her career and aim high! Packed with anecdotal evidence, and
advice. Every aspiring coach should read this cover-to-cover!
Take Time For your Life by Cheryl Richardson

Published: Bantam Books. ISBN 0-553-81301-3
Billed as a seven-step programme for creating the life you want, this is a
self-help book which coaches you through the changes you will need to
make to live your best life. Full of excellent checklists, action plans and
exercises to adapt and use with clients.
Co-Active Coaching by Laura Whitworth/Henry Kimsey-House/Phil Sandahl

Published: Davies-Black Publishing
Packed with useful information, exercises and suggestions to use with clients.
An invaluable reference book for coaches. Co-active Coaching presents a
holistic view of coaching. It offers a distinctive model of practice that involves
an active and collaborative partnership between the coach and client.
Examples of coach/client dialogue, coaching tips, skill building exercises and
a comprehensive coach’s "toolkit" make this publication an excellent resource
book for the professional coach.
Effective Coaching by Myles Downey

Published: Orion Business Books. ISBN 0-75282-108-3
Another “must have” for the aspiring and experienced coach. A book to dip into
for advice, information and ideas. Downey has written an excellent introductory
coaching textbook, covering the fundamentals of coaching in the business
environment. Using a practical approach, he explores key coaching models and
examines the tools and the skills necessary to develop into an effective coach.

Case studies are used throughout to illustrate the principles, skills and
techniques described.
Coaching for Performance by John Whitmore

Published: Nicholas Brealey. ISBN 1-85788-170-2
Although biased towards sports coaching and corporate coaching, there is
a superb exploration of the GROW model framework.
How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie

Published: Vermilion.
Full of useful information, anecdotal evidence, it includes some useful
exercises and ideas to use with clients.
Opening Doors Within by Eileen Caddy

Published: Findhorn Press.
For coaches with a strong interest in spiritual coaching and values - it offers
a meditative text for each day of the year.
If Success is the Game, these are the Rules by Cherie Carter-Scott

Anecdotal evidence is used to illustrate a set of ten rules, it covers limiting
beliefs and goal setting among other interesting topics.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

Published: Franklin Covey co.
Full of psychology and real-life examples - firmly based in the win-win
philosophy.
7 Steps to Emotional Intelligence by Patrick E. Merlevede, Denis Bridoux

& Rudy Vadamme
Published: CHP.
Strong on theories, psychology and philosophy, but if you enjoy a challenge
it is full of information about communication, taking control, asking the

right questions etc. It is based on NLP principles.

Chicken Soup for the Soul by Jack Cranfield and Mark Victor Hanson
Published: Vermilion.
Packed with inspirational stories to restore your faith in human nature - as
are the other 'Chicken Soup..' books.
Self-Esteem the Key to your Child's Education by Tony Humphreys

Published: Newleaf.
Raising self-esteem is a recurring theme when working with clients. Some
interesting insights are raised in this book - of particular interest to parents
and any coaches with an education background who might be qualified to
work with children.

The Building Blocks of Coaching
My reading notes:-
BOOK TITLE: ________________________________ Date: ______________
LEARNING POINTS
BOOK TITLE: ________________________________ Date: ______________
LEARNING POINTS

My reading notes:-
BOOK TITLE: ________________________________ Date: ______________
LEARNING POINTS
BOOK TITLE: ________________________________ Date: ______________
LEARNING POINTS

My reading notes:-
BOOK TITLE: ________________________________ Date: ______________
LEARNING POINTS
BOOK TITLE: ________________________________ Date: ______________
LEARNING POINTS

Weekly Learning Journal Sheet
WEEK 1 - THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF COACHING
1. COURSE MODULE/S STUDIED:
KEY LEARNING POINTS:
2. PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE (No. of practical coaching sessions this week)
3. RELEVANT READING/RESEARCH:
(articles, books, internet, journals, tapes, talks, etc.)

Week 2
THE COACHING MODEL
OF ACHIEVEMENT

Week 2
THE GROW MODEL
Preview
Before embarking on the next stage of your journey towards becoming an
accredited life coach, you need to be introduced to, or reminded of, the
three core values of coaching.
You will often hear these repeated and referred to, both explicitly and
implicitly as you work your way through the course materials. Here they
are:-
"Life Coaching is non-critical.
"Life Coaching is non-judgmental.
"Life Coaching is confidential.
Taking this one stage further, these core values also apply to you as a
coach, so it naturally follows that:-
"Life coaches are non-critical.
"Life coaches are non-judgmental.
"Life coaches are confidential.
This aim of this module is to teach you how to use a framework in which
you can practise your coaching skills.
Introducing the model

You will soon be studying the skills of listening and questioning, and will
realise that the whole essence of the coaching relationship is bound up
with your ability to listen and make the right response.
The Coaching Model of Achievement Page 46

However, you need a framework.
This framework is popularly called the ‘GROW Model’. As you work through
this module you will:-
"Understand the benefits of using a coaching framework.
"Learn how to use the GROW model.
"Learn how to maximize the effectiveness of your coaching
sessions by using an established pattern of coaching.
"Be clear about the purpose of each stage of the model in the
coaching process.
"Be able to formulate your own questions for each stage of the
model.
"Understand how best to use the GROW model as a pro-active way
to achieve goals and solve challenges for yourself and your
clients.
"Begin to build up your own toolkit of coaching resources.
"Have the confidence to use the GROW model in your practice
sessions and with your coaching clients.
In his book, Coaching for Performance, John Whitmore effectively

summarizes the essence and purpose of the coaching relationship as
being a highly effective means of unlocking the potential of the individual
in order to maximize their performance. Coaching is about taking people
from where they are now, and supporting them in moving forwards to attain
their self-chosen goals.
Before you explore the GROW model in detail, consider the case study on
the next page from an Academy Accredited Coach.

Elizabeth’s Story
For as long as I can remember I have had a burning desire to learn to swim.
Unfortunately neither of my parents could swim and school lessons did not
start until you were eleven years old so I had a long wait! My ambition was
so strong that I often used to dream I could swim and wake up really
disappointed with myself!
Imagine my excitement as, one Friday afternoon, our class set off for the
pool at the local High School. I was about to reach my goal. However, when
I gazed into the murky green depths of the pool I was seized with a sudden
fear, and realized that nothing on this earth was going to get me to obey
the teacher’s command to ‘Jump in!’
Once in the water (I was the only child who climbed down the steps) my next
challenge was to obey the instruction:- ‘Put your head under the water and
count to ten’. I just could not bring myself to do it, even though I still
desperately wanted to learn to swim. After two or three frustrating weeks,
feeling quite unable to do what the teacher commanded, I began to dread
Friday afternoons.
I was eventually banned from the swimming lessons with my goal intact,
but my confidence and self-esteem at rock bottom. I convinced myself that
I would never be able to master the art of swimming. Thankfully, that is not
the end of the story.
Years later, just before my thirtieth birthday, I shared my goal (Yes, it was
still a goal even though it now seemed a totally unobtainable one!) with
Terry who was the manager of a Leisure Centre.
Terry loved a challenge, and guaranteed to teach me to swim before I hit

the big three-0. I was excited yet nervous, determined to achieve and yet
terrified that I would fail and face the humiliation of being banned from the

pool again.
What was different? I dictated the pace. I began by putting my face in the
water for a few seconds and blowing bubbles and he heaped praise on me.
After the lesson I went to the local pool and practised putting my face in
the water for longer and longer until I was comfortable. I am sure you are
beginning to get the picture. I started off using two floats and him to hold
me up. Gradually I became more confident as Terry helped me to set and
attain each small step or short term goal.
I started off in the learner pool in very shallow water and gradually
progressed to the full-sized pool. The excitement of my achievements
spurred me on and I was soon happily floating on my back. The day before
my thirtieth birthday I swam, on my own, for the first time in my life. I had
achieved a life-long ambition! Very soon afterwards I was awarded my 10
metre certificate.
To this day, this has been one of the greatest achievements of my life.
Although I have a string of academic qualifications, my 10 metre swimming

certificate symbolizes, for me, the fulfillment of a lifetime ambition. It
taught me that, with the right encouragement I can be anything I want to
be, and do anything I want to do.
Turn now to Activity 1.

As you work through this module and learn more about how coaching
works, you will make connections and links with Elizabeth’s story and,
undoubtedly, with significant events in your own life.
GROW is an acronym
It is a simple and effective coaching model that can be used in both private
and workplace coaching. Although coaching never offers set prescriptions
for clients, but treats each one as a unique and holistic individual, you will
discover that coaches just love using models, metaphors and examples.
GROW is an acronym, and this is what the initials represent:-

G represents your GOALS What do you want to happen?
R represents your REALITY What is happening now?
O represents your OPTIONS What could you do?
W represents your WILL What will you do?
During a coaching session you will work through each of these stages with
your client. Using open-ended questions you will guide your client through
the process of identifying their goal, recognizing the reality of their
situation, exploring their options and finally committing to a series of
actions to achieve their goal.
Before investigating each of these stages in greater detail, there are two
key elements or values that must be at the heart of the coaching process.
These are awareness and responsibility.
Awareness
Awareness encompasses your self-awareness as a life coach; your ability
to become aware of your own personal state through this self-examination
and to achieve a greater awareness of your external environment through

the use of all your senses.
In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen R Covey says:-

“Your self-awareness and conscience can provide a high degree of
intrinsic security, guidance and wisdom to empower you to use your
independent will and maintain integrity to the truly important.”
A high level of self-awareness will enable you to listen to your client with a
clarity of mind and perception that will inspire you to lead the client to a
greater level of awareness and understanding as the coaching session
progresses.
You must be able to interpret what they are experiencing and to use that
knowledge to the benefit of your client.
Throughout the coaching process you must actively seek to raise client
awareness by focusing their attention on what is being said, how it is being
said and in what context. This heightens awareness of the whole listening
process. It allows you to frame questions which will lead your client to a
greater sense of self-awareness and perception about their own
motivations and actions, thus leading to the setting of appropriately
challenging goals.
John Whitmore in Coaching for Performance, recognises that ‘Awareness

and responsibility are better raised by asking than by telling.’ The need to
raise client self-awareness is a vital skill that will unlock the door to a
continuous journey towards self-improvement and wonder at the magnitude
of what can be achieved.
Responsibility
To induce the ideal state of mind that is necessary to move towards self-

improving goals, you will need to build responsibility into your client's
decision making process.
Telling or instructing your client to take a course of action will be

demotivating by taking away the ownership of the actions that will lead
them towards achieving their goals.
Think back to Elizabeth's story. Continually facilitating your client in

accepting responsibility for their own decisions and goals will ensure that
the coaching relationship grows and succeeds, and that your client
experiences a real sense of achievement in realising goals which they have
identified for themselves.
The GROW model is a working coaching framework which allows you to

move your clients through a series of stages towards achieving their goals.
It relies on your skill in using effective, open-ended questions in each stage

of the framework, and has to be used within the context of raising client
awareness levels whilst ensuring that your client retains and accepts
responsibility for carrying out their agreed actions.
Although there are no prescriptive questions that you must use in the
GROW model, there are sets of questions that naturally fit each section.
In a moment you will be invited to turn to Activity 2 and work through the
GROW model for yourself. This self-coaching exercise will enable you to
have some experience of what the GROW model is about, what it is in
context, and the benefits of it both for you and your clients. You will learn
through your own experience, some important aspects of the GROW model,
how it can be used and how it works. This valuable experience will enable
you to put what you have learnt into practice. You’ll get a real feel for how
it can work for you and your clients.

Before you start…
"Write from your heart – do not spend too much time thinking
about what you are going to write.
"Remember your answers will never be judged.
"Your answers are totally confidential – so be totally honest with
yourself!
This is a unique opportunity for you to identify and establish an issue, a

topic or a goal that you wish to be coached upon. So, if you are ready to
have a go and you want to be inspired by your own ability to find a goal, you
are about to identify your goal, and make it happen for you!
Consider each question individually. You may find that some questions
have more meaning and depth for you at this particular moment in your life
than others. That’s entirely normal. Feel free to answer the relevant
questions and leave gaps for the ones that are not relevant. You may even
find that your answers trigger some additional questions of your own.
That’s fine too. Jot down the additional questions in the space provided.
You might find some questions go over your head and some really
resonate, they kind of sink within you somewhere. Only answer the
questions that seem important and let the other ones go. The aim and
purpose of going through this process is to identify an issue, a topic or a
goal that you wish to work through using the GROW model.
Once you have gone through the model yourself you can then apply it any
time, any place anywhere. You will be able to apply it to yourself, a
colleague, a friend or a member of your family. Enjoy the process, keep an
open mind, be receptive to whatever crops up – write it down even if it
appears to make no sense what ever to you in the beginning. This is not a
time for judging yourself, or criticizing yourself.

The questioning process starts by establishing a goal in order to give the
person (you) something to aim for. Further questions help you to clarify
where you are now, and remind you what you have done about the issue,
the topic or the goals so far.
Questions are then used to help you come up with different options that
you could do to move yourself forward in terms of your issue, or topic etc.
Then you will select a particular option to work on. Your answers will then
be used to create a plan of action for that all important first step.
The GROW Model avoids many of the problems of other processes for
example, have you ever heard someone say, “This is our objective and this
is what you will do about it” ? It appears sensible at face value but firstly
it involves only the goal or the objective, and it doesn’t belong to you. It
also ignores reality and options. Secondly, it employs a command or control
style of management – then ‘do as I say’ approach.
Maybe you have heard, ‘We have a problem here, what do you think we
might do about it?’ This gives us reality and options but no goal and no will.
GROW covers all aspects. As you follow the questions and practice using
the GROW model for yourself, you will see it covers all the stages of a
successful coaching process.
Have a go, enjoy the process and be open-minded as to what happens. It

may be that you want to take your time over answering each relevant
question, do take that time. This is not a test of seeing how quickly you can
rush to the end. Sometimes we procrastinate and think other things are
more relevant than spending time on ourselves. This is not true. About an
hour of your time spent working through the following questions will be of
a great benefit in the weeks, months, and years to come.
Firstly, you need to establish the issue, topic or goal that you wish to be

coached upon. This may take something between 5-10 minutes. That’s just
an estimate, it’s up to you how long you want to spend on it or how little
time you want to spend on it.
Turn to the worksheet at Activity 2 and complete it as you answer the

questions starting on the next page…

Question 1
Think about one particular issue or challenge in your life at the moment.
This may be in the area of career, relationships, finances, self-esteem,
desires, achievements or any other area that is important to you at this
time.
Here is an example to get you thinking on the right wavelength:-

‘I feel as if my job is taking over my life, but it pays well and I need the
money!’
When you have written your answer, consider the following:-

"How real is it?
"How important it is to you right now?
"Have you written your topic or issue down in several sentences?
"Or is it just a few words?
Your next step is to write your topic or issue in one sentence that you can
easily keep in your mind.
Have another look at your topic or issue.

Have you written it in positive or negative terms?
If you have phrased your goal in the negative take a few moments to re-
phrase it in positive terms.
Is your topic or issue specific enough to become a goal?

Do you need to add something else to make it specific?
It is OK not to be sure at this point because you will gain more clarity as
you work through the next session too. Take a moment to review the topic
or review your issue in terms of specifics. Is it specific enough?
Now is the time to decide what you want to achieve in this session. This is
a first step on the road towards achieving your ultimate goal.

What do you want to achieve during this session?
Again, be specific. Maybe you want to gain clarity on your goal in terms of
how to go about achieving it. Or, maybe it’s about identifying a key step
towards achieving it.
When you have completed your answers, continue with the next question.
Question 2
What from of outcome or result are you seeking by the end of this self-
coaching experience?
Having identified a topic or issue, the next part in the process is the G for
goal. It is about establishing a goal. This may take about 10-15 minutes,
take the amount of time that’s right for you. This step allows you to gain
even more clarity as to the real goal that you wish to work upon. There are
nine questions that relate to this section. They are your start point.
Turn the page…

G is for GOAL
1. Think about your topic/issue and take yourself forward to a point
in time when the issue is as you want it to be. What do you
notice that shows you have achieved the goal? Or, if it is a
problem you want to solve, how do you know this has happened?
2. What are you doing that shows you have achieved the goal?
Make a quick note.
3. What are you hearing that tells you that you have achieved your
goal, or solved the issue?
4. How are you feeling at this point in the future?
5. What are you saying to yourself?
6. When do you want to be in this position you can see in the
future? What timescale do you have in mind? Is it next week?
Next month? Next year? It must be realistic. If you have a big
career goal and a longer timescale, you might want to focus on
a part of the goal in a shorter timescale.
7. How challenging or exciting is achieving this goal? If it is too
challenging break it down into an element you can achieve within
the timescale you have set. If it is not challenging enough, you
will either achieve it without trying, or you will lose interest. Do
you need to add anything to it to make it more challenging?
8. How will you know that you have achieved your goal? Is there a
measurement you can use?
9. Where do you have control or influence with regard to this goal?
Congratulations! You have now completed the GOAL section of your

personal GROW model. In the next section you are invited to explore the
realities of your current situation. The ‘R’ of the GROW model.
This will probably take 10-15 minutes, but take as much time as you need
to take. Answer the questions that seem relevant to you and bypass the
others. There are nine questions in this section.

R is for REALITY
1. What is going on right now that tells you that you have an issue
or a problem?
2. As well as what is happening, what is missing from your current
situation that you would like to have?
3. What is happening now that is good that you want to keep
happening to contribute to achieving your goal?
4. What have you done so far to improve things?
5. What were the results you got from doing these things?!
6. What obstacles or possible barriers are in your way that prevent
or hinder you from moving forward?
7. What resources do you already have to help you to achieve your
outcome? (skills, experience, qualifications, personal qualities,
talents, time, enthusiasm, money, support etc.)
8. What other resources will you need? Briefly, write down where
you will get them.
9. The final step is to look back to your goal for a minute. The one
you identified in identifying your topic or issue. Is it still relevant,
or has it changed? Make any changes or adjustments, if it’s still
okay, leave it alone.
Well done! You have completed the REALITY section of your GROW model.
You have already had a taste of what life coaching is all about – stating the
present situation in real and quantifiable terms. Perhaps this is the very
first time you have faced up to an issue in this way and actually written
down the answers instead of churning them over and over in your mind. If
so, you may be experiencing the sensation of a weight being lifted form
your shoulders.
Now consider your OPTIONS. This takes about 10-15 minutes. Having
developed your topic or issue into a goal and clarified what is going on or
not going on. You are now able to decide where you want to start to move

forward to set about achieving your goal, considering the options available
to you.
The ‘O’ in the GROW model stands for OPTIONS. Options are about what
you could do, not necessarily about what you will do. So, let your mind run
free. Brainstorm all the possibilities of what you might do in relation to this
issue or goal. Keep your ideas free from judgment or criticism.
If you try to think of one good idea, you might fail and get despondent so
try to think of 10 ideas, even if some of them appear too outrageous or
impossible. One of them might spark another thought that gives you a
brilliant idea. So, remember, you are looking for a first step not one idea
that will crack the whole issue. There are 12 questions in this section for
considering your options. As in the previous sections, some of them may
be relevant, some of them may not. Answer the questions that are relevant
to you. What possible options do you have? Remember to brainstorm all
the possibilities.

O is for OPTIONS
1. What could you do to move yourself just one step forward right
now?
2. What else could you do if you didn’t have to explain what you
were doing, or be answerable to anybody?
3. What could you do if money were unlimited?
4. If you could devote all of your time to this one thing, what would
you do then?
5. What could you do if you did not have to live with the
consequences?
6. If you went to your manager or friend with this problem, what
might they suggest?
7. If you secretly know what you should do first, what would it be?
8. Have a look back over your list of options and read each of
them carefully. Check to see if any of them spark another idea
you could also do?
9. Choose one of the options. Choose one that will move you
forward just one step. Choose the easiest thing to do, or the
cheapest, or the quickest, or the one you feel most
comfortable doing, but choose one right now. Circle it, highlight
it.
10. If you do the one thing that you have chosen, just check. Will it
move you forward? If not, choose something else. If it will move
you forward, stay with it.
11. What is the benefit to you of doing this one thing? Will it make
you feel better? Will it mean you will know something new? Will
it change your opinion of something? Will it relieve the stress a
little? There has to be a benefit. Identify it and write it down.

Congratulations! You have successfully completed the ‘OPTIONS’ section
of the GROW model. By now your mind may be spinning with several
options, including some you might never had considered before. Now the
fun really starts as you begin to create a brighter future for yourself!
The final part of the model, and probably the most important, because you
can have a goal, know what the reality and are aware of the options. But,
unless you are willing to commit to it; just forget it, there will be no point.
This section has the most questions. 18 questions in all. Some of them
will resonate with you, some may not. You decide. It will probably take
about 10-15 minutes. You have your option and you have your first step to
move you forward. So now do something with it. This session changes an
idea into an action and identifies what you will do.

‘W’ is for WILL and WAY FORWARD
1. What are you going to do?
2. What will you do? List the actions you must go through to
complete this thing you have chosen.
3. How will these actions meet your main goal?
4. When are you going to take these actions? What’s the
timescale?
5. How long do you think that that list of actions will take you?
Can you identify anticipated timescales for each item?
6. Should anyone else be involved in this list of questions you are
going to do to complete this thing, or this issue, or this goal
that you have chosen?
7. What do you want this person, or these people, to do?
8. When will you tell them?
9. Who else should know that you will be doing these things?
11. At what point in your plan will you tell them?
12. Whatever your first step is, can you think of any obstacle or
barrier that might stop you from doing it?
13. How likely is it to stop you? Is it likely, or not likely? If it is not
likely that is fine. But if it is very likely, what can you do to make
your first step more achievable?
14. How will you overcome this obstacle, or obstacles?
15. What will you do to stop it from stopping you?
16. Earlier you wrote down when you would complete this first step.
Is that timescale still valid?
17. Is there anything else you need to consider before you begin
this first step?
18. In identifying your goal you identified when you would have
achieved it. You also identified a timescale in this section as to
when you would begin your first step. Put the two together. When
will you actually start in terms of date? Be specific – day, time,
place. Write it down in your diary.

You are there! You have now completed your own experience of a life
coaching session. It will have shown you how some very simple sounding
questions can yield some very profound thinking and answers. perhaps you
have found that your intuition provided answers that surprised you. Perhaps
you have already identified some great new possibilities.
You have worked through all the stages of the GROW model. You have
identified your goal, you have worked through reality, explored your options
and identified what it would take for you to be willing to be commit to the
action.
Commitment
This section takes about 3-5 minutes.
Using a scale of 1-10, answer these questions. (1= definitely cannot or,
could not be lower. 10=definitely could not be higher.)
"How strong is your intention to take that first step on a scale of
1-10?
"How high is your enthusiasm for taking that first step on a scale
of 1-10?
"How strong is your commitment to taking that first step on a
scale of 1-10?
Experience shows that a score of 7 or below on intention and commitment

means that it will not get done.
If you have a score of 7 or less, ask yourself a powerful, incisive question.

'What has to happen in order for me to raise that score?' Maybe that is
where the first step should be.
If you have worked through this and answered all the questions that

seemed relevant to you, you have established your goal, explored the
current reality, identified and explored the various options available to you,
chosen an option and evaluated your intention, enthusiasm and your
commitment towards achieving a first step.
Well done. Congratulations! You are in the top 3% of the population who
commit to writing down their goals.
Of course, you can work through the process as many times as you wish
to. It can be used for all kinds of purposes and with anyone who wants to
commit to living a better life.
When you use the GROW model with others, you will need to follow their
thinking by listening fully to their answers and asking related questions.
The self-coaching questions are a starting point which you can use, modify,
add to, adapt and, in some instances, discard. It’s entirely up to you.
One of the most powerful methods of learning anything is by actually going

through the experience yourself. Obviously the self-coaching exercise does
not give you an opportunity to react to and interact with a real coach,
however the purpose of the exercise was to give you the experience of
working through the GROW model. Your experience will have reinforced the
sequential aspects of the model.
As a coach, your role is to make the GROW model work for your client. It is
time to study the different stages of the model in greater depth to clarify,
enhance and deepen your knowledge and understanding of how and why
the model works.

This section includes examples of actual coaching
dialogue.
You will have noticed that your self-coaching session began when you
identified an issue or topic that you wished to be coached on. This is often
referred to as the ‘Topic’ or ‘Target’ stage. It might help to think of the
GROW Model as the T-GROW model by adding that first stage.
At the target stage you must ascertain what the client wants out of life,
their underlying beliefs and values, and through the use of open-ended
questions peel back the layers until this target becomes defined as a
positive statement.
Some clients will be very comfortable with expressing what they do not
want and your skill is in encouraging them to reframe negative ideas into
positive statements. They also have a tendency to belittle their gains by
attaching a negative statement to a positive action.
It is useful to remember that phrase from professional development guru,

Brian Tracy, ‘but is the great eraser’, both when talking to a client as a
coach, and when listening to a client.
Your clients should be encouraged to express their goals in terms of

positive outcomes, as the subconscious mind cannot distinguish between
the positive and the negative. A useful technique is to ask your client to
write down their goal, read it out, and then work with you to phrase the goal
in positive terms.
Facilitating your client in determining his target or aim in life (long term
goal) will naturally lead into the next section of the model, which is to
establish the next step, or short term goal which can be worked at over the
coming week. At this stage it is crucial to remember the words of Laura

Berman Fortgang in Take Yourself to the Top, ‘Coaches work on solutions,
not problems.’

Questions at the goal-setting stage should begin to break the goal down
into manageable steps. You might choose to say:-
"You have selected plenty of ideas to work on, which one do you
want to choose for this session?
At this stage it is worth re-framing and checking that you have ‘heard’ the
message being spoken correctly:-
"So am I right in thinking that… or
"Would it be fair to say that… or
"Am I hearing that you want to… or
"Can I just check that I’m getting the right message…
This gives your client a chance to agree, or tighten up on their explanation

so that there is no misunderstanding of the common purpose that is being
worked towards by both of you.
Failure to check your understanding of your client’s goal at this stage could
mean that some of the session is wasted, and the client feels frustrated
and let down at the end of the session. Some clients need to be gently
redirected a number of times so that the real essence of their problem, or
‘challenge’ is teased out. Re-framing questions are very useful here, and
should incorporate factual evidence offered by the client:-
"You say that you spend a lot of time with various groups of
people, some of whom will help you to establish your new
business, and others who you work for on a voluntary basis.
Would I be right in thinking that you would like to concentrate your
efforts on your fee-paying clients?
This gives the client a window of opportunity to refine or redefine their goal
before being moved on to the reality check.

Having determined the client’s goal, the next set of questions is used to
explore the REALITY of the current situation for the client. A good link to
this could be:-
"Great, you’ve successfully decided where you want to go, now
let’s explore where you are now… or
"I’d like you to describe the current situation in a bit more detail…
or
"Now we know where you’re going, let’s look are where you are
now with this issue…
During this questioning phase, encourage your client to use descriptive

terminology, rather than evaluative statements. Occasionally, extra
information will lead to redefining or refining the goal.
At this stage it is important to probe underneath the surface, as the real

root of the problem may need to be teased out through facilitating the client
in becoming self-aware. Your client must be asked searching questions
which make him think, examine his thoughts and actions closely, and be
actively engaged in the coaching process. Once again a feedback loop must
be set up as a check for both parties.
Reality phase questions will be prefaced by what, where, when and who.
These interrogatives will draw out the facts, whilst raising the self-
awareness of your client. During this phase, clients may suddenly
experiencing a blinding flash of self-awareness, ‘Ah! Now I see where this
is leading to…’ This is an excellent moment for the coach to make use of
targeted praise, and reminding the client that he has come to this
realisation through his own analysis of his problems (with your expert
guidance, of course!) If this moment should occur, it is still vital to gather
all necessary information in the ‘Reality’ section before moving on to the
options.

Honesty
This section is the honesty section that should give you a full picture of
where your client stands now on the issue chosen. It also serves to raise
client self-awareness in readiness for the 'options' stage.
By re-framing and using a feedback loop, you have clarified what is

happening and what is not happening in the life of the client. You are ready
to take your client through the options section of the GROW Model. This is
where you help your client to turn their issue into a goal – coaching deals
with goals, not issues! The goal for the session will be the first step, or
short-term goal that will be part of the journey towards achieving the main
goal or target.
At the options stage you are seeking solutions from your client, using
questions that will allow lateral thought and exploration of their
unconscious thoughts. At no time should the you impose your own thoughts
or solutions on the client, or be influenced by your personal experiences.
It is useful to ask your client to have a pen or pencil and pad ready. Using
an urgent tone, ask your client to let their imagination run riot and write
down all possible actions that will achieve their goal – however unlikely or
ridiculous. The ultimate aim is to move the client on a step nearer to their
goal by the end of the coaching session. Other prompts which may inspire
the client to consider available options might be to ask them to consider
which idea will be the easiest, cheapest or the most comfortable.
Always remember to ask the client as to whether or not the preferred option
meets the chosen goal.
These questions will encourage the client to think ‘outside the box’, after
all, if they have had this problem for some time and have consistently
avoided solving it, or used strategies that have failed, a new way of

approaching the problem will be required to give the desired result!
Although some of the options may seem worthy of instant dismissal, good
ideas are often sparked by such suggestions, so it is important to
encourage the client to fantasize about possible solutions!
Once your client has amassed a list of options, the next step is to lead the
way through them, encouraging consideration of the advantages and
disadvantages of the various choices. Always keep the goal in mind as the
client may want to go off at a tangent. Questions such as:-
"Which option will give you the result you want?
"Can I take you back a step… remind me of your goal (it is vital that
the client does this – it is their goal, not yours! If you do the
reminding and reinforcement of the chosen goal, it may appear that
you are chastising the client for losing sight of the goal. Far better for
the client to experience that enlightening moment – ‘Oh, I see what
you’re getting at…’)
Throughout the ‘options’ period of the coaching session, the responsibility

for making decisions rests entirely with the client. Your role is to heighten
client self-awareness to a level where he is able to select his own solution
based on his own self-knowledge and understanding of himself and the
problem. A solution imposed by the coach will lack those two main
ingredients – awareness and responsibility. The client must feel ownership
of his goals, actions and ultimate success; he must be empowered to
succeed, not commanded to succeed!
If your client appears to have come to a full-stop, and carefully worded

questions allowing sufficient ‘silence time’ for the client to consider and
frame his answer have not fully explored the options available, ask
permission to make a suggestion. Suggestions must be carefully phrased
and offered, without a hint of them being offered as the preferred solution,

prefaced with:-
"Would you like a suggestion from me?
"Would you like another option to consider?
Valuing the options already given by the client will make your suggestions
just another one to add to the list:-
"You’ve already come up with two interesting ideas we can look at,
how would you feel about considering… or
"Another option might be…
As you build the coaching relationship and rapport, skilled questioning may
well eliminate the need for suggestions. The more skilled you become at
‘reading’ the client, the less likely you are to feel that the client is ‘stuck’
and needs direct help in order to move on.
Once a list of options has been drawn up, and noted down by you and your
client, you can lead them to consider the advantages and disadvantages of
each option. At this stage, encourage a check back that the chosen option
gives the desired result to meet the chosen goal.
When the client has explored the merits of all the options in relation to their
goal, it is an opportune time for the coach to ask the client to describe
what success will be like for them, taking care to use language congruent
with their preferred thinking style:-
"What does success look / feel / sound like to you?
"Describe how you will feel when (not if!) you succeed.
Speaking in positive language, in the present tense, will reinforce the goal
in the unconscious mind. Ask the client to link how they will respond to their
success with their goal:-
"I will feel a warm glow of satisfaction when I do this (the action)
and this happens (achievement of the goal).

This will reinforce the positive aspect of achieving a defined goal and lead
neatly into the ‘WILL’ or action section of the GROW model.
The ‘will’ or action section of the GROW model is concerned with helping
the client to find the way forward; agreeing a plan to put their chosen goal
into action. It flows naturally from the previous section, and ideally begins
with you asking the client to confirm which option he is going to choose and
how this links with his goal; a positive affirmation of intent.
Using a funneling process, you will then assist the client in fine-tuning the
first step or steps they are going to take. Do not let them veer off course
at this stage, or be content with bland bridging statements of intent. For
example, a client might commit himself to writing an important report by
the end of next week, and be content with that. You must pin down the
specific timetable:-
COACH - So you’ve decided to complete the report by next week.

That’s great! When will you start?
CLIENT – I thought I might make a start on Tuesday or Wednesday.
COACH – Realistically, which is the better of the two days?
CLIENT – Wednesday, yes I’ll definitely try to make a start on

Wednesday.
COACH – You said ‘try’ on Wednesday, is there anything stopping

you from actually making a start on Wednesday?
CLIENT – No, Wednesday it is!
COACH – I want you to think about how you spend your time on a

Wednesday – when will be a good time to set aside for
writing the report?
CLIENT – I’ll start Wednesday evening.
COACH – What will be a good time for you?
Be firm and encouraging. Keep going until the client has agreed to allocate
enough periods of time – each day if necessary – in order to achieve his
goal. Ask them to write their agreed time-scale in their diary so that 'we can
check back together' the following week.
To keep coaching calls moving and on schedule, towards the end of the call
it is helpful to say, ‘In our last five minutes…’ Closing on an upbeat and
positive note will leave the client fired up for action.
You will find that clients often begin their course of action the minute the
call has finished! This ensures a very upbeat and positive start to the next
call. Asking the client if the call helped them to move forward is very
powerful and leaves them feeling great about the power of a coaching
session.
Ending a session with praise, reinforcement of the goal and actions,

followed by an upbeat ‘I look forward to hearing of your success next week’
is an excellent method of closing a call.
Always avoid any phrases which give any reason for doubting the client’s
good intentions – ‘I hope to…’, ‘Perhaps next week…’ Tell the client you
are looking forward to their call next week and praise their hard work.
During a coaching call remember to actively listen for clues about your
client, through what is being said, the way it is being said and the use of

silences. Building a picture of your client’s comfort zones, noting throw
away remarks that are recurring and may have an underlying significance in
moving the client from where he is to where he wants to be. Using the
reframe technique these patterns of behaviour can be skilfully fed back to
the client with reference to their significance to the issue to be addressed:-
"I notice that you’ve mentioned ‘x’ several times – how does this
effect the issue you want to explore?
"Or during the call, a supposed peripheral issue can be
acknowledged with a ‘Would you like to come back to that later?’
or a more insistent ‘We’ll come back to that issue in a moment’
if the client repeatedly shows that he is unwilling to explore an
important area relating to his goals.
This approach might be doing the client a favour and unlocking the real
issue underlying the surface concerns which may be being voiced in an
unconscious attempt to mask the crux of the problem. To make this
approach the coach will have to have established very open and trusting
relationship with the client, and would almost certainly be unwise to
attempt this in a first session!
Summary
Your study of the GROW model is now complete! If you have managed to
work through all the exercises you will have gained:-
"a good working knowledge of each stage of the GROW model.
"an understanding of how and why a coaching model works.
"the confidence to practice using this model with your clients.
Think of the GROW model as a framework for solving problems, identifying

goals, exploring reality, looking at options, and securing a commitment to
living a better life.

There is one final exercise, Activity 3. You are encouraged, through your
reading and practice, to collect ideas for questions under each of the
GROW model headings.
One final thought – as you practice and become increasingly confident in

using this model you will notice that coaching sessions often dip in and out
of the sections of the model. Try not to think of the framework as straight-
jacket – have the confidence to be flexible and to use this simple and
effective model to help all your clients to fulfill their true potential!
Happy practicing!

Activity 1
Background Case-study – Elizabeth’s Story

You have read the story. Record your own observations, and at the end of
this sheet, make a note of your learning points.
1. What stopped Elizabeth reaching her goal when she was eleven?
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2. How did Elizabeth feel about what happened?

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3. What enabled Elizabeth to reach her goal when before she was thirty?
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4. How did Elizabeth feel about what happened?

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My learning points:-
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Activity 2
Use these sheets to record your answers as you work through the text. It
is important to use the module to support you as there are additional
questions and prompts to guide you through the process.
TOPIC OR ISSUE
Question 1: Think about one particular issue or challenge in your life at the
moment. This may be in the area of career, relationships, finances, self-esteem,
desires, achievements or any other area that is important to you at this time.
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Your next step is to write your topic or issue in one sentence that you can
easily keep in your mind.
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If you have phrased your goal in the negative take a few moments to re-
phrase it in positive terms.
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Question 2: ‘What from of outcome or result are you seeking by the end of
this self-coaching experience?’
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G IS FOR GOAL
1. Think about your topic/issue and take yourself forward to a point in time
when the issue is as you want it to be. What do you notice that shows you
have achieved the goal? Or, if it is a problem you want to solve, how do you
know this has happened? Note it down.
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2. What are you doing that shows you have achieved the goal? Make a
quick note.
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3. What are you hearing that tells you that you have achieved your goal, or
solved the issue?
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4. How are you feeling at this point in the future?

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5. What are you saying to yourself…

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6. When do you want to be in this position you can see in the future? What
timescale do you have in mind? Is it next week? Next month? Next year? It
must be realistic. If you have a big career goal and a longer timescale, you
might want to focus on a part of the goal in a shorter timescale.
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7. How challenging or exciting is achieving this goal? If it’s too challenging

break it down into an element you can achieve within the timescale you’ve
set. If it’s not challenging enough, you will either achieve it without trying,
or you will lose interest. Do you need to add anything to it to make it more
challenging?
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8. How will you know that you have achieved your goal? Is there a
measurement you can use?
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9. Where do you have control or influence with regard to this goal?

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R IS FOR REALITY
1. What is going on right now that tells you that you have an issue or a problem?
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2. As well as what is happening, what is missing from your current situation

that you would like to have?
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3. What is happening now that is good that you want to keep happening to
contribute to achieving your goal?
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4. What have you done so far to improve things?

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5. What were the results you got from doing these things?
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6. What obstacles or possible barriers are in your way that prevent or
hinder you from moving forward?
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7. What resources do you already have to help you to achieve your

outcome? (skills, experience, qualifications, personal qualities, talents,
time, enthusiasm, money, support etc.)
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8. What other resources will you need? Briefly, write down where you will
get them.
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9. The final step is to look back to your goal for a minute. The one you
identified in identifying your topic or issue. Is it still relevant, or has it
changed? Make any changes or adjustments, if it’s still okay, leave it alone.
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O IS FOR OPTIONS
1. What could you do to move yourself just one step forward right now?
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2. What else could you do if you didn’t have to explain what you were doing,
or be answerable to anybody?
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3. What could you do if money were unlimited?

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4. If you could devote all of your time to this one thing, what would you do
then?
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5. What could you do if you did not have to live with the consequences?
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6. If you went to your line manager or friend with this problem, what might
they suggest?
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7. If you secretly know what you should do first, what would it be?
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8. Have a look back over your list of options and read each of them
carefully. Check to see if any of them spark another idea you could also do?
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9. Choose one of the options. Choose one that will move you forward just
one step. Choose the easiest thing to do, or the cheapest, or the quickest,
or the one you feel most comfortable doing, but choose one right now.
Circle it, highlight it.
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10. If you do the one thing that you have chosen, just check. Will it move
you forward? If not, choose something else. If it will move you forward, stay
with it.
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11. What is the benefit to you of doing this one thing? Will it make you feel
better? Will it mean you will know something new? Will it change your
opinion of something? Will it relieve the stress a little? There has to be a
benefit. Identify it and write it down.
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‘W’ IS FOR WILL AND WAY FORWARD.
1. What are you going to do?

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2. What will you do? List the actions you must go through to complete this
thing you have chosen.
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3. How will these actions meet your main goal?

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4. When are you going to take these actions? What’s the timescale?
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5. How long do you think that that list of actions will take you? Can identify
anticipated timescales for each item?
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6. Should anyone else be involved in this list of questions you’re going to
do to complete this thing, or this issue, or this goal that you have chosen?
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7. What do you want this person, or these people, to do?

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9. Who else should know that you will be doing these things?
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11. At what point in your plan will you tell them?
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12. Whatever your first step is, can you think of any obstacle or barrier that
might stop you from doing it?
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13. How likely is it to stop you? Is it likely, or not likely? If it’s not likely
that’s fine. But if it’s very likely, what can you do to make your first step
more achievable? (If you didn’t understand that, it means looking at your
first step being something to reduce the barrier.)
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14. How will you overcome this obstacle, or obstacles?

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15. What will you do to stop it from stopping you?

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16. Earlier you wrote down when you would complete this first step. Is that
timescale still valid?
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17. Is there anything else you need to consider before you begin this first
step?
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18. In identifying your goal you identified when you would have achieved it.
You also identified a timescale in this section as to when you would begin
your first step. Put the two together. When will you actually start in terms
of date? Be specific – day, time, place. Write it down in your diary.
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Activity 3
Use these pages to list useful questions that you might want to use with a
client when working through the GROW model:
TOPIC
GOAL

REALITY
OPTIONS
The Coaching Model of Achievement Page 9 1

WILL

WEEK 2 - THE COACHING MODEL OF ACHIEVEMENT

Week 3
BUILDING RAPPORT
WITH YOUR CLIENT
Based on material provided by John Cassidy-Rice

Week 3
BUILDING RAPPORT WITH YOUR CLIENT
Based on material provided by John Cassidy-Rice
Preview
Rapport is one of the most popular words in the life coaching lexicon. In
this module you will explore what it means within this context and gain an
understanding of why it is so important. You are invited to try some
practical examples for yourself and to identify areas where your own skills
in establishing and building rapport may need a little corrective work.
It will only be a little work because, as a human being, you already have the
necessary skills and they are an integral part of you but, perhaps because
you have not maintained a conscious awareness of them, they may have
become slightly rusty.
Rapport defined
Most dictionaries will offer a definition that goes something like this; 'A
harmonious or sympathetic relation or connection'. In life coaching this
needs a little more dressing. A more appropriate definition would be 'Your
ability to enter into each client's model of the world so that you can give
them the feeling of being totally understood'.
The key word here is 'understood' because understanding is at the core of

coaching. As their coach, you will be allowed to share a client's innermost
dreams, their goals and their confidences. They may tell you things that
they have never shared with another person. To do this, they will have to
like you and trust you. When you establish rapport, you are sending the
message that you are very similar to them and this is important because
'people like people who are like them'.
Building Rapport with your Client Page 99

So, rapport is all about effective communication. In this area, Dr.
Birtwhistle's 1970's research is often quoted. He determined that 55% of
your meaning is communicated by your physiology, 38% from your tone of
voice and a mere 7% from the words that you use.
Dr Birtwhistle was referring to the situation as it refers to face-to-face

dialogue. According to coach and trainer, John Cassidy-Rice, the dynamics
change when applied to telephone conversations, with particular reference
to coaching by telephone. His research suggests physiology accounts for
43% of received meaning, tonality accounts for 42% and the remaining 15%
derives from your choice of words.
Before we leave the topic of definitions, you need to be clear about the
meaning of physiology in building coaching rapport. It is the word used to
describe your posture and the way that you feel when you are coaching.
Turn to Activity 1 for a practical example that you can try for yourself.
Aspects of language
To establish and build rapport you must speak your client's language. Here
is an example:-
A music tutor was trying to explain how to play a particularly

troublesome piece of music to a student. "Look at the music sheet
and get a picture inside your head of where you come in, and keep
on eye on me." "It doesn't feel right," said the student.
The tutor continued painting the picture but the student still did not
get the point. His pal whispered to him. "You know when you are
skateboarding. You turn in mid air and hold out until the very last
second. That's the feeling he wants you to get with the music."

The student got it at once. His friend knew the words that connected with the
student's thinking process. The tutor did not. As a coach, you must know the
words that your client uses to think with. When you use these words, you will
make it easy for them to answer your questions and you will understand each
other perfectly. Here is how you do it, whether you are coaching face-to-face
or by telephone.
Human beings process information by using their five main senses of

seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling and tasting. These allow the mind to code
and understand what is happening. Although everyone has these senses,
some will be more developed or favoured than the others and it these
preferred senses that will be used to represent the world.
Once you are aware of this, you can detect the preferred sense of anyone
that you are talking to. In the earlier example, the music tutor was clearly
a 'visual' person as revealed by using 'look', 'picture' and 'eye'. The
student was a 'feeling' person - in fact he used the word 'feel'. His pal,
picking up on this, used the same 'feeling' speech pattern and there was
immediate understanding.
Here are some commonly heard conversational clues:-

A 'seeing' or 'visual' preference individual will favour phrases like:-
"That looks right
"I get the picture
"See what I mean
"That is colourful, coming from you
"Show me what you mean.
A 'hearing' or 'auditory' preference individual will favour these:-

"Sounds good to me
"Clear as a bell
"We are on the same wavelength

"I hear what you say
"Listen to this.
A 'feeling', 'tactile' or 'kinaesthetic’ personality will go for:-

"I feel good about this
"That touched me here
"I cannot get a grip on this
"I felt right at home
"I was feeling rough at the time.
Here are some examples of 'smelling' or 'olfactory' verbal clues;

"This smells fishy
"I smell a rat
"As sweet as a rose
"On the scent of something good
"She used an aromatic example.
And finally, the 'tasting' or 'gustatory' verbal clues;

"Let us chew it over
"Like eating a piece of cake
"That is how the cookie crumbles
"It left a nasty taste
"I can get a flavour of it.
Although the olfactory and gustatory preferring types are rare, you may well
come across them at some stage in your coaching. A further clue is that
olfactory types will often sniff before they make a decision - to see if it
smells right and, gustatory people may smack their lips or make swallowing
sounds - to get the taste.
There are also a few non-specific phrases like 'I think we need more time',
'It makes sense', 'I understand' and 'She seemed insensitive'. Thinking,

sensing, understanding and insensitivity do not fit into any clear preferred
category, so you will need to be alert for clues that are more obvious.
Please turn to Activity 2 for a fascinating check of your own preferred

sense.
Then go straight on to Activity 3 for a further exploration.
Tempo and tone

Your client's tempo (speed of speech) and tone (tonality) can give further
clues about their sensory preferences and offer some great opportunities
for establishing and building rapport.
Visual people are often rapid speakers. They have a clear picture in their
head and will want to describe it to you in great detail, hence their speed.
They may often jump from topic to topic as they focus on different parts of
their picture to make sure that they miss nothing. They may often speak in
a high pitched manner.
Mainly auditory people have a rhythmic, even, level and musical tone. They
can go to great lengths when describing something and they enunciate
clearly. Auditory people love lists and enjoy making their points in
sequential order.
Kinaesthetic people like to talk very slowly. They accord a meaning to every
word and there will be long pauses as they go inside their mind to access
exactly the right information. You must allow them time without interrupting
during their pauses. Their tonality is frequently deep and resonant.
Once you have this information, you can use it to great advantage in your
coaching. Here is a very short story to demonstrate. It features Susan who

is a life coach and James, a potential client.
The person who introduced James had warned that he was

impatient with trainers, colleagues, consultants and coaches. He
was a valued member of the team but his impatience created
problems.
Susan speaks quickly, she is a typical visual person. She noted that
James had a very pedestrian manner of speaking and deduced that
he was a kinaesthetic type. His impatience stemmed from people
at work 'jumping in' with answers while he was still attempting to
describe an issue. They just did not allow him time to process his
responses.
Susan slowed her own speech pattern down to exactly match

James' tempo. She even modulated her voice slightly to make it
deeper. Their initial session lasted an hour during which Susan said
very little and during which there were some extremely long pauses.
At the end, James stood up slowly, smiled and said 'You are the
very first person who knows how I feel. I would like you to be my
coach'.
Susan was using the technique of matching and mirroring to enter James'
view of the world so that he felt understood and able to trust her. The
process is simplicity itself. When a client speaks fast, you speak fast. If
they have a speech rhythm, you have the same rhythm. You match their
volume and tonality as closely as you can. Note the length and complexity
of their sentences and match these too.
Caution! Matching and mirroring does not mean that you mimic accents or
any speech impediments like stammers. When you do it correctly, your
client will not even be aware of what you are doing. Turn to Activity 5 for

some ideas for developing these skills.
Once you have established rapport, you can lead your client forward. Your
client enjoys the feeling of being in rapport and will want to sustain it. If you
have been talking slowly and in a low tone to match your client's speech
patterns, you will find that when you speed up slightly and lift your tone, your
client will follow suit. This device is valuable when you have a client who
drones on and on in miserable tones. As you allow your speech to become
faster and more positive, theirs will too. After all, as a coach you are in control
and must lead your client - not the other way around!
You might break rapport when you first try this. No problem. Simply return
to matching and mirroring to re-establish rapport and try again later. You
could even get them to change their physiology by inviting them to pause,
stand up, stretch and then sit in a different position. This will change their
mood.
Your tone can also significantly change your meaning. In this example, read
each phrase aloud and place a strong emphasis on the underlined word.
You will immediately see that you can send eight different meanings.
"I did not say that I loved her

As well as changing meaning, your tone can also indicate a positive or

negative frame of mind or state. If a coaching session lasts for an hour or

more, you may find that you become tired and that your initial positive tone
has begun to slip. Change your position and posture - be aware of changes
in your own tonality and focus on opportunities to match, mirror, pace, or
lead.
You can also pace and match your client's breathing patterns. Breathing
has a tremendous impact on mood and state. When you copy their
breathing depth and pace you can feel what they are feeling and, you can
notice some unspoken information. They may reveal their sensory
preferences, they may reveal stress with shallower and faster breathing,
they may indicate satisfaction and comfort by slower and deeper breaths.
Be alert to all the signs. Please turn to Activity 6.

Beware of labels
Nobody is permanently or solely visual, auditory, or kinaesthetic. We all
shift between them according to our activity and mood of the moment. In
very general terms, British people tend towards the auditory with strong
visual support. In the USA the situation is opposite, with visual as the key
preference and auditory in strong secondary position. Latin countries tend
to feature people with kinaesthetic preferences and strong visual
components.
You must beware of using these valuable indicators as labels for

individuals. So far, you have been presented with an introduction to the
main representational systems but there is a great deal of deeper
information that you can gain if this topic really fascinates you. Here are
just a few examples of the potential power of the three main patterns.
VISUAL: It is true that a picture is worth ten thousand words. Visual is the
realm of space and time. You can hold a fantastic amount of information at
once when you use pictures.
If you need to make decisions based on given information you can create
pictures of each possible outcome, hold them all in your mind
simultaneously and compare. If you attempt to do this with words, you are
hampered by having to use one word at a time. Do it with feelings and it
takes too long for the experience of each feeling to manifest.
Once you and your client have used visualisation to create a clear picture
of the selected decision and its associated action, move on rapidly. You
must not create a loop by introducing new pictures at this stage.
Visualising is a useful tool for accessing past success and using it as a

basis for future achievement. 'What were you most proud of, what did you
see and how did it feel at that time?' Then recreate the picture with the

new scenario and information to recreate the same feelings of pride and
achievement.
AUDITORY: Use words to help your client plan, to arrange sequences of

actions, to list and to prioritise. Because words are used one at a time,
they force logical progression and allow subsequent analysis.
Words are also useful for removing emotion from an experience. Dr. Wyatt
Woodsmall puts it like this; 'First there is an event. Then there is the
nervous impact of that event via the senses. Third is the emotional
reaction based on past experience of the individual. Fourth is the internal
or external verbal response'. This hypothesis indicates that words can
move us four steps away from the experience.
It is time to turn to Activity 7.
Summary
"You have been introduced to the communication model and the
way the dynamics change during telephone coaching.
"You have an understanding of the power of physiology in changing

state.
"You can recognise the main sensory preferences by choice of

words.
"You know how matching and mirroring can be used to good

advantage.
"You have the keys to establishing and building [and sustaining]

rapport with every client.

Activity One
You are about to prove the power of physiology for yourself.

"Stand with your head hanging down forward. Droop your
shoulders and let your arms hang loose by your side. Turn the
corners of your mouth down. Sigh deeply.
"Now, in that situation, try to feel happy and say something
positive
"What happened?
"Stand tall, head up, shoulders back and with a great big smile
"Now, in that situation, try to feel sad and say something negative
"What happened?
"Return to your normal positive and happy state and continue with
the text.

Activity Two
You are about to discover your preferred sense.
As fast as you can, using the answer that immediately feels right for you,
tick one from each of the three options given in the sections below.
I like to learn by…

■ Seeing how to do it
■ Hearing a talk
■ Having a go, hands-on
I make decisions by…

■ Getting a clear picture
■ Finding out how it sounds
■ Attending to my gut feeling
I buy things based on…

■ Colour, style and appearance
■ Its description, sound or salesperson's patter
■ The feel of the thing
I find it easier to…

■ Draw a picture
■ Sing or hum a tune
■ Play sport
If you mainly chose the first option in each case, you are probably primarily
visual.
Selecting the middle option suggests that you are primarily auditory.

The third option indicates a kinaesthetic preference.
Activity Three
You are about to explore your senses. You may find it useful to record the
following points, allowing around ten seconds between each one and then
to play it back as you complete this activity.
"Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed for a few
minutes
"Sit comfortably and relax - eyes closed or open as you prefer
"Imagine that you are walking along a favourite beach
"Take a moment to enjoy the experience and notice what you
notice
"Observe the colours of the sea and the light dancing on the water
"Look at the sky. What colour is it? Are there any clouds or birds
flying?
"Look down at the sand or shingle, wonder at all the different
colours
"Look into the distance. How far away is the end of the beach?
"Become aware of rocks, trees, plants, breakwaters and suchlike
"Listen to the sound of the sea as it laps onto the shore
"Notice the rhythm of the waves
"Notice the birdsong
"Are there any other sounds?
"Just enjoy this song of the beach for a moment
"Feel a warm breeze against your skin
"Feel the sand or shingle on your bare feet. Is it soft or coarse?
"Dip your toes in the water. Is it warm or cold?
"Can you smell seaweed and the scent of the ocean?
"Take a deep breath. Can you taste the salt in the air?

"Gradually, become aware of your surroundings. Move your arms,
stand up and stretch. Your imaginary holiday is over.
"What did you learn about yourself?
"Did you find some images easier than others? Which Ones?
"How can this exercise help you in your coaching?

Activity Four
The more you use your client's vocabulary, the easier it becomes to reflect
their model of the world and to create rapport. This means that you must
be flexible in your own communication.
You are about to consider eleven sentences. First, decide the sense of the
sentence and mark it V, A or K according to whether you believe it to be
Visual, Auditory or Kinaesthetic in its phrasing. Then, write a question
using the same sense.
Example:- I cannot get a grip on what I need to do next!

K What do you need to gain a firm hold on your next step?
My future looks fuzzy

__________________________________________________________
My boss doesn't listen to me

__________________________________________________________
I can imagine someone else going so far

__________________________________________________________
It is all so big. If only I could put a frame around it

__________________________________________________________
I only made it by the seat of my pants

__________________________________________________________
A little voice warns me to be careful

__________________________________________________________

My partner paints a clear picture, but I just can't see it
__________________________________________________________
I get wobbly just thinking about it

__________________________________________________________
It is moving so fast
__________________________________________________________
I could do it if I had someone on the same wavelength

__________________________________________________________
It seems so attractive
__________________________________________________________
When you have completed your answers, repeat the exercise but, this time,
use different questions in the same sense. Then do it again with questions
framed in a totally different sense. Get together with other coaches and
make up your own sentences and questions.

Activity Five
You are about to experience the nuances of tonality.
"Record a few minutes each of voices from the radio. Use a wide variety
- presenters, news readers, interviewers and famous personalities.
"As you play each one back, see how well you can match and mirror their
tone, pitch and pace. Note how each creates a 'mood' or state. Contrast
the manic upbeat style of a pop music station DJ with the measured
tones of a war correspondent.
"Whenever you are in an hotel, restaurant, filling station or shop - practise

a little discreet mirroring and matching. Notice how quickly you can
establish rapport and note the improvement in service.
"Show this module to a friend and practise together. Role play as each of
the dominant preferences. Practise breath pacing and leading.

Activity Six
Observe the technique of established television interviewers. They very

often use these techniques with their guests and yet still retain their own
style and personality. Watch and learn and then practise on a willing friend.
"Note the rate, depth and location of their breathing
"Do they breathe with a regular and consistent rhythm and does
the pace vary?
"Do they breathe from their upper chest (visual), middle chest
(auditory) or the abdomen (kinaesthetic)? How do these broad
descriptions tally with their preferred sense as indicated by their
choices of words?
"Are inhalations the same length and depth as exhalations?
"Is their breathing regular or spasmodic?
"Notice what you are noticing

Activity Seven
You are going to test your own powers of visualisation. You can use this
technique for clients who say that they find it difficult to visualise.
"What colour is your front door?
"How are your house numbers or name displayed?
"What is your car's number plate?
"What is your telephone number?
"What is your post-code?
"Without checking, how is the figure six shown on your watch?

(Roman, Arabic or just a dot?)
How do you know the answers? In many instances, the response will be,
'I just know'. This provides an opportunity to point out that we all tend to
think in pictures - but these are not real - they are mental images. Just
pretending to 'see' pictures works just as well. If you could answer the
above questions, you CAN visualise.

And finally, become aware of the effect of sounds.
Listen to the sounds around you right now - both near and distant. How
many can you identify and what do they signify? How do you know?
Think of the power of music to alter moods. What moods do you think might
be created by the following types of music. Match the suggested moods to
the types of music by marking A.B or C etc as appropriate. One mood for
each type of music.
A: Mellow and relaxed B: Proud and patriotic C: Stressed out
D: Party time E: Romantic F: Spiritual G: Nostalgic
___ Gentle solo piano renditions of popular show tunes
___ Gregorian chants
___ Military bands
___ Electronic bass drum beat [House, Garage etc]
___ New Age ambient sounds
___ Rock and Roll
___ Traditional Irish or Scottish melodies
You may find it very useful to create your own mood for coaching by playing
appropriate music before any coaching session. It is not advisable to play
music during the session, as your clients' tastes may be very different from
yours - and that will not do a lot for rapport!

Appendix 1
FOUR MAJOR PERSONALITY STYLES
Introduction
This is particularly applicable to coaching in the workplace.
Applies to a company's clients, customers or work colleagues.
It is about effective response and rapport.
This would be conducted in 15-minute group workshops in a 'live' situation.
People who are difficult to work with may display all or some of these…
"uncontrolled temper
"super-critical
"perfectionist
"arrogance
"lack of communication skills
"overpowering personality
"insecurity
"aggression
"avoid decisions
"hog conversations
"bully others into agreement
"won't open up to you
"irritatingly detailed
"don't listen to you
"think of big picture and ignore practical details.
(Think of more from your own experience.)*

You can make these people less difficult…
"If they are clients or customers you can then do more business
with them.
"If they are work colleagues you can then create a more
productive and pleasant environment.
"The bottom line benefit is that you will then gain their attention
and co-operation.
GENERALS: Feel important, self opinionated, logical, not-detailed, delegate

tasks, assertive, tough-minded, poor listeners, lack patience, cold, formal.
SOCIALISERS: Everybody's friend, chatty, enthusiastic, easy-going, give

much information, use examples, honest, assumes others are honest,
fast-paced talking, excitable, many gestures, fast decision-makers,
disorganised.
TEAM PLAYERS: Quiet, unassertive, supportive, co-operative, kind and

warm, slow-paced, few gestures, avoids risk, dislikes conflict,
accommodating, excess sincerity, good at reading others, likes to work with
others.
DETECTIVES: Formal, logical, unfriendly, pedantic, self-possessed, stand-

offish, picky, critical, orderly, serious-minded, unassertive, needs facts,
asks questions.
All people use all traits at some time, but most people have one dominant
trait.
Now think of a couple of famous names for each type. (eg: Richard Branson -
socialiser)
Look for clues to a client or colleague's dominant style.
SOCIALISERS AND TEAM PLAYERS ARE people oriented.

GENERALS AND DETECTIVES ARE task oriented.
GENERALS AND SOCIALISERS ARE tellers and talkers.
TEAM PLAYERS AND DETECTIVES ARE askers and enquirers.

This information allows more effective responses to…
"Improve communication
"Establish rapport
"Exchange ideas
Generals feel important so you pay real attention to them and so play to
their strength. Show them how to feel that they are winning or getting
something special.
They are self-opinionated so listen carefully when they speak, don't
interrupt them, nod your head in agreement.
They are logical so you should know their goal or intention so you must affirm
that you are on-track.
They are abrupt so you keep to the point when responding.
Socialisers are friendly so you act in a relaxed way, stay calm, don't get
hyper. Welcome them with a smile and a friendly greeting.
They are enthusiastic so you respond with positive enthusiasm.
They are easy going so you shouldn't push for a fast decision.
They offer much information, you must separate the key from the waffle.
Team Players are quiet so you keep more thoughtful and quieter.
They are kind, warm and unassertive, you show concern to make them
comfortable.
They are supportive and co-operative, you use words like 'we' and 'us' They
use few gestures and are slow, you slow down gestures and pace of
speech.
Detectives are formal so you adopt a formal manner and give them space.
They are logical and pedantic so you must respond with detailed descriptions,
qualify and quantify.
They are critical, so you must have your facts straight.
They are unassertive so you must hold back and be unassertive too.

People like to deal with people who reflect their own
personality…
Emphasising a particular part of your own personality is a key to success
so whilst adapting to others as above, remain true and don't fake it. This
is about being subtle and flexible to accommodate their style so that they
feel comfortable with us.
The aim of this process is to create comfort zones for the other person.
Use the process as a self-discovery exercise. Categorise yourself and think

of what changes you might want to make in yourself.
You can also use it as the basis for a mini-lecture that you can deliver to
corporate clients.

WEEK 3 - BUILDING RAPPORT WITH YOUR CLIENT

Week 4
EMPOWERING
THE COACHING
RELATIONSHIP

Week 4
EMPOWERING THE COACHING RELATIONSHIP
The key to building a successful coaching practice lies in the ability of the
coach to establish a rapport with clients and to build a lasting and trusting
relationship with them. A coach gives 100% commitment to each client’s
personal development and growth. A skilled coach will seek to invite each
client to take control of his or her life and enable him or her to use a variety
of tools and techniques to achieve this. An effective coach has power to
transform lives and enable clients to discover and commit to a new sense of
direction and purpose. In engaging the services of a coach, each client is
embarking on a unique journey towards self-fulfilment. Stephen Covey, in his
book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People effectively sums up the
sensitivities and power of this relationship in the following, well-chosen words:-
“Self-growth is tender; it’s holy ground. There’s no greater investment.”
Each module of this course is closely linked and intertwined with the
others. Through studying this module and participating in the activities, you
will gain a greater understanding and working knowledge of:-
1. The qualities of a good coach and how to use these to build

client confidence.
2. The role of the coach – this will relate to the skills-based modules.
3. How to set up the coaching agreement with your clients – this
will include agreeing on ground rules for the coaching alliance,
terms and conditions, payment, and session timing.
4. The importance of the “Intake Session” – how to prepare
yourself and manage this crucial first coaching contact with your
clients.
5. The process of reviewing progress with your clients and the value
of setting “homework”.
Empowering the Coaching Relationship Page 129

6. How to manage your time when running a coaching practice.
7. The three stages of preparing for your coaching sessions.
8. The boundaries of coaching and how to deal with difficult clients.
9. The impor tance of continuing your own professional
development as a coach.
10. How to build up a working “tool kit” to use in a range of
situations.
As you work through this module you will make connections with the other
study units and consolidate your learning. You will also gain a ‘big picture’
overview of how to manage a coaching business – from the detail of
working with individual clients through to the management issues of
working with a portfolio of clients with a range of different needs.
Essentially, the ‘coaching relationship’ pulls together all the coaching

skills, sets them in a framework, and gives you the practical advice and
guidance you will need as you begin to build up your client base and
establish yourself as a professional coach.
The qualities of a good coach.

The coaching relationship is a conversation between a client and a coach.
It is the power of that relationship that will produce the results. Within any
conversation, the two main elements are speaking and listening. The
extent to which the coach develops and continues to develop these two
skills will determine how effective these coaching relationships will be, as
you will have discovered in the skill-based modules.
Any communication between two people constitutes a relationship, so how

is the coaching relationship unique? As a coach, your relationship with your
clients will be based on the firm belief that your clients are capable,
resourceful people who want support in articulating and achieving their

goals. A coach provides support and direction in three ways:-
1. By asking the right questions to give insights into what is needed
to plan the next steps.
2. By providing the necessary tools and structure of ongoing
support for their clients.
3. By being 100% committed to the success of each and every
client.
When beginning to coach a new client, the initial process is exactly the
same as building any important, new relationship. As a coach you will need
to spend time with your client:-
"Getting to know each other and
"Building up a sense of mutual trust as you encourage your clients to
talk and share information about their lives, their achievements, and
their aims.
Your clients must have the confidence to share anything with you. They must
feel 100% safe and secure in the coaching relationship. So on to the
essential qualities of an effective coach. Myles Downey, in his celebrated
work Effective Coaching, recognises that good quality coaching is based on:-
1. Trust
2. Honesty; and
3. Transparency or Openness.
As we explore each of these attributes in greater detail, you will begin to

appreciate that every relationship is based on two-way communication and
whatever attributes apply to the coach must also apply to the client in order
to maximise the benefits the coach/client relationship.
1. Trust.
Trust is all about confidentiality. A client must trust a coach absolutely. Your

clients must be certain that anything they share with you will not be
repeated to a third party. Clients will be sharing their thoughts, beliefs,
fears, and ideas and these must be listened to and acknowledged in a
climate of mutual trust. Mutual trust means that this trust must work in the
opposite direction, too. As a coach, you must be able to trust that your
clients are fully engaged with the coaching process and are being as
truthful as possible. The whole basis of an effective coaching relationship
must be built on a firm foundation of trust.
2. Honesty.
How does honesty translate in practice? During the coaching process each
client will agree on and commit to any number of actions towards achieving
their goals. Your clients must take responsibility for carrying out those
actions, and be honest with you if they have experienced difficulties or
barriers.
The relationship is for the benefit of the client, not the coach. In committing
to and carrying out their action plan, a client should be honouring their
commitment to themselves, not to their coach. Your clients need to be
aware of this, and you need to establish a climate that allows your clients
to interpret ‘failure’ to take action as a learning process from which a new
and more appropriate plan of action can emerge. Repeated failure to meet
agreed targets for action may reveal a deeper challenge. There may be
issues concerning a client’s values and beliefs and the congruence of their
agreed goals. This is discussed more fully in the module on “Goal Setting
and Motivation”.
3. Openness.
Without trust, any relationship lacks the credibility for open, mutual
learning, communication, and real creativity. Openness in the coaching

relationships has two very specific components:-
1. Openness in discussion – the coach must facilitate the client in
being confident to bring all relevant information to the coaching
session
2. Openness about the topic of discussion – the client should be
actively encouraged to explore all aspects of a topic and not hold
anything back that might impede the path of progress
To conclude this section, there are three steps that most successful
professionals take to build relationships:-
1. Determining mutually satisfying goals – in the coaching context
this translates as facilitating the client to set goals that are both
challenging and achievable, thus satisfying the client.
2. Establishing and maintaining non-verbal support; and
3. Producing positive feelings in others – both of these aspects
are expanded in the module on “The Skill of Building Rapport”.
James Flaherty, in his book Coaching, Evoking Excellence in Others,

expresses the importance of the coach/client relationship as follows:-
“…relationship is the background for all coaching efforts… (the
relationship) must be one in which there is mutual respect, trust
and mutual freedom of expression.” He adds that this should be
“based on openness, communication, appreciation, fairness and
shared commitment” and, finally, “confidentiality”.
And so we move on to…
The role of the coach.

In Effective Coaching, Myles Downey defines coaching as “the art of
facilitating the performance, learning and development of another.” In
simpler terms, it is to unlock a client’s potential so that he or she can

maximise performance.
Throughout your study, a composite picture of the role of the coach has
been emerging, and in this next section we are going to define the key
elements of that role. Each one of these attributes and attitudes forms an
integral part of the coach’s role and, therefore, they are offered as being
equally important, rather than as a hierarchical list. There are nineteen
attributes in all, and each of these will have been explored in detail as part
of one of the modules. Seen as a whole, they can be used as a checklist
against your own learning and skills acquisition to help you to identify
particular competencies you need to develop as you strive to be an
excellent and versatile coach.
Excellent coaches show their ability by:-
1. Supporting clients to achieve their full potential.

2. Establishing a high level of rapport.
3. Working in a climate of climate of trust, honesty and openness.
4. Actively listening to their clients at all times.
5. Using effective open-ended questioning techniques.
6. Offering constructive feedback and checking meaning through
summarising and paraphrasing.
7. Encouraging clients to explore options.
8. Praising clients achievements – the small steps as well as the
big ones.
9. Challenging and taking their clients out of their comfort zone.
10. Facilitating clients in understanding their needs.
11. Acting as a sounding board and allowing clients to brainstorm
ideas and possible solutions or options.
12. Raising awareness.
13. Opening choices.
14. Encouraging responsibility.

15. Helping clients to explore values and beliefs.
16. Enabling clients to set goals and define action plans.
17. Keeping clients on track, within a session and over a period of
time.
18. Maintaining a non-judgmental attitude.
19. And, of course, remaining totally confidential.
How well do your skills match up to this checklist?
Before you go any further, go to EXERCISE ONE and rate your own skill
level against each of the criteria on the list.
Welcome back! I hope you were honest, open and trustworthy in your
assessment of your skills. The duplicate sheet can be used with one of
your clients to give you feedback in terms of where you think you are and
where your clients think you are. Identify any gaps and decide what actions
you will take to improve these skills.
Establishing ground rules.

For any relationship to work effectively, there have to be ground rules. In
family and workplace relationships these rules are often assumed and
unwritten. When building a business practice that relies on communicating
openly and honestly with clients, it is crucial to adopt an open and honest
policy with clients at the outset. You will need to consider what rules you
will need to put in place to enable you to run an efficient, effective coaching
practice. You will need to draw up a transparent set of rules, defining
clearly:-
"How long each session will last,
"Your charging and payment policy; and
"Timekeeping expectations.

Length of session.
Regardless of whether you intend to coach over the telephone, face-to-face,
or use a mixture of the two approaches, you will need to decide how long
each session will last. Bear in mind that you will need to prepare before each
coaching session, and give yourself time and space in between each client.
There is no set optimum time for a session, however most coaches fix
sessions at somewhere between 30 and 60 minutes. This needs to be made
clear at the outset, and should be included in an information pack for the
client. This information will form part of your toolkit.
Frequency of sessions.
Again, there are no hard and fast rules. Most coaches recommend
coaching on a weekly or fortnightly basis. Clients need sufficient time to
carry out their agreed actions. On the other hand, they need a sense of
urgency. If the sessions are too far apart the impetus can quickly be lost,
actions not carried through and goals not met. This is unsatisfactory for the
client and the coach. To avoid this scenario, agree the frequency of the
sessions at the outset.
When setting up your practice, it is vitally important to put systems in place

at the start. These don’t need to be written on tablets of stone and can be
amended in light of experience and changes in circumstance.
A practice can quickly become unmanageable with only a few clients, if it

is allowed to grow without any forethought as to the times of day you wish
to work and the days of the week that are most suitable for you.
Remember, coaches need life balance too!
A professional coach is just that – a professional. At different times in our lives

we make appointments with a whole range of professionals – doctors, dentists
and lawyers to name but a few. We book appointments through receptionists,

personal assistants or secretaries, on their terms, not ours, although there is
some degree of flexibility.
Ideally, before you sign up your first client, you should give due
consideration to the following:-
"How will coaching fit in with my other commitments?
"How much time each day do I want to allocate to coaching?
"Am I going to operate on a 9 to 5 schedule?
"Do I want to offer evening sessions?
"Are there certain times or days when I will not book in clients?
Charging and payment policy.

Before setting your own charging policy, find out:-
"How much other coaches are charging?
"Are they charging per session or for a course of sessions?
"Do they offer a discount for booking and paying for a course of
coaching sessions?
"What length of session do they offer?
"Do they offer a sliding scale of charges?
Once you have established how much you will charge, you must give
consideration to the frequency and method of payment. You must decide:-
"Methods of payment – will you accept cash, cheque and or credit
cards? You will need to set up a facility to accept payment by
credit card.
"Frequency of payment – do you want to be paid by the session in
advance or for a course of sessions in advance?
"Are you prepared to see clients on a pay-as-you-go basis?
"What will you do if a client doesn’t pay and how will they know
that?

Information about payment should form part of your initial pack for your clients.
Timekeeping.
As your client base grows, you will become aware of the pressures of time-
management. Remember the old adage ‘time is money’. Whether your
clients are calling you or arriving for a face-to-face session, you need to be
very clear about the amount of time you have allocated to them. What will
you do if:-
"A client is late?
"A client misses an appointment?
"A client is consistently re-arranging pre-agreed sessions?
"A client rings or arrives at the wrong time or on the wrong day?
All of these scenarios can be effectively addressed in your initial letter of

agreement with the client. The ground rules can be clearly defined and can
form part of the coaching agreement. Arrange to have this signed and
returned to you before the first coaching session. Make your expectations
clear and be equally clear about the level of service the client has a right
to expect from you.
Turn to EXERCISE THREE. Use the information you have just heard to draw
up your own set of ground rules to give out to your clients. Use the
headings as reminders as to what to include.
The intake session.

The first, formal coaching session with a client is commonly called the
‘Intake Session’. This session can take up to an hour-and-a-half, so keep
this in mind when scheduling your sessions. The aims of this session are:-
"To complete an information and contact sheets for the client’s file.
"To clarify your role and commitment to the client.

"To reassure the client about issues of confidentiality.
"To explain to the client that they are in charge of the process and
have the power to decide how long to be coached.
"To find out how they want to be coached.
"To ask what they would like you to do if they get stuck – would
they welcome a suggestion from you?
"To make it clear that, to get the best value from the session, you
may need to interrupt them or stop them from time to time and
get them back on track.
"To go through and explain, in outline, the basic six point
structure of a coaching session as follows:-
1. Review the previous actions.
2. Setting goals for the session.
3. Looking at where the client is now.
4. Exploring possible options.
5. Agreeing actions.
6. Summarising what has been agreed.
"And, finally, to find out about the client’s state of mind and
attitude towards life by guiding them through a pre-prepared
client history sheet.
Remember, coaching takes a client from where they are now to where they
want to be. It, therefore, follows that the vital first step is to establish
where your clients are now in order to move them forwards towards their
own, self-defined goals.
You might chose to use a detailed, focused questionnaire with your clients,
a genuine “Client History” or a more general questionnaire of the “Where
Are You Now?” type. Your decision will be based on any prior knowledge of
your client and any information you may already have as to why they have
chosen to work with a coach.

A client history is particularly useful if a client is seeking a coach to help
them to decide upon and achieve a major life-change, i.e. a career change
or re-location. Your questions should seek to uncover how the client views
him or herself, and might include any or all of the following:-
"What have been your three most fulfilling accomplishments in life
so far?
"What has made you the most successful or powerful?
"What has been the biggest thing you have had to overcome?
"What has not been successful and what have you learnt from
this?
"How has your attitude towards people changed over the past ten
years?
"Are you past, present or future oriented?
"What should I know about your professional background?
"What should I know about your personal background?
"What, if anything, should I know about your family history?
"What is the most important thing in your life at the moment?
Explain to your client that the more information you have, the more
effectively you will be able to work with them. These questions can be
made into a template and their answers recorded for future reference.
Remind your client that they are not obliged to answer all the questions and
can ‘pass’ or seek further clarification from you if necessary.
Don’t be afraid to ask subsidiary, open-ended questions to probe more

deeply into the above areas.
To experience the effectiveness of this approach, turn to EXERCISE FOUR

and try this questionnaire out for yourself, or better still, use it on a trusted
friend or family member. Practice taking notes from the answers.
Remember to use your active listening skills and open-ended questioning
techniques to elicit extra information where necessary!

Welcome back! You may wish to use ideas from this exercise to draw up
your own client intake sheet.
An equally effective approach is to use a “Where are you now?” format to

enable the client to pinpoint their feelings of dissatisfaction and concern,
identify the area they wish to work on, and turn this into a positive goal for
the future. This can be divided into four basic sections covering:-
1. TOLERATIONS: What are you putting up with at the moment?
2. SHOULDS: What do you think you should be doing right now,

professionally and personally?
3. FRUSTRATIONS: What things are frustrating you about yourself,

your life, your work, others?
4. DESIRES: What do you really want in your personal or

professional life?
Take a few minutes to complete EXERCISE FIVE, the “Where Are You
Now?” exercise. Again, you can do this for yourself or practice talking this
through with a friend or colleague.
Welcome back! You can modify this sheet and include it in your own toolkit.
How to review your clients’ progress.

As each client is an individual, it is important that the coaching relationship
is flexible enough to adapt to each situation and personality. Although it is
essential to have processes and techniques available to support clients in
achieving results, it is vital that, as a coach, you focus on doing the best
thing for your client. Slavishly following a process may get in the way of

progress or even block progress altogether! As you develop your skills
through practising with a range of clients, you will gain the confidence to
follow your intuition, led by your clients’ needs, rather than your own need
for the security of a rigid, structured coaching process.
By now you are familiar with the GROW model framework and the benefits
of working flexibly within a coaching model. It is an excellent basic model,
however there is an essential element missing. After having worked with
your client to establish his or her main goal, set priorities and agree on one
or two small steps, or short-term goals, towards that ultimate goal – what
happens in the second coaching session? A process of review must be
built into this and subsequent sessions. You will need to mentally allocate
about 10 minutes for this process. During this review period – it is a vital
part of the coaching process not an optional extra, so the coach should be
in ‘coaching mode’ – the coach aims to do the following through the use of
open-ended questions:-
"Find out which actions have been completed – successes.
"Find out if there are any actions that have not been carried out –
challenges.
"Find out why any omissions have occurred – check the level of
commitment and congruency of goals.
"Find out how the client feels about their progress.
"Find out if any other issues have become important since the
previous session.
"Celebrate the client’s successes!
Many coaches choose to use a coaching preparation sheet, to be

completed by the client prior to the session. This enables the client to
focus on their goals, aims and actions, recognise the challenges they are
currently facing, and set the agenda for the forthcoming session. It also
maximises the time spent coaching, as the client will be focused and ready
to go through the review process without prompting from the coach.

A call preparation sheet can be faxed or e-mailed to the client as an
immediate follow-up from a session, or sent a couple days before a session
is due as a reminder.
Before you begin the next exercise, you may find Cheryl Richardson’s book
Take Time for Your Life a useful source of ideas and possible questions for
your review session preparation form.
Turn to EXERCISE 6 and use the template to create your own client
preparation form. Remember to phrase your questions in the positive!
Welcome back! You have just created another element of your toolkit!
Setting homework.
It is not compulsory to set homework for your clients! Once again, as you
establish rapport with your clients, you will quickly become sensitive to their
own particular needs and will adjust your approach accordingly. If you’re not
sure, ask! Try saying:-
"How would you feel about doing an exercise for homework?
"Or link this to praise, “You’re moving ahead really quickly, I think
some homework would help you to gain even more value from
your sessions”.
"Or you could “get tough” and be very direct – “I’d like you to try
this exercise before your next session – other clients have found
it very helpful – let’s see how it works for you”.
Build an evaluation of the effectiveness of homework into the review

session. Perhaps you’d like to revisit EXERCISE SIX for a few minutes?
Use the Internet, books, journals and articles to gather information and
ideas for exercises to use with your clients. These will accumulate into

what is commonly known as ‘The Coaches Tool-kit’. Remember:-
"What works for one client may need adjusting to be relevant to
the next, or may not have any relevance at all.
"What works for one coach may not be comfortable for you, so try
out ideas, make adjustments and share ideas with other
coaches.
Never forget that one of your most valuable resources is your client. Ask for
feedback:-
"What was useful about that exercise?
"What changes would you suggest?
"How useful would it be to go through the exercise again to help
you to assess your progress?
Time Management for Coaches.

Now that you have considered the timing of your session, what about the
bigger picture of your own time management? No one would choose to be
coached by a stressed coach, so you need to plan to be in control.
Tight, but realistic scheduling puts the coach in control of the practice and
reduces stress levels. If clients are allowed to take control of a coach’s
time, simply because ground rules have not been agreed or adhered to, the
coach will feel out of control and stressed – clearly not the ideal frame of
mind in which to coach!
To manage time efficiently, so that you have plenty of time to run and
develop your coaching practice, will require the following actions:-
"Setting aside a specific place to work to enable you to establish
clear working patterns. Be aware that if you are working from
home this can become either all consuming or too fragmented for
the business to build and grow. Your business can become driven

by your coaching sessions, allowing no room for reflection,
affirmation and growth.
"Creating an ideal work schedule that balances work and family
life. Rather than assuming you must work increasingly long hours
to achieve success, you need to be realistic and use your work
time productively – work smarter not harder!
"Making provision for the unexpected so that you are never in a
position of feeling overwhelmed and out of control if the
unforeseen takes up some of your work time.
"Creating time boundaries when you are in “work-mode” and
cannot be disturbed. Making sure these boundaries are
understood by family and friends.
"Devising a realistic daily timetable for your coaching business. It
should incorporate all aspects of running a business, including
actions that you might avoid if you do not schedule them in as
priorities.
"Making sure, using the above method, that you work on one
action per day that relates to your business and/or personal
goals. Use positive affirmations relating to your own goals.
"Recognising your own strengths and weaknesses. This will
enable you to spend time building on your strengths and finding
ways to overcome your weaknesses.
Keeping clients on track.

Each coaching session will be bound by the amount of time fixed upon. It
is the role of the coach to pace the session and keep the conversation on
track to maximise the benefit each session. Imagine being forced to cut
short a session before a client agrees to and commits to taking action. The
client would feel let down and de-motivated and you would be acutely aware
of your own responsibility in mismanaging the session and allowing this
situation to occur. You may even lose a client.

Keeping the conversation on track will mean seeking permission to
interrupt or intrude at the outset of the coaching relationship. Intruding
means interrupting the flow of conversation before a polite break in the
dialogue, and cutting through to the main issue. In the book Co-Active
Coaching, Laura Whitworth et al. comment that, “You are not intruding on
them [the client] you’re intruding on the story that gets in the way of the
truth”.
What strategies will you use to keep your clients on track? Here are some
useful tactics to use:-
"Can we pause for a moment? How does this relate to your topic
or issue?
"Can I ask you to stop for a moment? You began by talking about
X; can I bring you back to that?
"I’d like to stop you there. It sounds fascinating, however we only
have X minutes left and I want you to decide which of the options
you’d like to pursue.
"I’m going to interrupt you there. Perhaps we could come back to
that at the next session?
As you practice with your clients, you will find ways of getting clients back
on a track that you feel comfortable with.
The three stages of preparation.

As a coach, your preparation before coaching sessions will fall into three
distinct categories:-
1. LONG-TERM PREPARATION – This refers to the ongoing

updating and building-up of your knowledge, skills and
understanding of your role.

2. MEDIUM-TERM PREPARATION – this is carried out sometime
before the session and involves looking through your client’s
notes, reminding yourself of the client’s background, long-term
goals, achievements, gains, successes and challenges.
3. SHORT-TERM or IMMEDIATE PREPARATION – this is crucial to

the success of the session. It concerns your personal
preparation to enable you to be totally focused on your client and
your role as their coach.
These three levels of preparation are all positive steps that are vitally
important in practising and endeavouring to develop your skills to become
an excellent coach. We are now going to explore each of these steps in
greater detail.
1. Long-term preparation.
This involves the coach in keeping abreast of new developments in the
coaching world through using Internet resources, attending related
seminars, and reading articles, journals and books on and around the
subject of coaching. Coaching is a skill and an art form to be practised and
perfected through the self-improvement of the coach. Discussing and
sharing issues and ideas with colleagues will be another valuable source
of becoming a coach who is self-aware, critical and keen to improve the
standard of service offered. Taking specific action to maintain a positive
mental attitude will be a crucial aspect of your ongoing development as a
coach.
2. Medium-term preparation.
At this level, your preparation will be client specific. Even before you have
amassed a portfolio of clients, it is essential to establish practises that will

enhance the relationship between you and your clients. Find a quiet place
to read through the client’s notes, to focus your mind on his or her goals,
challenges and achievements. This exercise will increase your confidence
level and enhance the rapport that has been built with your client. Using
this strategy as a means of mental preparation will channel your thoughts
towards achieving success for your next client.
All clients deserve a coach who is 100% devoted to and focused on helping
them to succeed – a coach who is operating on their wavelength. To
achieve this, remind yourself of the preferred thinking mode of your client
– is it visual, auditory or kinaesthetic. Revisit the client’s long-term goal or
goals and review the progress made so far. Remind yourself of the client’s
comfort zones and areas that are often avoided or put on hold.
At this stage it is appropriate to consider the four sections of the GROW

model and to remind yourself of some open-ended questions you might use
in each category. Finally, familiarise yourself with your client’s goals and
actions from the previous week.
Just one note of caution here, in the early stages of coaching you might jot
own a few questions to use – remember the importance of active listening.
Each question will be phrased according to the response offered by the
client. Sticking rigidly to pre-set questions will stifle the coaching process,
making it coach-led rather than client-led.
3. Short-term preparation.
Finally and arguably most importantly, the coach needs to mentally prepare
for the task ahead. Spend a few minutes in a calm environment, breathing
slowly and deeply, focusing on the skills you will need to draw on during the
session.

Some coaches use meditation techniques as their preferred style of
preparation, the right method is the one that works for you. Try reminding
yourself of the purpose of coaching – that you are walking alongside a client
and helping them to make his or her dreams a reality. Remind yourself of
the importance of silence and of allowing the client time to think and
expand on their ideas and thoughts.
Always be aware that your own state of mind will come across to the client
more clearly than the words you are speaking. To this end, remind yourself
to be upbeat and enthusiastic, to look forward to the session and give
100% of yourself to your client for the next 45 minutes or so. Place your
most recent client notes to one side of you, to aid the progress review. In
front of you, have a new record sheet ready to note information stemming
from the current session. You are now in the right frame of mind, are
physically prepared, and are ready to begin working with your client!
Drawing the session to a close.

Keep a clock or watch close by and use this to remind yourself to keep the
session moving. If the session is slow in progressing towards the W stage,
tell your client! You might say, “Right, we’ve got 15 minutes left, so I’d like
to move you on” or “I’m really keen to help you to achieve your goal and,
as we’ve got only 15 minutes left, I think it’s time to ask/explore…”
When five minutes are left, tell the client. Use praise… “You’ve done really
well this week. In our last five minutes I’d like to…”
Follow up to the coaching session.

Have you considered how you will record the outcomes from each coaching
session? What do you need to know and recall and what does your client
need to know and recall?

Encouraging your client to take their own notes can be a powerful tool,
particularly if you introduce written brainstorming or mind-mapping
exercises as part of a session. The act of creating and writing down a
personal goal and seeing it in writing can motivate a client into action.
You will need to make your own notes. Again, remember your prime purpose
is to focus on:-
"What is being said,
"How it is being said, and
"What is not being said.
So recording all dialogue verbatim is not an option! Consider what

information you will need for your own records and for the client. Can these
be incorporated onto one record sheet – appropriate for both coach and
client? Before devising your record sheet, you must be very clear about the
purpose and value of the information it contains. Consider the following:-
1. What will you need to know to be able to review your clients’

progress in the short, medium and long-term?
2. What will the client need to know to move forwards?
3. Is there any other information that might be relevant to the

coaching relationship and process that should be included on
this form?
Use the template in EXERCISE SEVEN to draft a record sheet to document

information from each coaching session. This will form another part of your
toolkit.
Self-management for Coaches.

We have looked at coaching session time management and at time
management relating to your working practices, so where does self-
management come into the equation?
In Co-Active Coaching by Laura Whitworth et al., self-management is

identified as “the coach’s ability to become invisible in the service of
holding the client’s agenda”. This has been referred to in the skill of
listening and relates to the coach putting aside all opinions, preferences,
judgements, and beliefs to support the client’s agenda. Another facet of
self-management is managing the client’s gremlin – the belief or mind-set
that is holding the client back or keeping him or her in a comfort zone.
This is discussed more fully in the audio on Goal Setting and Motivation.
Getting tough with clients.

As in any profession, dealing with difficult clients cannot be ignored.
Visualising how a difficult client may present and the action that you, as a
coach, will adopt will take the fear out of the situation. It may be useful to
remember that FEAR stands for False Expectations Appearing Real. Difficult
clients fall into the following main categories, although you may come
across any variations of these:
THE SCEPTICS – people who will challenge the benefits of coaching. These
are relatively easy to deal with. As a coach you work in partnership with
willing participants. Explain the basic principles of coaching and offer to
send them an information pack so they can contact you when they are
ready to take responsibility for changing their lives.
CLIENTS WHO DO NOT PAY – a good strategy would be to defer the

coaching session until the payment is cleared. This may be uncomfortable
for the coach, but it will reinforce your standard of business practise and

make your position clear to the client. Agreeing on payment conditions at
the outset should make it easier to reinforce the agreed conditions.
CLIENTS WHO ARE CONSISTENTLY LATE FOR A SESSION – remind the

client that the session will end on time regardless of when it started.
Encourage the client to keep to the agreed times as you want them to get
value from the session. If it happens repeatedly, help them to look at time
management or consider booking a more suitable appointment time.
CLIENTS WHO REGULARLY USE ABUSIVE LANGUAGE – Stipulate clear

boundaries of what you will tolerate and stick to them! Reminding the client
at the time of the offence will normally stop this recurring. You have as much
right to terminate the coaching agreement as the client – make sure this is
clear at the outset!
CLIENTS WHO HAVE A NEGATIVE ATTITUDE – the coach should bring this
to the client’s attention if it is continuously demonstrated during sessions.
You could address this through working on recognising and removing
internal barriers and interference to help your client move forwards. If this
impedes all progress, it is your duty, as the coach to mention this and
terminate the relationship.
CLIENTS WHO EXPECT TOO MUCH OF THE COACH – e.g. they state, “You
are not doing what I hoped for” – make your role clear; reiterate your role
in the coaching context. Remind your clients that you are not a problem
solver and that the client is ultimately responsible for his or her own
success.
CLIENTS WITH SERIOUS FINANCIAL PROBLEMS – coaching is not

prescriptive. Coaches do not offer or give advice about any matters relating
to serious or desperate financial circumstances. It is the duty of a coach to
explain sensitively, yet firmly, that while coaching might help to identify and

change limiting beliefs about money, the client’s first priority must be to
urgently seek professional financial advice. Once the crisis is in check,
coaching might be an option.
CLIENTS WITH SERIOUS ADDICTIVE PROBLEMS – Again, coaching is not

the forum through which to explore and address serious addictive
problems. What should you do if you become aware that your client has an
addiction to hard drugs or alcohol, has unresolved issues about physical or
sexual abuse, or suffers from an ongoing mental health problem? It is your
duty to make a strong recommendation that they seek the appropriate form
of help through counselling, therapy or a support organisation. If you have
already committed to coaching the client, refer to the ethical code of
practice, and exercise your right to suspend the coaching agreement until
the problem has been satisfactorily addressed. You may be comfortable
coaching less serious addictions e.g. chocolate or cigarettes, this will
depend upon your own values, experience, confidence level and expertise.
When to stop coaching a client.

The most obvious reason for finishing a coaching relationship is that the
client has achieved their goals! Most coaching relationships last between
three to six months, although some can continue for much longer. The
general rule is that while both client and coach are comfortable that
progress is being made and that the relationship is moving the client on,
there is no reason for it not to continue.
Some clients may seek the support of a coach to reach one very specific
goal; others may be seeking life-balance and need to work on a various
areas in their lives to achieve that sense of balance.
Either party can terminate the relationship when it has come to its natural
end. Other reasons will inevitably be linked with issues listed under

“Getting Tough with Clients”.
If you are coaching a client who is clearly not committed to change and is
making no progress, wasting your time and their money, it’s only fair to tell
them this and to make space for clients who are willing to take action,
make changes and live their best life.
Remember, satisfied clients are your best and most cost-effective form of
advertising!
In conclusion.
Studying this audio will have raised your awareness of the qualities of an
excellent coach and how to use these to form positive relationships with
your clients.
You will have considered all aspects of setting up, running and managing
your own coaching practice, from the practicalities of preparation and
timing through to the review process and record keeping.
In working through the exercises and activities, you have started to build
up your own personal coach’s toolkit, which you will be able to adjust and
add to as necessary.
You will have a good understanding of the difficulties you might face and
how to overcome these.
And finally, this audio will have inspired you to be proactive about your own
professional development and motivated you to pursue excellence in your
quest to be best you coach you can be!

EXERCISE ONE.
Use the checklist to make an assessment of your own skills development:-
1 = very competent and confident – “I do this almost all the time.”
2 = gaining in confidence – “I do this most of the time.”
3 = more development need to use this skill well – “I sometimes
do this.”
Please ✓ tick
1 2 3
"Supporting clients to achieve their full potential ■ ■ ■
"Establishing a high level of rapport ■ ■ ■
"Working in a climate of trust, honesty and openness ■ ■ ■
"Actively listening to clients at all times ■ ■ ■
"Using effective open-ended questioning techniques ■ ■ ■
"Offering constructive feedback and checking meaning through ■ ■ ■
summarising and paraphrasing
"Encouraging clients to explore options ■ ■ ■
■ ■ ■
"Praising clients achievements – the small steps as well as the bigones
"Challenging and taking clients out of their comfort zone
■ ■ ■
"Facilitating clients in understanding their needs
■ ■ ■
"Acting as a sounding board and allowing clients to brainstorm
■ ■ ■
ideas and possible solutions or options
"Raising awareness ■ ■ ■
"Opening choices ■ ■ ■
"Encouraging responsibility ■ ■ ■
"Helping clients to explore values and beliefs ■ ■ ■
"Enabling clients to set goals and define action plans ■ ■ ■
"Keeping clients on track, within a session and over a period of time ■ ■ ■
"Maintaining a non-judgmental attitude ■ ■ ■
"And of course, remaining totally confidential. ■ ■ ■
How did you score?

Add up your total score and relate it to the stages of learning a new skill:
YOUR SCORE BAND YOUR COMPETENCY LEVEL

20 – 29 UNCONSCIOUS COMPETENCE
30 – 39 CONSCIOUS COMPETENCE
40 – 49 CONSCIOUS INCOMPETENCE
50 – 60 UNCONSCIOUS INCOMPETENCE

EXERCISE TWO.
Use this checklist to rate the effectiveness of the coaching you are
receiving.
1 = very competent and confident – “My coach does this almost all
the time.”
2 = gaining in confidence – “My coach mostly does this.”
3 = more development need to use this skill well – “My coach
sometimes does this.”
Please ✓ tick
1 2 3
"Supporting clients to achieve their full potential ■ ■ ■
"Establishing a high level of rapport ■ ■ ■
"Working in a climate of trust, honesty and openness ■ ■ ■
"Actively listening to clients at all times ■ ■ ■
"Using effective open-ended questioning techniques ■ ■ ■
"Offering constructive feedback and checking meaning through ■ ■ ■
summarising and paraphrasing
"Encouraging clients to explore options ■ ■ ■
"Praising clients achievements – the small steps as well as the big ■ ■ ■
ones
"Challenging and taking clients out of their comfort zone ■ ■ ■
"Facilitating clients in understanding their needs ■ ■ ■
"Acting as a sounding board and allowing clients to brainstorm ■ ■ ■
ideas and possible solutions or options
"Raising awareness ■ ■ ■
"Opening choices ■ ■ ■
"Encouraging responsibility ■ ■ ■
"Helping clients to explore values and beliefs ■ ■ ■
"Enabling clients to set goals and define action plans ■ ■ ■
"Keeping clients on track, within a session and over a period of time ■ ■ ■
"Maintaining a non-judgmental attitude ■ ■ ■
"And of course, remaining totally confidential. ■ ■ ■

EXERCISE THREE.
Use these headings to decide on the ground rules for your coaching
practice. When you have drafted your letter, listen to the audio again and
check you have included all relevant information.
How long will my coaching session last?
How often will I need a coaching session?
What is your payment and charging policy?
What happens if I’m late, miss a session altogether, or have to cancel

because of unforeseen circumstances?

EXERCISE FOUR.
“Compiling a Client History” – try out his form on yourself or ask a friend to
share their client history with you. Practice noting down significant comments
and remarks.
"What have been your three most fulfilling accomplishments in life so far?
________________________________________________________________
"What has made you the most successful or powerful?

________________________________________________________________
"What has been the biggest thing you have had to overcome?
________________________________________________________________
"What has not been successful and what have you learnt form this?
________________________________________________________________
"How have your attitudes to people changed over the past ten years?
________________________________________________________________
"Are you past, present or future oriented?

________________________________________________________________
"What should I know about your professional background?

________________________________________________________________
"What should I know about your personal background?

________________________________________________________________
"What, if anything, should I know about your family history?

________________________________________________________________
"What is the most important thing in your life at the moment?

EXERCISE FIVE.
Use this as a self-assessment exercise or as an assessment of a friend or
colleague. Again, practice noting down the key points from the responses.
Be ready to add some open-ended questions of your own to clarify the
information you receive.
1. TOLERATIONS: What are you putting up with at the moment?
2. SHOULDS: What do you think you should be doing right now,

professionally and personally?
3. FRUSTRATIONS: What things are frustrating you about yourself, your

life, your work, others?
4. DESIRES: What do you really want in your personal or professional life?

EXERCISE SIX.
Devise you own client preparation form. Use the headings as guidance.
After listening to the audio on “The Skill of Questioning” you may want to
come back and redo this exercise.
(Find out what actions your client has taken)
(Find out what your client has not done)
(Find out what challenges your client faces)
(Find out what support the client wants from you)
(Your own question here)
(Your own question here)

EXERCISE SEVEN.
Use the template below to draft a sheet to record relevant information from
each coaching session.
Client: Date of session:

Appendix 1
24-HOUR PRIORITIES. Notes for coaches.
The following forms can be duplicated and sent to clients who may be
‘stuck’, resisting your efforts to DEFINE areas of obvious concern or, who
may simply need a reminder of your authority and commitment to helping
them.
Whenever you send them, you must always stipulate a date by which they
must be completed and returned.
SHEET A Invites your client to consider how they spend their time.
The outcome is an awareness of areas of wasted effort
or inappropriate time use, As a rule-of-thumb guide, the
areas of ‘most time spent’ will provide clues to Priority
areas.
SHEET B Invites your client to prioritise AREAS of issue, arising

from Sheet A.
SHEET C Invites your client to define ACTION arising from the

results of Sheet B.

Sheet A
HOW DO YOU SPEND YOUR TIME?

No matter who you are, you have 24 hours in every day. That is 1440
minutes. No more and no less. You cannot beg, buy, borrow or steal more.
When they have gone, that is it!
Please consider how you spend your time. Think of a typical day (or a week
of seven days) and state how many hours and minutes you think you spend
on each of the activities listed. (Add more if you need to.) Remember, the
total MUST be 24 Hours.
Hours Minutes
Sleep
Morning Personal Needs*
Work**
Leisure***
Evening Personal Needs*
TOTAL 24 00
AA: Now think just about work. Again, estimate the hours and minutes for
each
activity

Hours Minutes
Travel to work
Preparing for work
Tea, coffee and lunch breaks
Looking for things
Doing things right first time
Doing things poorly
Correcting things done poorly
Work related conversations
Meetings
Giving or Receiving Instructions
Getting ready to end work
Travel home
Your TOTAL Hours & Minutes

Must be same as at ** above

AB: Now do the same for Leisure.
Hours Minutes
Watching Television
Reading
Hobbies
Exercise
Creativity
Thinking
Socialising at home
Socialising out
Spiritual/Faith
Meditation
Personal Development
Health Improvement
Conversation
Family Quality Time

Must be same as at *** above
AC: Now do the same for Personal Needs.
Hours Minutes
Washing/Bathing
Hair/Make-up
Clothing Preparation
Dressing/Undressing
Sex
Other
Food Prepare/Eat

Must be same as at * above
ACTION TIME:
"Circle the two items that take the longest time in each of charts AA, AB and AC.
"Circle the two items that take the shortest time in each of these charts.
"Could the longest times be reduced? Why or why not?
"Are the shortest times adequate? Why or why not?

Sheet B
CONSIDER YOUR PRIORITIES
First, answer these questions.
Using the answers on the previous two sheets to kick-start your thoughts…
"What needs less attention?
"What needs more attention?
"How would you like to spend more time?
"Where would you like to spend less time?
"What is missing in WORK that should be there?
"What is missing in LEISURE that should be there?
"Would your work colleagues agree?
"Would your family agree?
"What is most important to you right now?
"If you could do ANYTHING with no limits ñ what would it be?
You cannot do everything at once. So, using your answers to the above
questions, write the three that are most important to you. Put the most
important first, then the next and then the third in order.
1st Priority ______________________________________________________
2nd Priority ______________________________________________________
3rd Priority ______________________________________________________
Copy these out on post-it notes or postcards and stick them in your car,
wallet, private locker, desk drawer and any place where you will see them
often.

Sheet C
DEFINE YOUR ACTIONS
If you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always got!
To change something, you must take action!
The outcomes of the action are more important than the action itself!
Considering each of your priorities from the last sheet, think of two actions
that you could take in the next seven days to improve matters. Then three
that you should take and, finally, one that you WILL take.
PRIORITY ACTIONS
Could SHOULD WILL!!
1st
2nd
3rd
Congratulations! Now you know what you could do, what you should do
and, above all, what you WILL do. Keep this promise to you. Deliver.
Repeat this exercise as often as you wish and ask your coach for more sets
of forms when you need them.

PEST CONTROL
(PEST = Psychic Energy Sink Topics)
It is an unfortunate fact of life that, despite your best intentions, there may
be people, places, events or things that sap your energy, erode your
enthusiasm, damage your determination or paralyse your plans.
In the same way that some electronic devices have a ‘heat sink’ to dissipate
unwanted heat, we suggest that these things are ‘psychic energy sink
topics’… or PESTs.
There is only one way to control a PEST - extermination action.
If you are feeling under par, the chances are that you have a PEST to deal
with. So deal with it by deciding on and executing an action plan.
(CAUTION: The name of the game is a zero score. Don’t be tempted to see how many you can
collect!)
THE TOP 56 MOST COMMON PESTS

Negative people Dirty car Incorrect diet
Family conflict Cluttered cupboards Low self-esteem
No friends Wrong environment Avoiding dentists
Unanswered messages Broken items Poor sleep
Outstanding letters Excess television Avoiding doctors
No sex World events Negative thoughts
Forgiveness wanted Lacking beauty Illegal activities
Relationship ending Feeling bored Lacking hobbies
Relationship starting Lacking faith
Lacking confidence Telling lies
Always unpunctual Unpaid bills Nicotine

Missing deadlines Unpaid taxes Alcohol
Poor productivity Unpaid fines Gambling
Difficulty communicating Bad credit Prescribed drugs
Computer illiterate Resource lack Illegal drugs
Non-assertiveness No savings Addictive behaviour
Information overload No will Fears
Personal sloppiness No insurance Anxieties
Professional sloppiness Extravagance Doubts
Dead ended

YOUR COACHING SESSION REMINDER LIST
Every coaching session is special. It is an exchange of ideas and
comments with your coach so, obviously, it cannot be scripted in advance.
Even so, you may find it useful to have a crib sheet of topics to talk about.
So here it is. You don’t have to use them all. It is just to get your thoughts
on track. Just tick the ones that you feel you might want to use.
Feelings about… self
others
health
work
finances
attitudes
other
Good events… achievements
changes
insights
happiness
other
Other events… disappointments
decisions
concerns
other
Future events… plans
visits
goals
actions
strategies
other
Help areas… stuck
unsure
other

IMMEDIATELY AFTER YOUR COACHING SESSION
You know about the importance of written goals. So, as soon as you end
your coaching session and before you do anything else, take a few
moments to complete this sheet and refer to it regularly before your next
session.
"The most useful points arising during this call.
"The actions that I have agreed to take before the next session.
"The actions that I want to take - even if not agreed - before the next
session.
"Any unfinished business or matters to raise at the next session.

BEFORE YOUR NEXT CALL TO YOUR COACH
It can be all too easy to forget to mention something as you get caught up
with enthusiasm during your session. Take a few minutes to complete this
form before each call. It will help you to get in the right mindset for an
effective session.
"Accomplishments, achievements, wins, happy times since the last

session.
"Actions planned and agreed but not achieved or fully completed.
"Challenges or issues that are faced right now.
"Opportunities to deal with any challenges or issues right now.
"The key issues to raise during this call.
"Anything else that you want to mention.

Introduction
YOUR NINE STEPS TO ACHIEVEMENT
This ‘Nine Step’ procedure is a useful tool for determining priorities.
The next page provides a blank pro-forma that can be used for any specific
area of human experience.
The following pages offer examples of stairways for Personal Life, Career
and Management.
There are no limits to the numbers of stairways that you can create.
If, for instance, ‘Finance’ appears at Step 9 on your Personal Life stairway,
you may find it useful to create a new stairway headed ‘Finance’ and to
select nine words. (No more, and no less!) These might include:-
Tax
Credit
Debts
Bills
Fun
Essentials
Interest
Control
Accounts
By using single key words, you are helping to focus your mind on what is
important.
This is intended to be an enjoyable way of deciding your priorities.
So go ahead. Enjoy. Prioritise. And then define your action!

Personal Life
9 YOUR SELECTOR PAD
8 A: PERSONAL LIFE
7 Lifestyle
Career
6 Finance
5 Health
4 Leisure
Family
3 Friends
2 Love-life
1 Growth
When you have gained total achievement at every step, they will all look like the bottom step in the
stairway above.
When that happens, you no longer have a stairway. You have a complete rectangle.
Then you no longer need these steps, you can take a lift or elevator straight to the top.
Then you repeat the process with another category or set of nine words.
Take a few moments to consider each of the nine words on your Selector
Pad.
Select the one that you are most satisfied with at the moment and write it in
Step 1.
Select the one that you are least satisfied with at the moment and write it in
Step 2.
Continue this process, allocating one word to each step, according to your
level of satisfaction, until you have used all nine words and steps. (Only
one word per step.)
The completed stairway provides a clear indication of the priority that you
should give to each area. Step 9 is your highest priority and should take
most of your attention, Step 8 requires slightly less and so on, down to
Step 1 where you need only do more of whatever you are doing now - as it
obviously works for you!

Your objective is to find this exercise impossible. This happens when you
can truthfully need to put all nine words in Step 1.

Working Life
9 YOUR SELECTOR PAD
8 B: WORKING LIFE
7 Organisation
Progress
6 Results
5 Relationships
4 Efficiency
Reliability
3 Clutter
2 Deadlines
1 Rewards
stairway above.
Then you repeat the process with another category or set of nine descriptive words.
Pad.
Step 1.
Step 2.
one word per step.)
Empowering the Coaching Relationship Page 1 7 6


Working Life
9 YOUR SELECTOR PAD
8 C: MANAGEMENT
Organisation
7 Progress
6 Results
5 Relationships
4 Planning
Budgets
3 Change
2 Rewards
1 Direction
stairway above.
Then you repeat the process with another category or set of nine descriptive words.
Pad.
Step 1.
Step 2.
one word per step.)


9 YOUR SELECTOR
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1 PAD
staircase above.
When that happens, you no longer have a staircase. You have a complete rectangle.
Then you repeat the process with another category or set of nine words.

WEEK 4 - EMPOWERING THE COACHING
RELATIONSHIP


Week 5
THE SKILL
OF LISTENING

Week 5
THE SKILL OF LISTENING
Preview
You may have heard this phrase…
If you don’t know where you are going, how will you know when you’ve
got there?
Here is where you are going in this module which is designed for:-
"Enhancing your knowledge of the listening process
"Understanding the key elements of effective listening
"Assessing your own listening skills
"Reflecting on your learning and recognising your development
needs
"Giving you opportunities to practice and improve your skills
"Relating your knowledge of the skill of listening to your role as a
coach
Please work through the suggested activities as you come to them. They
will help you to:-
"Assess your own level of skills
"Reinforce your learning
"Reflect on your learning
"Recognise your development needs and
"Plan opportunities to practice your skills
The art and skill of listening

A good coach is a good listener. An excellent coach is an excellent listener.
Listening is an art form and a skill.
The Skill of Listening Page 194

It is important to start where you are now by finding out how good your
listening skills are. Turn to Activity 1. This will give you a benchmark that
you can use to assess your progress. Which of the following terms best
describes you as a listener?
Superior Excellent Above average Average Below average

Poor Terrible
Around 85 people out of every 100 rate themselves as average or less

than average. If you are one of this great majority you have much to gain
from this module.
Prepare for Activity 2. Choose one person from each of the following
categories and ask them to honestly rate you as a listener:
"your best friend
"your boss
"a colleague
"your partner
Use the same descriptions that you used for your own assessment.
Most people find that their best friend rates them most highly as a good
listener. Analyse your responses and make a note of any development
areas within your own circle of influence. Note the types of scenarios and
relationships where you are more highly rated and think about how you can
replicate your skills in less favourable environments.
What listening means

The English dictionary defines listen as ‘to give attention in hearing’.
Note the key words ‘give attention’. In every aspect of your life, whether

you are coaching, managing, teaching or communicating in the role of a
business partner, as a parent, friend or casual acquaintance – in all walks
of life you are required to listen. By practising and becoming aware of the
key elements of active listening you can work to build up an atmosphere of
trust and respect with the person that you are listening to. Effective
listening is a key skill that will transform all areas of your life.
When you say or think, ‘You’re not listening to me’, how do you know that?
What clues are you picking up from the person you are talking to?
Often, their body language tells you they are not paying full attention to
what you are saying, they may be looking around the room or engaged in
an activity that takes their attention away from what you are saying. They
may be showing they do not want to hear your message by exhibiting
negative body language – arms folded across the chest, poor eye contact
or perhaps total absence of eye contact. How does that make you feel?
Do you always listen to other people, really listen, giving your full attention
to what is being said, how it is being said, and perhaps what is not being
said?
In the early stages of the coaching relationship, your clients want to please
you and they may only tell you what they want you to hear. You must listen
to hear. Listening is hearing with attitude. If you rely totally on your ability
to hear, you will instinctively hear what you want to hear. As a life coach you
must hear much more.
Imagine a jug of water that is full to the brim. What will happen if you
attempt to pour more water into that jug? It does not take a great deal of
imagination to picture the jug overflowing because there is literally no
space for any more water. The jug is already full.

There is a very fundamental link between this simple analogy and the skill
of listening. Imagine that your mind is that full water jug. It is crowded with
thoughts and ideas, all buzzing around inside your brain. It is full. When
someone talks to you and tries to add some more thoughts and ideas into
your crowded mind you are unable to take the new ideas on board. There
is no space left to consider anything new. New thoughts are crowded out
by what is already filling your mind.
This simple but powerful imagery shows the need to make space in your
mind to become an effective listener. You need to empty out some of the
surplus water and make room for some new, fresh water.
This module explores seven different aspects of listening:-

"Listening as a skill
"The difference between hearing and listening
"The listening process
"Barriers to listening
"How effective are your listening skills?
"Levels of listening
"The whole body approach to listening.
Listening as a skill
Listening is an underrated skill, and few people fully understand or
appreciate the complexities and intricacies of good, active listening.
Cast you mind back to when you were at school. Remember being taught
how to write, and recall practising your letters and words, progressing to
writing poems, plays and stories.
Research shows that writing is the most taught language skill, and yet used
only 9% of the time. Reading is another vital skill and schools devote a

great deal of time to phonics, word-building and reading techniques. We
use reading 16% of the time. And now for the punch line – listening is
taught the least, and yet used for a massive 45% of the time.
Speaking fares a little better than listening in terms of taught time, but
even this skill is used for a mere 30% of the time!
When you listen, you are often paying more attention to your own internal
dialogue and responses to what you are hearing. Already you are not fully
listening. You may think, ’Here we go again, I know exactly what he is going
to say next!’
You may think that you have heard it all before and mentally or physically
finish someone else’s sentence. Maybe someone has done that to you,
how did you feel? What does that tell you about the person who is
supposed to be listening to you? At what point did they decide they already
knew what you were going to say and stop really listening?
Listening is a critical skill; it encompasses communication through the

actual words spoken, tone of voice and body language. With the addition of
some knowledge about the nature of listening, listening skills can be
taught, understood, and enhanced through constant practice and
reflection.
Hearing and listening

It was no accident that human beings were designed with two ears and one
mouth, we were designed to listen more than we speak.
Listening involves connecting, transmitting and hearing messages, and

demonstrating that what you hear is important. As Stephen Covey says in The 7
Habits of Highly Effective People, ‘Seek first to understand then be understood.’

In other words, listen first before you speak. Another way of putting this is,
diagnose before you prescribe, a principle that can be applied to many
areas of life. It is the mark of all true professionals.
Typically, as people, we seek first to be understood. Most people listen, not

with the intent of trying to understand, but with the intention of making a
reply to what is being said.
We often use the expression ‘I hear what you say’ – but do we? In fact,
hearing and listening are two very different processes. You hear with your
ears. You listen with your mind and body. Hearing is a physical attribute, it
is an awareness of sound, a physiological process. Listening is a mental
process, the messages received are converted through the intellectual
process, so that what you hear becomes something that you can connect
with and comprehend.
Hearing is an inherent ability. The ability to hear sounds can be assessed

very early on in life. Babies respond to loud noises by jerking and moving
their heads to where the sound is coming from. Hearing is caused by sound
waves vibrating the eardrum.
Listening begins when the sound waves pass via the auditory nerve to the
brain where they can be interpreted as meaningful sounds. Listening is an
acquired skill, a mental process that can be learned and refined with
practice.
To sum up, the difference between hearing and listening is fundamental to

your understanding of the listening process. In essence, hearing is a
physical, involuntary process, whereas listening requires your brain to be
in gear and your mental processes alert to interpret what you are hearing.
People who have a hearing impairment listen in more active ways, they use

lip reading techniques, interpret signs and are probably far more aware of
the messages of body language when interpreting the messages that they
are receiving.

The listening process
To be a really effective listener, you we have to go through the following
processes: receiving, analysing and transmitting.
In a conversation, this translates into a five step process:-

"receiving the message.
"understanding the message – both of these are possible when
listening to information from a CD or tape or television
broadcast.
"checking the message – this isn’t possible for you at the moment
because this is not a conversation.
"absorb the message.
"Transmit your reply – in other words, you go through the four
processes above in preparation for your contribution to the
conversation.
There may well be interruptions, and it is a good idea to have strategies to

deal with these. Regardless of the context of the situation, whether you are
listening to a small child, your partner, a friend, a client, or your boss, the
process is the same.
To give yourself the best chance of receiving the message that is being
transmitted, here are five strategies you can use to enhance your listening
skills:-
"Concentrate with your eyes and your ears.
"Maintain comfortable eye contact.
"Sit or stand up straight – if you slouch physically you will slouch
mentally – you need to be wide-awake and alert.
"Focus on the main themes of what is being said rather than the
individual words.
"Expect to be interested – otherwise you may quickly become
bored and lose interest.

The next step is to think about the message you are receiving, and to check
and clarify the information you have received. by paraphrasing what has
been said in your own words. Use phrases that begin:-
"So I am I right in thinking… ?
"I get the feeling you are telling me…
"From what you’ve said I understand…
If you’re not sure what the message is – ask! To gain clarification and
understanding you will need to use phrases like:-
"Tell me more about…
"How did you feel when… ?
"What is the most important issue here?
"If you could summarise what you’ve said in one or two sentences
what would you say?
To help you to gain a full understanding, be aware of the visual clues:-

facial expressions, body posture and body language. If you are coaching
a client by telephone you will need to listen very carefully for non-visual
clues like tone of voice, pauses, use of silences and the pace of the
speech patterns.
All these techniques help you check and verify that you have understood
and received the correct message.
There are barriers to effective listening. Here is a formula devised by a

leading coach and author Timothy Galway.
PERFORMANCE equals POTENTIAL minus INTERFERENCE
In perfecting your listening skills you need to be able to recognise and

eliminate all sources of interference. In his book The Inner Game of Tennis,
Galway recognises that barriers to listening can be external or internal. As
a coach you need to be aware of any barriers you might have.

A client may be exploring an issue that you have had personal experience of
and this may set up personal interference – thoughts like ‘that happened to
me’ – your mind may wander as you begin to relive the feelings you had during
that experience.
A situation or phrase might ‘ring a bell’ in your own memory bank. As soon
as this happens you will be inclined to listen through the filter of your own
experience and follow the same thought patterns and reach the same
conclusion. These judgmental thoughts must be put aside if you are to have
a real chance of receiving the true message that is being transmitted.
It is very helpful to have a phrase to bring to mind to stop this internal

barrier to listening. Tell yourself, ‘Stop! This isn’t my issue’ or, ‘Concentrate
on the client’. Make a note of a phrase that will help you to re-focus your
attention on your client when you feel your attention wandering.
Other internal barriers are about your own perceptions of the world, your
inbuilt pre-conceptions about situations or people. For example, ‘All
managers are control freaks’ or, ‘Money is the root of all evil.’ These are
filters to listening.
As a coach you will need to take care not to prejudge your client as this will
colour your interpretation and understanding of what they are trying to put
across. You must put your own ego trips on hold for the duration of the
conversation. Your focus must be on your client and not on your opinions.
Your mood may be another internal barrier to your effectiveness as a listener.

If you have had a bad day and are feeling fed up with life, the chances are
that you will focus on the gloomy aspects of the message. You will tune in to
the parts that match your mood. If you are having a great day, and begin
working with a client in a buoyant, happy frame of mind the converse is true.
You will focus on the good news messages and filter out the bad.

Your current thoughts can be a barrier. You may be thinking about trivial
things like, ‘Have I got time to wash my hair before I go out’. You may be
planning a meal for a special occasion, or worrying about unpaid bills.
Whatever you are thinking about must be abandoned so that you can focus
totally on what your client is saying.
Barriers to listening may be internal, within you and invisible but

nevertheless very real, or they may be external. External barriers are more
tangible, background noise, telephones, fax machines, movement of
people around you, time pressures, physical discomfort, finishing off
people’s sentences and so on.
Before beginning a coaching session you must:-

"Remove internal barriers by emptying your mind of your own
thoughts and preoccupations.
"Eliminate external barriers and make space to listen fully to your
client.
"Establish a listening environment to allow you, the coach, space
to listen fully and the client the space to talk without
interruptions or barriers.
To help you to listen effectively and concentrate fully on your client, remind
yourself of the following points:-
"Sit up straight.
"Block out internal distractions.
"Ignore external distractions.
"Keep interested should distractions occur.
"Maintain comfortable eye contact.
"Use friendly, encouraging non-verbal gestures – nods, smiles.
"Give verbal encouragement to show you are still listening – make
sure these sounds are non-judgemental – things such as ‘mmm’,
‘I see’, ‘U-huh’, ‘Go on’.

"Take notes if appropriate – it is a good idea to explain to your
client why you are taking notes – and remember you need to
maintain eye contact so a few words and phrases to jog your
memory should be enough – you won’t be able to fully listen if
you are writing!
"Use pauses as thinking time and don’t rush to fill the space with
a question.
"Remember the golden rule – as a coach you should be listening
to your client for 70% of the time and talking for 30%. In your
practice sessions it is a good idea to ask your mentor coach to
estimate the percentage of time you spend listening and
speaking.
Pauses and silence

You need to practice and feel comfortable with the management of pauses and
silences. Within the coaching context it is crucial to be able to interpret silence,
and not feel obliged to fill the gap by re-phrasing the question, or by, asking
another question.
During a period of silence your client may be simply thinking about the
answer to your question, they may be ‘brainstorming’ in their own mind and
they may be going off at a tangent and thinking about another topic entirely.
Your skill lies in judging the meaning of periods of silence, and in spotting
the differences between a productive, thinking silence and the type of
silence which indicates that your client is confused about the question, or
needs more clarification before answering.
Clients do sometimes get temporarily lost. As you get to know your client
you will sense whether they will let you know if they are confused, or
whether it is preferable for you to break the silence. Whatever the reason

for silence, the client will usually tell you if they are uncomfortable about it
– take your cue from them.
This is particularly challenging when coaching over the telephone as you

will be unable to pick up on any body-language clues, and will have to rely
on your intuitive responses. Depending on your knowledge of the thinking
patterns of your client, after a prolonged period of silence (remember that
three or four seconds of silence at the other end of a telephone can feel
like a long time) you might chose to use an open question as a prompt:-
"How can I help you move forward here?
"What clarification do you need so that you can answer the
question?
"What are you thinking about at this time?
Or you may choose to use a closed question such as:-

"Would you like me to repeat the question?
"Would it help if I re-worded the question?
When establishing the coaching relationship with a new client, you might
discuss, ‘How do you want me to respond if I think you are stuck and
unable to answer my question. Will you tell me? Or would you like me to
wait for a signal from you?’
Filters that affect your ability to listen

Activity 3 will help you to understand the filters that affect your listening.
You’ll need to write down your responses:-
"Describe your job or something you have done that you enjoyed
doing.
"Recall a time when you have been successful – write down what
it felt like.
"Jot down what made you choose your present career or way of working.

"Write down three things that are important about what you do.
"How do you know when you have done something well?
You should have a few sentences or words corresponding to each exercise.

Your responses may identify the following filters:-
Size
Do you see the big picture or a small chunk? How did you describe the
piece of work you enjoyed – the whole project or the detail? Are you
interested in the image of the whole car or the detail of the fuel
consumption and performance – do you consider the decor of a room as a
total effect, or do you look at each individual component?
Movement
Are you a moving away person or a moving towards person? When choosing
a job, vocation or career did you speak about getting away from the rat-
race, escaping from the 9 to 5 routine – a moving away filter – or about
making a positive choice, being in charge of your own time – a moving
towards filter?
Involvement
Did you describe what is important to you as though you were there, very
associated and involved, or as though you were looking at what you had
done from afar? Is your filter one of association or disassociation?
Timing
You have a preferred time zone and this affects the way that you perceive
the world. Although people move between the three zones, most people
have a preferred method of measuring their world – it may be:-
"through the PAST – phrases like ‘this is the way we’ve always
done it’ are typical of this type of filter.
"through the PRESENT – this type of filter is concerned with what

events mean in the here and now.
"through the FUTURE – future oriented people are always thinking
about where they will be next week, next month or next year.
Procedures and options

Are you a person who likes to focus on process, or are you geared towards
exploring options and possibilities? Did you respond to question 5 by
describing how you did something, or did you look towards the possibilities
that this achievement has opened up for you?
You need to be aware of your own filters to listening and the filters imposed
by your clients when they listen and respond to your questions.
As a coach you must come to the coaching session as an empty vessel,

otherwise you will never truly hear your client. Why not practise in your
every day life? Try listening, truly listening and hearing as many day-to-day
conversations as you can. Observe people in dialogue in a whole range of
situations – in shops, meeting friends, in restaurants, standing in queues,
talking on the phone, chatting during a family meal, on chat shows – the
list is endless – and see how little listening takes place compared to the
amount of hearing. This is Activity 4.
We have already investigated the differences between hearing and

listening, the difference between using our ears to hear sounds and using
our minds to process what we hear and to interpret the information we are
receiving.
In all aspects of your life you need to consider how you are nurturing a thinking
environment – whether listening to family, friends, colleagues or acquaintances,
your communication and understanding will be greatly enhanced when you work
at creating the optimum environment for active listening.

In her book, A Time to Think, Nancy Kleine recognises ten elements of
pure listening. You might like to follow up this reference as part of your on
going professional development. Here are six elements of her model
"ATTENTION: Listening with respect, fascination and genuine
interest.
"INCISIVE QUESTIONS: Pure listening will enable you to respond
with an incisive question - these are used to remove
assumptions and limiting beliefs and ideas.
"EQUALITY: Being really clear about your agreement with your
client, and keeping within agreed boundaries.
"APPRECIATION: The balance between appreciation and criticism.
As a general rule you should work towards achieving a ratio of
5:1 – five confirming, appreciative comments to every one critical
remark. In the coaching situation you are working in a non-
judgmental environment, so appreciation is the key here –
making certain that you recognise, celebrate and praise each
small step your clients make towards achieving their goals.
"EASE: Offering your client the freedom from rush or urgency,
allowing time for the relationship to develop.
"ENCOURAGEMENT: You have a key role in motivating and
encouraging your clients to take action – so listening and
responding to what they are really telling you is vitally important.
You may find it useful to make a list of the key elements of pure listening,
and to display them where they can be easily seen as a daily reminder that
this is a skill to keep in mind and practise regularly.
How well do you listen? We all make mistakes and get things wrong, that
is how we learn. In fact, mistakes can be more positively viewed as learning
experiences and opportunities. Think of a time when you learnt something
from doing something right. It is difficult because we genuinely do learn to
improve our practise by doing and reviewing. Use every opportunity you

have to practise and refine your listening and to work at creating a positive
listening environment in whatever situation you find yourself in.
We all think we listen, but how often do we find ourselves having a

conversation with a partner, colleague or friend and filling in the gaps,
finishing their sentences, doing something else while we are listening and
generally paying scant attention to what is actually being said?
The lesson here is that the skill of listening requires practise, discipline
and attention.
Earlier on you made a basic assessment of the quality of your listening.

Since then you have read a wealth of information about the skill of
listening. Now it is time to focus on the more specific elements of your
skills, and to explore the finer detail of the way you behave as a listener.
So you are now moving on from:- ‘How good a listener am I?’ to the more
revealing:- ‘How effective are my listening skills?’
Activity 5 will enable you to assess where you are now in terms of your
listening skills.
Complete each statement as honestly as you can:-

"If I had to choose between speaking and listening the choice
would be………………..
"I tend to interrupt people when……………………….
"When people are expressing their emotions I
feel………………….
"I find it easy to listen to people when……………
"When I listen to someone I tend to ………………
"People I tend to find it difficult to listen to include………………
"Listening comes easy to me when…………….

"I become easily distracted when I am listening if……………..
"If I can’t have my say I feel…………….
"The best listener I know is ………………………………………
because …………………………
"I like people who listen to me ……………………………..
Review your responses to these statements. Try and identify which aspects
of listening are your strengths and which areas you need to develop.
Now you have gained an insight into you own listening ability, you are ready
to complete the final three statements:-
"Habits I find irritating in a speaker include ……………………
"I know I actively listen well when ………………..
"To become a more effective listener I need to …………………
You have just completed a very valuable exercise in recognising where your
own development needs attention. Remember to celebrate the aspects
that you feel confident with and note the aspects that you need to actively
work on and improve.
This is an exercise that should be reviewed on a regular basis, regardless

of how experienced you become. It will ensure your commitment to
becoming an effective coach, and enable you to sustain your performance
as an excellent listener.
You will already have realised that listening is a very complex skill. In their
book Coaching and Mentoring, Eric Parsloe and Monika Wray categorise
the skill of listening into three very distinct levels:-
"PERIPHERAL LISTENING at an almost sub-conscious level.
Imagine being in a crowded room and overhearing someone
mentioning your name and you turn towards the speaker –
listening on this level is more of an awareness of the general gist

of a conversation.
"APPARENT LISTENING. You look as though you are listening –
the external signs are giving this message, but internally your
thoughts are elsewhere, you are not fully concentrating on the
conversation.
"ACTIVE OR EFFECTIVE LISTENING where you hear what is being
said, why it is being said and – perhaps more importantly in the
coaching arena – what is not being said.
As a coach you will need to prepare yourself and your environment to

facilitate active listening. You can do this in three stages. Select the right
location for the listening to take place, create the right atmosphere, where
you can feel relaxed and can empathise with your client, avoiding the need
for defensive behaviour. And finally, practice listening behaviour by keeping
an open mind, trying and getting to the core of the message and, being
sensitive to facial expressions and body language.
Remember to take the time to check your listening, check the message,
and summarise and feedback what you have heard.
In Co-active Coaching, Laura Whitworth suggests another model for

listening on three levels. Although it is similar to that of Parsloe and Wray,
studying their model will reinforce your knowledge and understanding of the
basic concepts.
They describe LEVEL ONE LISTENING as INTERNAL LISTENING - where the

attention is on ourselves. We are focusing on our response to what is being
said – how we are feeling about what we are hearing. This might mean that
we are judging the client or interpreting their words according to our own
frame of reference or experiencing feelings that are being evoked by their
words. The key question we are asking ourselves is ‘What does this mean
to me?’ This level of listening does not form part of the coaching

relationship.
LEVEL TWO LISTENING – is described as FOCUSED LISTENING – it is at

the level where all the listening is directed at the client. There is not much
awareness of outside stimuli, as a coach you are listening to the words,
expressions and emotions of your client. You are focusing on what they are
saying and what they are not saying, what they value, their vision and their
energy levels. At this level of listening a coach should have no thoughts, no
opinions and no agenda. A coach should be unattached to themselves and
focused on the client’s agenda, thoughts and their opinions. Even over the
telephone it is possible to pick up a number of non-verbal signals that help
to give you, as a coach, more information about how a client is feeling
about a particular issue.
LEVEL THREE LISTENING is described as GLOBAL LISTENING. Like a radio

field. The radio waves are entirely invisible, yet we can trust they exist
because we hear music coming from the radio. Level three is like the radio
waves. They cross our antenna and they become information that we can
use. When we are operating our listening at level three we are using all our
senses to observe everything about the message that is being transmitted
to us and we are allowing our intuition to pick up ‘sixth sense’ messages
which we can check out with the client. You might chose to say ‘I don’t
know where this is coming from, and it may not be relevant, but I sense
that…’ Level three listening often provides the key that unlocks the
meaning for the coach and enables them to have a greater understanding
of the client’s agenda and consequently to work more effectively with that
client.
During a coaching session you will spend your moving between level two
and level three listening, depending on which stage of the coaching
process you are working in.

Effective coaching hinges on making certain that we empathise with our
clients rather than sympathise. Author, Stephen Covey, describes empathic
listening as listening fully and deeply, understanding the person you are
listening to emotionally as well as intellectually. His description fits well
with the model of level three listening, and is worth quoting here to deepen
your insight into this core skill.
Covey says “Empathic listening is so powerful because it gives you

accurate data to work with. Instead of projecting your own autobiography
and assuming thoughts, feelings, motives and interpretation, you’re
dealing with the reality inside another person’s head and heart. You’re
listening to understand. You’re focused on receiving the deep
communication of another human soul.”
Summary
Through your study of this module you will have gained:-
"a clear knowledge of the difference between hearing and
listening - the difference between listening to sounds with your
ears and listening to information and interpreting it with your
brain.
"an in-depth understanding of the key elements of effective
listening, and an appreciation of the power of listening with all
your senses – level three listening.
"an appreciation of what constitutes a high quality listening
environment.
"information on how to prepare yourself to listen in any situation.
"an excellent overview of your own skills as an effective listener.
"an insight into your own development needs – and a record of the
action you need to take to enhance your own listening skills.
The focus of all of these learning outcomes is to prepare you to use your

skills, knowledge and understanding in the coaching situation and beyond.
Everything a coach does depends on effective listening. What you hear

helps you to make decisions on what to do or say next, so, developing your
listening skills is a vital part of your personal growth towards being a great
coach.
One final message – keep practising, none of us is perfect, however as a

coach your commitment to yourself and to your clients must be to strive to
be the best you can be!

Activity 1
Do you know how good your listening skills are?

Put a tick by the word that best describes where you are now – and add the
date for your records:
LEVEL OF SKILL YOUR ASSESSMENT DATE

SUPERIOR
EXCELLENT
ABOVE AVERAGE
AVERAGE
BELOW AVERAGE
POOR
TERRIBLE
My own notes:
Use the table below to assess your progress as you practise your listening
with family, friends, colleagues and clients.

SUPERIOR
EXCELLENT
ABOVE AVERAGE
AVERAGE
BELOW AVERAGE
POOR
TERRIBLE

Activity 2
Use this grid to assess how other people rate your listening skills.
Date:

SUPERIOR
EXCELLENT
ABOVE AVERAGE
AVERAGE
BELOW AVERAGE
POOR
TERRIBLE
My own notes:
Use this second chart as a check on your progress.

Make sure you have had plenty of opportunities to practice your listening
skills before making a re- assessment.
Date:

SUPERIOR
EXCELLENT
ABOVE AVERAGE
AVERAGE
BELOW AVERAGE
POOR
TERRIBLE

Activity 3
What are the filters that might affect your own ability to listen?
1. Describe your job or something you have done that you enjoyed doing:
2. Recall a time when you have been successful – write down what it felt like:
3. Jot down what made you chose your present career or way of working:
4. Write down three things that are important about what you do:
5. How do you know when you have done something well?
Identify the main filters you use using your responses to the questions on
the previous sheet:
My size filter is:

My movement filter is:
My involvement filter is:
My timing filter is:
My procedures and options filter is:

Activity 4
Personal observation sheet.

Use this sheet to note down any significant learning points from your day-
to-day observations of listening:
SITUATION:
OBSERVATIONS & LEARNING POINTS:
SITUATION:
SITUATION:

Activity 5
How effective are my Listening Skills?’

Date:
1. If I had to choose between speaking and listening the choice would

be………………..
2. I tend to interrupt people when……………………….
3. When people are expressing their emotions I feel………………….
4. I find it easy to listen to people when……………
5. When I listen to someone I tend to ………………
6. People I tend to find it difficult to listen to include………………
7. Listening comes easy to me when…………….
8. I become easily distracted when I am listening if……………..
9. If I can’t have my say I feel…………….
10. The best listener I know is ……………………………………… because

…….
11. I like people who listen to me ……………………………..

REVIEW:- Key points I have learnt about myself as a listener:
Now complete the next three statements:-
12. Habits I find irritating in a speaker include ……………………
13. I know I actively listen well when ………………..
14. To become a more effective listener I need to ………………
Areas I will work on to improve my listening skills:

Areas I will work on to improve my listening skills:

WEEK 5 - THE SKILL OF LISTENING

Week 6
THE SKILL OF
QUESTIONING

Week 6
THE SKILL OF QUESTIONING
Preview.
Effective questioning is one of the core life coaching skills It follows on
naturally from the skill of active, accurate, listening and observation which
is covered in another module.
The questions that you learn to ask your clients as you study and practise
will have a dramatic effect on their lives and will unlock many doors for
each of them.
Effective questioning can awaken your clients' awareness of the

possibilities, skills, talents and knowledge that they already possess or
have access to.
You do not approach a coaching session with a set of pre prepared

questions. Your questions arise directly as a result of responding to what
you hear. When you listen and really hear what your client is saying, you will
be in tune to ask the right question, at the right time and in the right way.
This enables your clients to take the necessary action to achieve their full
potential. The sequence of 'listening - questioning - client response' is
continued throughout each coaching session.
This module covers the right types of questions, their purpose, timing and
their phrasing. It considers those which you should avoid or use with great
care.
You are born with curiosity.

Questioning is a natural activity, from a very early age. Once a young child
The Skill of Questioning Page 227

begins to master the art of speaking and realises that his or her words will
produce a response from the listener, they begin to ask incessant
questions in order to make sense of the world around them and sometimes
to attract attention. They are naturally curious and want to find out how
things work, why things happen or why they have to do something. They
want to know where you are going, what you are doing and why you are
doing it.
The most successful life coaches have this same curiosity about their
clients and skilfully use questions to assist mutual understandings and
bring to light their issues, values, and ambitions. You enable your clients to
devise an action plan to reach their full potential and to achieve their goals.
Think for a moment about your experience of questioning, prior to your

involvement in coaching. You were often asked questions that had a right
or wrong answer. This was reinforced in school through tests or
examinations. The more right answers, the higher your final mark.
Perhaps you found yourself searching around to come up with the answer
that the teacher wanted - only to find that your opinion or slant on the
subject was not the accepted one. If you were fortunate, open discussions
were encouraged and all answers explored and validated. Commonly, there
was no room for debate.
As a coach you must be aware that many people still hold the belief that
there are right or wrong answers. Some clients may even seek your
approval to check if their answers are acceptable.
You need to reassure and teach your clients that there are no wrong
answers in coaching, just their own, honest reflections. Each client is
unique and so are their responses. As your coaching relationship develops,
these clients will become more flexible and will learn to explore the

freedom offered by answering questions from their own perspective.
Some clients may be so rigid in their belief that there is a right answer, that
they may become defensive or feel threatened. You need to clarify and
rephrase the question and check out how the client feels. At your
preliminary coaching session it is helpful to explain how you will use
questions.
In the early days of your coaching, you may sometimes feel the need to
know the answers to your questions before you ask them. You may fall into
the trap of feeling that you need to be an expert on the issue so that you
can analyse, offer advice or know where the client should be going. This is
not so.
Your task is not to advise. It is to ask powerful, searching and challenging

questions that help your client to achieve clarity about the issue and the
ways they can address it. Be honest with yourself. If you recognise this
advisory tendency in your own personality, this module will help you to
resolve it.
The use of effective questioning can have far more impact than any
prescribed request or instruction.
How coaching questions differ.

The questions used in everyday interactions are different from those used
in coaching sessions. In non-coaching situations, questions are used as a
method of:-
"Fact-finding. 'Can you tell me what time the show starts?'
"Gathering information. 'What factors have influenced ticket
sales throughout the year?'
"Interrogation. 'Why were you late home last night?'

"Opinion seeking. 'Do you like this suit?'
"Requesting consent. 'May I sit here?'
The questions that you ask in coaching are designed to make your clients
think for themselves. They operate at a much deeper level. Their purpose
is not so much for the coach or client to find the answer, but for your client
to hear the answer in his or her mind, and to respond.
The right question can cut straight to the heart of your client’s issue. It can
challenge unhelpful beliefs and assumptions, make them see the situation
in a new light, raise awareness, open up possibilities and encourage your
client to accept personal responsibility for their life.
Clients work with a coach for many different reasons and at different
stages in their life. Some clients may be used to asking self examination
questions to help them set goals. Some may be involved in relationships
or activities that encourage self reflection. Others may have never set a
goal in their lives, just following the path laid out for them by family, friends
or circumstances. These clients may be particularly vulnerable when you
encourage them to them to examine areas of their lives that they have
never previously considered. All your clients are united in their desire for
change.
Turn to Activity 1. Imagine that you have just been introduced to someone
for the first time. You get on well and they are interested in your work as a
coach. They ask you to work with them and indicate that they are unhappy
in their job. What questions would you ask to find out more about their
situation? Make a list of 10 questions you could ask this person. Then look
at the questions on your list and highlight or underline the first word in each
sentence, these are the 'question words'.
Your highlights will be words like Who, What, When, Why, How, Did, Can,

Have, Will, Has, Are, Do and Is.
Turn to Activity 2 and revisit your questions. Put yourself into the shoes of
your client and write your answers to these 10 questions.
What did you find out? Did your questions encourage you to elaborate or
were you able to give one word answers or a yes/no response?
Some question openings are more effective than others at getting the
person to speak at length and explore their ideas.
Turn to Activity 3 and make two lists. In one, list all the 'question words'
that enabled you to talk and explore your ideas and in the other list those
that encouraged a brief reply.
Types of coaching questions.

It is time to explore the types of questions that you will use in coaching.
These questions are used by coaches all over the world and are referred to
in many coaching publications. Different types of questions accomplish
different results and help your clients to build answers in different ways.
As you practise using these questioning techniques and become aware of
the features of each, you will instinctively know which one to use to suit the
situation.
Open Questions.
These are the predominant type of question used in coaching.
Open questions draw the client out as they offer the opportunity to look at
the broader picture. They are designed to encourage creative thought and
allow the client to explore their ideas. Open questions ask for a more

descriptive answer. They are non judgmental For example, 'Tell me more
about your plans to address this issue?' Your client feels unthreatened and
can voice their ideas in confidence. Open questions cannot be answered
with a simple 'Yes' or 'No'.
The opposite closed questions limit the person answering. They generally
elicit simple one word answers or a yes/no response. They bring an end to
the line of questioning and you have to start again. Are the following
questions open or closed?
"Have you learned anything?
"Do you have a problem solving strategy?
"Are there barriers in the way, stopping you?
"Are these the only choices available to you?
"Has this session helped you?
"Is that OK?
They are all closed questions. Look at the two lists you made earlier.
Review the words that pre-empted the limited response. Question openings
like Do, Have, Has, Is and Are; all tend to impose limits on the
conversation.
Now check your open question list. Words like Who, What, How, When and
Where; are often used to start open questions. Openings such as, 'tell me'
or 'describe to me' are also effective. You may have other good openings
on your list. It is important to remember that sometimes even the more
open words can be used to frame a closed question.
Consider the following closed questions and change them into open ones.
1. Do you have strength enough to get through this?

An open question would be, 'What strengths do you have to help you deal
with this?' This open question also encourages your client by assuming

they do have strengths to use in the situation. Alternatively a question
like…
'When have you used your strengths in a previous difficult situation?'
…encourages the client to draw on past successes and helps them
recognise they do have strengths.
2. Has this session helped you?

A reframe could be, 'How has this session helped you?' This encourages
your client to reflect on the session and identify how they have progressed
and what they have learned. 'What have you learned from this session?'
or 'What difference has this session made to you?' are other examples of
open questions.
3. Are there any barriers in the way, stopping you?

Questions like, 'What barriers are in your way?' or 'What has to happen
before you can proceed?' are open questions that can be used instead.
4. Is that OK?
The open question alternative would be, 'How do you feel about that ?' or
'What is your response to that?' They give your client the opportunity to
examine their thoughts and feelings.
5. Is that all?
'What more can you tell me?' encourages your client to dig even deeper.
6. Does this happen all the time?

'When does this happen?' or 'Where does this happen?' allow your client
to be more descriptive.
Try out open questions on your friends and colleagues. Note the five most
effective open questions that you use during the next week.

Closed questions are very useful when agreeing action and confirming
details. For example, 'When are you going to speak to your boss about a
pay rise?', 'Which days are you going to swim?', 'For how long?'
They enable you and your client to have clear, measurable goals. They can
also help to clarify as in, 'Do you need to speak to anyone else?'
Why Questions.
The omission of Why questions from the earlier list is deliberate because
you must exercise great caution when you use them.
Why can often evoke a defensive response. 'Why did you do that?' can
imply criticism or disapproval. A better approach would be, 'What did you
aim to achieve by your action?'

‘Why do you like that?' promotes a need to justify, analyse or excuse. Use
the alternative of 'What is it that makes this special?' A question like,
'Why does this matter to you right now?' could be used occasionally if
your 'What' question does not reveal enough information.
Leading Questions.
You will have encountered people who try to manipulate you by asking
leading questions that have the desired answer already embedded within
them.
If you ask leading questions, starting with 'Don’t you think that…?', 'Have
you thought of…?', or 'What about trying…?', your client is led to believe
that you have all the best answers and will be less likely to come up with
their own solution or to accept ownership of the decision that has been
made.
This will undermine your client's responsibility. Leading questions have no

place in your coaching toolkit. You may make a suggestion if your client is
stuck . In these instances, you must request your client's permission
before offering your idea and, even then, make clear that it has equal
weight with any other ideas presented.
Questions that follow the client’s interest.

When you ask questions that follow your client's interest, you are
demonstrating that you value and respect them and acknowledging that
they can think for themselves and find their own solutions. This in turn
enables them to make choices.
Questions can be started with phrases such as 'Tell me more about?',

'You’ve mentioned a number of possible ways forward tell me about the

one that appeals to you the most?' The question is open, allowing the
client to shape the developing agenda and dialogue.
Life coaches believe in the resourcefulness of clients and encourage them

every step of the way to use them, enabling them to search for answers
within.
Questions that clarify.

Questions that clarify are necessary when you are uncertain of the context
or your client's meaning. It is important that you clearly understand the
situation being described.
If you are unsure of the meaning of a word your client is using, check it out.
They will appreciate that you have been listening and are committed to fully
understanding their position. If you paraphrase or summarise for the client,
you give them the opportunity to clarify or correct. You can say, 'I think this
is what you are saying. Am I correct?' Questions like 'What will that
achieve?', can also help to enhance clarity.
Questions that challenge limiting beliefs.

These are very important in your repertoire of questioning techniques.
Here are some common examples of client comments that present

negative and limiting beliefs:-
"I could never do that.
"I haven’t the confidence to make a big change.
"I don’t know what to do.
Negative beliefs, that clients hold about themselves or their situation,

prevent them from moving forward.

Sometimes your client may come up against a stumbling block and, despite
trying positive thinking or affirmations, cannot make headway in resolving
an issue. This may occur because they have come up against a limiting
belief.
For example, a person who has been brought up to inherently believe that
money is evil may not necessarily recognise that this is their limiting belief.
However, they may find it difficult to spend money on holidays or clothes,
they may experience themselves feeling uncomfortable when telling people
how much they earn. They may even be put off setting up their own
business because they cannot bring themselves to charge for their
services.
Careful questioning can challenge and expose these limiting beliefs,

granting the client freedom to choose the path they really desire. Here are
some example questions that could assist a client with a money attitude
that creates a limiting belief:-
"What do you assume is stopping you?
"What is stopping you from doing it right now?
"What beliefs do you need to adopt in order for you to do it?
"How did your family view money as you were growing up?
"What is your opinion of people who have a lot of money?
"How would you feel if you could acquire enough money to start
your own business?'
Begin with very open questions and then become more focused and
specific as the session moves on.
Incisive questions.
A very useful technique in dealing with limiting beliefs is to use an incisive
question. Your client may not be able to think of any options or action steps

to take to help them achieve their goal. They are well and truly stuck!
The incisive question suspends the limiting belief for a while to allow the
client see past it, to become more creative and to come up with a possible
solution. The incisive question is a 'What if' type.
Consider a client who is working on a company project to substantially

increase sales and who has come up against a real block. Questions you
may ask are:-
"What would you do if money was no object?
"What, if you secretly knew the answer, would it be?
"What, if this obstacle did not exist, would you do?
"What, if you were performing at your best, would you do?
"What, if you didn’t have to live with the consequences, would you
do?
The 'What If' question is useful. It allows you to give your client the
freedom to be more creative. Once an idea has been generated, it can
often become a real possibility for action.
Turn to Activity 6. Imagine that you are working with a client who wants to
get fit but cannot seem to sustain any regular exercise. They tell you that
they have tried different things over the years but nothing has worked.
What would your line of questioning with this client be?
Use five key questions in your conversation.
Well, how did the coaching conversation go? Did your questions revolve
around the client’s perception of themselves as a fit and healthy person or
athlete? Did you explore how they felt about their body? Did you try out the
incisive questions, to side-step the limiting belief?

Over the next few weeks, try out these techniques with clients, friends
family or work colleagues. The next time someone says, 'I don’t know what
to do?' try the question, 'Just suppose for a minute you did know, what do
you think you’d do?' or, 'If everyone concerned, irrespective of the
outcome, said 'well done for trying', what would you do?' Initially, your
client may think the question is strange but, when you deliver it with
assurance and confidence, the results can be amazing.
Questions that check out commitment.

There are questions that check out commitment or nail things down. You
will use them when you need client to commit to taking action on their
goals.
Questions like, 'What will you do?', 'When will you do it?', 'How will I
know you’ve done it?', all serve to hold the client accountable and
challenge them to take the necessary steps to move forward.
A revealing question to ask your client, once they have designed an agreed
plan of action is, 'On a scale of 1-10 how strong is your intention to carry
out the task, how committed are you to taking the action and how
enthusiastic are you about carrying out the action?'
Experience reveals that a score of 7 or below means that the action will not
be taken. If your client scores below 7 ask, 'What needs to happen to
increase the score?'
Powerful Questions.
Powerful Questions help the client to make a quantum leap in perception
or understanding.

They can come from many of the categories already described. They are
usually short and to the point, designed to stop the client in their tracks.
They do not ask for analysis, excuses or reasons. They do demand honest,
truthful answers. They invite your client to look deep within themselves or
off into the future for the answers and, in so doing, raise their awareness
of what they already know and the infinite possibilities ahead.
The phrasing of the question determines where they look for the answer.
'What do you really want?' invites introspection and soul
searching.
'How will you know?' asks your client to look into the future.
'Where will this lead?', 'What is stopping you?', 'What is the

truth?' are all useful powerful questions.
Here is one that invites retrospection and future vision. 'Imagine you are
90 years old, and looking back on your life – what would you like to be
remembering? What memories do you need to be making now?'
A simple, powerful question can often cut across the excuses and bring
your client back to their core desires and challenge them to identify their
learning, to act and to move on.
Enquiry Questions.
There are some questions that require more reflection. These are deeper
questions that enable your client to explore their values, reactions, feelings
or behaviour around a situation.
These are called Enquiry or Essential questions and you may give them to
you client as homework to be done between coaching sessions. They help
your client to understand themselves better, to learn about what makes

them tick and to identify their strengths and areas for development.
The questions are powerful and the self reflections can help your client's
focus. As you gain more experience as a coach, you will begin to sense
which inquiry questions would benefit your client. After you have worked
with a client for a while it may become apparent to you that the same
underlying themes, trends or issues arise with regularity. They may be
subtle or more obvious.
Here are some examples of Enquiry questions:-

"'What are you tolerating?'
"'What is it to be creative?'
"'Where do you give your power away? To whom? And when?'
"'What motivates you?'
"'What is it to be a leader?'
"'How have you withheld yourself from life?
"'What does it mean to be a good friend/parent/spouse?'
"'What are you truly grateful for?'
"'What is your contribution to the world going to be?'
"'What do you pretend to know?'
There are no definitive answers to these questions. They lie completely with
the individual client and will raise their awareness because the
subconscious mind is fully involved in finding answers. This also serves to
lift the coaching relationship out of the weekly session and implant it into
your client’s everyday life, so that it becomes a normal and instinctive
response to challenges. This client may well find new insights when they
least expect it.
You may use an Enquiry question as a natural follow up to a session. For

example, if a client expresses a desire to be successful, to drive a fast car
and to live in big house, you could ask, 'What is it to be successful?' This

invites your client to examine all aspects of success and what each aspect
really means to them.
The process may lead your client to decide that having a fast car and big
house are not crucial to their idea of success at all - or it might confirm to
them that they are. These questions can be used within the coaching
session but allowing time for a longer reflection can produce greater insight
and therefore increased motivation and commitment.
Ask yourself an Enquiry question. Ponder it over the next week.

'What is it to be a great coach?' could be an interesting one to start with!

Reframing questions from negative to positive
There may be times when your client has low self esteem. When this
happens they often become critical of themselves and others. They indulge
in negative self talk. It is your role to challenge this talk and get your client
back on track.
Turn to Activity 9. Here is a series of negative questions or statements

that a client could ask, during a coaching session. Reframe them to
become positive and productive questions:-
"Why are my report writing skills so poor?
"Why do I always lose?
"Why is this happening to me?
"Why can’t I sort out this problem?
"Why can’t I have her luck?
Consider the new questions you have designed.
In response to the question, 'Why are my report writing skills so poor?',

you could ask, 'What evidence do you have for this?'. If your client’s
writing skills have caused concern, ask, 'What can you do to improve your
report writing?'
'Why do I always lose?', invites, 'What does winning look like to you?',
'What can you do to become a winner?'
'Why is this happening to me?', could be countered by, 'How can you turn
this situation around? How can you make it work to your advantage?'
'Why can’t I sort out this problem?', could be challenged by, 'How can you
begin to sort out this problem?'
'Why can’t I have her luck?', leads the client nowhere. The question,

'What can you learn from her?', allows the client to look at their friend or
colleague in a more positive way.
'How' and 'What' questions are very powerful. They push the client’s mind
to look for ways of improving skills, becoming a winner or finding an answer
to the problem. The negative 'Why' questions focus on the failure and the
client is locked into the problem.
It is an important fact that, once a question is posed, the brain is

conditioned to find an answer to it. If the client asks themselves, 'Why
can’t I solve this problem?’, they are unlikely to get a positive answer.
Whereas, the question, 'How can you solve the problem?' invites the brain
to contribute to moving things forward and the client clicks into 'problem
solving' mode.
Challenging Questions.
Your aim is to raise your client’s awareness in order to help them move on.
Most of the questions you use are designed to challenge your client to
achieve great things. There will be times when these need a harder edge.
The client is, after all, paying you to coach them, keep them on track and
focused.
A client may become negative and use destructive language. For example,
'I always get things wrong', would be challenged by, 'Always?' A
statement like, 'I am stupid', could be challenged by the question, 'Says
who?' A client, disappointed at an unsuccessful job interview and feeling
they will never make it, could be asked, 'How does not getting that job
mean that you will never amount to anything?'
In that brief dialogue that follows, the coach leads the client through a
series of questions to challenge their generalisations and perceptions of

their workplace.
Client: The place I work is very unfriendly.

Coach: What makes you say that?
Client: Well nobody talks to me.
Coach: What nobody?
Client: Well some do.
Coach: Who are they?
Client: My boss, some of the girls in the office,
Coach: How many people would need to talk to you for you to feel
the place was friendly?
Client: More than that
Coach: How many more? Be specific?
Client: Everyone
Coach: How realistic is it to expect everyone in the building to be
on friendly terms with you?
Client: It’s not really.
You will challenge a client who persistently fails to carry out the agreed
actions, from week to week. Questions like:-
"'What is holding you back from achieving your goals?'
"'How important are your goals right now?'
"'What needs to happen for you to value yourself enough to give
time to your goals?'
"'How is this inaction affecting you, on a daily basis?'
Turn to Activity 10 and write 5 further questions you could use to challenge
a client in this position.
A client may set goals or establish action points that are incongruent with
their values or long held beliefs. These conflict with what they define as a
key priority in their life. In situations like these a question like 'How does

this action express your values?’ or, 'how does this action move you
towards your ultimate goal?' can force your client to review. The closed
question 'Is this morally right and fair to everyone concerned?' will
challenge the client to look at the decision afresh.
Many of the actions that a client takes as a result of your coaching will be
within the boundaries of their own comfort zone. Often, the right question
can help them 'see the path to be taken within what they already know, do,
think or believe. Continued questioning can lead to a gradual expansion of
their comfort 'zone', promoting personal growth and development.
There may be times when you sense that your client is afraid of expanding
their comfort zone or is shying away from dealing with difficult issues. In
these situations you should tread gently. Questions need to be phrased
carefully. You will sometimes need permission to ask these questions.
Powerful questions such as, 'What are you afraid of?' or 'What are you
running away from?' are very probing and you need to be aware of the
potential damage, as well as the potential growth, that this question can
bring about.
It is useful to pre-empt the question with a request for permission to 'share

your insight'. In doing this you show respect for your client. Use openings
like 'I notice that whenever we mention this issue, you appear to me to be
reluctant to discuss it. Am I reading the signs correctly? How can I help to
make it easier to move forward with this issue?’, 'I have noticed a few
things around this issue, do you mind if I share them with you?' or, 'May
we return to this issue?’
When you are listening to your client at the deepest level you will sense
intuitively the right time and approach to use.
Here is a transcript of a coaching session. The client has hired the coach

to help her achieve a balance between the demands of running a home,
career and personal life. Read carefully and identify the type of questions
asked by the coach and note the response of the client. Indicate, in the
margin, the type of questions asked.
Coach: What would you like to achieve in this session?

Client: I’d like to look at finding a bit more time for myself. To
develop my own personal space. I’m feeling a bit cramped.
Coach: Tell me more about it.
Client: Well, before I had the children, I used to do lots of things.
I’d go to the gym, read, sing in a choir, write and paint. But
these days I don’t have any time to myself and I feel
myself beginning to resent it. Then I feel guilty for feeling
like that because I love my kids and wouldn’t be without
them. But I know I get really grouchy with them. I get tired.
I find it really hard.
Coach: OK How much time would you need to restore this
balance?
Client: Ideally some time every day.
Coach: How much time every day?
Client: A couple of hours, would be great!
Coach: What will happen as a result of getting this time each day?
Client: I will feel more relaxed in myself. I will get on better with
the girls and I’ll have more to offer them and I’ll be a more
interesting person.
Coach: Interesting to whom?
Client: Interesting to me and to other people too, I suppose. I feel
that everyone just sees me as a mum and a school teacher
and that’s it.
Coach: What’s happening that tells you people view you like that?
Client: (pause) Well nothing really. It’s just the way I feel about
myself and my life right now.

Coach: But now you are going to change all that! Is that right?
Client : Yes, definitely!
Coach: So tell me what ' free' time are you managing at the
moment?
Client: I’m not!
Coach: None at all?
Client: No!
Coach: What would be the best time of the day to take your free
time?
Client: In the evening, when the girls are in bed.
Coach: So what’s happening at the moment?
Client: Well I use that time to catch up on the household chores.
I usually have a pile of washing and ironing to do. I sort out
the girls’ clean clothes for the morning, organise their
packed lunches for school. Some evenings I’ll do a bake,
or do the cleaning. We’ve got quite a big house so that
keeps me busy.
Coach: Does this happen every night?
Client: Most nights.
Coach: What happens on the other nights?
Client: There have been times when I’ve just felt too tired to do
anything, and sat in front of the T.V. with a glass of wine.
I usually end up falling asleep in front of the screen and
wake up feeling dreadful.
Coach: So what happens when you take a 'night off' like this?
Client: I get really behind with everything and feel I’ve wasted a
good evening.
Coach: What does 'getting behind' mean to you?
Client: Being out of control. Things pile up. So I have to do these
extra things when we come in from school and that’s busy
enough with preparing supper, walking the dog, helping the
girls with their homework and doing my own school prep.

Coach: Can I just check something out with you Laura? What part
does your husband play in all this?
Client: Well it’s more difficult because Paul is on the road all
week. He comes home at weekends. So the weekends are
really precious for us, as a family. I want us to spend that
time together. I don’t want to be cleaning the house then.
Coach: OK So what are the key household chores you have to do
each week?
Client: Laundry, baking and cleaning the house.
Coach: How long on average do you spend on each of these ?
Client: Well I’d say roughly about 4 hours on each over the
working week. About 12 hours in total.
Coach: What time do the girls go to bed?
Client: 8.00pm
Coach: What time do you go to bed?
Client: Well I like to be in bed by about 11pm, certainly before
midnight. There’s no way I can fit everything in within that
timeframe is there?
Coach: So, what are you going to do?
Client: I don’t know!
Coach: Let’s look at all the possible options to release two hours
in the evening. What could you do?
Client: I could get up earlier in the morning and do some chores
then
Coach: How realistic is that?
Client: Well if I set the alarm for half an hour earlier I could have
loaded the washing machine and had my shower before I get
the girls up. Yes that would be good. Its always a rush in the
morning and they always spend ages getting ready. I could
prepare breakfast while they are showering and get the car
packed. Yes that could work.
Coach: Anything else?

Client: I could do a big bake once a week, with the girls. That
would be fun. They’d like that.
Coach: How are you going to fit that in, alongside your other
commitments for that day?
Client: Well the girls would have to do their homework first. That
would be the priority and then I… I’d just have to pick up
what I didn’t do in the evening or the next morning. I know.
That doesn’t solve the problem.
Coach: You’re right. What would happen if the baking didn’t get
done?
Client: We’d have to buy ready made stuff.
Coach: So…?
Client: I wouldn’t like that. I pride myself on my home cooking. My
mother cooked for me and my brothers and I’ve always
done the same for my girls. It just wouldn’t feel right.
Coach: OK, so how did your mother manage to juggle a demanding
job, and a family and personal life?
Client: She didn’t. She never worked… So in many ways it was
easier for her I suppose.
Coach: You suppose?
Client: Yes it was easier for her. And my father was around all the
time to help out.
Coach: So what else can you do?
Client: I don’t know.
Coach: Just suppose that money was no object to your family,
what would you do?
Client: I’d hire someone to clean for me and do the laundry. I’d
encourage Paul to set up his own business, nearer to
home so he was around. I’d hire a 'live In' gourmet cook.
Coach: What else?
Client: I’d send stuff to the laundry. I’d buy in good quality
pastries and cakes.

Coach: OK so which of those options is going to help you achieve
your goal of an extra ten hours per week quality time for
yourself?
Client: Come on. I can’t really afford to do any of them.
Coach: What would you do if you thought you were worth it?
Client: (Long pause) I’d get someone in to help with the cleaning.
Coach: That sounds good to me. What’s the first step you are going to
take?
Client: I’ll make enquiries with the cleaning agency?
Coach: When?
Client: Next week
Coach: What day exactly.
Client: On Monday, on my way back from work.
Coach: How committed are you to doing this Laura?
Client: Yes very, it scores a 10. I can see it’s the best way
forward. Paul will be pleased he suggested I get some help
about six months ago and I remember feeling very
affronted and ignored it.
Coach: Laura I want to ask another question that I want you to
think about over the next week. What is it to be a
successful mother?
Client: Hmm, interesting question.
Did you notice many of the questioning techniques we have explored and
described? Many of the questions can fit into more than one category. The
coach followed an instinctive line of questioning. If you were coaching this
client, what questions would you have asked? What areas would you like to
explore with her at a later date?
The general rules of coaching questioning.

Do
"Explain to your client why you are going to use questioning and
that there are no universal answers to the questions you will ask.
" Make your questions clear so the client understands the
meaning.
"Work on building rapport with your client
"Probe to get the extra information that you need. Check with the
client, 'Is that all?' Remember you are raising their awareness.
"Listen carefully and consider the answers before responding.
"Ask permission before questioning in areas that are sensitive for
the client. The intention is to develop your client not hurt them.
Be sensitive to deep emotional problems that would best be
dealt with by a qualified therapist or counsellor.
"Acknowledge answers positively, give encouragement.
"Use a variety of questioning techniques with your client
"Be patient with your client. They may feel vulnerable as you ask
them to examine part of their life they have rarely, if ever
questioned.
Cautions
"After asking a question beware of jumping in too soon to fill the
silence. Your client may be reflecting upon the question and their
answer.
"Beware of asking complex or multiple questions. Your client will
become confused and lose sight of their goal.
"Don’t ask leading questions, this sets you up as the expert and
the client will either resent your presumption or agree with you
denying their own ideas, thoughts and feelings.
"Don’t assume you know what your client is going to say, this will
dull your deeper listening skills and you will miss the truth.
"Don’t assume that the client’s first answer is the complete reality
of the situation.

"Don’t be taken 'off track' by the client. The answers they give
may be very interesting but if they do not relate to the issue you
are discussing, intervene by politely asking how this has
relevance to the issue or how this information can lead them
forward.
"Don’t be afraid of trying. You might not always get the questions
right when you start coaching. But you will get better at them as
you practise.
Summary
You have looked at the experiences that can shape a person’s attitude to
answering questions.
You have learned that the human brain will always try to find an answer to
questions posed, regardless of what they are.
You have explored the difference between open and closed questions and
learned when to use both.
You have heard about the importance of working to the client’s agenda by
following their interest.
You have learned about the need to ask questions of your client to clarify
and confirm both understanding and actions.
You have explored the questions that are used to challenge and suspend the
negative, limiting beliefs that prevent our clients from achieving their full
potential.
You have learned about the importance of asking powerful, probing,

essential questions that challenge our clients to take stock of their
situation.

You have learned to reframe questions to make them positive and have
examined the pitfalls of asking leading questions and why questions.
To conclude, you have discovered, throughout this audio, that the effective
question is a powerful vehicle to raise your clients’ awareness, kick-start
their motivation and prompt them to take responsibility for improving their
lives. Start practising your questioning skills today and they will enable you
to become an excellent and truly effective coach.

Activity 1
Imagine that you have just been introduced to someone for the first time.
You are getting on well and they are interested in your work as a coach.
They ask you to work with them and indicate that they are unhappy in their
job. What questions would you ask to find out more about their situation?
Make a list of 10 questions you could ask this person.
1. ______________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________________________
6. ______________________________________________________________
7. ______________________________________________________________
8. ______________________________________________________________
9. ______________________________________________________________
10. ____________________________________________________________

Activity 2
Revisit your questions from EXERCISE1. Put yourself into the shoes of the
'client' and answer these questions yourself. Write down your response.
1. ______________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________________________
6. ______________________________________________________________
7. ______________________________________________________________
8. ______________________________________________________________
9. ______________________________________________________________
10. ____________________________________________________________

Activity 3
List all the question words that encourage an open response and those
that promote a limited one word answer.
Open question starters Closed question starters

Activity 4
Consider the following closed questions and change them into open ones…
Question 1
'Do you have strength enough to get through this?
________________________________________________________________
Question 2
'Has this session helped you?'
________________________________________________________________
Question 3
'Are there any barriers in the way, stopping you?'
________________________________________________________________
Question 4
'Is that OK?'
________________________________________________________________
Question 5
'Is that all?'
________________________________________________________________
Question 6
'Does this happen all the time?'
________________________________________________________________

Activity 5
Try out open questions on your friends and colleagues. Notice the quality
of the responses you get and note any learning points in your learning
journal. Make a list of the 5 most effective open questions you use during
the next week.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

Activity 6
Imagine that you are working with a client who wants to get fit but can’t
seem to sustain any regular exercise. They tell you they have tried different
things, over the years but nothing has worked.
What would your line of questioning with this client be?
Work out a dialogue between you and your ' client'. Use 5 key questions in
your conversation.

Activity 7
Over the next few weeks try out these techniques with clients, friends
family or work colleagues. The next time someone says, 'I don’t know what
to do?' try the question, 'Just suppose for a minute you did know, what
do you think you’d do?’ or, ‘if everyone concerned, irrespective of the
outcome, said ‘well done for trying’, what would you do?'

Activity 8
Ask yourself an Enquiry question. Ponder it over the next week.
Your Enquiry question…
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

Activity 9
Reframe these negative questions to become positive and productive

questions.
Why are my report writing skills so poor?
Why do I always lose?
Why is this happening to me?
Why can’t I sort out this problem?
Why can’t I have her luck?

Activity 10
Write 5 questions to use with a client who is not following through on their
goals or action plan.
1. ______________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________________________

WEEK 6 - THE SKILL OF QUESTIONING

Week 7
CHALLENGING
LIMITING BELIEFS &
UNDERSTANDING
VALUES

Week 7
CHALLENGING LIMITING BELIEFS &
UNDERSTANDING VALUES
Preview
The first part of this module on beliefs and values examines the power of
the belief systems that we hold and how they ultimately influence our
performance and achievement. The second part explores the importance
of recognizing, clarifying and understanding our core values.
Beliefs
A life coach must develop an understanding of the power and nature of
beliefs. These are not beliefs in the religious sense of the word, but rather
those that individuals have about themselves. So what is a belief in this
context?
The dictionary definition says a belief is, 'A principle accepted as true or
real without proof. An opinion, a conviction'.
The American personal development expert, Anthony Robbins, maintains

that 'the most important opinion a person will ever hold is the one that they
hold about themselves'.
These beliefs are the thoughts and ideas that are no longer questioned.
Because they have the power to create or destroy, because every thought,
expectation and action is a direct result of such beliefs and because they
shape the direction of our lives, they need serious examination.
So how are these beliefs formulated, where do they come from and how do
they become so well established?
Challenging Limiting Beliefs & Understanding Values Page 268

Where your beliefs come from
Initially, they come from other people like parents, teachers, peer group,
friends, family, the media and religion. In fact, from anyone who ever
exerted or still exerts, any influence over us. They are formed in childhood
and during adolescence.
Think back to your own childhood. How was your behaviour affected by what
someone else said about you?
Perhaps a cutting remark from a teacher or friend such as, “What a stupid
answer!” made you think twice about raising your hand again in class, for
fear of ridicule and humiliation?
Can you remember any strong beliefs that you formed about yourself or
your situation? It is very likely that those beliefs still influence your
behaviour today. If you received positive encouragement from your parents,
teachers and peers, you will have the foundation of good, healthy and
positive self beliefs.
If you were subjected to criticism, ridicule or blame, either real or perceived

by you as such, then your belief pattern will be more negative and
disempowering. All children receive some negative messages. Behavioural
scientists and child psychologists generally accept that children, under the
age of five, receive ten or more negative phrases from their parents for
every single positive one.
Some of these are for the child’s own protection but the subconscious
mind accepts all negative messages with equal value, whether they are for
their own good or not. The impact of these early messages is so strong that
child psychologists now recognise ‘verbal abuse’ as a significant issue and
an identified syndrome when dealing with troubled children.

Very often there is a push from others to conform. For many this is difficult to
resist because of the very strong need to seek approval, to fit in and to be
accepted.
Thus, initial self-image originated from your reaction to the attitudes that
other people had towards you.
Observe a baby. It reflects back the non-verbal signals it receives. It smiles

when someone smiles at it and it will probably cry if someone frowns at it. In
this constant interaction of 'receive and reflect back', a behaviour is learned
and instilled in the mind.
If a school teacher makes a careless remark like, 'You are clumsy', the
child will have the seeds of clumsiness sown in their mind. Then, every
time that the child drops something the thought, 'I am clumsy', will spring
to mind. The more they think of it, the clumsier they will become.
If that same teacher had said, “Well done, you really tried hard”. The
child’s response would have been different. It is likely that he or she would
have gone on to seek further approval by trying out new things. They would
have been encouraged to take risks and would view getting things wrong
sometimes, as a natural part of the learning process.
How your beliefs are strengthened

Adolescence and puberty are times when most people become acutely
aware of their self image and this is an age when many belief patterns are
formed and which, if left unchecked, may last a lifetime.
By adulthood, self image is a collection of all the lifetime attitudes and

opinions that have been received from others. And self image creates the
belief of who or what you are. Every human being has developed initial

beliefs in a similar way.
Byrne, who wrote The Games People Play in 1964, investigated the topic
further. He suggested that, by the age of 4 or 5, the life script was written.
By 7 it was polished and had the essential characters. By 12 years old it
was further polished and was beginning to be lived out.
Life coaches and their clients get the chance to re-visit that script, to
rewrite it and to do something different. That is the reason that clients
seek a coach, they want help to make a change. As a coach, you must have
a clear understanding of your own belief systems before you are able to
help clients come to terms with their own.
Are you aware of the belief systems that are driving you? Turn to Activity
1 now, and complete the personal belief exercises suggested.
Once you have cleared out your own irrational or erroneous beliefs and
feelings, you can introduce the same techniques to your clients in coaching
sessions. You will find that many psychological responses and beliefs are
not rational; it is just that they have never before been challenged or
questioned.
So how can childish thoughts still influence adult

behaviour?
Consider an intelligent, hardworking young man, who left university with a
good degree in computer studies. His creative and innovative ideas are
often taken and developed by other colleagues because he simply lacks the
confidence to voice them in team meetings. His conversations are
peppered with phrases like, 'I know this might sound daft', or, 'this
probably won’t work'.

He is hesitant and always seeks approval before proceeding with anything.
His beliefs have developed from an early age. The youngest of a family of
three, he was completely dominated by two older sisters who made fun of
all his ideas, who thought they knew best and, who took over and made all
his decisions for him. His resultant belief, that he has nothing really useful
to contribute, completely disempowers and limits him.
Make a conscious effort over the next few weeks to notice the negative
beliefs that people hold about themselves. Notice what they say to give you
the clues. Record your findings in Activity 2.
Old beliefs established in childhood are projected forward onto new and
current situations. The good news is that those beliefs can be changed and
turned around. It is just a question of reprogramming the subconscious
mind.
The subconscious mind does not evaluate things, it is non judgmental. This
means that it is unable to distinguish between the genuine and true
attitudes and those that are false. They are all are given the same
credence because the subconscious mind takes in everything it is given.
The human brain has a cluster of cells that act as a filter to perceptions. It
accepts information that is consistent with your beliefs and goals and that
fits your picture of our life. At the same, it filters out any information that
is irrelevant and that does not fit with your picture of life. The perceptions
that make up your picture of life are well worn and reinforced regularly.
What you expect to happen to you often does, like a self fulfilling prophecy.
You interpret life and what happens to you in the light of your beliefs. You
search around to find evidence to support your stance to the exclusion of
all alternative points of view.

If you have ever been in a conversation with someone who is determined to
be miserable and who rejects every bright idea, positive thought or slant on a
situation, you have been speaking with someone who is simply acting out their
belief system.
Someone who fundamentally believes that the world is a hostile place,

where everyone is 'out for what they can get', will be less likely to take
risks or open up to share their life, gifts and love with others. This person
will be uncharitable with his or her self and intolerant of others. Conversely,
the person who believes the world is an exciting place, full of abundant
opportunities, has a far more optimistic view of life. They are open to the
love and involvement of others and share their lives more freely. It is the
same world that each inhabits. You get the picture of the two very different
lives, based on two very different sets of strongly held beliefs.
The power of your beliefs.

Here is a demonstration of the enormous power of the belief system. There
have been many studies carried out in educational circles, where teachers
have been led, falsely, to believe that one group of students was
significantly more able than the rest of the class. The results consistently
proved that both pupil and teacher expectations were raised and the
supposedly 'more able' students enjoyed increased self-esteem and
achieved higher grades than their equally able counterparts. The belief of
the teachers and the students in each study had turned the erroneous
'fact' into a reality.
If you hold destructive beliefs about yourself, it is imperative that you

change them and that you help your clients to do the same when they
express similar limitation belief patterns.
Some people are such negative thinkers that they are unable to see any

positive future possibilities and are totally lacking in confidence. Even if
they achieve some success they quickly negate the results to make them
consistent with their beliefs. They say, for example, 'It was a fluke' or, 'It
was a one off, I don’t normally do that'. In the same situation, a confident
person would say to themselves, 'I can do this consistently' or, 'I will do it
again in the future'. When faced with a poor performance or defeat, a
confident person says, 'This is a one off', 'That’s not like me', or, 'I will
perform better next time'. They set themselves up for success. However,
in the same situation the negative thinker will say, 'that’s typical', 'What
else can I expect?' or 'It’ll be the same again next time'. They set
themselves up for failure.
In the world of sport it is well known that the mind game is vitally important
for success. Often, two opponents are equally matched, in terms of skill
and experience. The factor that makes the difference is the mental attitude
of each player. Watch a sports person as they about to perform. Notice the
self talk they give to themselves. This mental training is just as important
as the physical training.
In May 1954, Roger Bannister ran a mile in 3 minutes 59.4 seconds.

Hundreds of runners had tried, unsuccessfully, before him to run a mile in
less than four minutes. The scientific and medical world had claimed that
it could not be done, It was said that the human heart, muscles and bone
would not be able to withstand the stress of such an effort. But it
happened and many other athletes have since run the mile in under four
minutes. What was the turning point? What was the deciding factor? How
did Bannister achieve the impossible? He made a conscious effort to
ignore the accepted belief and carefully prepared himself mentally to do it
that day. He was aware of the power of a positive mental attitude and the
dangers of falling prey to doubt or procrastination.
Once he had demonstrated that it was indeed possible, others began to

believe so that they matched or exceeded his performance
Tony Buzan is a leading expert in the field of discovering human potential.

He offers an excellent analogy of the way to make changes in thinking. He
asks us to think of the brain’s capacity as a huge neural jungle. A jungle
with billions and billions of potential connections and neural networks.
Imagine the first person who attempts to run through the jungle, it is thick
and they battle through. When the next person comes along in the same
area, they will see a slight path trodden by the first person. After a dozen
or so people have gone through, there is a clear, flattened pathway and
anyone coming through the jungle will automatically use that path rather
than go into the undergrowth. So the one single pathway gets ever easier
and an automatic choice.
Think of beliefs and habits in the same way. Once you learn to think and
respond in the same way, this way of behaving becomes increasingly
automatic.
As a life coach you must challenge a client’s limiting

beliefs.
Many people are unaware that they hold beliefs about themselves and that
those beliefs have such a powerful influence on the quality of all aspects
of their lives.
As a life coach you need to be sensitive and aware of the beliefs that limit
and hold back. You must learn to recognise them in the client, identify the
language and behaviours associated with them and have the courage to
challenge the client in order to raise their awareness, to encourage them
to take responsibility for their own beliefs and to change for the better.
Some clients cannot understand why they are not achieving their goals. If

their aims and goals are incompatible with their underlying beliefs, there
will be conflict. Their subconscious mind strives to achieve the goal, but the
brain is using the belief reference system to ensure that it cannot succeed.
The beliefs have to change for the goal to be achieved.
An NLP technique that is often used to reveal core limiting beliefs is to ask
your client to complete six sentences, each beginning with, 'I must…'
You can then pose a question like, 'What would happen if you didn’t?' Your
client will be able to examine the consequences of various actions as they
become increasingly aware of the automatic responses that they give.
Try this out yourself. Turn to Activity 3. Don’t think too deeply about the
sentence completion. Fill the gaps with the first ideas that come to mind,
as those are the thoughts that are prevalent.
This small self test will help you appreciate how what your limiting beliefs
bear on what you think you cannot do.
Complete six sentences beginning with the words, 'I can’t…'
Turn to Activity 4. Again say the first thing that comes into your mind. Then
ask yourself the question. 'What stops me?'

The insights that you gain when using this activity with a client can be
translated into issues that can be dealt with in subsequent coaching
sessions.
What are the issues that have arisen for you as a result of completing the
activity? Perhaps they are areas that you would like to explore with your
own coach.
Some clients will need a lot of support to change their beliefs. You will need
to challenge, to encourage and to champion your client every step of the
way as they are guided to the place where they can achieve their full
potential. You will use a variety of techniques to raise your client’s
awareness. Through answering powerful and incisive questions, they will
be helped to 'see' the truth for the first time.
Once you have an inkling of your clients limiting beliefs, you can help them
to change them. This will come about by asking well-phrased questions that
raise awareness and open the realms of possibility to them.
If your client is unable to see a way forward or just cannot think of what to
do to progress towards achieving their goal, you can use an incisive
question. This question has two parts to it. The first part temporarily
suspends the limiting belief, which then allows the client, for a moment, to
be creative as they answer the second part. It frees the rational mind to
explore outside the boundaries it has imposed. This technique is very
successful as it unblocks a client’s mind and helps them dream in safety.
Many of the ideas generated in this way are the ones that the client
chooses to follow, once they have been explored fully. Questions like,
'What, if the you had the resources do it, would you do?', 'If you knew
that you could not fail, what would you do?' or, 'If you didn’t have to live
with the consequences, what would you do?' The rationale behind these

questions is to encourage clients to lift their minds above their beliefs for
a while and to get a glimpse of what might be. These questions are
discussed further in the module on Effective Questioning.
A helpful way to understand how thoughts, feelings and emotions affect

self belief, is the concept of a comfort zone. This is a psychological area
or zone, within which you feel comfortable and confident. This encourages
you stay well within it, after all, you are always right when you are there.
The trouble is, that being always right means that you do not learn. To learn
you must be prepared to work outside your comfort zone or, better still, to
constantly expand it.
Once you are taken beyond your comfort zone you can start to feel
uncomfortable. At the very extreme, you may even experience panic
attacks, palpitations, nausea, sweating, memory loss and lethargy. At a
less severe level, think of the 'butterflies in the tummy' that you
experience when you have to do something new for the very first time.
These psychological and physical experiences influence your performance.

As a life coach it is your role to help clients stretch their comfort zones in
order to move a step up in life and to expand their thoughts and beliefs.
You can help the client set goals and enable full association with them by
visualizing what will happen when the goals and the resultant benefits are
achieved. Initially, a client may be keen to take the first steps to goal
achievement but then, when they come up against the discomfort and
challenge of moving out of their comfort zone, they may procrastinate or
make excuses. This is where your input is vital to keep the client on track,
by questioning, encouraging, praising, challenging and championing to keep
the client’s vision burning bright.
There is a little mechanism in thinking that links an event to a response.

To take an example from the animal kingdom. If an antelope sees a lion

charging towards it, the response will be to run away as fast as possible
to escape. When such an event happens there is an immediate response.
If, for instance, you have a fear of heights, then whenever you find yourself
in that position, your subconscious kicks in. It sends a message to your
body which responds appropriately and you get sweaty palms, nausea and
dizziness.
However, one of the things that make us different from animals is choice.
We can choose our response to any given event. Few people make that
choice If something new comes along, it is easy to say, 'This doesn’t fit in
with my world', discard it and then carr y on in the same way.
Understandable, but it removes the opportunity to learn.
Your choices are driven by values, habit, guilt, fear, what others think,
responsibilities, duty, need, conscience, the consequences and emotions.
You can justify almost any decision that you make to yourself, but you seek
to justify them to other people as well.
If you can choose how you respond to any event, then you can spend the
rest of your life doing exactly what it is that you want to do. This is the
ultimate freedom. But freedom carries a price. That price is responsibility
and responsibility is expressed in values like honesty and integrity.
Freedom of choice, unhampered by limiting beliefs, gives you total

responsibility for everything you do with honesty and integrity.
You can be wherever you want to be. If you are not where you want to be,
you can do something about it.
Your free will to choose means that you can spend the rest of your life doing
exactly what it is we want to do. So, to stay where you are and to keep
doing what you do, you must really want to be there and doing that. This is

important in coaching because, when your client is unhappy with where
they are [for example if they are in a job they hate or in an abusive
relationship] they will make excuses for where they are and for not making
any changes.
Simply ask, 'What’s in it for you? Why are you in this place?' If they say
they don’t know, then ask them again, 'What are you getting from being in
the situation? There must be some sort of pay off!' As a coach you will
challenge and persist for an answer. Deep down, your client knows the
reason that they are in the situation. You may uncover all sorts of beliefs,
for example, 'I do this because I want approval', 'I’m scared of failing in
another job' or even, 'The pay is good and I get a pension'. You can then
question around the area of values, beliefs, desires and choice.
Some people feel that they do not have any choices. The reality is that they
have lots of choices, if they want them. Author, Richard Carson, developed
the concept of 'The Gremlin' to describe the thoughts that encourage
people to maintain the status quo in our lives. It would appear that the
Gremlin wants to protect, but in fact it often prevents forward movement
towards true desires. Once you and your clients are aware of these thought
patterns, you can identify them, consider the options available and
consciously choose the one that will move ever nearer to your goal.
At a preliminary session, before you start coaching a client, explain how

you will work with them and how you will challenge their thinking and
perceptions, in order to help them move on. Build rapport with your client
and agree with them which are the best way to challenge them on these
issues. You both want your sessions to be as productive as possible.
The golden rule is to treat your clients, as they want to be treated. This
relationship has been termed ‘the designed alliance’.

Even when people know exactly where they are going and their lives are
fixed, they still need you as their coach. Lives that are fixed always create
a longing for something bigger and better. The desire for personal growth,
development and improvement will always motivate such individuals.
So far you have seen how a positive mental attitude is needed to overcome
limiting beliefs and keep going to achieve goals. You have recognised the
significant part that the subconscious mind plays in behaviour. You have
learned that it is possible to ‘reprogramme’ your thinking and automatic
response to situations. You are aware that you need to step outside and
expand your comfort zone.
Encouraging your clients.

You must encourage clients to become positive thinkers.
Recall a time when you have had a problem or difficulty. You will have
experienced the situation where you thought and worried about a problem
all day long, your mind would not let it rest and it appeared to get more
terrible and frightening as the day wore on. The chances are that you got
the whole situation out of proportion!
Now, aware of your ability to consciously change your viewpoint and switch
into solution mode, you would become more proactive and start to feel
more in control. Your subconscious will start to look for solutions and your
attitude will change.
There will still be challenges in life, like bereavement, loss, illness and
disappointment. The key point is that, while you do not have overall control
over what happens to you and you cannot sanction how others behave, you
can have absolute control over your response.

Victor Frankel, is a wonderful example of this. A world famous psychiatrist,
he spent three years as a prisoner in Dachau and Auschwitz concentration
camps In his book, Man’s Search for Meaning, he describes the horrifying
events, the suffering and degradation that he and many others
experienced. Throughout the book, he highlights that those who survived
the horrors all had a strong sense of attitude. He writes, 'Everything can
be taken from a man except one thing: the last of human freedoms – to
choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s
own way'. In spite of their horrendous situation, they were still able to
maintain their inner dignity and a sense of who they were.
Your thoughts and speech reflect your attitude. The words that you use
indicate just how you think. If you want to change from negative to positive,
then start with your language. Just notice how many people respond to the
greeting, 'How are you?', with 'Not too bad'. 'Not' and 'bad' are words with
negative connotations. If you catch yourself saying, 'Not too bad', stop and
change your reply to 'Good', 'Great' or 'Fantastic'.
Consider the words you use carefully. Over the next few weeks become
aware of the words that you use regularly. Detect negative patterns and
consciously change them. Adopt positive language and it will soon become
a habit. Go to Activity 5. Change the negative phrases into positive. Check
out your own negative language, note it and reframe it into the positive.
Once you are aware of the power of language you will be able to radically
change your response and consequently your attitude. If you encourage
your clients to do the same you will greatly increase their chances of
success.
Affirmations.
One of the most powerful self development techniques to reprogramme

thinking is the 'affirmation', a positive statement that you repeat to
yourself at various times of the day. It will help you develop your positive
self talk and can have a dramatic impact upon your behaviour and
achievements.
Affirmations are phrased in a special way. They are:-

"Positive - Stating precisely what you want rather than what you
don’t want.
"Personal - Describing a specific quality you want. Start your
affirmation with the words 'I' or 'my', for example, 'I am a
positive person, who sees the best in every situation'.
"Stated in the present tense. Write it as if you already have the
quality. For example 'I am always positive' rather than 'I will be
positive'.
And so to Activity 6. Write six affirmations you want for yourself and your
life. Read them aloud to yourself five times every morning and five times
every evening. As you say the affirmation, imagine what you would see,
hear and feel. Associate with them as much as you can.
When you feed your subconscious with positive thoughts and words you
build a positive mental attitude. This does not mean lying to yourself or
burying your head in the sand, neither does it mean that you will be
immune to the troublesome aspects of life. It does mean that you will be
able to cope with negative situations and use them as learning
experiences.
Your positive mental attitude.

As a life coach, your own positive mental attitude (PMA) is not an option.
It is an essential quality. Many of your clients will, by definition, have some
negative issues for you to help them with. Unless you have a strong

positive outlook on life yourself you will be ill equipped to provide this help
and support.
Everyone, without exception, can develop a positive mental attitude. You

will work to raise your client’s awareness of their responses and reactions
and encourage them to take control of, and responsibility for, their future.
It is your job to move your client progressively towards the positive. There
is a substantial body of medical evidence to show that patients with a
strong positive mental attitude recover more quickly from surgery or
trauma.
It is essential that you are in a high PMA state when your clients call. They
will detect it in your tonality and intonation and they will pick up on it. You
need to be in control and it is part of your role to lift them out of their
negativity and to recognise the positive. Be aware that every encounter
produces a result and it is your responsibility to ensure that every result
has a positive spin. The easiest way to do this is to be genuinely aware of
others’ feelings and caring for their welfare.
Sincere congratulations for a clients' achievements will sow the seeds of

PMA by making them want to repeat the feel good pleasure that comes
from recognition of their success. You must guard against any client
becoming too dependent upon you, although it is inevitable that some
clients will see you as a role model, which is another good reason to
maintain a good positive mental attitude. See yourself as powerful and
impressive and that is what you will be. And that is how others will perceive
you.
Remember you can only have one thought at a time. You alone control that
thought. It can be either positive or negative and you decide which it is to
be. You also decide how long to hold on to it. Choose positive thought and
you will change your attitude to become a permanent Positive Mental

Attitude.
It is critical to know why your clients behave as they do and what you can
do help them. You need to understand what they are feeling and going
through, not to sympathise but to empathise. You do not need to feel it with
them but having a sound understanding does help. That is why it is
important to recognise some of the stumbling blocks that impede the
development of PMA.
Some clients may have what they consider to be good excuses for hanging
on to negative attitudes, although none of them are valid and when they
consider the implications of keeping them against the benefits of changing
them, there is no contest.
Some people seek absolute perfection. They see anything less than that
as failure and this can seriously erode any positive feelings. Encourage
these clients to aim for goals in easy bites, to celebrate success and to
view failure as an outcome that can be changed. Invite them to consider
that there is no true success or failure. There is simply an outcome which
they label as one or the other.
Unless goals are written down and reviewed regularly, the client is at risk
of losing momentum. As a new concept or challenge comes along, they will
switch all their energies and attention to that one and lose the direction
they were taking towards the earlier objective. This leads to the sense of
having 'Unfinished business'. This is no problem if the 'business' no longer
serves any useful purpose in their life. But, if it is essential to their growth
and development, they need to deal with it. The positive boost that occurs
on completion is very powerful.
PMA comes from allowing enough time for each activity or goal and
congratulating themselves when they complete ahead of time. It is

seriously eroded when they are always racing against the clock and missing
deadlines. Use your coaching to help them to set realistic timescales with
time to relax, time to enjoy the important things in life and time to recharge
their batteries. Life coaching has at its core, the need for a complete life
balance.
Worry and fear of success or failure are also big stumbling blocks. Some
clients will opt for flight rather than fight. Denying the reality of tasks or
situations that are seen as unpleasant will destroy their PMA. Tell them
firmly that these things will not disappear. The only way to deal with them
is to face up to them by devising a strategy to work on them. The act of
taking control and eventually resolving the issue builds and consolidates
PMA.
Another enemy of PMA is the attitude that retains old grievances or grudges.
These attitudes are extremely destructive and they harm the person that
holds them more than anyone else. Once the decision is made to let them
go, these clients enjoy the freedom and choice of replacing them with
constructive, healthy, positive attitudes.
Self pity and low self esteem are factors that inhibit PMA development. If
your client exhibits severe emotional difficulties, trauma or hurts that are
preventing a real move forward, it will be necessary to suggest a referral
to an appropriate counsellor or therapist.
Financial difficulty or debt is a common contributory factor to a poor mental

attitude. Not just because of the stress and worry that such lack can
cause, but also because the client may feel guilt at having failed to provide
for their family or to have lived up to their expectations. The client may need
to seek help from a suitably qualified professional financial adviser. As a
life coach it can be illegal for you to offer specific advice on investment and
savings matters. However, you can work very effectively with the client on

their attitudes to money, to examine how they arrived at that position and
to help them plan a way forward that avoids the situation occurring again.
What your client perceives as their needs (life support essentials) and
wants (desirable artifacts or gratification) will also have a huge bearing
upon their view of life. This has particular importance for them if they are
in the habit of comparing themselves to others. Their PMA is eroded if your
client is constantly bemoaning their lot that they are not one of the 'jet
set'. Help them to recognize true needs and eliminate wants that are
based on false values.
Encourage your clients to develop friendships with other positive people for
encouragement and support as they move towards achieving their goals.
These friends may not necessarily have enormous wealth but they will have
an optimism and joy for life that your client will find compelling and their
positive mental attitude will be infectious.
When your clients talk to you they may display many of these stumbling
blocks, each wrapped up in the language of excuse. Your coaching abilities
will help you see through the spoken word and to identify the underlying
issue that blocks, limits or restricts progress. It is only possible to resolve
an underlying issue once it has been identified. A stumbling block is only
an obstacle if it is hidden. When it is seen, it can be turned into a stepping
stone to progress.
A coach needs to have a positive mental attitude and encourage that in

their clients. Beliefs have an enormous bearing upon balance, progress
and happiness. It makes sense to adopt beliefs that are going to serve you
well.

Values.
A value is defined as 'the moral principle or accepted standards of a person
or group'. The definition of moral is 'the distinction between good and bad
or right and wrong behaviour'.
So who makes those distinctions? You do. We do. Your clients do.
The values that you hold are good, they tell you about who you are and what
is important to you. Not all values are good. You may find a client whose
values are totally opposed to yours. If you cannot reconcile to that or
remain detached, then do not coach them. Is it is important to be true to
your own values and maintain your integrity.
The Goal Setting and Motivation module explores values and congruent
goals in depth. It is clear that, if the goals do not mirror the values, then
they will never be successfully achieved.
Values are also the client’s expression of himself or herself. Someone may
have creativity as a value that needs honouring, others may have integrity
and honesty, harmony or independence. The list belongs to the client.
Take a minute to list for yourself the values that you hold dear. What are
the values that you must honour in your life? Which are the most
important? Now turn to Activity 7.
Your values will govern everything you do and are a very useful guideline for
measuring your behaviour and choices. If you are tolerating unacceptable
behaviour and are keeping quiet about it, how does this measure up to your
values of honesty and respect?
It is important that you establish, with your client, the values that are
important to them. You will need to hold their values for them throughout

your coaching relationship, keep aware of the things that are important to
them and guide their choices.
Some clients may find it difficult to express their true values. They may
never have given themselves the space and time to reflect upon these
things before. You will need to establish a relationship where your client
feels comfortable to be himself or herself. Ask a question such as, 'Tell me
about a time when you felt most fulfilled' or, 'What was a moment that
touched you the most?' By listening carefully to their answers, you can
question further to elicit specific values. For example, if the client said, 'I
was most fulfilled when I collected my degree', you could ask, 'Am I right
in thinking that success or achievement are high on your list of values?' If
the client agrees, ask them to elaborate further upon their interpretation of
the word success or achievement.
If a client makes a negative statement or indicates something they did not

like or approve of, you can use the reverse idea. For example, if the client
got upset when someone was impatient or too fixed in their ideas, you
could check out if flexibility and tolerance were key values for them.
Devise a range of questions you could ask your client to allow you to
discover their specific values. Turn to Activity 8.
As you try out new questions, add the ones that are effective to your list.
These will form part of your coach’s ‘toolkit’.

The wheel of life.
A well-known exercise, that is featured in a number of coaching textbooks,
is The Wheel of Life. It is used to help clients identify the areas of life that
are important to them and to evaluate how their current lives match up to
them.
Many coaches use it to elicit the values and important areas that the client
needs to focus on in their coaching sessions. Complete the exercise for
yourself now to understand how the process works.
"Draw a circle with eight equal segments (see Activity 9).
"Identify eight key areas of your life. The way to use this with a
client is to ask them to brainstorm a number of issues or key
areas in their life that would be important for them. Then ask
them to choose the top eight that they would like to focus on as
part of their coaching.
"Score those particular areas of your life. Where 10 is on the
outside of the circle and 1 is in the middle. Mark along each
radius or spoke of the wheel 10 equal divisions, from 1, in the
centre to 10 on the circumference (1 is where you are less
satisfied, and 10 is where you are totally satisfied). If you are
very satisfied with an aspect of your life it would be 10 and if you
are less satisfied it would be 1. So every area of your life is going
to be anywhere on that scale of 1-10. Draw a straight or curved
line on each segment, linked to the score you gave it, to make a
new perimeter of your circle. Identify where your life is out of
balance.
Here are some of the possible areas that people identify to work on. You
could choose from:-
"career/work.
"personal development and growth (whatever that might mean for
that individual).

"friends and family (or even divide into two separate areas).
"partner or significant other.
"financial.
"spiritual life.
"physical environment (which is around their location, where they
are living, how they are living).
"fun and recreation (this crops up almost as often as career).
"health and vitality (also crops up almost as often as career).
"emotional well being.
"social life.
Use these or choose your own list.
With a client you can ask if the new wheel is a surprise to them. Ask them
what they want to hold as a primary focus or which one of the segments
they would most like to focus on right now in this coaching session?
It is encouraging for the client to realise that they can be coached on all
eight segments but it is important for them to clarify which one they would
most like to focus on first. This helps the client prioritise and also to focus
positively on areas where they are already satisfied.
Ask the client to identify what is important to them in each section of the
wheel. Find out what they are looking for in each of these areas. This helps
your client to consider the things that really matter, the things that they
value, and to make them a real priority. Many clients will have lost sight of
the notion of a balanced life and this exercise will raise awareness very
quickly.
There are a number of adaptations of the ‘wheel’ exercise. It can be used

in business with aspects of management labelled in the segments and it
can be used to measure job performance or job satisfaction.

Summary
In this module you have:-
"identified where your beliefs originate.
"discovered how positive beliefs help you move forward and
limiting beliefs hold you back.
"learned how the subconscious mind reinforces your belief
system.
"learned techniques to uncover, challenge and suspend limiting
beliefs.
"learned about comfort zones and how, when you to choose to
expand them, you learn and grow.
"recognised the importance of positive self talk and a positive
mental attitude.
"looked at the stumbling blocks to achieving a positive mental
attitude and ways to address them.
When you match up the things that you value in life with the goals that you
set for yourself, you will be motivated to act. Your values and beliefs give
you a sense of who you are and what you aspire to. Great coaches have
the privilege of making a real difference in the lives of their clients by
guiding them to recognise what is important and helping them realise their
innate strengths. Coaches help clients to identify what is preventing them
from achieving the life they desire and offers the necessary tools to make
lasting changes.

Activity 1
Examine the beliefs that you have about yourself.
Make two lists. In the first, list all the positive beliefs you have about
yourself, all the things that you are good at. In the second, list the all the
negative beliefs you have about yourself, the things you are not good at.
Positive beliefs about myself:-
Negative beliefs about myself:-

Look at the list of positive beliefs and spend a few moments on each one.
Remember the positive things that happened to lead you to hold those
beliefs. Write them down…
Now look at your list of negative beliefs.
Take the top three. The ones that really hold you back.
Ask yourself:-
1. Where did this belief come from?
2. Who gave me this belief?
3. How do I feel about the person that gave me this belief? Do I
respect them? Are/were they always right? What is their history?
4. What is this belief costing me on a daily basis?
5. What will holding this belief mean for me in the long term?
6. How will my life be different if I let go of this belief?

Now write an opposite belief to the one you hold. For example if your belief
is,
“I am too old to change careers to become a coach', you could
reframe your belief to be, 'This is the perfect age to consider a
change and I bring to my new coaching career my wealth of life
experience to date.”
Actively look for evidence to support your new belief. You will find it. Keep
a journal and record your success.
My first new belief is
My next new belief is
Define your new comfort zones and self talk and decide what action you
are going to take.
My new comfort zones are…
My new self talk is.
I am actively going to

Activity 2
Notice the beliefs that people have about themselves. Focus on three or
four people Listen to what they have to say and how they provide the
“evidence” to support their beliefs. Look for those that have limiting,
negative beliefs and those that have positive, optimistic beliefs.
Clues for the positive person.

What do they do?
What do they say?
Clues for the negative person.

What do they do?
What do they say?
Make a list of the empowering beliefs that people hold
Make a list of the disempowering beliefs that people hold

Activity 3
This is an NLP technique used to reveal core limiting beliefs.
Complete six sentences that begin with the words I must…
Do not think too deeply about the sentence completion. Fill the gaps with
the first ideas that come to mind, as those are the thoughts that are
prevalent.
I must……………………………………………
I must……………………………………………
I must……………………………………………
I must……………………………………………
I must……………………………………………
I must……………………………………………
Now ask yourself 'What would happen if I didn’t?'
You will then be able to examine the consequences of various actions, as

you become aware of the automatic responses you give.

Activity 4
The next sentence completion will help you look at how your belief will have
a bearing on what you think you cannot do. Complete six sentences
beginning with the words, 'I can’t…'
Again say the first thing that comes into your mind.
I Can’t……………………………………………………
I Can’t……………………………………………………
I Can’t……………………………………………………
I Can’t……………………………………………………
I Can’t……………………………………………………
I Can’t……………………………………………………
Then ask yourself the question. 'What stops me?'

Activity 5
Change these negative phrases into positive.
Negative phrase Positive phrase
I’m feeling ill
I have got a problem
Everything is going wrong
I forget
I am slow

Activity 6
One of the most powerful techniques used in self development circles to

reprogramme our thinking is the affirmation.
The affirmation is a positive statement that you repeat to yourself at

various times of the day. It will help you develop your positive self talk and
can have a dramatic impact upon your behaviour and the things that you
achieve.
Write six affirmations you want for yourself and your life following the
special instructions in the main module text. Read them aloud to yourself
five times every morning and five times every evening. As you say each
affirmation, imagine what you would see, hear and feel.
1. ______________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________________________
6. ______________________________________________________________

Activity 7
Take some time to think about the values that you hold dear. What are the
values that you must honour in your life? Which are the most important?
List your top 10 values in priority order. You may group values that are linked,
together if they help describe your value more clearly e.g. freedom/independence
1. ______________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________________________
6. ______________________________________________________________
7. ______________________________________________________________
8. ______________________________________________________________
9. ______________________________________________________________
10. ____________________________________________________________
Now give each of the values a score for 1-10, indicating the extent to which
you are honouring these values in your life now. Look at the ones that are
scoring less than 7 as these could be areas where you or your client needs
some coaching help to get back on track

Activity 8
Devise a range of questions that you could ask your client to elicit their
specific values. Think of 5 questions and try these out on your friends or
clients.
Which are the ones that are most productive?
1. ______________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________________________

Activity 9
The Wheel of Life
"Draw a circle with 8 equal segments
"Identify 8 key areas of your life. (The way to use this with a client is to
ask them to brainstorm a number of issues or key areas in their life that
would be important for them and choose the 8 most important.)
"Now score those particular areas of your life. Where 10 is on the outside
of the circle and 1 is in the middle. Mark along each radius or spoke of
the wheel 10 equal divisions, from 1, in the centre to 10 on the
circumference (1 is where you are less satisfied, and 10 is where you
are totally satisfied. If you are very satisfied with an aspect of your life it
would be 10 and if you are less satisfied it would be 1. So every area of
your life is going to be anywhere on that scale of 1-10. These are some
of the possible areas that people identify to work on. You could choose
from:
"career/work.
"personal development and growth (whatever that might mean for
that individual).
"friends and family (or even divide into two separate areas).
"partner or significant other.
"financial.
"spiritual life.
"physical environment (which is around their location, where they
are living, how they are living).
"fun and recreation (this crops up almost as often as career).
"health and vitality (also crops up almost as often as career).
"emotional well being.
"social life.

Use these or choose your own list.
Suggestions of questions to ask a client.

"What do you want to hold as a primary focus?
"Which one of these segments would you most like to focus on
right now in this coaching session?
Highlight answer. (It’s encouraging the client to realise that they could
have all 8 segments to be coached on but which 1 would they most like to
focus on right now). This helps the client prioritise and focus on where they
are already satisfied in some aspect of their life.
"Ask the client to identify what is important to them in each
section of the wheel.
"Also use this in business with some management segments or
job performance.

Activity 10
It is important to consider your beliefs as a coach in relation to your own

capabilities and those of the clients you work with.
What do you believe is your role as a coach?
What do you believe are the strengths you have as a coach?
What do you believe are the weaknesses you have as a coach?
What beliefs do you hold about the resourcefulness of your clients?
Are there any beliefs that limit you or your clients?

How are you going to change them?

WEEK 7 - CHALLENGING LIMITING BELIEFS &
UNDERSTANDING VALUES

Week 8
HOW TO SET GOALS
& MOTIVATE OTHERS

Week 8
HOW TO SET GOALS & MOTIVATE OTHERS
Preview.
This module covers two key elements that make an enormous contribution
to the success of an individual. These are the ability to set goals and the
motivation to do what is necessary to achieve them.
In the first part you will learn about the importance of goal setting and the
key principles that underpin the process. You will set goals of your own and
explore ways to enable your clients to set exciting, relevant and challenging
goals for themselves.
The dictionary defines a goal as: the aim or object towards which an
endeavour is directed, and the terminal point of a journey or race. When
you set goals you have clear aims and objectives towards which to channel
your effort and energy. The journey and race is the journey of life. Your
goals are positive statements of intent, correctly formed, made with
absolute commitment and followed through with daily action.
The importance of goals.

A famous study of Yale University graduates found that back in 1953, just
3% of the graduating class had written down a set of goals for their lives.
20 years later a survey of the same group revealed that the 'goal setting'
students were financially worth more than the other 97% put together. This
3% also had better relationships and enjoyed better health. It was not
parental wealth, degree subjects taken, career selected, ethnic or gender
base or any of the other obvious factors that made the difference. The
factor that linked all these students was that they had set clear goals. A
real testimony to the power of goal setting. Even so, the
How to set Goals and Motivate Others Page 313

majority of people spend more time planning their annual holiday than they
do planning their lives. It is estimated that only 3% of the population has
an organised goal or life plan.
In his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey says,
'To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding
of your destination. It means to know where you are going so that you
better understand where you are now, and so that the steps you take are
always in the right direction.'
Without goals you are drifting and, when you drift you are not in control. If
you are not in control, then someone else is. You have relinquished your
basic right to shape your own future. In doing this you also surrender your
freedom of action which restricts your choices and can lead to frustration,
anxiety, fear and stress.
As a life coach you have the privilege of working with clients to help them
take control of their future and set positive, relevant and empowering goals
that will improve the quality of their lives for ever. They will be able to use
and develop the gifts, skills and talents that they possess, to be creative
and fulfilled.
So now comes the crunch. Are you in the habit of setting goals for yourself?
Do you have a life plan? The fact that you are working on this course
suggests that you probably do. Congratulations.
Now for some deeper questions. How committed are you to all your goals?
Do you work towards them constantly? Do you remember some of them for
a while and then gradually forget them altogether? Do you find your goals
hard to achieve and get despondent - or are you already a high achieving
'goal getter'?

However you answered, one thing is important to you all: as a coach you
must have your own personal goals if you are to move forward in your own
life and therefore understand, inspire and motivate others to do the same.
The following goal setting process is appropriate for everyone, from the
man in the street, who wants to take his life to the next level, to the serious
achiever who wants the world but doesn’t quite know how to get it.
Many people have not got a clue about what they really want. If you ask
them what they want in their lives or what they want at work, they will very
often tell you the ideas and the things they do not want. The problem is that
you get what you focus on. The subconscious mind will work to achieve the
things that you think about most of the time, whether you want them or not.
Take the analogy of a very young child playing in the kitchen. You say, 'Don’t
go into the cupboard'. They don’t discriminate. They pick up on the words,
'go into the cupboard' and before you know it, the entire contents of the
cupboard are strewn across the kitchen floor. The power of the
subconscious has a tremendous effect on the achievement of your goals.
Turn to Activity 1 to explore this concept further.
If you have already set goals for yourself, you will find the following process
beneficial for reviewing your own goals and helping your clients set theirs.
See Activity 2.
First Stage.
The first stage of the process is to gather. Write down on paper everything
that you want to be, everything you want to have and everything you want
to do. Write down all the concepts and ideas that you want to have, the
person that you want to be, the characteristics that you want to have, the
things that you want to own, where you want to be – EVERYTHING.

Let your imagination run wild. Get yourself plenty of paper and start writing
and do not stop until you have run out of ideas.
Once your list is written, allow your mind to work on it over the next day.
You will have opened the floodgates of your subconscious mind which will
continue to add to the list - so keep it to hand at all times. When you think
of another idea, add it to the list. Include every idea you may have
discussed with others.
After 24 hours, review your list and fill in anything else that has come into
your mind and that you have not yet recorded. After that time you will have
a fairly full list of things that you want.
Second Stage.
The second stage is to start reducing the items on your list. This process
will eventually give you a list of the things that are most important to you
and that are in alignment with your values and beliefs.
For each item on the list, ask yourself the following questions:-
"Why do I want to do this?
"Why do I want to own this?
"Why would I want to be this kind of person?
Write each answer in one positive sentence.
As you go through the list, cross out anything where you cannot answer, 'I
want this because'.
Do not destroy it completely because it may mean that you may be able to
answer it later.

You now should have narrowed down your list a little bit.
Keep the goals that you can answer ‘why’ to, on a single list. This is the
list you are going to work on.
Check each goal again. You should now have a list of goals that you want
to achieve. Make sure that have answered 'why you want this thing' for
every goal on the list. Explain why it is a must for you. If you have not done
it yet, do it now. It will make a real difference when examining your goals.
Third Stage.
You are going to look at the different key areas of your life, using the
categories in the 'Wheel of Life' exercise that is used in the module on
Beliefs and Values. The areas are:-
"Family/friends (this could be 2 different areas).
"Partner/significant other person.
"Career/work.
"Financial.
"Health and vitality.
"Emotional well being.
"Social life.
"Fun and recreation.
"Physical environment (where you are living , how you are living,
your surroundings).
"Spiritual life.
At this point you may add, change or delete some 'areas'. Include all the areas
of life that are important to you. Personal growth and contribution are two
other areas that coaches consider important. How you are growing as a
person and, what you are able to contribute back as a coach will be vitally
important to you. At this stage you need to consider what success in every

one of these areas of life means to you.
Fourth Stage
Now you are going to see how the goals you have listed match up to these
important areas in your life.
Just ask yourself a simple question. If I get this thing, if I become this
person, will I be happier? Will it bring me peace? Is it going to improve my
health? Is it going to make me richer? Is it going to improve my financial
situation, put more money in the bank? Will being this person, having this
thing, doing this thing improve my environment? Will it give me better family
relationships? Will it improve my social life? How is it going to impact upon
my life? Measure it up against each one of those areas of your life that you
have deemed as important.
Every time that you can answer, 'Yes, this goal will improve this area of my
life', give it a mark. It will enable you to see what is really important in your
life.
Take each and every goal on your list and subject it to close scrutiny. As a
coach you will get your clients to do the same. Ask yourself the questions
in the defined six or ten areas of your life. Will achieving the goals enhance
your life in each of those areas? Take the time to do it. Reflect upon the
things that are important to you.
If you invest a week, including time to think, assimilate and get the best
out of this process it will have enormous benefits. Total up the marks for
each goal now.
Which goals scored highly and which achieved a low score? Did you have any
surprises? Some may have got full marks, others very few or none at all. As a

coach you may invest several weeks with your client in bringing them through
this process.
Fifth Stage.
Now is the time to evaluate further.
People are very good at justifying and will make up all sorts of reasons why
something is absolutely essential. Set these two questions up in advance.
"If you choose this thing - Is it right and fair to everybody in your
sphere of influence and concern?
"Will it take you closer to your overall objective? This is a crucial
questions to ask yourself.
Encourage your clients to pose that question to themselves. Beware of

making the question sound judgmental. That is not the intention of asking
it. The purpose is to filter out the goals which ultimately will not serve you
and your life, leaving you to concentrate solely on the ones that do.
Sixth Stage.
Select your top 10 goals. Look at what kind of goals they are. They will
divide into 4 types.
First is the ongoing goal. This is something that you choose to do every day.
For example your goal may be to devote a certain number of hours per day
to reading or to practising the piano.
If to be 'healthy' is your goal, this will also need daily input. Be specific
about your goals. Within this 'being healthy goal' you could include, having
a daily 'workout', eating healthy foods, drinking two litres of water and
having a time of prayer or meditation. It is entirely up to you to decide how

you will achieve your goal on a daily basis.
Second is the short-term goal. These are goals that can be achieved within
a week to a month. An example of a short-term goal would be to clear the
clutter from your office or to contact your old friends.
Third are medium-term goals, which take between a month to year to

achieve, such as reaching your target weight or sorting out your finances.
Finally you will have long-term goals which can take a year or more to
complete. For example a change in career or location.
Most people overestimate what they can do in a year and underestimate

what they can do in a decade.
All goals need to be set within a realistic timescale for achievement.
Now identify your goals as ongoing, short, medium or long term.
Seventh Stage.
Take each one of the original sentences attached to your goal and expand
them. Elaborate, in more detail why you want to reach the goal. Get fully
associated with each goal. Explain to yourself; sell yourself your dream in
the first person. Do that now. It might take up to a week for you to have a
story for each goal but it is a powerful process to complete.
When you do this with a client, do not expect them to come back with
results sooner than a week later.
90% of success in achieving your goals is all about the why. 10% is the how.
People fail to achieve their goals because they have not fully explored the

questions, 'Why do I want this? What will it mean to me? What will the
benefits be? They have not become fully associated and immersed in their
goal.
Now you have created for yourself the most ‘awesome’ list of reasons why
you must have, do or become the things on your list. You have got to be
before you can do. You have got to do before you can have. Now you know
why you want these things you can go to the next stage.
Eighth Stage.
Take each of your top 10 goals in turn and create a ‘to do’ list. This list will
never get finished because, as soon as you take things off, more go back
on. They are generally about activity, they are very seldom about
achievement. For each goal, get fully associated with the 'why' again and
start to write down all of the actions that you would be a) prepared to take
and, b) must take, to achieve that goal. This is a ‘green light’ thinking
session. Don’t start judging whether you will or will not at this stage. Just
write everything down. You’ll find one thing triggers another and you will
have a long list.
This stage can be very empowering. Certainly, some of your clients will be
as focused as they have ever been in their lives.
Ninth Stage.
List all of the people you might need to get in touch with for help and
advice, the people you need to work with, the skills you might need to
develop, what you need to learn, what you need to understand.
Do this for each individual goal and the points of action. Start this now. It
might take another 24 hours.

When all nine stages are completed you will have an almost complete
picture and a reasonably complete list of goals that are going to make up
your next 30 days, 30 months, and 30 years.
Finally - the rocking chair test.
This brings it all together and starts to make it whole.
Close your eyes, wander out into the future and sit down in your rocking
chair at whatever age this new, healthy, hard working, switched-on, happy,
motivated, stress free, family orientated person that you’ve become, or
want to become, is likely to be.
Whether you are 95, 102 or 120, whatever the age is for you, sit, gently
rocking backwards and forwards and go back over your life. Tell yourself
what has and is still happening. Write down all the amazing things you did,
became and things you managed to accumulate in your life that were
important to you. Write it as though it has happened or is real right now.
The complete story of your life. This should take several pages to describe
the awesome life you have led and the amazing things you have done, the
fantastic places you have been, the people you have touched and the
changes you have made in your own life. Do it now. Take as long as you
need before continuing.
A goal is a dream with a date.

You now have a complete picture of how you want your life to be. You have
been away and designed an amazing life. You can now put a time on to
each one of those goals. Ongoing ones are obvious because, they are
frequency related. All the other things you can now be assigned a time
because you have the believability that you can now achieve things by a
certain time, for a certain time. Set your goals within a specific timeframe.

Give each one a start and finish date.
Your goal will remain a dream unless powerful purposes combine with
action planning to arrive at a pre-determined place in time. You can arrive
there provided that you have got your ‘why’ absolutely clearly focused in
your mind, you have taken a complete inventory of the actions you are
prepared to take and you have put a time phase on it.
You can choose to lead your coaching clients through this full process. If a
client really does not have any idea of where they are going or what they
want out of life, this is a good place to start. It also works with those who
have not been able to achieve goals in the past.
You can remember the process by using the acronym GREAT. Just think of
GREAT goals.
G is for gather. Collect together all your ideas.
R is for review. Ask why these goals are important?
E is evaluate. Measure your goal against the criteria of your
values.
A is for action. What are you willing to do? When will you do it?
T is for timed. Set specific dates for the action.
Your clients certainly need to set goals. It is true that the credible coaches
'walk their talk'. Many books have been written on goal setting and each
author has their own 'golden formula'. Read all you can about the different
approaches and select the one that is right for you and your client.

Here is a reminder of the guiding principles that underpin the goal setting
process…
Goals set must be congruent with your values.

It is crucial that the goals match with your clients’ values. If they do not
they will not be achieved or they will not serve their overall objectives.
Goals must be written down.

A goal that is not written down is a vague notion, a fantasy or dream. It will
soon disappear. The act of writing down your goals will engrave them in your
subconscious. It makes them a reality, something you can see and touch.
Some people prefer to capture their goals in a drawing. Others collect
cuttings or pictures that relate to their goals. You need to have your goals
in the forefront of your mind. Your subconscious will work on achieving the
goals that you set.
It is a good idea to write a summary of your goals on a card that you carry
with you at all times. This will make it easy for your next vital step of
reviewing them. A goal that is written stands some chance of achievement.
This chance can be increased to a certainty when your written goals are
reviewed regularly.
Goals must be reviewed regularly.

Reviewing means reading your card each morning and each evening without
fail. If you do something in the same way every day it will soon become a
habit. Take a minute or so over each goal. See it in your mind. Know what
will be happening to show you have achieved it. Know that everything you
say, think and do is moving you nearer to your goal.
Once a week return to your original goal list, the one you used to create the
card. After a few weeks you may need to update it. Sometimes priorities
and situations change. When a goal is achieved, celebrate and

congratulate yourself. Then, update it with a new goal. In this way you will
keep moving forward.
As a coach you will help your client set long, medium and short-term goals.
Goals must be specific.

You need to be really skilful at questioning your client in order to elicit a
goal. A client may need help in bringing clarity to their goal. They should be
able to describe each goal in one sentence that is clear and specific. 'I
want to see the world', is too vague. It must be more concrete, such as 'I
want to travel to three different European cities within this year'.
Goals must be framed in the positive.

Your client may be phrasing their goal in negative terms. For example, 'I
want to give up smoking' or, 'I want to lose weight' or, 'I want to stop being
shy'. Reframe these goals to be positive.
Possible 'reframes' could be…

I want to enjoy the health and freedom of being a non-smoker.
My goal is to reach my target weight of 140lbs by Christmas.
I want to speak to people in a relaxed and confident way.
Although the subconscious is amazingly powerful, it is unable to distinguish

between the truth and a lie or between positive and negative. It simply
accepts whatever you put into it and moves you towards achievement.
You can take it one stage further and phrase your goals in the present
tense. Use phrases that say 'I am' instead of 'I will'. An example would be,
'I am getting closer to my target weight every day' or, 'I am enjoying the
health and freedom of a non-smoker'. Your logical, conscious mind will
have trouble with this idea but your subconscious mind will not have a
problem. Remember, your goals are directed at your subconscious. There

is a useful catch-all phrase, 'Every day and in every way, I am moving closer
to my goals'.

Goals must be captured in the imagination.
Encourage your client to imagine achieving their goal. Ask them, 'What do
you see?' 'What can you hear?' 'What are people saying?' 'What are you
doing?' 'What are other people doing?' This process motivates the client
by making the goal personal and tangible.
Goals must be measurable.

You need to lead your client to define how they will know when they have
achieved the goal. They must establish a way of measuring the outcome.
Financial or weight loss goals are pretty straightforward as they can be
quantified in figures. When goals involve personal relationships or personal
development, the measures are less clear. Even if the only measure the
client can put against the goal is that they will 'feel better', that is better
than no measure at all.
To set a goal without at least one measure of its achievement is like

planning a journey without a destination. You must determine a means of
recognising when you get there. Sir John Whitmore makes a clear
distinction between end goals and performance goals.
The end goal is focused on the final objective. An end goal could be to 'be
promoted to sales manager' or, to 'be offered the lead in a Broadway play'.
In some end goals, the final outcomes are not absolutely within your control
as other factors come into play - for example the performance of your
competitors.
The per formance goal, on the other hand, provides an identified

performance level that will give you the best chance of achieving the end
goal.
Goals must be challenging.

You should encourage your client to set challenging goals. If a goal is too

easy it is not a real goal. Your client will become disinterested and bored.
If your client dares to dream and dreams big, they can turn those dreams
into ambitions and those ambitions into goals. A bored unchallenged client
is an unhappy one.
Goals must be achievable.

If a client who smokes 40 cigarettes a day and is overweight sets a goal
to be the next 100m Olympic Gold medal winner, you will need to carefully
question the client to set a more realistic goal!
Goals must be set within a timeframe.

Place all goals within a timescale. Attach a start and finish time. Attach
times to each of the action steps you plan. This will aid the process of
keeping on track and keep the mind focused.
Goals must be set in all areas of life.

It is important to gain and maintain a balance in life. If you set a goal to be
a multimillionaire and neglect your family relationships and health, you can
expect that these areas will be in tatters while you bank your loot.
Goals must be legal and ethical.

Goals should be for your own good and the good of others, within the
boundaries of the law and ethical standards. If your client is setting goals
that are illegal or immoral or if their goals do not fit within your own ethical
standards, then do not coach them.
There are many acronyms to help you in the goal setting process. The ones
that follow will help you to remember the important elements as you work
with your clients.
Goals should be…

SMART

"Specific
"Measurable
"Agreed
"Realistic
"Time phased.
Goals should be…

PURE
"Positively stated
"Understood
"Relevant
"Ethical.
Goals should be…

CLEAR
"Challenging
"Legal
"Environmentally sound
"Appropriate
"Recorded.
Review what you have learned so far:-

"You have learned a detailed goal setting process that is linked to
core values.
"You have set your own exciting goals for your life ahead.
"You have learned why the goal setting process is so important for success.
"You have learned about the power of the subconscious mind and
its importance in goal achievement.
"You have identified what elements must be present for a goal to
be effective.
Turn to Activity 4.

In your coaching sessions you will work though the goal setting and action
planning process and the GROW model provides a basic structure to help
you do it.
The GROW model is discussed in more detail in the module called ‘The
Coaching Model of Achievement’. In brief, it suggests the following steps
to consider once an objective has been defined.
G Goal: The client sets a goal
R Reality: You explore the reality around the situation. What is
happening? What has happened so far?
O Options: What are the options available to move you forward
W What are you going to do?
When you work with a client in a coaching session, it is important to

establish a goal for the session early on.
You help your client to set their goal before you explore their current
situation. This focuses them upon what they want to achieve first - rather
than thinking of the possible difficulties that may prevent them from setting
a challenging goal. Remember all the characteristics of an effective goal as
you work with your client.
The final part of the process is the 'nail down', when you check out, with
your client their level of commitment, enthusiasm and intention to carry out
the agreed actions. This is an important part of the process. Remember if
the client gives a level of 7 or below out of 10, it is unlikely that they will
carry out the action. As their coach you need to see how these levels can
be improved.
Keep your client motivated and on track to achieve their goals.

Motivation.
Motivation is the incentive to get things done. Motivation is about drawing
out what is already inside. It is the key to using the abilities, knowledge and
talents that you have, in order to reach worthwhile objectives - your goals.
Sometimes a bit of a push is needed. You may have been in the situation
where you are asked to go out and you cannot really be bothered. Once you
go, you have a good time. You can really do some important, powerful and
motivational things if you are given a bit of a push.
Pain and pleasure motivators.

The job of a coach is to push, to challenge and to motivate clients so that
they can gain the experience of feeling ‘Wow that was good' or, 'It was
excellent' or, 'I had an outstanding time’. This happens through your effort,
your encouragement, and through your ability to sell your client on their own
ideas.
If someone gives you advice or information that you feel is important to

you, that will measurably change your life, that will correct some area that
is going wrong, or further enhance an area that is going right - you will take
action on it.
But some people do not. Many who have heard a speaker, listened to a
tape, read a book, or listened to advice find that the ideas and good
intentions rapidly disappear. They may tell one person in their first flush of
enthusiasm, but several days later they are not taking any action on it at
all.
This happens because their situation was not uncomfortable or painful

enough to spur them into action and sustain their initial enthusiasm.

Stephen Covey says that satisfied needs do not motivate. It is only the
unfulfilled needs that do so.
Your most difficult times can be the powerful motivating catalyst that kick-
starts your action. You are motivated when you respond to the situation by
being positive rather than reacting, which is negative.
So, how do you get people into action? How do you motivate the client who
has set all these great goals but is consistently failing to follow through?
By using the power of discomfort or pain. Pleasure and pain are equally
powerful forces that can drive and motivate.
One technique you may use is the positive and negative rocking chair test.
Be very careful. You need to have a good relationship with your client and
well developed rapport skills to do this.
Some discomfort has to be created and associated with the things that are
not wanted in life. You need to be very gentle and have your client’s
permission to do this. If people have set positive, motivational, switched
on goals then there should only be an up side. The downside has got to be
what happens if they do not do them. What happens if, despite setting their
goals, they can’t get star ted?
What happens if they don’t follow through? What happens if they don’t take
action?
For a lot of people – nothing will happen because they simply do not know
what they have missed. To achieve their goal, to be what they wanted to be,
to do what they wanted to do, to have all the things in their life that they
wanted, to have this real pleasure of getting all of those things was not real
enough. They had not truly associated themselves with it.
Generally, if there was no pain or discomfort it was not important enough.

If it was not a goal that would get them away from a place where they did
not want to be, to a place where they did want to be - there was no real
gain involved. There was no difficulty associated with not achieving the
goal. So no action was taken.
Creating motivational discomfort.

So how do you associate a high enough level of discomfort to overcome
this inactivity and reluctance to act? It has to be about encouraging them
to look into the future. It is about helping them paint a picture so dire, so
dismal, so bleak that it forces them into action.
Take five-year blocks in the future help them paint the bleakest scenarios
that can be imagined if they do not achieve their goals. Then, visualise the
same periods as good as they could possibly be, in the important areas
that goals have been set. Let them see how life is being led to the full. Get
them to decide which path is the one that they want. Goal setting gives a
person choice. Either they want to lead a life of fulfilment or one filled with
the misery of regret. Regret weighs tons and commitment weighs ounces.
When you create massive amounts of discomfort and challenge, it is

necessary to create massive amounts of pleasure to balance.
Make sure that they understand fully what the total picture looks like for
not achieving each goal. Determine what changes, as they get to each new
five-year segment? Get them to verbalise what’s different about their life.
Remember, it is important to run that process through for the negative and
then for the positive and for each of the goals they have set themselves.
You must always end on the positive, renewing their hope, commitment and
enthusiasm.
Try this activity on yourself first. It will give you a better idea of how to

conduct the process if you need to use it with your clients. By associating
pain and pleasure and using the rocking chair test for each of your own 10
goals, you will gain a better understanding. Take a good look at each goal,
associate with what it feels like and do the pain part first.
As you go out into the future, create enough awareness to show a ‘hell if
you don’t' scenario. You could find it is powerful enough to motivate you to
take a different course of action. Do not do it so well that you create
massive stress in yourself or your client. You just need enough to get you
into action.
Then complete the process by going out into your positive goal achieved
future.
You can do this process with your top 10 goals individually or group them
all together and do it in one big process.
When you do this for other people, it is vitally important that you gain their
permission and that you fully explain what you are going to do. Your client
needs to be emotionally stable to use this process. You are a coach, not
a therapist!
Experiment with different 'challenging' techniques.
You need to gain skills in both doing and undoing. If you do something that
needs you to change the client’s state massively, you need to put in all
sorts of bail out anchors that you can use to be able to re-establish rapport
and to bring their equilibrium back to a level that you can manage.
A bail out anchor is something that you can say, or something you have pre-
agreed you can say or do, that will immediately stop their thought
processes from going down a certain path and take them down a totally

different path.
It is getting them associated with a feeling of pleasure, a feeling of power,

a feeling of ‘unstoppability’, any positive state of mind that you can 'tap
into' by asking a question. You may have done this through your rapport
skills, by asking stories about some of the things they did that they are
particularly proud of.
In that process, you may have discovered a particular strength that lies
within that person and that you are able to remind them of.
Relieve the pressure.

If you are taking someone to a position of discomfort and you need to undo
that, you have got to change his or her state massively. You need to make
sure that you have got a state that you can take them to in a very short
space of time with a very few words. That is powerful. That gives them lots
of resources that they have available to them immediately to break the
state of pain. Make sure that you always have a method, and an agreement
from them to be able to complete the process and take them through the
pleasure part.
Turn to Activity 5. Write down the five challenging questions that you could
ask in this situation.
Once you have got someone to the point where they believe they can do it,
then something is possible. If they believe it is impossible, they will not
take action towards it.
You can ask, 'How serious are you about your future?' or 'What value do
you place upon yourself?' Sometimes, straightforward confrontation such
as – 'Well, let’s not bother then, we are totally wasting each other’s time'

– immediately unlocks them and brings the response, ‘Well I probably could
if you gave me some help.’
You must begin with gentle questioning in terms of developing the

discomfort and challenge. As soon as you have got their belief that they
could change, you’ve got to ask them what would happen if they don’t.
Keep digging. Keep looking for the personal areas, for the motivational
areas, for the different things that could happen or occur in their life that
are important to them, but are not going to happen if they do not take this
action. You need to be able to listen carefully and make sure you get the
feedback if you are coaching one to one. This is much easier to do if you
are coaching face to face. Over the telephone you need to develop excellent
rapport skills to do this.
When you ask a question give them time to process but make sure that
they are talking to you. If they have gone very quiet you have probably
already hit the right button. The thing to do then is to use some bail out
questions eg ‘What strengths have you got now that are going to help you
in the future?’ 'Remember what you did in x situation'. This immediately
starts to focus them on strength centres and strengths within themselves.
Then literally tell them, ‘Stand up, get a glass of water and come back and
sit down with me.’ Make sure you get them to move, change their
physiology, get them breathing. Then sit them down and take them out into
the future. Use the same process with very gentle questioning. ‘What’s
going to happen if you are able to do this?’ ‘What’s going to be the best
thing that’s going to happen?’ ‘Who are you going to be able to affect if you
are able to do this?’ ‘How’s your life improved as a result of this?’ ‘What’s
it going to look like 5 years down the road?’ You really do build on the
pleasure part.

So, when you are coaching build up slowly, make sure you take your time,
make sure you have got good rapport with your client. Practice with people
who will allow you to do this, practice in your everyday conversations.
Remember you want to challenge your client not hurt them. You are being
'tough' not 'rough'.
It is important to work on your own motivational state. If you have got a

favourite piece of music, that is 'state inducing', use it. Music is a powerful
motivational medium. It can inspire, cheer, calm and soothe.
Make sure when you are working on your pleasure or power state, when you
are going out into your future with the total belief you are going to be able
to achieve everything you want, that you have music playing. This will
become an anchor for you that you can continually associate with, which
will bring back these positive pictures of your future. That is sometimes all
that is necessary, in difficult times, to give you the motivation you need to
keep going that extra mile.
Stick with the pain / pleasure / power programme of developing

motivational goals to force you into action. It will stop you doing the things
you shouldn’t and enable you to develop the energy and power to do the
things you should.
Get into the habit of using motivational books and tapes, select powerful
pieces of prose and music. Mix with motivating and positive people.
Encourage your client to find motivational books, to listen to inspirational

speakers and trainers, and to get access to information that continues to
pour the 'good stuff' into their minds. When you expect that something
good is going to happen, you get energised and excited. When you fear loss
or something bad, you lose that energy and negative results follow. You
constantly need motivation in both good and bad times. When you read and

listen to motivational material you feed your mind, which is as important as
feeding our bodies. Make motivation a habit.
Failure can be a motivator. If you have a client in this situation you need
to encourage them to shake off their fear and move on. We learn by trying
things out, by making mistakes, by learning from them and by trying
something new. The most successful people in life are the ones who have
learned from their mistakes and transformed their failures into new
opportunities for growth. Motivational speaker Zig Ziglar says, 'Failure is
an event, never a person'.
American psychologist, Abraham Maslow developed a structure, a

hierarchy of human needs, which are said to motivate people into action.
As each need is met, you look to satisfy the next. The basic need is for food
and water. The second is for shelter and safely. The third is to belong to a
group or community. The fourth is to receive the esteem of others. The fifth
is to develop self-esteem. The final stage is to be what Maslow calls a self-
actualiser. These people are concerned that their lives have meaning, value
and purpose. They want to make a real contribution to others. As a coach
it is important to be familiar with these needs and recognise them in your
clients. They are key motivators and a good coach is the catalyst that helps
others achieve their full potential.
The most common excuse for not taking time to get motivated is lack of
time! But, we have as much energy as we need to do the things we want
to do. The problem is, we want to do all the wrong things. A lot of the time,
the things we want to do will not pass these two questions. 'Is it fair to
everybody that is involved in this process?' 'Will it take me closer to my
major objective in life?'
Great motivational speakers can literally create the energy to become

enthusiastic and achieve. Scientific research has proved that an

inspirational message creates an excitement that activates the brain, the
levels of serotonin, the 'feel good' chemical, are increased, along with the
endorphin, dopamine and other neurotransmitters. Constant reinforcement
of these motivational messages will feed you. You will achieve all that you
deserve, all your goals and, just as importantly, you will help your clients
to do the same.
Summary
"Continual motivation is what is needed to help us to achieve our
goals.
"You need to feed yourself with motivational materials to feed your
mind with positive messages.
"Questions use with clients to improve motivation.
"That failure can lead to motivation.
"A process to use with clients when they are consistently failing
to follow through on agreed goals.
"Using music and prose or poetry can motivate us and provide us
with powerful anchors.
"Listening to motivational speakers and tapes can increase our
energy.
"The need to challenge clients by asking about the consequences
of not following through with their goals. A picture of a bleak
future is often what is needed to motivate.
"The need to remind clients of the strengths they already have and
how they can use them to good effect in other situations.

Activity 1
Here is a game that you and others can play over the next few weeks. Set
yourself some observation goals, for example, notice the red cars on your
journey home; notice the number of 'sales' on TV, in the newspapers or in
the shops on a particular day; notice the people wearing aftershave or
perfume. Choose any potential subject. One of the key issues here is to
note the effect that setting these goals has upon your perception.
Ask a person who has been noticing red cars, how many blue cars there
were on the road. What does this exercise teach you?

Activity 2
This is the process to help you set short, medium and long term goals.
Devote ample 'thinking time' to each stage.
Step 1 – Write down all the things you want to do, be or have.
Step 2 – Write in one brief sentence why you want to be, do or have each
item on your list. If you can’t do this with any of them, then cross them
off.
Step 3 – Decide the most important areas of your life - for example…
"Family/friends (this could be 2 different areas).
"Partner/significant other person.
"Career/work.
"Financial.
"Health and vitality.
"Emotional well being.
"Social life.
"Fun and recreation.
"Physical environment (where you are living , how you are living,
your surroundings).
"Spiritual life.
Add, change or delete to include all the areas of life that are important to you.
Define what success means to you in each of the life areas you have
identified.
Step 4
Take each of your goals in turn and ask the question, 'Will having, being or
doing this thing improve the areas of my life that I deem are important ?'
Give one mark for each 'Yes' answer.

Step 5
For each of your goals, ask if it is right and fair to everyone in my sphere
of influence and concern and if it will it take you closer to your overall
objective.
Step 6
Put your goals in order. Take your top10 goals. These are the ones you are
going to work on.
Divide your goals into 4 main groups:-
"Ongoing goals needing daily input.
"short term goals to achieve within a week to a month.
"medium term goals that may take between a month and a year.
"long term goals that may take longer than a year.
Step 7
For each of the goals on the list expand your 'why'. Explain to yourself fully,
why you want to have this goal and what it will mean to you. Write this
down.
Step 8
Take each goal in turn and make 2 'to do' lists for each to show:-
"what you are prepared to do to achieve it.
"what you will need to do to achieve it.
Step 9
Make a list of:-
"the people you need to work with or.
"the people who can help you.
"the skills you might need to develop.
"the actions you need to take.
"what you need to learn.
"what you need to understand.

Step 10
Do the rocking chair test. Take yourself out into the future at age 95.
Imagine the wonderful life you have designed for yourself. Visualise it. Fully
associate with it.
Write down the story of your incredible life, the amazing things you’ve done,
fantastic things you’ve seen, the people you have touched and the changes
you have made in your own life.
Place your goals with their action points, within a timeframe. Put a start
and finish date on them. Remember a goal is a dream with a date.

Activity 3
Reframe these negative goals into positive ones.

'I want to give up smoking' –
'I want to lose weight' -
'I want to stop being shy'-

Activity 4
Record the 12 guiding principles to remember when setting goals for

yourself and your client, explain why they are important.
1. ______________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________________________
6. ______________________________________________________________
7. ______________________________________________________________
8. ______________________________________________________________
9. ______________________________________________________________
10. ____________________________________________________________
11. ____________________________________________________________
12. ____________________________________________________________

Activity 5
Experiment with asking challenging questions. Think of a friend or colleague

whose behaviour is stopping them from making progress. This can be in
any area of life. Write down five questions that you could ask to create
challenges.
Phrase them in a way that will make the person aware of the consequences
of their behaviour and the advantages of following through with a positive
action. Use this in an appropriate setting and with a suitable person who
has agreed to take part. Alternatively get someone to role play with you.
1. ______________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________________________

Activity 6
Client profile: Steve.
Age: 30 yrs old.
Family: 3 children Todd 2, Lisa, 4 and Paula 6.

Married to Jenny.
Occupation: Regional Sales Manager for a large manufacturing

company.
Hobbies: Golf, tennis.
Steve is your client and you have been coaching him for 3 months. He is
ambitious and his career has progressed fairly rapidly. The family expenses
are rather high as they have a large home and an expensive lifestyle. The
opportunity for promotion has arisen within the company for the post of
overseas manager. Steve has set goals that are working towards developing
his skills and knowledge in preparation for an interview. So far he has not had
much success in following through on his action plan. Devise five questions
you could ask Steve around this situation and give a rationale for each one.
1. ______________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________________________

Activity 7
What strategies do you use to keep up your own levels of motivation?

Activity 8
What are the lessons you have learned about motivation in this module and
how will you use them with your clients?

WEEK 8 - HOW TO SET GOALS AND MOTIVATE
OTHERS


Week 9
DISCOVERING YOUR
COACHING
STRENGTHS

Week 9
DISCOVERING YOUR COACHING STRENGTHS
In this module on niche coaching, you will:-

"Explore the differences between niche coaching and general coaching.
"Identify the current niches where coaches are operating.
"Hear how some of our coaches are using their coaching skills to
good effect in a variety of different settings and situations.
"Help you discover your own niche.
"Draw distinctions between personal and corporate coaching.
"Learn about executive coaching.
"Hear how our coaches have developed their skills through The
Coaching Academy course.
"Take a look into the future to predict how we envisage the
coaching profession to develop.
The skills that you have developed as a coach are very marketable in many
different settings. Academy trainee coaches come from a wide variety of
backgrounds. Some are therapists, counsellors, teachers, managers,
trainers, human resource personnel, team leaders, fitness instructors,
beauty therapists, entrepreneurs, etc. – the list is endless. The
permutations of Academy coaches’ experience and backgrounds are infinite.
However, what that unites them all is the desire to “make a real difference”
in the lives of others by helping them to move on and achieve their full
potential. People train as coaches either to enhance and develop skills for
in current careers or to launch their own private practice as a coach.
Many coaching practices are set up to work with individuals from various
walks of life. These coaches are general practitioners who usually work on
personal issues. They don’t specialise in any particular area of coaching,
but address all aspects of
Discovering Your Coaching Strengths Page 360

life. The clients they attract want to effect a change in their lives. Often,
they are committed to personal development and take their life and how
they use it seriously; they want to lead amazing lives. “Life balance” is a
theme that coaches hear over and over again and clients need support to
make the most of their time and to achieve the life they want. Each client
has his or her own highly individual life plan and goals. The general
coaching practitioner deals with wide and varied issues. Some coaches find
that their private, personal coaching develops along certain lines, for
example: spiritual development coaching, parent coaching, partnership
coaching, singles coaching, and career coaching. The possibilities are
endless. Once you build a reputation for excellent coaching, your practice
will grow and you may be led to specialisation.
As the coaching profession has developed, there has been growth in niche
market coaching. Many coaches have tailored their practice to better
service the needs of existing contacts or customers. Who better to
appreciate the stresses and challenges facing a particular profession than
a coach who has experience in that field and who can foresee any
associated needs? Having prior experience and knowledge should not
result in a coach providing answers. This still remains the domain of the
client, but an empathy with a situation gives the coach a heightened
understanding of the issues brought to the coaching sessions and it can
help in raising pertinent questions. The “expert” coach needs to guard
against projecting his or her own experience onto the client. The coach
needs to use his or her knowledge appropriately. To ensure that you are a
market leader in your niche coaching business, you will need to be one step
ahead and help your client address current issues as they arise.
Consider the profession or business area that you have a working

knowledge of. Brainstorm the changes, challenges and demands that exist
or are likely to arise in the future. To be one step ahead, you need to keep
informed of current trends. List the skills, knowledge, and expertise that

you have that will give you credibility. Make a list of all the people you can
approach, within your area. Devise a clear set of objectives for coaching in
that sector. Provide a clear rationale explaining the benefits to the client of
using your services. The use and development of existing networks and
contacts is invaluable when developing your niche market. Word of mouth still
is one of the best ways of developing business. Keep your ear to the ground
and open your eyes to the needs around you. Actively seek opportunities for
coaching and find ways you can support your potential clients. Turn to
Activity 1 in your workbook. This will help you plan to target your work to a
niche market.
As we have said, the skills of coaching are transferable and can be used
in any context. There are those who maintain that the coach does not
necessarily need to have knowledge of the area being coached. They think
that coaches are less likely to transfer their own experience into the
situation and that, by being neutral, they can truly follow the lead of the
client and encourage true responsibility. John Whitmore, co-founder of Inner
Game Ltd. with Tim Gallwey, quotes a situation where they used two Inner
Ski coaches to coach on an Inner Tennis Course. Using the same coaching
techniques, their performance was similar to that of their tennis-playing
colleagues and on a couple of occasions it was actually better. This led
them to the conclusion that the tennis coaches were concentrating on the
technical faults in the client’s performance, whereas the ski coach was
unaware of such technical faults and relied on the participants’ self-
diagnosis of body efficiency. In this way they tackled the cause of the
problems, not the symptoms as the experts had. As a result of this
discovery, they trained their tennis coaches to detach themselves from
their “expertise”.
Nevertheless, in niche coaching, your experience will give you credibility

and open doors for you.

Some coaches use a life situation, interest, hobby or passion to develop a
niche market. It is important that, as a coach, you have a real passion for
what you do. Clients must believe that you can really help them make
sustainable changes. You will need to hold your client’s vision when they
get tired or despondent. One of the oldest coaches to qualify through the
Academy specialises in coaching people approaching retirement, those
who want to plan for a fulfilling future. She is an incredible lady with a whole
range of life changes and life experiences behind her. She is enjoying her
new career where she can inspire and encourage others – a real example
of a coach “walking her talk”. Another coach uses her experience and
passion for working with dyslexic and dyspraxic children to coach families
who are struggling to cope with a child with special needs. Therapists have
used coaching as a vehicle to work in specialised areas such as stress
coaching and self-esteem coaching. Many coaches offer sessions at the
fitness or health clubs they belong to. Often they have already-built
relationships and have a target group who are interested in their own well-
being.
Activity 2 in the workbook will help you explore your interests.
Many of the world’s top coaches have developed their coaching practices
by identifying a need in the market or as a result of unconsciously providing
a “coaching” service as they interacted with colleagues or customers.
Cheryl Richardson was working as a tax consultant when she realised she
was being used more and more by her clients as a sounding board to
discuss their lives and how they were going to make decisions or solve
dilemmas. She gave up helping them fill in their tax returns and instead
turned her attention to life planning. The rest is history. Cheryl is one of the
top coaches in the USA. Career coach Laura Berman Fortgang was once a
professional actress. She always wanted to inspire her audience through
the characters she played – to change their own lives for the better. This
led to her training others, using acting techniques, to improve their

communication skills and further their career. It was only a small step for
her to become a successful career coach.
A coach who found herself talking to her children’s friends about their study
choices and future career paths found herself increasingly in demand as a
coach, both from the friends and their anxious parents! The coach was able
to remain detached, she had no preconceived agenda and the sessions
were very productive. The students set focused and exciting goals for their
future and planned the action steps to take them there.
Think for a moment about all of the situations/places where you find
yourself helping and supporting others to learn, progress, and make
decisions. Over the next few weeks, make a list of all the situations where
you are asked for advice and support. Notice if there is a pattern. If there
is, you may use that to define a niche market for yourself. This is Activity
3 in your workbook.
Some coaches set up team coaching sessions for clients with either similar
backgrounds or needs. This is done either through arranging meetings,
telephone coaching or on-line sessions. Modern technology and the
computer age have turned the world into a global village, where people can
be put in touch in seconds via the Internet or e-mail.
Corporate or business coaching is an area where many of our coaches

operate and the module on corporate coaching deals with the whole aspect
of this type of work in depth.
Coaching is gaining popularity with companies as they seek to develop staff

to achieve their full potential, improve performance and grow their
business. Coaches are hired to work in all types of situations, ranging from
coaching individuals and executive teams in large companies and
institutions to coaching owners of small- to medium-sized businesses.

Research by the International Personnel Management Association
indicates that training increases productivity by 22%. Training with the
addition of coaching increases productivity to an impressive 88%.
An external coach may be used to support a company through a change or

to complete a particular project. When the coach works within this
situation, it is important to clarify with the client the purpose and focus of
your work and how they require feedback. Very often in these situations the
independent coach is led to deal with personal issues, which can have a
major bearing upon an employee’s performance. Clear ground rules need
to be established with both the client and the employee so that the coach
can maintain professional integrity.
Some companies employ ‘in house’ coaches as an essential part of the

staff development team.
Coaching is rapidly gaining ground as an effective management style and

is viewed as an essential part of a manager’s toolkit.
Coaching executives is another area where coaches work. An executive

coach works in large corporations with individuals or teams. Areas of
executive coaching can include leadership development, interpersonal and
communication skills, developing high-performance executive teams or
individuals, and career coaching. There are various styles of executive
coaching which the coach will negotiate with the client. In the busy and
competitive world of work, many are finding it increasingly difficult to
balance the demands of the job with the personal needs of the individual.
This often results in poor health, broken relationships and, sometimes,
poor performance. Many executives have found enormous benefits from
working regularly with a coach. The coach has raised their awareness and
helped them get back on track by identifying their core values and desires
and by planning a way to achieve them rather than struggling to survive. It

is often a lonely position at the top of the corporate tree and the executive
has valued the coach as an independent, confidential sounding board who
has no hidden agenda, only the welfare and success of the client at heart.
Whatever type of coaching work you decide to develop, it is important that

you view the client as a whole person. It is sometimes necessary to remind
the client of that fact too!
As coaches we are not able to look into the future, but, as perceptive,
proactive and informed human beings, we are able to make a good
prediction that, in the world of the 21st century, coaching will be at the
forefront of any personal and professional development programme. We
can be sure that humans will still be seeking to improve the quality of their
lives. Changes in culture, work and society will demand that, increasingly,
people make life-changing choices.
Already coaches are featured in the media and, as they become familiar
with the wider public, they will, like personal trainers, become more popular
as it is proven that they get results. With the constantly changing world of
work, the only way managers of the future will be able to keep up with the
demands of their jobs and improve the performance of their staff is by
learning about people and learning how to coach.
Coaching is becoming the ‘buzz’ word in many professions. Health and

education services are becoming aware of the power of coaching and are
seeking ways to understand how to use it within their institutions. In
companies where there has been a culture of blame managers are realising
the need to develop the workforce, encourage creativity, provide motivation
and encourage real responsibility and choice. There are many, many
openings for coaches to work in these situations.
In the future, people will continue to work with coaches on an individual

basis to keep themselves fresh and constantly upgrade themselves, their
lives and their careers. Managers and corporate executives will rely on
coaching to help them keep up to date, become more adaptable and
marketable. People will always want to achieve a balanced, healthy and
fulfilled life and the coach will help them prioritise, discover what is
important to them and keep on track.
The 21st century will bring exciting and broadening challenges and
changes. The effective coach will be well equipped to guide and navigate
clients through the exhilarating journey ahead.

Here are quotes from Academy coaches who have qualified and are working
in the field…
“I have been involved in personal and organised development for
more than 15 years, mainly in the public sector. Coaching is the
best and only approach to offer such energising and speedy
transformational solutions. I have become a passionate coach.”
Jasmine Shekleton, Academy delegate – Feb 2000
“I have found what I want to do. Being a life coach enables me to

help individuals make a real, positive difference to their lives!”
Linda Qualdrough, Academy delegate – Sept 2000
“I feel immensely privileged to be part of a profession which

supports, encourages and motivates people to perform at their
best and turn their lives around – as I have done – whilst at the
same time driving personal growth, satisfaction and fulfilment!”
Paula Heap, Academy delegate – March 2000
“I am a psychotherapist working with the past. How wonderful to be

able to take my clients on to the future with coaching. What great
support for real change, growth and fulfilment.”
Leda Macfarlaine, Academy delegate – Feb 2002

Activity 1
Consider the profession or business area you have a working knowledge of.
Make a list of all the ways you can keep informed of the current
developments in the field – people, books, websites, associations, etc.
"In the space below, brainstorm the changes, challenges and demands
that exist or are likely to arise in the future. (Keep informed of the current
situation to be one step ahead.)
"List the skills, knowledge, experience and expertise you have in that
field.
"Make a list of all the people you can approach, within your specialist
area, to discuss coaching.

"Devise a clear set of objectives for coaching in this sector.
"Describe the intended outcomes.
"Write a 2-5 minute presentation explaining to your potential client your

aims, the benefits of using your services and how you propose to work
with them.

Activity 2
List all the activities you do, hobbies, interests and all the clubs or groups
you belong to. Include the things you are passionate about. Consider them
in turn. Be creative and think of ways you could link them with coaching.
Choose the top 3, those that produced the most effective links. Plan a
series of actions for each one that will move you closer to securing clients
in that field.
Hobbies, interests, clubs, groups Action steps (with date)

Activity 3
Make a list of all the ways you have informally coached someone or been
asked for advice and support. Notice if there is a pattern. What are the
outcomes of your coaching?
Date Situation

WEEK 9 - DISCOVERING YOUR COACHING
STRENGTHS


Week 10
INTRODUCTION TO
CORPORATE
COACHING
Based on material provided by Neil and Vicki Espin

Week 10
INTRODUCTION TO CORPORATE COACHING
Based on material provided by Neil and Vicki Espin
Preview
Corporate coaching has many common points with individual coaching but
there are some important differences.
This module…
"offers a background to the business environment that has
fuelled the growth in corporate coaching
"provides insights about the practicalities of corporate coaching
"defines the 12 key characteristics of an effective corporate
coach
"enables you to decide whether corporate coaching is for you
"challenges you think differently, to take action and to complete
the Activity exercises
Background
The enormous growth in the demand for corporate coaching over the last
decade or so is the result of many changed priorities and pressures in the
workplace. Here are some of the main causes.
Within all organisations, people face ever increasing time pressures to

produce work within strict deadlines. An independent outsider can help
them focus with clarity on what it is that they hope to achieve.
Similar pressures are imposed on performance as organisations downsize

and use fewer people to do as much, or even more, work than before. The
trend is for this pressure to increase rather than reduce, therefore the need
for corporate coaching is also likely to increase along with it.
Introduction to Corporate Coaching Page 377

There is a greater focus by managers and executives on staff emotions.
Much has been written about the importance of emotional intelligence
quotient (EQ) as opposed to intelligence quotient (IQ). A corporate coach
can help leaders and their organisations in effectively managing and
understanding EQ.
The management of performance has changed. It is no longer sufficient to

use a 'big stick' approach to encourage staff to perform in 'the old
fashioned way'. Organisations need each person to perform because they
want to, which optimises the use of their resources.
From the employee viewpoint, there is the psychological contract.

Increasingly the work force seek organisations that will help them to reach
their own personal goals at the same time as they help the company to
reach its own goals and targets. When an organisation is able to fulfil that
role, employees are more likely to stay and remain loyal. On the other hand,
if they do not acknowledge this, their people will become disgruntled and
look for a more enlightened employer who will allow their personal growth
and development to flourish.
Much emphasis is placed on maintaining a supportive culture within an

organisation as this helps the retention of good staff. Corporate coaching
can be a highly visible contribution to this support and is set to grow
dramatically.
Quantified benefits
In 1997, the International Personnel Management Association researched
training and development. Their survey revealed that productivity increased
by 22% following training. When the training was combined with coaching,
the productivity increase was a staggering 88%.

Here are some more statistics to inspire you if you are planning to take the
corporate route.
They are the findings of a survey by The International Coaching

Federation. They surveyed 11,000 coaching clients and the majority asked
for help with time management, their career, their business and their
business relationships. Here, in declining percentage sequence, are the
key survey results.
"An astounding 98.5% said that their investment, regardless of
cost, was well worth it.
"85% said they wanted a sounding board. Whilst this may surprise
you, leaders of organisations find it difficult to talk to their teams
of directors and to talk with shareholders. The corporate coach is
the ideal person to take them through any such blocks or issues
that surround the excellent commission of their jobs.
"78% said they wanted a motivator - someone that they knew they
would have to call, who would be independent and who would talk
with them about goals planned and achieved.
"57% said they wanted an independent friend.
"Over 50% experienced greater self awareness, higher self
confidence, improved goal setting and results on business
targets.
"50% said they wanted a more balanced life.
"40% asked their coach for help with setting goals - especially
concerning finance.
"40% said coaching enhanced their communication skills.
Although communication is an often talked about concept in
organisations, it is the key area that lets many of them down.
"33% said they had more fun as a result of coaching. People are
more productive when they have fun at work to make tasks more
enjoyable.
"25% felt that coaching had increased their income.

"An unquantified majority said that they used their coach as a
taskmaster and spiritual guide.

The characteristics of a successful corporate coach.
Everything that you have learned about life coaching can be applied to use
with corporate clients, although the focus will be predominantly business
focused to start with. It will generally be an issue that a person wishes to
work on to remove an obstacle to their performance, that of a team
member or even, of an entire team.
Your questioning will be more tightly focused and will need a harder edge
to its challenges. Your clients expect you to achieve results on time and on
budget. In many cases, the lengthy relationship that a personal coach can
establish with a client is a luxury that the corporate coach does not have.
The following key characteristics of the corporate coach are not presented
in order of priority. They are simply classified for clarity and to aid your
understanding.

1. Knowing and behaviour.
Because Corporate coaching is all about people, all of your life experiences
to date are absolutely relevant. The emphasis is on knowing, because this
means behaving with belief in yourself to be a corporate coach. Your
behaviour speaks volumes about your self belief. Well over half of your
communication with others is dependent on the things that you do. More
than a third of the impact that you create derives from the way that you use
your voice - so you have communicated the level of your self belief before
you even talk about coaching. There are some simple techniques that will
help you. These are provided at Activity 1…
"List your life achievements, both professional and personal. Ask,
'What am I really proud of in my life?' Share this list with others
who you know well, trust and respect and let them help you add
to your list.
"What does your non-verbal behaviour say to others about your
belief as a corporate coach? Does it demonstrate your
confidence, ability and right to be one? Get feedback from your
own mentor, coach, family and trusted friends.
"Record your own voice. Do your tone, pitch, volume and speed
say 'self assured'? Again, seek feedback.
"Use all your feedback to decide what actions you will take to deal
with any areas that need attention. As you do, review your list of
achievements to identify any repeating behaviours.
2. Clarity about coaching.

Clients get confused about the way that coaching differs from training,
mentoring, consultancy and counselling. You will detect any confusion from
their comments. Your credibility will be seriously damaged if you allow such
matters to be unresolved before you start work. You must be passionately
clear in your own mind and then clearly agree the distinctions between the
various approaches with your clients.

"Trainers deal with the input of knowledge and skills. The trainer
is the significant party and the trainees are expected to
assimilate the knowledge and skills and then use them.
"Mentors are usually experts in a specific field or industry who
help their acolytes carve a path through the organisation. They
offer advice and direction.
"Consultants diagnose, advise and recommend solutions at a
macro level in relation to strategic or cultural issues.
"Counsellors assist people who lack the strength or inner
resources to move forward by themselves. Counselling helps
people deal with blocking or worrying past issues by providing
support and strength.
"Managers set directions and manage processes, performance,
rules, regulations, boundaries and productivity targets.
"These points are not intended to be text book definitions. They
are simple examples to highlight key differences.
Corporate coaching facilitates another individual's learning, development

and performance. Coaching permits and equips people to find their own
solutions, develop skills, modify behaviours and change attitudes.
Coaching encourages people to identify and follow their goals which are
achieved far more quickly than when an individual pursues them alone.
Coaching is future looking. (It is possible for a coach and counsellor to work
together, particularly if it is clear that an individual needs this specific
support to ease progress.)
Turn to Activity 2 to create your own definitions for coaching and the other
listed roles. Your aim is to achieve absolute clarity to differentiate quickly
and simply when you are asked.
There is a business model to show these various functions on the

'spectrum of support'. This shows the differences between directing,

guiding and coaching. Directing is a 'push' behaviour where you tell
someone what to do or solve the problem on their behalf. There is 'parental
support', a grey area between directing and guiding that offers advice and
asks questions. 'Pull' is at the non directive end of the spectrum and
includes coaching. You pull people towards their own solutions by asking
questions for your client to identify their best way forward. The coach pulls,
then follows and reflects rather than leading and pushing as in the directive
model.
3. Stakeholder Recognition.
You must identify key stakeholders and satisfy their expectations.
Stakeholders are any members of the organisation who will or may be
impacted by - or have an interest or investment in the outcomes of your
coaching relationship and activities.
Activity 3 will help you. Make a list of possible organisational

stakeholders. It should include:-
"your client.
"their boss.
"their boss's boss.
"their colleagues who are not yet being coached by you.
"their team.
"Human Resources or Personnel Department members.
"the person who contacted you from within the organisation.
"those who do not currently buy into the concept of coaching - it
can be useful to find out why.
"the purchasing or sourcing team - the people who make
purchasing decisions.
"the fee payer.
Next, decide the stake that each of these individuals or groups has in your

corporate or executive coaching relationships. What is it about their role,
interests or concerns that give them a stake in the outcomes? Even if you
have no corporate experience you can do this by thinking about any
organisation that you have worked in or been a customer of.
Finally, you now need to discover what it will take to satisfy each
stakeholder. The most effective way to do this is by asking them directly or,
by asking the person who first contacted you. Take some time now and
think of ways that you can satisfy these stakeholder expectations.
4. Clear contracts.
You must have the ability to establish a clear contract with each client. This
is the most important phase after you have dealt with an organisation to
establish their needs and requirements and have formulated your
proposals. Clarity is the key.
A contract is an explicit agreement of mutual expectations. It is a mutual

understanding of how the parties will work together in a relationship that is
freely entered into and an agreement involving the exchange of something
valued.
It is vital to establish and define clearly the objectives and the success
criteria. How will you and the organisation know that your coaching is
successful? What measures can be put in place to demonstrate success?
Know and acknowledge what you expect of your client and what they expect
of you. Never make assumptions about your contract with a client as this
can put everything else in jeopardy.
Your contract is on two levels - with the organisation and with the client.
Before you read the rest of this page, stop and list the things that you might
want to include in your contract.

Here are some suggestions in no particular order of priority.
Your contract should include:-

"Your charges with an indication of whether they are daily or hourly
based.
"Your working day - start and finish times, number of coaching
sessions per day (it is important to allow yourself enough time
for energy breaks, reflection, notes and preparation. You must be
as fresh for your last client of the day as for the first).
"Cancellation terms and conditions.
"Expenses for travel, accommodation, telephones and other out of
pocket expenditure. Be very clear about what your client will pay
for and whether these expenses are included in the fee or
invoiced as extras.
"The coaching method - face to face or by telephone. If face to
face, who will book the rooms or accommodation?
"The type of coaching - will you be working with individuals, teams
or both?
"How the coaching will work - numbers of sessions or hours per
client or even, open ended sessions within an agreed budget.
"Payment arrangements - most organisations will work with you on
a 30 day payment basis.
"Ground rules for coaching conversations.
"Feedback method - written reports, emails, telephone reporting,
meetings?
"How confidentiality is maintained whilst achieving organisational
goals - you may encounter divided loyalties. These arise because
you are contracted by the organisation whilst coaching their staff
members in confidence. Confidentiality is essential if you are to
achieve the best for your clients. Make this clear to the
organisation and to each person to be coached. Explain to the
individuals that you will not report back on specific issues. It can

take a while to establish trust and intimacy and a statement of
your intent at the outset can be an enormous help.
"How the impact of coaching will be evaluated, both in terms of
changes each individual might make and impact on the
organisation.

As well as your clear contract with the organisation, you need to establish
a contract with each individual client within it. Many people are unclear
about the definition of coaching. You should include:-
"in simple terms, what coaching is and is not.
"their expectations of you.
"your expectations of them.
"how you differ from their manager.
"how you deal with confidentiality and feedback.
"when and where the sessions will take place.
Turn to Activity 4.
5. Business awareness.
You must keep up with hot business topics and issues - globally, nationally,
regionally, industry specific and organisation specific. Your clients will talk
about them and you must have sufficient awareness to sustain a
meaningful conversation. Decide now on any actions that you will take to
resolve any gaps in your capabilities in this area.
6. Tool kit.
You will have a tool kit of appropriate business models. Coaching is never
about giving advice, direction or solutions but you do need a deep awareness
of the challenges that face people in organisations - especially the events and
situations of organisational life that can get in their way or impede their
progress. Get to grips with your own capability to deal with such issues to
attune your sense of the reality of their world so that you can follow better
informed questioning. Turn to Activity 5.
Typical challenges that people in organisations space would include:-

"organisational change

"performance management
"work-life balance
"personal and career change
"relationships and conflict
"team performance
What is your present knowledge and understanding of these areas?

Commit right now to action to fill any gaps in your knowledge and
understanding.
You need to build a tool kit of models appropriate to each defined challenge
or situation so that you have a reference point for each. Take some time
now to review your actions for these first six characteristics and put them
in your own personal priority order. Turn to Activity 6.
7. Organisational Culture.
You will need to develop the ability to quickly get to grips with organisational
culture. Put simply, culture means 'the way things are done around here'.
It is the lifestyle of the organisation and part of your orientation must be
an awareness of this to help your understanding of the issues and reality
that your clients will present.
An organisation's key values, beliefs and assumptions can be learned from

a little detective work in some, or all, of the following:-
"the stories - who and what do people talk about?
"the symbols - titles, perks, car park allocations, office sizes.
"the premises - building ages, sizes, locations, decorations,
furnishings.
"the power - who really holds the power (it may not be the boss or
MD!).
"the structure - is there an organisation chart and does it reflect

the reality?
"the culture - is it rigid, hierarchical, formal, informal?
"the controls - rules, regulations, rituals and routines.
"the communication - at all levels.
Notice the differences between what people say they do and what they
actually do, both formally and informally. How do people communicate with
superiors, peers and subordinates?
Think of an organisation that you know and assess it against these

elements. Decide what this analysis is telling you. Turn to Activity 7.
8. Corporate language.
Working inside corporate organisations can sometimes feel like going to
another country. Each has their own language which you must learn and
use when you are working with them. There are three dominant corporate
languages.
Universal Business Language

This is the 'business speak' used globally and universally across all
organisations. You must be familiar with it to maintain your credibility and
to communicate effectively. How many of these examples can you define?
SLA Budget ROI EV Cost of sale KPL CSF
Industry or Sector Language

Words and phrases that are specific to an industry and which are
understood by people working in it. Retail, finance, catering, IT.
Local Language
This is the jargon, slang and abbreviations used as 'in-house speak' and

can even vary between departments in the same organisation. You need to
gain a rapid understanding of these and, if in doubt when you hear
something that is not clear, ask, 'Can you expand on that please?'
Even 'normal' terms like accountability, responsibility and agreed action

can mean different things to different people within different organisations.
You MUST be clear about what they mean in your corporate coaching client
environment.
Do you need to get up to speed on your corporate language skills? List

people who can help you, list (and read) trade papers and specialist
publications, buy or borrow books, check out websites. Turn to Activity 9.
Here are the translations!

"SLA is service level agreement - the absolute minimum level of
service agreed between two parties.
"Budget can be either the amount of money allocated for a
particular purpose or it can mean a sales target.
"ROI is return on investment - the income or profit against the
expenditure to earn it.
"EV is embedded value - the value that is built in to a product or
service.
"Cost of sale is the total cost of everything that it takes to
generate a sale of a product or service.
"CSF is critical success factor - and even this can have different
local interpretations.
9. Bottom line.
Consistently demonstrating your understanding of the impact of your
coaching on the bottom line is a key success factor for any corporate

coach.
Regardless of any other reasons that an organisation offers for using your
ser vices, ever ything is driven directly or indirectly by bottom line
performance, shareholder value or both.
This means that you must deliver on three fronts. You must provide a sound
return on investment, you must meet agreed critical success factors and
you must maintain client confidentiality.
Stakeholders will certainly ask about evaluating bottom line impact and
value of your services. Develop some model answers that can be adapted
to suit specific circumstances and do this sooner rather than later - your
credibility and success in gaining assignments and repeat assignments
can depend on your ability to demonstrate real and measurable value.
Plan your actions now to help you gain confidence in this. Begin by talking
to a corporate coach to see how they deal with it.
10. Spread the word.

You must work consistently to dispel the myth that coaching only benefits the
senior people in the organisation. This is critical for the future of corporate
coaching.
"demonstrate that coaching works by helping clients to achieve their
goals.
"remember the ripple effect that spreads the word once
stakeholders experience the benefits.
"collect and use testimonials, anecdotal evidence and examples
without compromising confidentiality.
"focus on benefits and bottom line value.
Turn to Activity 10.

11. Coaching capabilities.
The capabilities of a corporate coach have much in common with those of
a personal life coach. Here are some reminders to help you focus on any
areas where you may need to take action to get up to speed. Use your
coach to help you.
"awareness - of your present coaching abilities and any action to
consistently lift it higher. Work on yourself!
"inspire - you must remain inspired and your clients need
inspiration as much as motivation.
"the ability to build relationships - seek to build relationships
instead of just having clients.
"communication - use powerful language, 'amazing' instead of
'well done' Complete the alphabet with power words, here are
your first three… amazing, brilliant, creative…
"presence - you must have an immediate impact of bearing,
confidence and competent professionalism.
"trust - absolute trust from your clients that they have your
respect and confidence. Build rapport.
"flexibility - corporate clients have time pressures, respect these
and be flexible in accommodating changes.
"futurism - keep yourself and your client focused on future
success rather than past experiences.
"resilience - do not give up and keep your client on course,
regardless of work imposed pressures.
"tenacity - organisational environments can be frustrating, rise
above them and move ever forward.
Turn to Activity 11.
12. Proper selfishness.

Take time to get fit for the job in hand. Do whatever it takes to develop your

own mental and physical energy. You need to be inspiring your clients and
you cannot do that from an exhausted and empty source.
So dare to be selfish. Is your own life balanced - do you need to work on

physical and mental aspects - is your diet healthy - are you working with
your coach?
Turn to Activities 12 and 13.

Some final reminders.
Success breeds success.
Have and work through an action plan. Every action will create a different
feeling. Feeling different means that you will act differently. Different
actions lead to greater success.
Coach as much as possible and seek to be coached. Learn from both

experiences.
Meet and talk with other corporate coaches to listen and learn from each
other.
Organisations can be complex. Keep coaching simple. In a complex

environment, simplicity is powerful.
Team and group dynamics can often lead to invitations for personal
coaching - then the individuals return to find that the reformed team can
progress ever faster towards their joint goals.
Life and work balance will often be presented as issues. You cannot
separate the two and deal with one in isolation.
Summary.
You now have enough information to decide if corporate coaching is for you.
You have identified any areas that you may need to work on and you have
created your personal action lists.
Corporate coaching is challenging, exciting, varied, rewarding and

expanding.

Activity 1
List your life achievements, both personal and professional. Gain feedback
from trusted friends and add to the list
Check out your behaviour. List positive and negative behaviours in two
columns. What is your behaviour saying to others about your right to be a
corporate coach?
Record your own voice. List comments about tone, pitch, volume, speed
and clarity. What actions do you need to take?
Identify the skills, knowledge and abilities that you have to use in a
corporate environment.

Activity 2
Identify the following in terms that you would use to explain them clearly to
a corporate client. Be clear, accurate, precise and simple.
Coaching is ______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Mentoring is ____________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Consulting is ____________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Training is ______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Managing is ____________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Counselling is ____________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

Can you amplify your words with visual examples?
Where does each activity fit on the spectrum of support?

Directive Push Non directive Pull

Activity 3
Complete the following columns.

In A list as many stakeholders as you can think of
In B state the possible stake of each in your coaching
In C say how you can meet and exceed their expectations
A B C

Activity 4
Design a contract for an organisation, including all the points mentioned in

the text.
Design a contract for a client in an organisation, including all the points

mentioned in the text.

Activity 5
List all the challenges that are facing people in the sector in which you wish
to work.

Activity 6
Put the first six listed characteristics in order of your personal priority and
state what actions you will take to improve your abilities and competence.

Activity 7
Think of an organisation that you know. What are the key beliefs, values
and assumptions. What do these tell you?

Activity 8
From recollection of your reading of the text, define the following:-
"SLA __________________________________________________________
"Budget ________________________________________________________
"ROI __________________________________________________________
"EV ____________________________________________________________
"KPI __________________________________________________________
"CSF __________________________________________________________

Activity 9
List the actions that you will take to acquire the resources that you need
to become familiar with the three main categories of corporate language.

Activity 10
List ways that you can demonstrate how coaching can have a beneficial
bottom line impact. Illustrate with anecdotes concerning productivity and
performance improvement. How can you quantify the benefits?

Activity 11
Rate yourself on a score of 1 to 10 against the following:-
Rate 1-10
awareness _____
inspiring _____
relationships _____
presence _____
communication _____
trust _____
flexibility _____
futurism _____
resilience _____
tenacity _____
What actions are you going to take?

Activity 12
Rate yourself on a score of 1 to 10 against the following:-
Rate 1-10
Life balance _____
Goal setting _____
mental fitness _____
physical fitness _____
diet and nutrition _____
Do you have a coach (No = 0 Yes=10) _____
What actions are you going to take?

Activity 13
Put the final six listed characteristics in order of your personal priority and
state what actions you will take to improve your abilities and competence.

Activity 14
Return to every action that you have listed on these activity pages and put
a start and finish date against each.

Appendix 1
CORPORATE COACHING
Differences from Personal Coaching

Your corporate client will invariably require a formal tender or quotation for
your services and then, when you have secured the order, they will usually
expect a formal contract.
You will probably be asked to provide a means of written quantification of

your ‘deliverables’, the results that you will achieve.
Expect to spend considerable time and money on promotional activities.

Your print and telephone bills will be higher than for Personal Coaching.
Decisions can take a long time to be made - several months in some cases.
Once a client decides to proceed they may expect you to be available at

short notice.
Your Corporate Client may well seek trade references or reports from
previous clients to affirm your track record and capabilities.
The bad news is that all these points can cost you time and money. The
good news is that a Corporate Coach can easily afford both.
The next page considers your availability.

Your Corporate Coaching Availability
If you choose to operate as a full time corporate coach, you will not spend
all your time on coaching.
This is not as contradictory as it sounds. You should plan to spend up to

half your available time in travelling, meetings and marketing.
If you take four weeks out for holidays, you have a potential of 48 weeks a
year for Corporate Coaching. Of this, you will spend around 24 weeks
actually coaching.
If you look back at the examples at the start of the Personal Coaching
section, you will see that we selected a hypothetical target of £24,000
annual turnover.
Even if you flunked maths at school, you can see that this equates to
£1000 per week of actual coaching and an average of £500 per week
throughout the year.
Here is your foundation block:-

A. Decide how many weeks per year you will spend on Corporate
Coaching
B. Halve the figure at A to give the number of weeks of actual
coaching
C. Decide how much you want to earn in a year - remember to add
one third for overheads
D. Divide amount at C by weeks at A to define your average weekly
target
E. Divide the amount at C by the weeks at B to give your minimum
weekly charge out rate
F. Divide E by 4 to give your minimum daily fee

On the next page we will demonstrate why the figure in the above
example is, if anything, on the low side for a corporate coach.

Setting Corporate Fees
The author firmly believes that more prospective corporate assignments
are lost because of low quotes rather than because the price was too high.
Many corporate minds associate ‘low price’ with ‘cheap’ and believe that
this applies to the quality of service. Most will want the best and expect to
pay well for it.
Note the use of the word ‘assignment’. This sounds more professional
than ‘series’ and if your client has been exposed to consultants
(Management, IT, Health & Safety, Quality, Training etc.) they will be
comfortable and familiar with the term.
They will also have an expectation that your fee will be in line with those
charged by consultants. You should not disappoint them!
Beware of quoting a fee during early discussions before you have a good
idea of the scope of the assignment. Some clients are skilled at getting an
early quote from you and then gently moving the goalposts ever further
apart with no increase in fee.
For your own protection as much as your client’s, you must insist on a
written brief that sets out the who, what, where, when and how of the
assignment.
When you have this document signed and agreed, you are then in a position
to calculate your fee. Consider the number of days that you expect the
assignment to take, add 25% for ‘contingencies’ and then apply your
selected daily rate. (Whenever possible, keep to a daily rate figure rather
than quoting for a ‘job and finish’. At least, that way, if you do have to run
over your planned duration (it happens) you will still be rewarded for it.)

You and you alone can decide how much you will charge.
A typical management consultant may charge a small, but growing, owner

/ managed business around $500 per day. For larger organisations the
charge-out rate may be around $1000 per day and for blue-chip
multinationals, $5000 per day is sometimes quoted.
If you are planning a full time Corporate Coaching career, you will almost
certainly have some awareness and knowledge of the procedures that
prevail in many organisations. Use this information when setting your fees.
Getting Paid
In Personal Coaching, your clients will not usually mind paying in advance.
In Corporate Coaching it is rare for a client to agree to this.
Companies do go bust, get taken over or merged and these events can
have a disastrous effect on your cash flow.
The issue here is to minimise your exposure to risk.
You can check out your potential client at your local reference library to
learn as much as you can about the company. If you already have access
to a credit checking agency, then by all means use them, but this can be
an expensive option for a young coaching practice.
Devise your own ‘Standard Terms and Conditions’. Include the following
(select your own figures), “Fees are due within 30 days of invoice date.
Late payment may incur a penalty equivalent to the outstanding amount
plus interest on the whole amount at bank rate plus 5%.”
Alternatively, you might prefer phased payment and could consider including

a phrase like, “A retainer of 30% of the agreed fee is payable on signing the
contract. The balance is payable in two equal payments, each of 35% at
monthly intervals”.
You will find it useful, in the event of a dispute, if you have had a friendly
solicitor to look over your proposed ‘Standard Terms’ and your contract.
There is no foolproof way of ensuring payment. Most clients will honour

their commitment.
Before starting an assignment, find out who pays the bills and where they
are located. (In a big organisation this may be in a different building or
town!) If you can get a name of an individual, it is beneficial to give them a
‘courtesy phone call’. Ostensibly to seek advice on how they like your
invoices presented, your hidden agenda is to establish rapport which
should help prompt payment.
If your client pays a retainer, we suggest that you place this in a deposit
account until the assignment is completed, just in case matters go totally
pear-shaped and you need to offer a refund. This is most improbable but it
is always useful to be prepared.
Let’s end this section by looking further at the corporate mind.

The Corporate Mind
The corporate mind sometimes appears to work in strange ways.
It is frequently controlled by budgets and often by procedures.
A potential client who has an annual budget - sometimes devolved to a

section manager who has discretion on where to spend it - will think in
annual terms.
They spend like crazy for the first five months and then have to produce a half-
yearly review. This shows that they may overspend if they continue on the
previous route so the manager corrects the situation by swinging the
pendulum the other way.
Then, a few months before the end of the financial year, the ‘use it or lose
it’ syndrome cuts in. This means that you may be inundated with requests
for assignments from April until August - the first five months of the
financial year - and then find that your services are not in demand again
until the end of the second half-year, say January to March.
You may even be asked to invoice early or late to fall into a given year’s
budget.
Procedures sometimes mean that you will have to enter a competitive

tender situation. Many organisations demand at least three quotes from
competing companies before they will place an order.
This need not be a problem. The corporate mind will not always pick the
lowest quote (remember the ‘use it or lose it’ budget requirement!). If you
find yourself in this situation, ensure that you know exactly what their
procedure requires. Then follow it to the letter and deliver a pristine
presentation on time.

You will become a very frustrated corporate coach if you start to question
procedures. They often have little logic to an outsider. Just go along with
whatever they require you to do.
The corporate mind has another infuriating quirk. It can take ages to make
a decision (we are talking months here) and then expect you to swing into
action at very short notice. Unless you are aware of this, it can play havoc
with your planning.
An assignment may last anything from a week to a year or longer. Most full-
time corporate coaches will keep marketing activities running all year,
albeit at a background level. As one assignment nears its scheduled
completion, they step up their marketing activities to secure continuity. The
objective is to simply find one more assignment - the next one. It is difficult,
if not impossible, to accurately define how many corporate clients you can
expect in any one year.
The above paragraph assumes that your style of Corporate Coaching

limits you to dealing with one client at any one time.

WEEK 10 - INTRODUCTION TO CORPORATE
COACHING


Week 11
RUNNING YOUR
PRACTICE
AS A BUSINESS

Week 11
RUNNING YOUR PRACTICE AS A BUSINESS
Preview
This module is unique because it will self destruct! You will probably want
to return to the other modules on a fairly regular basis to refresh your ideas
and explore some of the angles that you may have skipped the first time
around.
Although this section carries equally valid information about launching your
practice right through to conducting your first few 'paid for' coaching
assignments, by the time you have done a few sessions you will have
established a pattern of working and will not need to return to these pages.
The pages themselves will not self destruct - but your need for them should
and must.
You are invited to consider the minimal equipment that you need along with
your coaching environment. You are guided through the free session that
you conduct. You are offered some thoughts on session length, on fees
and on client retention. It is time to get your practice up and running.
Your essential tools.

You need a telephone, something to write on and something to write with.
That concludes your list of essential tools! Although you can coach with this
minimum, there are a few very useful additions that will improve your
coaching by making life easier for you and your clients.
Clearly, you will need the telephone to make appointments and to conduct
telephone coaching sessions. You need to make it simple for your
prospective clients to get in touch with you so acquire a basic answering
Running Your Practice As A Business Page 423

machine or, if you have a mobile phone, arrange for it to contain a divert to
your landline. Do not be

tempted to try telephone coaching with a mobile phone as the technology
is insufficiently robust, reliable, or cost effective for this purpose. Always
return any messages within 24 hours or sooner. Do not allow teenagers or
other family members to answer your coaching telephone with joke
messages (it has happened!) and do not use 'humorous' messages on an
answering machine. Be professional, even before coaching is mentioned or
started.
Your coaching environment.

You need somewhere comfortable to work with a table (or desk) and chair.
This can be a room in your home as long as you can meet the following
requirements - your room and desk must be uncluttered so that you can
concentrate, focus and think clearly. It must be possible to close the door
and shut out sounds of children, dogs, washing machines, televisions,
telephones ringing and doorbells. Your clients must feel that you are totally
focused on them. Please turn to Activity 1.
Your free trial sessions.

Free trial sessions are far more than a useful and powerful marketing tool.
They help your prospective clients in two ways. They can find out if they like
and enjoy the coaching experience and can see how it will benefit them
and, they can discover if they like you and your coaching style.
Remember that you are selling life coaching but equally, you are selling
yourself and your personality.
If this potential client does not enjoy coaching it will not matter how
wonderful you are, they will not sign up with you. You will not convert them
to paying clients either, if they enjoyed the coaching but disliked you. You
must score two out of two for your relationship to succeed.

Life coaching is a relatively new concept and it is only to be expected that
people will want to try before they buy, so make it easy for them to do so.
Like 'normal' sessions, which this free trial should replicate as closely as
possible, the ideal length is between twenty minutes and one hour. Ease
into rapport creation naturally with simple - but essential questions about
your client's name (and what they prefer to be called), address, telephone
number and email address. Allow them to lead to some extent for the next
few minutes, by asking you any questions about the life coaching process
but, you must stay in control so that you can get them to define one issue
(and only one at this stage) that they would like to work on. You must get
to this point within the first ten minutes so that they can change their
feelings about the issue before the end of the session and see some
positive benefit. You will need to use all your incisive skills of listening,
questioning and rapport building.
You will find that the people who accept your offer of a free session will fall
into one of three clearly recognised categories. You will quickly recognise
the time-wasters who just want anything that is going if it is free. Be
courteous and professional but get them off your line within fifteen minutes
or else they will pick your brains, sap your energy, drain your enthusiasm
and will never, ever, buy. All life coaches have their share of these people,
they seem to go with the territory. Let them go and move on.
There are the genuinely interested individuals who have a problem

committing to anything in life. You need to convince them that coaching is
right for them and you do this by getting them to agree that you have made
progress together during the free trial session. Spell out the result or
outcome in positive terms and get their verbal agreement of these positive
results. Once convinced, these clients can become your most successful
of all. They can take forever to commit, but once committed they do so with
absolute determination and sense of purpose.

There are some who have already been convinced - or who have convinced
themselves - that they need coaching. They are just checking that you are
the coach for them before they sign up. If you do not get them as paying
clients, another coach will.
Please turn to Activity 2.
The phone rings… it is your first ever client.

This call is by prior appointment so you will not be surprised but it is quite
OK to be a little apprehensive as long as the client does not pick up on this.
There is absolutely no need to share your lack of experience with the client.
Before the appointed time you have cleared your desk, you have a clean
pad of paper and at least two pens in case one dries out during the
session. You sit comfortably with your telephone within easy reach. You are
dressed comfortably and have taken care of any bathroom needs. You have
a glass of water within reach so that you can sip if your voice or throat
becomes dry. You may have a checklist of 'must ask' questions and maybe
some bullet points or key words to jog your memory.
You answer the telephone within the first four rings and immediately thank
your client for calling and ask how they are. If they are on time, compliment
them on this fact. These positive strokes help to put the client (and you) at
ease. Your client may be very nervous too. Get the essential personal
details that we covered above. If they ask why you need their address,
explain that it is simply so that you can send them some useful information
if the need arises.
Here are some useful key words or questions to explore in every initial
session. Ask the client:-
"How much do you know about coaching already?

"Do you really know what it is or is there confusion?
"What do you do for a living?
"How long have you been doing that?
"What sort of house do you live in?
"Do you live alone or, who lives with you?
"What do you expect to gain from being coached?
"What issues would you like to discuss?
"Let us refine this down to the one that is most important to you
to resolve right now?
You will jot notes down rapidly as the client talks and you will be alert to
anything raised that you can identify with:-
Client: 'I am a trainer with the NHS Trust and they keep moving the
goalposts.’
Coach: 'I can understand how you must feel. I once worked in the
NHS myself.'
Leave it at that. Identify common points to stress understanding but avoid

giving a lecture on your own life history. By all means 'leak' bits about your
background, but only if these will add to your credibility as a life coach. The
client must do most of the talking and you must listen.
Then move on to using the skills that you have learned about goal defining,
setting and achieving.
As the session nears its close, remind the client of all the undisputed
benefits of coaching and mention the absolute confidentiality that you
observe.
How much and how many?

You must discuss fees during a preliminary free session. Tell them the

price and explain that this is per session - or per month of four sessions,
whichever you prefer. Tell them that most benefit accrues with clients who
commit to a total of twelve sessions, usually at weekly intervals. Agree a
regular time right now - say every Tuesday afternoon at 3.30.
Explain that they pay monthly in advance and that the first session will not
happen until their first cheque has cleared. It is your practice so you set
the rules, but if you use these guidelines as a benchmark, you will emulate
the examples of all successful life coaches. If you can, set up monthly
payments by standing order so that you do not have to keep sending bills
or asking for money.
You alone set your fee level. Some coaches have income from elsewhere
and are happy to provide free coaching. This, strangely, can make coaching
more difficult because a client who has not made a financial commitment
may lack determination, commitment and motivation.
If you choose to coach in an economically depressed location you may

choose to set your fees on the low side of average. Only do this if you wish
to remain economically depressed yourself.
You find out the 'going rate' for comparative professional services in your
area (homeopaths, chiropractics, osteopaths, reflexologists,
hypnotherapists and so on) or by talking frankly with other life coaches.
Avoid the temptation to enter into a cut price war.
Some coaches pride themselves on being at the top of the range, both in
the quality of their coaching as measured by results and, by the size of their
fees. Some clients do indeed look at a high price and assume that it must
mean that you are good. OK. Whatever works for you and your clients.
There are no cartels (which are illegal), no 'recommended retail prices' and

the decision on fee levels is yours and yours alone. This could be a good
point to pause in your reading of these pages to briefly revisit your own
financial goals, checking especially factors of work and life balance, your
own desired lifestyle and 'must have' income after tax as well as 'would
like to have' income.
The coaching contract.

Explain that you have a very simple standard contract that sets out your
own commitment to the coaching process and the conduct of the sessions
and that you will send out so that your client can sign and return one copy
to you as a confirmation of their commitment and their understanding of
what they are committing to. Use this document to spell out that you will
charge for missed appointments unless you have been given 24 hours
notice of intent to miss, state your general policy on 'extras' - sessions
between sessions, emails, general advice by telephone and early
termination arrangements.
This document must be clear and simple. If it runs to more than a single
side of A4 it is too complex, so work on it some more. Do not involve a
solicitor as this is not a contract in the legal sense of the word and, legal
involvement will add cost and ensure that it is neither clear nor simple!
Retaining your clients to complete their programme of

sessions.
A few will, at some time during your coaching career, drop out. You can ask
why, but you will rarely receive a true reason although you will hear some
fascinating - and sometimes highly original - excuses. If you lose more than
one client in twenty through premature cancellation, then you are doing
something very, very, wrong. Examine your approach and conduct extremely

carefully and take whatever action is needed. Start by discussing the
situation with your own coach!
The easiest way to retain clients is to apply what you have learnt, especially
about establishing rapport, building trust and your professional skills of
listening and guided questioning. You and your clients must judge your
effectiveness (and theirs) by results, results and results! Your client
achieves the results with your help. To do this, you must both be clear
about what they want and their expectations - then you give them the
means to achieve them.
In every session, find some positive words of encouragement and get your
client to report back to you what has happened since their previous
session and correct them if they dare to use negative terms and phrases,
there is ALWAYS a positive alternative. Love your clients. Lead your clients.
Support your clients.
Keep their goals in mind at all times and remind them of these. Always give
encouraging feedback and remember, that as they experience results and
personal growth their expectations will increase and you must be thinking
ahead to help them deal with new, improved and possibly unfamiliar
successes. Allow your clients to tell you, in their own words, how much they
are benefiting from the coaching experience… even if you have to nudge
them to do this. Every time they define the benefits, they are reinforcing
their own commitment and enthusiasm. Remind them that you expect
nothing but the best from them and from you.
Be firm about session start and finish times. Be firm about avoiding idle gossip
and excuses - many clients will attempt to use these as devices to avoid facing
up to significant issues. As coach, you must remain in control of every session.
Do this with firmness, humour, care and understanding and your clients will
thank you for it and will stay the course. Now take look at Activity 4.

Summary.
You had already gained the essential coaching skills before you started this
module. Now you know the minimum equipment that you need to apply
those skills, you have been asked to consider your coaching environment
so that, when your telephone rings with that very first call, you will deal with
in confidence instead of panic.
You have the knowledge you need to plan the initial session and to make
it a success. You have considered your fees and conditions and put these
in a 'contract format'. You have given thought to retaining your clients and,
although this may seem a lot to contend with before you have received that
first ever coaching call - these pages will seem incredibly obvious
afterwards. And your need for them will self-destruct.
If you did not complete the suggestions in the Activity sections, please do
so now and ask yourself this. Why did you skip them? And, what does this
tell you about your clients' reactions when you ask them to take some
action before their next session and they do not do it? Now there is a very
fundamental coaching thought for you to ponder!

Activity One
Consider the essential tools that you will need and the desirable ones that
will assist you when you are coaching. Gather those that you already have.
List those that you will need. Set a date to acquire them this week and then
do so!
Plan your environment and make any changes that are necessary this
week.
Requirements Planned date Completed date

Activity Two
What are the two main ways that 'free' sessions help prospective clients?
What is the major drawback?
List ten things to ascertain during the free trial session…
Briefly, into what three categories will 'free' clients tend to fall?

Activity Three
We suggest nine essential questions. List them here.
1. ______________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________________________
6. ______________________________________________________________
7. ______________________________________________________________
8. ______________________________________________________________
9. ______________________________________________________________
How much are you planning to charge per session?
How did you arrive at that figure?

How long will each of your sessions last?
Will you aim for weekly or monthly sessions?
How do you plan to be paid?
Refer to your course notes and any life coaching textbooks that you have
to seek examples of coaching contracts. Then use the next page to draft
your own. Is it simple and clear? Does it include:-
"client name and contact details
"price
"frequency
"payment
"cancellations
"extras
"confidentiality
"early termination
"missed or late appointments
"space for both parties to sign and date.
"a clause like… 'coaching is neither counselling nor therapy. The
results cannot be guaranteed as you enter into coaching with the
full understanding that your actions will create the results but,
you have my total commitment to you achieving the outcomes
that you define during our early sessions.'
If it is more than a single A4 typed page you have been too longwinded.
Brevity and clarity are essential.

Prepare your own contract now…
DRAFT COACHING CONTRACT

Activity Four
List all the things that you can do to help to ensure that every client follows
the entire planned series of coaching sessions. Write rapidly, do not 'edit
in your head', just get them down on this sheet as fast as you can.
Prioritise the three that you believe you may most need to work on yourself.
Then do it.

Appendix 1
FROM FREE TO FEE
A FREE session should be at least 20 minutes as you can do very little in

less time. It sounds more generous if you offer a 'free half hour'. In reality,
be prepared for at least 45 minutes. You will spend up to 15 minutes in the
'conversion to fee' process.
Your FREE trial prospects will mainly come from one of three groups...
"There will be the 'time-wasters' who get their jollies by accepting
free trials of absolutely anything from blotting paper to rubber
stress-balls at exhibitions. Thankfully, these are in the minority.
"There will be the 'going to do it anyway' types who have already
pre-sold themselves on the idea of coaching and just need
reassurance that you are the right coach for them.
"There will be the 'genuinely interested but need convincing'
types. You will work hard to earn their trust but do it well and they
will become paying clients. Around half of your free trial
candidates will come from this group.
If you suspect that you have a 'time-waster' TW) - in the course of your early
conversation, enquire whether they have done any personal development
courses or seminars and, if so, how many? Follow this up immediately by
asking what benefits they gained? If they have been to many and gained
little or nothing, this is a strong indication of a pedigree TW.
Cut to the chase as soon as possible and demand that they define an
issue. For probably the only time in your coaching career, ask for some
stringent positive action immediately. This will probably frighten the TW
away fast. Another clue to the TW species is that they are more interested
in the fee/cost/price than they are in the service and its benefits.

Some TWs can be converted eventually. At this stage, get their mailing
address from them and offer a fee-paid service at six and twelve months
after their free session. You may pick up a few clients this way - but don't
hold your breath! So, don't write them off but don't waste too much of your
valuable time with them either.
With the 'going to do it anyway' types, you will need to devote the bulk of
their free session to establishing rapport and identifying areas of common
interest between them and you. Your objective is simply to convince them
that you ARE the coach for them. Review your notes on rapport
establishment.
The rest of this paper concerns the third type, the 'genuinely interested'
(GI) group. Here is what may typically happen.
All responses to your promotional material will include all three types.
During your first telephone conversation - which should last no more than
ten minutes - you can expect to answer questions about the coaching
process and your qualifications and experience to provide the service. At
this stage you seek only to sustain interest and should not sell a course of
paid sessions. You must, however, establish a time and date when they will
phone (or meet you) for a FREE session. Make this at least a week ahead.
Ask them meanwhile, to think about a single issue in their life that is
causing them concern or that they wish to change. If they can tell you what
it is there and then, this is fine. Have them define it and say that you will
make that the topic of the FREE session. If they cannot, then ask them to
write it down on a single sheet of paper and send it to you before the FREE
session.
As you progress, be mindful of the need to follow three styles during the
FREE session. (Remember this by 'Free=Three=Fee'.

The three styles or components are...
"KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid.)
"TELL (Tell them often.)
"HURT (Challenge their comfort zone.)
KISS means that you don't go heavily into psycho-babble. You dwell on
benefits rather than procedures.
TELL means that you have to repeat in different ways with metaphors or
analogies to ensure their understanding.
HURT means that you don't let them off the hook by avoiding reality.
This paper is not intended to provide you with 'one size fits all' scripts. But,
here is a typical example of a HURT series of questions - you should
imagine the answers.
"Have you ever set yourself goals, resolutions and plans?
"How often have they happened in rough terms - 100%, 50%,
less?
"How much fuel have you used to pursue them - 100%, 50%, less?
(Fuel means energy, commitment, passion, enthusiasm,
determination)
"If you applied 100% fuel, what do you think the result might be?
(100% 80% 50%?)
"Now, if you applied 200% fuel, you could expect that result to
double?
With your 100% and my 100% as your coach, that is the result we will aim
for.
During this process you may often encounter avoidance excuses.
Challenge these in turn. Many issues may concern finance and the lack of
same.

• Assuring them of confidentiality, ask how much they earn now.
• How long has it taken them to achieve this (how many working
years)
• Ask how much they truly want to earn.
• Provoke incredulity by asking them to double or treble that figure
- put an actual figure on it.
• Expect an avalanche of excuses why that new figure is too high.
• Ask them to imagine that it IS possible for them.
• How would they feel if they had it? What impact would it have?
• Remind them that the Western world is awash with opportunity.
• Remind them that some press reports state that a new
millionaire is created every 12 minutes in Australasia.
• Remind them that the same reports suggest that there are nearly
200,000 millionaires in Australasia.
• Now put their 'incredulous' figure in that perspective.
• Now it seems very modest and achievable.
• Now ask if they want to go for it.
• If they have doubts, hurt more! You have taken x years to achieve
$xx. If you do nothing, you will take another xx years to double
it. Why do you doubt giving it a try?
? Then go into the 'define goal', 'define strategy', 'take action'
sequence.
Use a similar procedure if the issue is weight, health, relationships,

business, career. As soon as possible, define a figure (weight, salary, sick-
days) or percentage (health, happiness, sound relationships). Add a
timescale as above. Break it down into bite-size pieces or elements and
quantify the time and value of each.
With practise, you will become adept at this procedure. As you near the end
of the session time, introduce the notion of a course of sessions. Then
simply ask when they would like to start. Tell them the fee and payment

arrangements. Get verbal agreement and say that you will confirm this in
writing. (Be sure that you do so and post it the same day as the free
session). Agree that the sessions will begin on (specify date giving their
first payment enough time to clear).
Remember: Rapport, then KISS, TELL, HURT, CONVERT.

Appendix 2
PERSONAL COACHING
A Question of Time
Before we can consider fees, we need to look at some practicalities.
In common with many other professions, your income is directly related to

your own availability. Coaching is a personal relationship with your clients
and cannot be delegated to others.
This means that your income is limited to your availability.
So how available do you want to be?
To keep it simple, we shall assume that you are operating a full time
personal coaching practice. If you are operating in part-time capacity you
will need to adjust the figures accordingly.
One of the joys of coaching is the freedom that you have to set your own
working hours and schedules but, if you desire a serious professional
income, you should consider an eight-hour day.
This means that you can be available for coaching for 480 minutes per day.
Most personal coaches - but not all - agree that you cannot make much
progress with a client in any session that lasts less than 30 minutes. The
author finds that his concentration begins to wander in sessions that go on
beyond one hour. So he schedules each session for 45 minutes duration.
You of course, will set a period that is most appropriate for your personal
coaching style.

Although the author keeps his records in good order, he allocates 15
minutes prior to the due time for a session to review his case notes and to
mentally ‘tune in’ to the client’s individual issues. He doesn’t record the
sessions but makes copious notes as the dialogue progresses. So he
allows a further 15 minutes at the end of the session to ‘tune out’ by
writing up the client’s case notes from his frantic scribblings made during
the session.
Using this example, you can see that each session actually occupies 75
minutes (15 minutes preparation + 45 minutes coaching + 15 minutes
write-up).
Given 480 minutes of available time and 75 minutes per session it is thus
possible to achieve 6 sessions per day with 30 minutes left over (or built
in) for any over-runs or other unexpected delays.
To summarise your first foundation block

A. Decide how many hours you want to be available each day. (In the
example we selected 8 hours and converted these to 480 minutes.)
B. Decide how long your coaching sessions will be - it is suggested that you
find a figure that you are happy with and stick to it for all your clients.
(In the example we chose 45 minutes.)
C. Decide how much time you need for ‘before and after coaching’
activities. (In the example we had two 15 minute periods.)
D. Add together the total minutes that you come up with for B & C above.
Then divide this into the available minutes at A above and round it down
to the nearest whole number. This will be the maximum number of
sessions that you will run in a day. (In the example we divided 480

available minutes by 75 minutes per session to yield 6 sessions per
day.)
The author finds that four days a week accommodates his maximum
optimum coaching efficiency level. He chooses to keep every Friday free for
practice related tasks (we shall return to these later) and he decided that
his sanity is retained when he keeps Saturday and Sunday free for ‘family
time’.
It is just simple arithmetic to work out that he can accommodate a

maximum of 24 sessions per week. (6 sessions per day x 4 days.)
Take a few minutes right now to plan your ideal week and maximum number
of sessions. Remember, it is only a plan at this stage and you can rework
the figures whenever you wish. Remember too that you do not have to work
a 9 to 5 day. The author is at his best in the early morning and evening, so
he plans sessions between 8 and 12 in the morning and 7 and 11 in the
evening.
There is no compulsion. It is your practice. It is your choice.
Next we consider the number of available weeks in a year and the number
of sessions in a series. This must be done before we can even think about
fees.
Weeks and Series

Although this book concentrates on ‘maximums’, you must allow yourself
some time off. Apart from this need, it makes the calculations easier too!
So, with 52 weeks in a year, let’s say you take two weeks off in summer and
another two weeks around Christmas. This leaves us with 48 weeks in a year.

On the previous page we used an example that showed a maximum
capacity of 24 sessions per week. This means that in a whole year it is
possible, with a full diary, to handle 1152 sessions (24 sessions x 48
weeks). Please don’t panic at these numbers. All will become clear in the
following pages.
Now you don’t need to become a control freak, but, you really will make life
easier for yourself if you have a fixed number of sessions in a series. The
author has found from his own experience and from discussions with other
coaches, that 12 sessions per series is an ideal number. It is incidental,
but, once again, it makes the sums easier.
We just mentioned 1152 sessions a year. Divide this by 12 and it gives us

a rounded down total of 96 series per year. A series will typically represent
a client, so you will be looking to find 96 clients a year.
But let’s inject some practical reality at this stage.
A few clients will want to quit before a series is complete. A few may want
to immediately sign up for a few more weeks. To keep the examples simple
let’s round that down to 90 clients (out of a population of some 22
million!).
When we get to the section about fees we will return to the simplicity angle.
For now, accept that there are some months that have five weeks and
some that have four. This can play havoc with monthly payments by
standing order. The author has therefore invented the ‘constant four week
month’. This doesn’t really affect the example calculations above because
12 months x 4 weeks still gives you 48 weeks.
It is time to summarise your next foundation block.

A. Decide how many weeks you want to work in a year.
B. Decide how many sessions you will have in a series.
C. Divide the total at A by the total at B and round down to the nearest five.
This will tell you how many series (clients) you can accommodate in a
year.
When you are ready, turn the page to discover how to set your fees.
Setting your fees

• How much do you want to earn from coaching in a year?
• Be realistic but don’t set your ambitions too low.
• For demonstration purposes, here is another example.
• Suppose you decide that you deserve $48,000 in a year.
Your overheads (the unavoidable costs associated with your practice) are
fairly low in life coaching. Even so, you must make allowances for things
like income tax, national insurance, accountancy fees, advertising and
suchlike.
As we are only playing with hypothetical examples here, let’s assume that
these overheads will account for about one third of your income. To finish
up with $48,000 in your pocket you will need to aim for a third more than
this. So add another $16,000 to give a total of $64,000.
In the last section we calculated that you could conduct a maximum of 90

series in a year. To achieve your target of $64,000 you will be looking at
around $710 per series. ($64,000 divided by 90 series)
If you have 12 sessions in a series, the fee per session is some $60. ($710
divided by 12)

If this amount seems too low to you - and it certainly isn’t too high - you
have several choices…
• You can do the sums again with a lower number of sessions in a
year.
• You can do them again with a higher anticipated annual fee
income.
• You can work a combination of both.
In all three instances, the results are the same. You will come up with a
higher fee per session.
Next we can summarise this foundation block and consider some other
aspects of setting your fees.
Fee setting foundation block
A. Decide how much you want to earn from coaching in a year.

(We used $48,000 as an example.)
B. Add a third of this figure to cover your overheads.

(Our illustration came up with $48,000 + $16,000 = $64,000.)
C. Divide the figure at B by the number of planned series in a year to give

you the ‘fee per series’.
(We calculated $64,000 divided by 90 series to give $710 per series.)
D. Divide the figure at C by the number of sessions in a series to give a

‘fee per session’.
(We came up with $710 per series divided by 12 sessions to get $60 per
session.)

E. Adjust either the number of series, sessions or anticipated fee per year
to come up with an acceptable fee per series.
Time for a break from figures

You may be wondering why we have ‘gone around the houses’ to work out
your fees like this?
It is deliberate! If you simply take the easy option and say, “I am going to
charge $90 per session” you will become involved in even more
complicated stages of calculation for your year-end totals and may work
yourself to a frazzle for a disappointing income.
When you begin as we have suggested, by working back from your annual
expectations, you can then forget the accumulating income while you are
coaching. You have effective TCB (Takin’ Care of Business) and can focus on
your clients’ needs.
The suggested method also allows you to know exactly how many clients
you will need to have in the year and forces you to consider the
practicalities of providing a service to each of them.
It also offers a simple method of seeing the results if you change one of
the ingredients.
There is clearly no totally right or wrong method. There is just the one that
is right for you. We strongly suggest that you have fun playing with the
figures that we have given, even if you eventually decide to work things out
another way.
So what else determines your fee structure?

Considerations when setting fees
So how do you know, without relying totally on instinct, whether your fee per
session is too high or too low for success?
There are two key variables to consider. Where you operate and who your
preferred clients will be.
It is time to have fun with some research.Make a list of other

professionals in the ethical professions who advertise in your local Yellow
Pages. Look for counsellors, therapists, hypnotists, reflexologists,
chiropractics, osteopaths and suchlike. Telephone a few of them as a
prospective client and see what they charge per session and ask how long
each session lasts.
When the author did this little survey in his own area he soon discovered
that the minimum fee was quoted at $60 per hour, the average was around
$90 and the most expensive was over $120. This suggested the upper and
lower levels that he should be looking at.
Expect a higher charging rate in affluent areas of the country and lower
fees in areas of economic deprivation. Remember that telephone coaching
has no geographic boundaries so, if a high income is your aim, you know
where to focus your promotional activities!
So who do you plan to coach?(If you replied ‘everyone’, go to the back of

the class!)
If you are happy working with students, young people, some pensioners and
people who do not work, you will set your fees low. If you want to work with
professionals, the redundant (before they spend their redundancy pay-off)
or the wealthy retired, then you can anticipate a higher fee structure.

Most practices are established by coaches who begin with people from
their own socio-economic groups. You really must define the category of
your preferred client for, unless you do, you will not enjoy great success in
letting them know about your practice.
Once you have set your fees, the way that you express them and collect
them will also have an impact on your success. So we consider this next.
How To Quote Your Fee

Don’t be shy. Forget any false ideas that you may have about your own
worth! You must focus instead on the value of what you do as seen by your
clients and the results that they achieve.
The author always quotes his fees in a ‘price per series of 12 sessions’
and he ensures that this figure cannot be evenly divided by 12. This makes
it difficult for a potential client to translate this into a ‘price per session’ in
his or her head. No, it isn’t sharp practise, it is keeping their mind focused
on the discussion and immediately establishes that you are not discussing
a ‘one session quick fix’.
Never ever give a discount as this devalues your professional status.
If your prospective client wants to bargain a lower fee, then, by quoting a

series price at the outset, you have the option of offering a reduction by
reducing the number of sessions in the series or to spread payment by
having two-weekly instead of weekly sessions.
Never joke about fees and don’t be flippant when discussing them. If you
don’t earn you don’t eat. It is that simple. As a coach, your clients will
expect you to be professional, authoritative and in control.

Lest you think that the author is a mercenary individual, this is an
appropriate place to add that he charges a fee at the top end of the scale
for most of his clients. This gives him the freedom to offer totally free
series to individuals who need coaching but cannot afford to pay anything.
Before we move on, you are strongly recommended to keep your fee
constant for all clients. It makes book-keeping easier. It also avoids a
situation where two clients may meet and discover that one is paying less
than the other.
A final practical note. Once you have established your fees, write them out
and place this ‘price list’ on the wall by your phone or on your desk where
you can instantly refer to it during a discussion.
We are sometimes asked if fees should be quoted in an advertisement or

brochure? The answer is ‘never’ in an advertisement as you want the
prospective client to contact you for more details. As for brochures, this is
entirely your call. Some coaches do, some coaches don’t. Some coaches
have two versions, one with and one without fees.
The author doesn’t. In his own promotional material he indicates strongly

that he is ‘expensive’ and then immediately puts this into the context of
value. You are advised to always talk in terms of value and benefits when
you are discussing or quoting fees.
So the client accepts your quoted fee. Turn the page to discover how to get
paid.
How To Get Paid

One of the many great benefits of the life coaching profession is that you
don’t have to expend energy, time or cost on chasing bad debts. You simply

COACHING AGREEMENT AND CHARGES
Client Name: ________________________________________________________
Address: ________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Fees: (Insert Fees)
Payment: Monthly in advance
Sessions per mth: 2 / 4 / just in time (please circle)
Schedule: (Insert Times & Dates)
Procedure: Client will call the coach at pre-arranged times.
Changes: Re-scheduling or cancellations of appointments should be done

at least 48 hours before planned date.
Extra Time: You may email or call me between scheduled sessions if you
need urgent advice, have a problem or want to share a success
with me.
E
PL
Problems: If I ever say or do anything in a session that you don’t feel
comfortable with, or if you have any concern with the way we are
working, please let me know as soon as possible. For our work
M
together to be effective, you have to be honest with me.
Termination: Because of the time, scope and nature of my work, my policy is

SA
that the initial term is 3 months, thereafter it will be on a month

by month basis. After the initial 3 months is up the client may
cancel at any time - it must be in writing (email, fax or letter). In
the event there is money owed at the time of cancellation, full
payment will become due immediately.
Confidentiality: The coach recognises that anything the client shares with them
is regarded confidential, whether it is business or personal
information. The coach undertakes not to, at any time, either
directly or indirectly use or disclose any information the client
shares with them during their sessions.
Nature of Coaching: The client is aware that the coaching is in no way to be construed
as psychological counselling or any type of therapy. Coaching
results are not guaranteed. The client enters into the coaching
with the full understanding that they are responsible for creating
their own results.
Client has read and agreed the above
Client: __________________________________ Date: ____________________________
Coach: __________________________________ Date: ____________________________

establish your practice procedures so that everyone pays in advance.
Here is the method that the author uses. You are, of course, free to adapt
or modify this to suit your own particular method of working and accounting.
At the start of this book he mentioned his ‘standard four week month’.
All clients are invited to pay by monthly Standing Order, in advance. (There
is still a reluctance in some people to trust the Direct Debit process. With
a Standing Order your bank does all the work. With a Direct Debit you have
to remember to ask for the payment.)
If a client resists Standing Order arrangements, you might suggest a series

of monthly post-dated cheques or credit card details. In both cases you are
avoiding the need for repeated billings or reminders which take your time
and which have been known to give clients second thoughts about continuing.
To avoid the monthly amount fluctuating, the author uses a four-week month.
This means that the fee for the series of 12 is simply divided by three and
that is the amount of the standing order.
If there is a five-week month the client is ‘given a week off’ to do some

simple assigned tasks that will move him or her closer to their goals. This
is usually called a consolidation session.
If the client decides that a further series of sessions will be beneficial, then
the Standing Order is simply allowed to run. If the client decides to quit
before the end of the series, he or she just cancels the Standing Order.
Yes! It really is that easy!
Here are a couple of practical tips.Always make every Standing Order

arrangement for the same date of the month. (Say, for example the 5th.)
This makes checking your bank statements and accounts very much easier

and you always know when your account will receive an injection of funds.
Also, do have a separate account for your practice and keep payments and
withdrawals purely for your practice activities. If you or your accountant
have to wade through a single combined personal and business account, it
will cost time and money to filter out all the shopping payments to your
local supermarket or favourite shop.
In general, avoid credit cards. You will not serve your clients’ best interests
by encouraging them to get into debt. It costs you money to accept credit
cards too.
The author keeps every Friday clear for practice related tasks. We promised
earlier that we would return to these. Now seems like a good time to do so.
Practice Related Tasks

Unless you are a naturally fastidious and tidy person, you may find that your
room or office where you do your coaching can rapidly resemble a paper
recycling plant.
Here are a few of the tasks that must be done on a regular basis to ensure
that you ‘coach from a clear space’, both literally and figuratively speaking.
"Ensure that case-notes from the previous week have been written
up.
"Maintain summaries of client calls, times, durations and special
notes.
"Check diary for following week’s calls ensuring no conflict with
personal diary.
"Enter all expenditure and income so that you can easily check off
bank statements.
"Check your bank statements very, very carefully.

"Plan your promotional activities for the week ahead - and then
make them happen.
"Review and update your personal goals.
"Take ‘alone-time’ for yourself - discover the refreshing power of
meditation.
"Keep up to date with the media regarding personal development
and coaching news.
"Read inspirational books, listen to motivational tapes.
"Give yourself regular small rewards.
"Deal with any outstanding correspondence or bills.
"Clean all surfaces and equipment.
"Check that all equipment is in good order.
"Get in touch with past clients to check their progress.
The author finds that he can happily spend every Friday playing with these
and similar tasks. Because he works a four-week month, he even has a
‘bonus’ week off every so often and uses much of it on tasks like these.
This keeps everything in a state of total readiness.
A useful tip is to avoid flat paper. As soon as you place a piece of paper
on a surface it will attract another, and another, and so on. Soon you will
have a pile. Piles are painful and debilitating. Use filing cabinets, drawers,
boxes etc. to keep papers on edge. The problem won’t arise and you will
keep at the cutting edge of your professional chores.

WEEK 11 - RUNNING YOUR PRACTICE AS A
BUSINESS


Week 12
MARKETING YOUR
COACHING SKILLS

Week 12
MARKETING YOUR COACHING SKILLS
Preview
If you do not have any clients, you do not have a coaching practice, you
have a dream. To turn your dream into reality you must let people know that
you exist and that you are open for business.
Marketing means using a series of techniques and procedures to heighten

awareness of you and your profession and to stimulate the public's desire
to find out more. In marketing jargon, this is sometimes termed turning a
'suspect' into a 'prospect'. Marketing should not be confused with selling,
which is a subsequent stage where you convert a 'prospect' into a 'client'.
You are about to discover fifteen of the most powerful, yet surprisingly
simple, marketing tools that have been proven to grow professional
practices like yours.
Your practice is a business.

As a life coach, you are a professional person. One of the distinctions
between professions and trades is that a professional operates a practice
and a tradesman operates a business, so always refer to your life coaching
activities as your own practice whenever you speak or write about it. But,
when you think about it, remember always that it is a business too and
must be run like one.
A practice or business is just a dream until it has a client and finding clients
is probably the major fear or concern of all newly accredited coaches. The
good news is that it need not be difficult when you follow a plan, especially
if that plan has been proven to work many times over.
Marketing Your Coaching Skills Page 466

Life coaching is of value and benefit to everyone and this has created a
positive cycle to help you. Coaching is already regularly featured in the
media and the frequency of mentions seems to be increasing with every
month that passes. As more people become aware of coaching, more want
to try it for themselves. This means that they need to seek out their own
life coach and, when you are proactive in your marketing, you will be the
one that they select. Then word of mouth recommendations begin and very
soon, you will build your practice.
In these pages, you will find the top fifteen ways of marketing your practice.
There are hundreds of marketing initiatives that you can explore later but,
for now, focus on how you can use or adapt these fifteen for your own
purposes. Every one of them has a value and that value is enhanced when
they are combined or integrated. Follow these suggestions and you will be
successful. None are expensive and some are free. They are simple to
apply.
Networking.
In marketing your coaching practice, 'networking' has nothing to do with
'network marketing', which is something totally different and related to
MLM trading.
The majority of coaches gain their clients through personal contact and
networking means establishing and maintaining contact and then talking to
these people about life coaching. This means that you must be able to
explain clearly, what life coaching is. You must be able to do this or your
contact will be confused and may misunderstand you.
Create and practise your own elevator speech. This is a simple explanation
about coaching and its benefits that lasts no longer than 20 seconds. It is
called an elevator speech because you will typically wait 20 seconds for an

elevator (or lift in the UK) and the journey will probably last the same length of
time. So, if someone asks you about coaching while you are both waiting for,
or riding in, an elevator - that is how long you will have to deliver your
informative and exciting description.
You need to talk about life coaching wherever you go because everyone,
without exception, can benefit from your services. Once you have started
the conversation, people will soon expand it by talking about their favourite
subject, which is themselves. Beware of being drawn into an impromptu
mini-coaching session there and then. Use this initial dialogue as your
golden opportunity to book a free introductory session at a later date by
telephone.
An important aspect of personal contact is your own image. Take a good

look at yourself and the way that you stand and speak. Are you someone
that you would want to be coached by? Make sure that you have an easy
and non-confrontational manner so that people feel comfortable in your
company. If they are not comfortable with you, they will not become your
clients. Remember, you are a professional so dress, act and speak like
one.
Now turn to Activity 1 to create your own elevator speech.
Business Cards.
You must have business cards. You must carry them with you at all times
and you must give them to people. They will do nothing for growing your
practice if you leave them at home in a drawer.
Your cards need not be expensive but you are advised to avoid the 'print
your own' machines that are found in shopping malls and railway stations.
They look like what they are and that is not professional.

Your cards must say who you are and what you do in a clear, professional
and straightforward manner. At the absolute minimum is must have your
name, say what you do (Professional Life Coach) and how you can be
contacted. There is no need for fancy graphics, full colour, or your
photograph but, by all means include them if you want to. These extras will
add cost. You may find that your card will work better for you if you opt for
putting your mission statement or the offer of a free introductory sessionon
the reverse of the card.
Some coaches worry about creating a business name and a logo. There is
no need. In some instances having your own name AND a business name
can actually confuse potential clients. Your own name is quite good
enough, after all, you are offering your personal ser vices.
Become an avid business card collector too. Exchanging cards is a useful

way of breaking the ice and opens up opportunities for you to tell each
other what you do. Check your own cards regularly to weed out any that
have become slightly grubby or dog-eared or where you have scribbled a
reminder to yourself on them. It is a useful networking ploy to follow up with
a telephone call within a week of receiving a new business card from
someone else, just to say how much you enjoyed meeting them at whatever
venue or event it was. Avoid giving them a hard sell for your services, but
just remind them who you are, what you do and enquire if you can help
them. Please turn to Activity 2.
Public Relations.
Public Relations (PR) is the name given to the series of activities that get
you and your practice featured in the media - the press, radio and
television. The easiest medium to get into is your local newspaper. Try
telephoning them, ask for the Features Editor, tell them who you are and
what you do and, if you are lucky, they may even interview you there and

then over the telephone.
The more normal approach is to use a press release. This is simply a story
about yourself and the benefits of coaching that you mail out to the editors
of newspapers and radio or television stations. The key to success is to
find a news angle, like a major new client (ask their permission first!), an
anniversary, a new project, or a new qualification that you have achieved.
The aim here is to get your foot in their door and to arouse their interest.
The next step is when they call you back for more information or to fix an
interview date.
A bad press release is worse than none at all and will not be used. If it is
just an advertisement for your services it will only achieve one thing - a
telephone call inviting you to buy paid for advertising. A well-crafted press
release can be the best 'free' advertising of all. The Academy can put you
in touch with a professional PR man who is also a life coach and who offers
significant discounts for our graduates.
One graduate recently used a press release provided by The Academy. A

reporter from their local newspaper telephoned and arranged to visit their
house with a photographer. The resultant interview was printed across the
centre pages of the 'Business Section'. The local radio station manager
read the interview and contacted the coach. The coach asked for, and was
granted permission to tape his discussion with the presenter and now uses
that tape to send to potential clients as a promotion for his services and
confirmation of his credibility. The broadcast was heard by an executive at
a local company who invited the coach to do a presentation to his staff. He
was paid for this. His outlay had been a simple press release and a first
class stamp.
The national newspapers and magazines can be more difficult to get into,
but by no means impossible. It takes persistence, patience and

professionalism. For optimum benefits you need your contact details
included in any article that results. The way to encourage them to feature
this is to offer a 'free coaching session, exclusively for your readers' (or
even for a journalist at the paper or magazine). A story in the national press
with your telephone number included, can have your phone ringing off the
hook and a full appointment diary within 24 hours!
If you have a website and this address is also featured, readers can
discover more about you before they telephone. This turns them from the
'lukewarm leads' who read your article to 'very warm leads' who have
visited your site. You have grabbed their interest and the rest is up to you.
Whenever you have had something printed about you or your practice, make
lots of good quality photocopies at your High Street print shop and send
them out with your promotional material (but NOT with your press releases).
Keep the originals, along with the masthead of the paper or cover of the
magazine, in a portfolio that you can show people with pride. A book
containing clear plastic pockets as pages will fit the bill well and without
breaking the bank.
Advertising.
Advertising is sometimes unkindly described as 'buying a hole in a page
and pouring money into it'. Without very careful consideration you can
spend a small fortune and gain very little -if anything - in return.
Even so, advertising can work to help you build your practice. Think about
who your potential clients are and what they are interested in. If this seems
difficult, think of them as being people who are like you and who share your
interests. The whole point here is to advertise in places where these

people are going to see and respond to your advertisement.
Some coaches have built their entire practice by gaining permission to

display a tasteful and professional notice at a local health club or
gymnasium. Members of these places usually have an interest in their own
development and the disposable income to pursue it. Life coaching fits
perfectly into their lifestyle and aspirations. Sports clubs and special
interest organisations offer similar opportunities.
Never, ever allow yourself to be talked into buying expensive display

advertising at 'rate card' rates. There is no proof that a big advertisement
works any better than a small one. Think small, think classified and think
personal columns. Extensive research proves that response increases with
the frequency of an advertisement appearing. You may get little response
to your first classified advertisement, but, when you repeat it a week later,
there will be more interest. This increases for the third and fourth weeks
and then tails off. Rest it for a week or two and then repeat the cycle with
another expected upsurge of response.
Readers may read your advertisement in week one but do nothing. The next
week they see it again and plan to call you - but forget. Next week they do
actually call. Some will even leave it a month and then remember seeing
your ad. and they will positively look for it so that they can get in touch.
You do not have to think local. If you offer telephone coaching you can
advertise your services anywhere in the world and provide a beneficial and
professional coaching service. One of the most powerful words in advertising
is 'Free'. Think about what you could offer readers as an inducement to call
you. Then turn to Activity 4.
Joint Ventures.

Joint ventures offer an effective and virtually free way of gaining that most
valuable marketing edge of all, word of mouth recommendation.
Sometimes called a strategic alliance, your joint venture simply means

teaming up with someone in a non-competing but related practice and
cross-referring clients. If, for example, you have an acquaintance who is a
hypnotherapist (or aromatherapist, or reflexologist, or reiki practitioner and
so on) and has been in practice for some time, they have a database or list
of loyal clients.
You simply write a letter as if it was coming from your acquaintance and
mail it out to their clients. In return, you allow them access to your own list
of prospects and clients. Do beware of falling into the trap of creating and
distributing junk mail and observe the ethical rules of confidentiality and
professionalism. You can arrange similar alliances with, for example, local
garages, dentists, and management consultants. The key to success is to
give as good as you get and to be a partner not a user. Please turn now to
Activity 5.
Public Speaking.
This marketing method is not only free, but you may even be paid for doing
it!
Nearly every town has several membership organisations where a public

speaker is invited to give a presentation at one of their monthly meetings.
Some are charitable organisations and others have a business or specific
professional base. They provide you with a captive audience so tell them
about life coaching and captivate them.
Because life coaching is so interesting, every person in your audience will

be able to relate to what you are saying and will feel that you are talking to

them personally and individually.
When you have gained confidence from giving one or two presentations
where you just talk about coaching and its benefits in general terms, you
can progress to one of the most powerful marketing presentational devices
- by giving a live demonstration with a member of the audience as your
client. (Hint:- Arrange with someone beforehand that they will 'volunteer' if
everyone else is too shy to come forward) You can expect a queue of
people waiting for a 'quiet word' with you as soon as you finish. Offer them
a free trial session in the next few weeks and then take it from there.
Trade shows offer another useful platform but the major ones at venues
like London Olympia or the NEC can be prohibitively expensive unless you
are able to share the costs with some colleagues but, of course, you do
not have to book stand space in order to offer your services to the
organisers as a workshop speaker in one of their seminar theatres. If you
do book a stand, opt for 'space only' deals and beware of hidden extras
like compulsory public liability insurance, the use of power points and
fascia boards.
Target shows and exhibitions that attract people with an interest in training
and development. You may even get some useful contacts at the smaller
'Mind, Body, Spirit' shows that tour the country on a regular basis.
A final word on public speaking … the more you do it, the easier it becomes
and the better you get at it. Never vanish as soon as you have finished,
always make time to speak to every person who wants to talk with you -
and sign them up for a free trial coaching session. Please turn to Activity
6.
Leaflets and brochures.

You MUST have something to give to people. A simple leaflet, printed on
one side of an A5 sheet can be cheap to create and reproduce. It can be
mailed out, pinned on club or work notice boards (always seek permission
first!) and given to anyone who asks. So, always carry them in your pocket,
handbag, or car. You never know when a great opportunity will arise.
One step up from a leaflet is your brochure. This can be a single sheet of A4
size, it can be folded to give six pages (a tri-fold) or you can really let your
imagination run wild and create an entire information pack. You need to spell
out the benefits of coaching, the areas that you specialise in, and how it
happens. You must clearly include your contact details and you will gain a
greater response if you give a few background notes about who you are and
where you are coming from. Please turn to Activity 7.
Websites and the internet.

Beware! Having your own website can be very expensive and it can be a
total waste of money. Most people 'surf the net' for information rather than
to buy a product or service.
You can create and display a website totally free and the host recovers the
costs by surrounding every page with banner advertisements that people
have paid for. You have no control over what is advertised and it is best to
avoid this temptation. If an offer seems too good to be true, it usually is.
You can register your domain name (website address) and create a site for
well under $400 or, you can add as many noughts as you like and can
afford.
No site at all is better than a bad one. A good one is easy to find, it loads
quickly, it avoids flashy moving images and dazzling patterns, it is easy to
navigate and it is, above all, informative. It must also be updated regularly
otherwise you will not get repeat visitors or 'hits'.

The most expensive website in the world will not work for you if people do
not know that it exists. This means you must promote it at every
opportunity in your advertisements, brochure, business card, letterheads
and anywhere else that you can think of. If you DO have one, then ask
telephone enquirers if they have access to the web and invite them to
check out your site for more information. If people express surprise that
you do not have one, explain gently that your service is so personal and
confidential and that you prefer to discuss your services by telephone or
face-to-face, 'just like we are doing right now'.
If you have a computer, then do register an email address. This service is

available free from many 'providers' and each email that you send or receive
is just the cost of a local telephone call. This can be a value added item in
your marketing strategy… 'the fee includes unlimited email contact between
sessions' …and, of course, you can access your emails at times that are
convenient to you. Take a look at Activity 8.
Google
Ensure you have an Adwords campaign but beware it can be expensive!!!
Developing your client list.
This is your opportunity for some wide angle thinking and an extension of
networking.
Who do you know? Previous employers and work colleagues, friends of
friends, other business people that you deal with regularly and so on.
Suppose the person who prints your brochure has several staff. He
probably already knows something about you from your brochure and any
discussions that you have had about it. Offer him and his staff some
complimentary sessions and explain how life coaching can improve
productivity and training. What about the garage that services your car?
How about the manager of your favourite supermarket? Why not contact
your previous employers with a similar offer? This is all marketing and it is
all totally free.

Do you belong to any professional associations, unions, or organisations
outside the coaching specialties? If you are now, or ever have been a
member, why not take an active role. You will be amazed at how soon you
can become that organisation's expert on life coaching with opportunities
to promote your practice and coaching benefits in the pages of their
magazine, journal or at regional meetings. Please turn to Activity 9.
Writing a book or report.

Writing a book is not as daunting as it sounds! If you can talk, you can write
and a 200-page book at a page a day will take well under a year to write.
There is even a distance learning course on 'How to write a book on
anything in 14 days or less'.
As an author you gain immediate credibility as an expert in your field. You can
gain as much fame as you can handle but, more importantly, you will have an
incredible marketing tool. Take copies along to any presentation that you give.
It is a fact that audience members always want more than a speaker can give
- so they will be eager to buy copies of your book at the back of the room. Offer
copies to magazine editors as prizes in reader competitions. One coach who
did this in a national newspaper had 1000 replies. Enough of these were
converted into paying clients to fill every slot in that coach's appointment book
and there will still some left to refer to other coaches. As a published author
you can command higher coaching fees too.

If you are not ready for that book just yet, think about creating a special
and exclusive report. It can be as long or as short as you want it to be.
People love something for nothing, so imagine the pulling power when you
feature in your advertisement and promotional material, 'Your free report
How coaching can benefit you and your organisation is waiting for you -
please telephone now'. When they phone you can find out more about them
and they about you. Always follow up within a week of sending out the
report. If they have asked for it, they will certainly read it, so be sure to
spell out what they must do next… 'call today to book your free trial
session'.
A report does not need glossy covers, full colour, or fancy graphics. A few
pages of good and practical information, photocopied and stapled in one
corner will do the trick. Please turn to Activity 10.
Your own newsletter.

If you can create a report (and you can!), then the next stage is a
newsletter - either printed or distributed by email. You can send it out free
or you can charge a subscription, the choice is yours. Your mailing list is
made up of everyone who has ever enquired about your services, whether
they became clients or not, everyone that you have collected a business
card from, everyone that you send your brochure to - when your newsletter
is a valuable 'free' bonus.
Some potential clients can take months before they decide to hire your
coaching services. If they receive a monthly or quarterly newsletter of
news, success stories and life tips you will be keeping your name and
contact details before them at regular intervals. You know it makes
marketing sense. When they are ready for coaching, you will be the coach
that they contact. It can be time consuming to create a newsletter on a
regular basis so do not be too ambitious by planning an eight page epic on

a weekly basis. Some recipients may see weekly as an annoyance so a
monthly publication is recommended with a quarterly issue as an
alternative. Please turn to Activity 11.
Join professional organisations.

Be a dedicated joiner of professional organisations, clubs, societies and
associations. As a newcomer, you may well be invited to address a meeting
to introduce yourself, your services and your practice. What a golden
opportunity. It is just too good to miss. Moreover, after what has possibly
been a rather staid and boring collection of presentations by mundane
professionals, the sheer novelty and brilliance of life coaching will be seen
and accepted as a wonderful new and fascinating topic.
You will make valuable new contacts for your personal network but look
upon these as a fringe benefit. As with so much in life, you have to be seen
to give before you can reasonably expect to receive. Please turn to Activity
12.
Niche marketing.
Who are you going to coach? If your answer is 'everyone', you can still build a
successful practice and will be commended on accepting the concept of no
limitations. But, most coaches who enjoy spectacular success, will never give
this answer.
They will have identified their own market niche or specialty according to
their own background, experience and expertise. A coach who already
teaches presentation skills will become a 'Presentation Coach', if you are
into management consultancy you can become a 'Per formance
Improvement Coach', if your thing is education, then you can become 'The
Academics' Coach'. You get the picture.

You can identify your niche by the types of issues that you want to
specialise in. You could become a 'Relationship Coach', a 'Stress
Management Coach' or even, 'A Career Coach'.
Perhaps you have contacts in the prison service, local authorities or health
trusts. The people who work in such organisations tend to favour using the
services of someone who can demonstrate a similar background and
experience. So, if you have an understanding of public sector ethos and
operating methods, this is the niche to go for.
You know your strengths, background and interests. In marketing terms,

brand yourself accordingly and brand your clients. Become a specialist. A
prospective client will usually be drawn to a specialist rather than a general
practitioner. You will soon get to know the major
players in your specialist field and, more importantly, they will soon get to
know - and to recommend - you. Please turn to Activity 13.
Testimonials.
Testimonials from satisfied clients are among the most powerful tools in
your portfolio of marketing skills. They are very nearly (but not quite) as
good as word of mouth recommendations but they tend to have a longer
shelf life.
A testimonial is simply what someone else has said, and put in writing,
about you. You could say it yourself but would sound egocentric. When
someone else says great things about you, they will be believed. They have
paid money, they have used your services, they have benefited, they have
trusted you, they have worked with you, they are proof of your capabilities.
There are some absolute essentials concerning testimonials. The originals

must be kept safely in case you ever need to prove their authenticity. They
must be signed and dated for the same reason and, to prevent any
comebacks at a later date, you are advised to ask the person giving them,
to confirm in writing, that you have their permission to use them for your
promotional purposes. Always respect the confidentiality of your clients,
even to the extent of limiting their identity to initials and county name when
you use their glowing comments in your advertising or on your website. The
most effective testimonials are those that are phrased in very general
terms. By all means mention a specific issue if it will help, but do not let a
testimonial drag on into a case study.

You get a testimonial by asking for it. Whenever a client says something
nice to you after a particularly beneficial coaching session, ask if they
would mind putting their remarks in writing for you. Most will agree. Please
take a look at Activity 14.
Referrals.
Referrals are a more direct form of testimonial and akin to word of mouth
recommendation.
At the end of a series of coaching sessions - and not before - you ask your
client if they can give you the names and contact details of six friends,
colleagues, relatives or associates who might gain a similar benefit by
using your services. Then you ask permission to contact them with the
offer of a free coaching session, using your clients' names as a means of
getting your foot in the door. When you ask for six, you may get two. If you
ask for two, you may get none and, your client might feel that they have let
you down. You do not want this to happen.
Referrals and testimonials must be willingly given. You must never apply
pressure to your clients in order to get them. When you do contact and
referrals, do so with sensitivity - you are putting your clients'
professionalism and reputation on the line, as well as your own.
Your marketing plan.

A good marketing plan which will incorporate all, or some, of the above
suggestions, will help you grow your practice rapidly. The cost of your time
should be recovered many times over. Decide which procedures you are
going to use, and when. Monitor your results. Use more of the techniques
that work and adapt or modify those that do not work for you, and then try
them again.

Decide how much money you are going to invest in marketing your practice
- initially think in terms of spending between two percent and five percent
of your anticipated annual turnover.
When a client misses an appointment and you have an hour on your hands,
use it to launch the next phase of your marketing strategy. You have a
choice. You can play solitaire and get depressed or you can play the
marketing game and get clients. Right now, make the choice to turn to
Activity 15.
Summary.
In this module, you have been provided with an introduction to some of the
most powerful marketing techniques that have been used and proven by
many life coaches and other professionals. They are all ethical and honest
and they all have the potential to help you grow your practice in quantum
leaps, especially when you combine several of them for simultaneous
application.
Go to the business section of your library or bookstore and browse through

the titles on marketing. Just reading the books will not grow your practice,
but the diligent application of what you learn, will do so.
If you have not already worked through the Activities when invited to do so,
then please turn to them now. If you are not actively marketing your
practice, those potential clients will pass you by and choose a coach who
is into active marketing.

Activity 1
You have 20 seconds to deliver your elevator speech. It MUST grab

attention at the outset, it MUST state clearly what you do and the benefits
that your clients enjoy, it MUST NOT ramble or bore and it MUST include an
opportunity for the listener to know how to contact you.
You will find it useful to have a tape recorder to help you time your elevator
speech. Use the rest of this sheet - including the other side if you need to,
to draft your personal elevator speech. Check that it includes each of the
above essentials then read it aloud to tape for a timing check. Make any
necessary changes and repeat until it lasts exactly 20 seconds. Refine it
again and then commit it to memory.
Useful tip. If you begin, 'I am a life coach' you may not get much response.
If you begin, 'I make dreams come true' or 'I am a people magician' you
will immediately attract attention. (Please use your own phrases). Return to
the theme right at the end, for instance, '…and that is how I make dreams
come true' or, '…and that is how I create magic'.
Write your elevator speech now.

Activity 2
Use the rest of this page to design your own business card. Keep it simple,
standard size and easy to read. Find other cards that you have been given
and select the designs that especially appealed to you - and copy them.
Useful tip. Remember that a business card has two sides. When you have
a design that pleases you, check it for accuracy and completeness. You can
do this now. As soon as the shops open, visit the local printers in your area
and get some quotes and samples of their work. The more you order at one
time, the cheaper the cost-per-card. Think of 500 as a minimum quantity -
then give them away! They will not, and cannot work for you if you leave
them in that cute little box that they are delivered in or, worse, in your desk
drawer.

Activity 3
Write a press release for your practice here. Keep it to one side of A4, say
250 words maximum. Do this now. Tomorrow, make it your mission to find
the names and contact details of all the local newspapers in your area or
county. Get the names of the Features Editors. Then send your press
release to them, with a simple and brief covering letter.
Useful tip. Never be tempted to send a blatant advert masquerading as a

press release. Editors can spot these at 1000 paces and will simply pass
your stuff over to the ad sales department. Do not pester editors by asking
if they received your release. They will let you know if they plan to use it.

Activity 4
Use the rest of this page to write and design your own A5 handbill. Then
write a brief classified ad for your practice. Get quotations for printing the
handbill and for classified advertising space from each of the local
newspapers that you listed at Activity Three.
Useful tip. KISS - Keep It Simple Sunshine!

Activity 5
List at least 20 local organisations that you could approach as a joint venture.
Draft a letter on your practice letterhead that you could invite them to send out
to their clients.
Useful tip. Remember to answer 'What's In It For Me' and think of what you
will offer that is of at least equal value.
Here is an example:- (on your joint venture partners headed paper!)
Dear [client name]
I recently met [your name] who runs a successful life coaching

practice right here in [town]
Life coaching is a simple and effective process, conducted by telephone

and designed to help you identify your goals in life and to achieve them
far faster than you ever thought possible. [your first name] has agreed
that I can offer some of my selected clients a totally free introductory
coaching session, as a way of thanking you for your custom.
This is your opportunity to find out more about life coaching and to
experience it first hand for no cost and with no obligation.
The only restriction is that [your first name] has asked me to stress
that this offer is limited until the end of [next month] and, because
his [or her] practice is thriving, must be on a 'first come basis'.
Please call [your first name] on [your phone number] for a quick
chat and to fix the appointment for your free coaching session. I
know that you will be glad that you did.
Yours truly
[Your venture partner name and job title]

Activity 6
On both sides of this sheet, expand your 20 second elevator speech

(Activity 1) into a 30 minute presentation.
Useful tip. Consider six x five-minute segments. Start with an introduction.

Then develop the theme for the next three segments - list key word subjects
or topics for each one - use the fifth segment to describe some real life
benefits and the last one to leave the audience on a high.
Research and list at least ten local organisations that you could approach
to offer your speaking services.

Activity 7
Over the next few days, collect as many leaflets and brochures as you can
- from other professional practices. See which ones work for you and which
ones do not. Look and learn. Close your eyes for a few minutes and
visualise (imagine) the size, shape, colour and feel of your own brochure.
Plan each page on the rest of this sheet.
Useful tip. Think black ink to keep costs down. To add colour, talk to your
local printer about using coloured paper. Listen and ask. Shop around for
printing quotes - prices vary alarmingly and the most costly is not always
the best.

Activity 8
If you do not have a computer you can go straight to Activity 9.
Look at a range of websites. Decide which work for you and which do not.
Return to the ones that pleased you and note the features that they
included. Then think of the reasons for having a website of your own. List
them here.
Use the internet to do some comparison window shopping for prices of

domain registration, website hosting and design.
If you already have email, register a new name (keep it simple) that you use
exclusively for coaching clients.
If you don't, check out the various free email providers. (Yahoo is a good
place to start.) Sign up today.
Useful tip. Be sure that you compare like with like.

Activity 9
Use the rest of this page to list at least 30 people that you could contact
in the next seven days. Then just do it!

Activity 10
Decide when you are going to write your book.

Put the start date here.
Put the completion date here.
Define the titles for three 'free reports' that you could write. Start writing
the first one now.

Activity 11
Think about your newsletter.

How often will you publish - monthly or quarterly?
How will you publish - paper, email or both?
Will it be free? If not, what price?
List 50 people to send it to.
When will you send out the first issue?

Activity 12
List five professional organisations that you could join…
1. ______________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________________________

Activity 13
Define a niche, by activity, that you could coach…
Define the issues that you would like to specialise in…
Define the trades or industry that you could specialise in…

Activity 14
Collect testimonials used by other professionals. Use the best as a basis

for the construction and format of those you would like to receive. From this
point in, ask for testimonials whenever a client says something nice about
you.
Useful tip. Read your junk mail when it arrives, see how the sender uses
testimonials.

Activity 15
Use the rest of this page to define your personal marketing plan. Then
follow it!

Appendix 1
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SALES AND

MARKETING AND WHY THIS MATTERS TO YOU
"Although they are often linked together, sales and marketing are two
different disciplines and your success depends upon giving equal
attention to each.
"There are hundreds of text books on each subject. Check out your local
library or book shop and choose the ones that appeal to you.
"The disciplines should be reversed. Marketing comes before sales.
"Marketing means stimulating the demand for a service.
"Sales means filling that demand for a fee.
"Marketing can include advertising, brochures, mail shots, word-of-mouth

recommendation, press-releases, articles, appearing on radio or TV
interview programmes, exhibiting at trade-shows.
"Marketing is to let the public know that your service exists AND that you
can provide that service.
"Sales is converting a member of the public into a client.
"The sales process follows clearly defined steps:-

A member of the public shows interest and becomes a suspect.
You respond to that interest and your suspect becomes a prospect.
You follow up that response and convert the prospect into a client.
You provide such great benefits that the client becomes a regular.

"Note that some ethical practices do not serve their clients' best
interests by having them return for repeated treatments or therapies. In
these instances, those clients can still become 'regulars' when you have
a supply of well priced books, tapes or practice related products to sell
to them.

Appendix 2
THE VITAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN AN ORDINARY

BUSINESS AND A PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
"Tradesmen learn a skill which they sell for a price. This is a typical
business.
"Professionals learn a skill which they offer for a fee.
"Businesses include shops, hairdressers, builders, mechanics,

decorators, plumbers, carpenters and artisans.
"Professionals include doctors, dentists, lawyers, accountants, authors,

musicians, and individuals in private practice.
"A practice can also be a business but a business can never be a

practice.
"In a typical business the customer calls the shots.
"In a professional practice the practitioner decides the appointments, the

working hours and the services provided.
"Public perception of a business may be 'a man with a van'.
"Public perception of a practice may be 'a lady or gentleman of

distinction'.
"Businesses have customers who will often haggle over a price and win a
discount or special offer. An individual in business will usually be invited
to use the 'tradesman entrance'.

"Practices have clients who rarely question a fee and will not seek discounts.
An individual in professional practice will usually be invited to enter via the
front door.
"Speak and act like a tradesman and you will be treated as one.
"Speak, think and act as a professional and you will be treated as one.
"A professional in private practice is never seen in public in anything less

than immaculate presentation.

Appendix 3
THE IMPORTANCE OF CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP

MANAGEMENT (CRM) AND HOW TO USE IT
"Rethink CRM to mean Client Relationship Management.
"CRM means establishing a relationship with your client that goes beyond
responding to a simple request for your professional services.
"CRM means getting on first name terms with your client as soon as it is
polite to do so and when both you and your client are comfortable with
this.
"CRM means knowing more about your client than you strictly 'need' to
know to deliver your service.
"CRM means making your client feel important, listening to their views
and opinions, learning what makes them tick.
"CRM means that a client can develop into an acquaintance or even a

friend.
"A client who is an acquaintance will want you to succeed and will want to help
you.
"This client will recommend your services as a friend, to a friend.
"This client will return for practice related products or additional services.
"This client will pay promptly.

"This client will rarely complain. If you do give cause for complaint, deal
with it fairly and calmly. A client who receives this treatment can be
expected to be even more loyal than one who has never complained.
"Although exact figures vary, it is generally reckoned that it can cost up to

20 times more to create a new client than to retain an existing one. CRM
helps you to retain your clients.
"CRM means treating your clients as you would expect to be treated when
you are a client of someone else.

Appendix 4
The benefits and methods of optimum exposure within your professional

association
"Your own profession will almost certainly have an association, club,

organisation or institute. (If they don't, then you could start one!)
"It is surprisingly easy to become an 'active' member - this means giving

up a little of your time to attend meetings.
"Once 'active' it is equally easy to become a member of a working party,

steering group, sub-committee.
"Once there it is equally easy to become a leading player or chairman of

such a group.
"This makes you stand out beyond those 'others' who may have equal or
better qualifications but who never do anything.
"The name of this game is 'kudos'. In return for a little of your free time
you will receive professional recognition from your peers.
"You will also gain an additional professional 'qualification' (Chair of the

whatever group in the Institute of Profession) which can swing a prospect
in your favour if the other contenders lack such distinction.
"Rather than attempting to be all things within the organisation, identify a niche
which interests you. If this is fairly obscure you can become the 'expert' in very
little time. Then you may be called upon to deliver a service for a fee when the
need arises.

"If you have been a member for some time, consider upgrading to
Fellowship. The often small incremental increase in your subscription will
bestow additional kudos.
"Raise your profile by submitting regular articles to the organisation's

magazine or newsletter. (If they don't have one, start one.)
"The objective here is not personal ego satisfaction. It is adding implied

value for your prospective clients.

Appendix 5
THE MERITS AND DEMERITS OF A WEBSITE AND

HOW TO MAKE THESE WORK FOR YOU
"A bad website is worse than having no website at all.
"A bad website is one that takes a long time to load and is difficult to
navigate. A bad website is one that will not work properly on a prospect's
computer which may be less than 'state of the art'.
"A bad website is rarely updated so repeat visitors don't see anything
new.
"Any website will cost you money to set up and maintain. How many
clients will it need to create to recover this cost?
"A good website has an address that is easy to remember and quick to
type in.
"A good website is based on your other promotional material to aid

recognition and congruency of image.
"A good website offers real information.
"A good website includes a 'call to action' to create a response.
"A good website may include links to others that a prospect may find
useful, but don't be tempted to lead them to your direct competitors.
"People tend to use the internet for information rather than to buy.

"If you have a site it MUST be promoted in all your other promotional
material, included in your letterhead and listed with major search
engines.
"Your website is international. If you only offer your services in Britain,

then you probably don't need one other than for kudos or customer
service.
"Check your own website regularly. Is it still there? Does it still say what
you intended it to say? Is it creating interest? Is it out of date?
"Shop around carefully if considering a site. It is possible (but not

advisable) to use a FREE facility. Quotes can vary by several hundred
percent. Be sure that you are comparing like with like.

Appendix 6
HOW TO USE YOUR HOBBY AND INTERESTS TO

EXPAND YOUR BUSINESS
"Whatever your hobby or interests you will know of others who share
them.
"You will have a considerable understanding of their mindsets and socio-

economic groupings (e.g. Polo players are likely to be well off with
considerable disposable income. E-Type Jaguar owners will have
achieved financial success).
"Attend group meetings both locally and nationally (even internationally if

appropriate). Raise your profile and then let people know what you do in
your professional practice.
"People like people who are like them, so you have already established a
high 'likeable factor' by sharing their interests.
"You already know a great deal about all these other prospects -
information that might take months to research from a cold start.
"Use these two factors to tailor some special marketing materials just for
this group.
"If you meet others regularly (e.g. at a gym or dance hall or bowling alley)
keep alert to possibilities for displaying a small but good quality
A4poster. Mention your own membership of 'their' club.
"Offer a FREE 'session' to the person responsible for displaying such

material.

"Offer a FREE 'session' to club members. (Use this as a selling
opportunity when they accept.)
"Create and regularly maintain a list of all groups who share your interest
within the area where you practice. (A rural area will be larger than an
urban one to have sufficient density of population.)

Appendix 7
HOW TO WRITE A BOOK AND GAIN RESPECT, EVEN

IF YOU CANNOT WRITE
"Authors are respected. When you write a book about an aspect of your
professional practice you will establish instant credibility that can be
translated into client fees.
"Always aim for the biggest market.
"The biggest market is for people who have an interest in, but little
knowledge of, your profession.
"Put yourself in their shoes. What do you wish you knew back then, when
you were like them?
"You might get lucky and interest a mainstream publisher but, in all
probability, you will do better to self-publish. (Avoid 'Vanity Publishers' at
all costs.)
"Your book should be paperback and about 100 pages. Think of about 10
possible chapter headings.
"Do not look upon a book as being an income generator. It will cost you
money. But it WILL be an interest generator. Budget it into your marketing
plans.
"There are many people who will write your book for you for a fee. It will
have your name as 'author' and you alone will know this 'secret'. These
are known as 'ghost writers' because they exist but are rarely seen.

"The Academy can put you in touch with an experienced and professional
ghost writer who is also an accomplished editor. He offers low cost
publishing consultancy too.
"Your book can also add to your CRM (See PART ONE) when you send a
signed copy with your compliments to a client to thank them for their
patronage.
"If you know a famous person, invite them to write the preface. Their
name alone will add credibility to your book.

Appendix 8
HOW TO GAIN THE POWERFUL FREE BENEFITS OF

‘WORD OF MOUTH’ RECOMMENDATION
"‘Word of mouth’ recommendation is the best publicity of all.
"Simply ask a satisfied client - indeed, every satisfied client, if they can
recommend three acquaintances who might be interested in your services.
"Ask for three and you will probably get one. Ask for one and you will probably
get none as well as making your client feel that they have failed you.
"Nobody sells your practice as well as you do. So don't ask your client to
sell your services. All you are seeking is the name and contact number
so that YOU can approach the new prospect, using your client's name
(with their permission) as an introduction.
"Ask for these 'referrals' when a client expresses particular pleasure,

satisfaction or beneficial result. Strike while they are hot.
"Ask your client to put their favourable comments in writing and to sign
them. You can use these quotes in your subsequent marketing material.
This is a subtle variation on the 'word of mouth' theme.
"Always seek referrals at the end of a series of sessions.
"Always ask with confident expectation of a positive reply.
"If the client declines, move swiftly on and try again another time.
"If you don't ask you will not get!

Appendix 9
HOW TO SEND THE RIGHT MESSAGES TO YOUR

TARGET CLIENTS TO ENSURE A GREAT RESPONSE
"Never, ever attempt a hard sell.
"Let a client feel that they have chosen to buy, not that you have forced a
sale.
"Always emphasise the benefits for the client. Never discuss the
techniques or the 'behind-the-scenes nuts and bolts'. Even if asked,
appear to reply but keep an air of mystery as this will increase their
appetite for your services.
"Always treat your practice, training, procedures and qualifications with

the greatest respect. When your client sees YOUR respect, they will
share it.
"Never 'bad-mouth' your competition. Avoid professional rivalry and

gossip at all costs.
"When you ask a target client, or prospect, a question… avoid those that
can be answered with a straight 'Yes' or 'No'. Especially avoid those that
can be answered with a 'No'.
"Always assume that a prospective client WILL buy and WILL have the
means to pay your fee. This means using the 'presumptive close'.
"Always ask a prospect to buy. (Unless you ask, they may not volunteer.)
"Never offer a discount. If you suspect that a prospect has a problem with

your fee, by all means offer a lower price but for a lower level of service.
Knowing that your fee is what your services are truly worth means never
having to engage in bargaining or price wars.
"If a prospect resists, seek reasons why and use this grass-roots
research to adjust your future marketing approaches to avoid such
resistance.

Appendix 10
HOW TO GO FROM 'SUSPECT' TO 'PROSPECT' TO

'CLIENT' TO 'REGULAR CLIENT' IN EASY STAGES
"A suspect is any member of the public who could conceivably become a
client for your practice sooner or later. When you initially approach such
individuals you are following a 'cold lead' which is normally non-
productive and disheartening.
"A suspect who has responded to your advertisements, press releases,

brochures or who has received word-of-mouth recommendation is a
'warm lead' prospect. They have already pre-selected themselves as
being interested in your services. Warm lead prospects are also found in
people who attend exhibitions or trade shows related to your specialty or
who subscribe to specialist magazines read by your existing clients.
"Each of the above underlined items can work for you - even while you
sleep - at converting a lead from 'cold' to 'warm'. They will only do this
if they send the right professional message in clear, simple, non-
patronising terms.
"When you respond to a prospect's request for more information you are
over half way towards converting them into a client. Provide as much
information as they seek and resist the temptation to provide more as
this can confuse them. (Plenty of time for this later, ideally during the
course of a session). Answer questions fully and truthfully.
"Treat every client with your total respect and with 100% attention whilst you
are talking to them or meeting with them. Never argue with a client. Avoid
issues of race, religion, politics or sex unless your specialty is built around
one of these themes. Always treat every client with absolute confidentiality.

Adhere to your professional code of ethics. (If you don't have one yet,
create one for yourself.)
"Offer clients a book, audio-programme, video or seminar that is related

to your practice specialty and that may assist the client. Never pester a
client but, if appropriate to your practice, follow up with 'wondered how
you are' enquiries at three months and nine months after the end of their
final session. Send copies of press-cuttings - 'I saw this and thought you
would be interested'.
"Always send a proper commercially produced 'Thank You' card after the
final session. Send a Christmas card too. This will increase the clients'
feel-good factor and may well produce a repeat booking.

Appendix 11
HOW TO FORM STRATEGIC ALLIANCES WITH

OTHER PRACTICES TO YOUR MUTUAL
ADVANTAGES
"Find out where other professionals in your area operate. Find out where
they meet, where they dine, where they shop, what clubs they belong to.
"Spend time in these places. Not to sell your services but to be seen and
eventually recognised.
"To be a successful person, mix with successful people.
"Establish strategic alliances with non competing practices.
"Example:- A local hypnotherapist lives next door to a solicitor. He

discovered that the solicitor regularly plays rugby and cricket with a local
team, often against a police team at the local police social club grounds.
He offered a free presentation and after dinner speech to the local
solicitors' professional group. They invited senior police officers. The
police asked if hypnotherapy could help officers and victims of post-
traumatic stress. As a result he doubled his client base. Some clients
clearly needed other therapies rather than hypnosis so they were
referred to other therapists in the area. In return, these therapists
referred some of their clients to the hypnosis specialist.
"Many practices who have totally different specialties may still share
common problems. This offers scope for joint 'open evenings' at a local
hotel. All contribute time and talents equally. All benefit from increased
local awareness.

"Read your local paper avidly and you will soon recognise who are the
'movers and shakers' in your community. Get to know them as part of
your mid to long-term strategy.
"These arrangements should not include financial reward or 'finder fees'.

They are simply a means of providing and returning favours.

Appendix 12
HOW TO ACTUALLY GET PAID FOR PROMOTING

YOUR OWN PRACTICE
"Examine copies of your favourite magazine which is non-practice related.
"Write an article that can easily fit into one of their regular pages.
"Example:- A life coach was recently published in two separate editions of

OK! Magazine. An aromatherapist was published in Your Horse magazine.
An accelerated learning specialist was published in Management Today.
"When it is published you will be paid a contributor's fee.
"And you will have achieved valuable FREE publicity too!

Appendix 13
HOW YOUR PROSPECTS' MINDS WORK WHEN

DECIDING ON A PRACTICE
"To make a decision, a prospect needs certain basic facts.
"Can you solve their problem?
"Do you have a good track record?
"Are your fees acceptable? (Too low and you may have a credibility gap.
Too high and you may have too few clients to sustain your lifestyle.)
"Can you provide evidence of past success and qualifications?
"Are you on their wavelength?
"Do you have something else in common - special interests or ethnic

values?
"Are you easy to reach during hours when the client seeks you?
"Can you assure them of a service that is beyond good and is excellent?
"Can you be trusted?
"If the answer to any of these questions is 'No'… then you have a lot of
urgent homework to do on yourself!

Appendix 14
10 TOP TIPS ON SAVING ADVERTISING MONEY -

THAT THE MEDIA DOESN'T WANT YOU TO KNOW
1. Never pay the 'rate card' price for adverts - always negotiate their 'best'
price.
2. Ask for a 'forward features list' and advertise in issues that mention
your specialty.
3. Invite sales reps to contact you with low, low prices if an advertiser drops
out.
4. If they won't drop the price ask for a FREE upgrade to a bigger advert.
5. Don't pay premium extras for 'special positions', they don't work any
better.
6. Don't pay extra for colour - it rarely looks as good as you expect it to.
7. Seek generous discounts for a series of ads - again, ignore the rate card.
8. Seek deep discounts for 'payment with order'.
9. Provide camera-ready copy and seek a reduction for this.
10. Prices fall as deadlines approach - book as late as you dare.

Appendix 15
10 REASONS WHY PRESS RELEASES ARE THE

BEST 'FREE' ADVERTISING OF ALL
1. It really is FREE.
2. Even if you pay to have it written you can expect a much larger mention.
3. 'Editorial' is trusted by readers more than advertisements.
4. 'Editorial' is usually read, advertisements are often skipped.
5. Editors have pages to fill so you are actually helping them.
6. Readers believe that editorial space is earned on merit while adverts are
paid for.
7. In the right publication, your practice can have a perceived 'up market'
image.
8. They are simple and quick to write - but simple doesn't mean easy.
9. They are cheap to distribute by fax or email.
10. The publication pays for typesetting - so you don't have to.
BONUS TIP:- Keep a file of published work along with the cover of the
magazine or front page of the paper it appeared in. Use this in your own
marketing initiatives.

Appendix 16
10 VITAL WAYS TO GAIN MAXIMUM COST

EFFECTIVENESS AT TRADE SHOWS AND
EXHIBITIONS
1. Never pay the rate-card price for a stand - negotiate terms.
2. Never hire extras other than a single electrical power point.
3. Book 'space only' rather than 'shell schemes'.
4. Seek a ground floor spot in a high traffic area - near entrance, cafes or
toilets.
5. Have something moving on your stand to attract attention.
6. Get off your stand and herd the visitors towards it - bribe them with a
candy.
7. Have a second person on the stand to deal with those you present to
them.
8. Use your most dynamic and attractive 'personality-plus' staff.
9. Offer a discount 'if you book at this show'.
10. Make it obvious what you do!
BONUS TIP:- Always follow up all enquiries the next day!

Appendix 17
10 WAYS TO TURN YOUR ATTENDANCE AS AN

EXHIBITION VISITOR TO YOUR ADVANTAGE
1. Always visit on two consecutive days.
2. Always wear a distinctive colour on both days - red is good.
3. Get there early on the first day and visit as many stands as you can.
4. Talk to as many stand staff as you can - buy nothing and refuse paper.
5. Visit early again on the 2nd day - you will be recognised and greeted as
a friend
6. Lie low over the lunch period but talk to as many people as you can in
the café.
7. Give out your business cards as freely as possible - to other visitors and
stand staff.
8. Your objective is to find potential clients or strategic alliances.
9. Sympathise with tired stand staff - they will then see you as 'one of
them'.
10. Visit special stands just before closing time to say a personal 'good-
bye'.
BONUS TIP:- Place your promotional literature in the exhibitors' press room
- organisers rarely (if ever) check these.

Appendix 18
10 WAYS TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN THE ATTENTION

OF MAGAZINE EDITORS
1. Always send perfect 'first generation' clean, clear typed/printed hard

copy of your article.
2. Always include a cover sheet with title, your name, contact numbers and
word count.
3. Offer 'FBSR' - (First British Serial Rights).
4. Enclose a good quality photograph with name and contact details on a

label on the reverse. (A photo booth passport picture will not do.)
5. Say that you are available for telephone interview or photo if needed.
6. Read a copy of the magazine and see where your article might fit. Adjust
word count accordingly.
7. Do not telephone to enquire about progress.
8. Write informative articles and go easy on the 'hidden advert' content.
9. Offer copy on floppy disk or email if needed.
10. Phone magazine offices for name of editor and mark submission 'For
personal attention of [Name]'
BONUS TIP:- Ask for payment at their 'usual contributor rate' and request
two copies of the issue that your article appears in.

Appendix 19
10 WAYS TO DEAL WITH DISSATISFIED CLIENTS
1. Listen more than you speak.
2. Empathise (even if they are wrong).
3. Make apologies rather than excuses.
4. Ask what they would like you to do to make the situation better for them.
5. If appropriate, offer a refund or FREE further session.
6. If appropriate, offer refunds as vouchers against further services rather

than cash.
7. Remember a dissatisfied client will tell many others. You are in 'damage
limitation' mode.
8. Never argue, talk over, or shout down your client.
9. Let them blow off a head of steam before trying to make your points.
10. Speak slowly and calmly and quietly and maintain your professional
demeanour at all times.

Appendix 20
10 WAYS TO CREATE A NEWSLETTER THAT

CREATES CLIENTS
1. A newsletter lets prospective clients know what you do and keeps

existing clients loyal.
2. Give your newsletter a catchy title or at least one that says something
about your practice.
3. A newsletter is not just a very long advertisement. It must contain

information.
4. Let your newsletter reflect the personality of your practice.
5. Publish regularly at least once a year but no more than six times a year.
6. Send your newsletter by first class post, this implies added value and
shows that you care.
7. Use A4paper and ensure good quality reproduction. (Laser Print or High
Street Quick Copy shops.)
8. Include offers that are 'exclusive' to newsletter readers.
9. Look at examples of newsletters that appeal to you and copy their layout.
10. Put a cover price on the front page (at least £1) but send the
newsletter FREE with your compliments. This adds perceived value.
BONUS TIP:- Avoid fancy fonts, especially if you send your newsletter by

email - what leaves your computer will not always be what is received at the
other end

Appendix 21
10 SECRETS OF EFFECTIVE BROCHURE DESIGN
1. Print your brochure on A4 paper.
2. A double-sided three-fold brochure says 'cheap'. Leave this format for

menus in take-away restaurants.
3. A double-sided brochure folded in half (to give a finished size of A5)

looks bigger, classier and fits a standard C5 envelope without further
folds.
4. Add quality by using thick paper - at least 100gsm.
5. Add colour by using black print on tinted paper. Don't pay for coloured
inks.
6. Use one consistent font throughout. Vary its size for variety and
headlines.
7. You MUST say who you are, where you are, what you do, what it costs.
8. You MUST TELL readers what to do next and make it easy for them to
do it.
9. Use a single column on the front and back pages - clean and simple to
attract interest.
10. Use double or triple columns on inside pages - looks more informative.
BONUS TIP:- People buy from people. Consider using a good quality head

and shoulders photograph of yourself but don't let your brochure become
an ego trip.
BONUS TIP:- You can double the response rate when you include a reply
postcard or coupon for more information.

Appendix 22
10 WAYS OF CREATING THE RIGHT AMBIENCE
1. First impressions count so keep your premises immaculately clean and

tidy at all times.
2. Never allow incoming telephone calls to interrupt your time with a client.
Use an answering machine, a message service or a member of staff. Let
such callers know the best times to call. (e.g. between 1pm and 3pm
Mon to Fri)
3. Use effective colours:- Primary red and yellow can create stress. Blue
and green shades create calm. Cream and beige are boring. White is
clinical. Pink (and most pastels) are feminine. Black and chrome are
masculine. Darker colours say 'quality' (navy, burgundy, mahogany).
Think of colour themes.
4. Use effective lighting:- Avoid stark overhead strip lights. Use spotlights,
up lighters and table lamps to focus attention on a key ornament or
picture. Think how lighting can conceal as well as reveal. Use daylight
wherever possible but filter direct sun through blinds.
5. Use effective sounds:- Avoid rock or heavy metal. Use classical or new
age or ambient music. Keep background music in the background. If a
client prefers silence, then kill the music at once. Use CD on 'repeat
play' to avoid fiddling around with the equipment.
6. Use effective aromas:- Avoid harsh 'public lavatory' air-fresheners. Use

incense (flower pots with earth make safe containers for incense sticks)
these are cheaper than oil-burners. Consider pot-pouri if you suspect
that clients may have respiratory conditions that incense might irritate.

Use fresh flowers in season in fresh water.
7. Use an indoor water feature:- These are soothing but can create a need
for a visit to the toilet if too loud in the trickle-sound department.
8. Have the best quality toilet facilities for your clients and keep these
clean at all times.
9. Get a simple book on Feng-Shui and apply the best ideas.
10. Pay attention to floor coverings regarding texture, colour and silencing
effects.

Appendix 23
PRESS RELEASES FOR LIFE COACHES

"How to use this Appendix
"Press releases defined and why you need them
"The importance of timing
"How to identify your target publications
"How to present your press release
"What your press release must (and must not) contain
"Beyond your press release
"Copyright
"A useful contact
"Sample press releases
FOR PUBLICATION IN
" January How to keep every resolution without fail
" February The Best Valentine - Love Yourself
" March For Mother’s Day - And Fathers Too
" April The Promise of Easter
" May Spring Clean Your Life
" June Your Super Summer Retreat
" July Time To Relax
" August Your Autumn Tune Up
" September Use Those Longer Evenings
" October Plan Your Perfect Christmas Now
" November Your Year End Review
" December A Special Time For Special Relationships

How to use this Appendix
WELCOME TO PRESS RELEASES FOR LIFE
COACHES.
It does not matter one iota whether you know anything about press
releases or not.
This Appendix provides an easy to read introduction to the subject and

some useful reminders for those who may have been introduced some time
ago.
It is suggested that you read through the first sections just as you would
read any other book and that you make key-word notes in the wide margins
as you go.
These sections alone contain dozens of useful snippets of information on a

‘need to know basis’ which saves you the time and effort of finding a text-
book on the subject and ploughing through it.
You are a life coach of excellence - this does not necessarily mean that you
are also a writer of excellence. The really good news is that you don’t have
to be!
Once you have completed the first section, look at a few of the sample
press releases to give you some ideas. You can even copy them if you wish.
(But pay special attention to the section on copyright.)
Your feedback and positive comments are always welcome as these will
help us to shape the next edition to make it even more useful.
Happy reading!

PRESS RELEASES DEFINED AND WHY YOU NEED
THEM
" A press release is simply a short story about an aspect of your practice
that is sent to the editor of a newspaper, magazine, radio programme or
television programme.
" Its purpose is to raise public awareness of your profession in general,

local awareness of your ability to provide the service and thus the
creation of interest. You can then convert this awareness into client
creation.
" Your press release will be competing with dozens of others, including
very glossy presentations from major public relations (PR) companies.
Armed with the information in this booklet, your release stands a better
chance than many of being selected for publication or broadcast.
" Readers, listeners and viewers are not daft. They recognise that
something carried as ‘editorial’, which your press release will be, has
earned its publication on merit rather than a paid for advertisement
which many will disregard or disbelieve.
" They will even see your published or broadcast item as an implied
endorsement by the editor. This is the next best thing to first hand word
of mouth recommendation.
" Think of the advertising that you could buy. £100 may fund a single
entry of an eighth page classified advertisement in a small circulation
magazine. A whole page can cost at least £2000 and, in the national
newspapers and magazines can cost more than £10,000.
" Your press release can gain you at least as much coverage - and often

more - and it will cost you zero, zilch, nada, nothing! (Unless you pay
someone to write it for you, more about this later.) And it will be more
credible as news!
" In fairness there is a downside. Publication of a paid advertisement is

usually guaranteed but publication of your press release is a gamble. It
is however, one of the few gambles worth taking as your ‘stake’ is a few
hours of your free time, a few sheets of paper, a handful of stamps and
some envelopes, a couple of clicks of your email mouse. Your ‘winnings’
could be worth £10,000 in equivalent advertising or more.
" No public relations firm in this planet can ever promise that your press
release will be published. If they do, they are lying! You do not want to
do business with them. You really don’t!
" As with all initiatives there are tricks of the trade that can take years of
trial and error to learn. Some of the most useful are revealed in these
pages so that you can use them immediately. Others have made the
mistakes so that you don’t have to!
TIP:- Never, ever pester an editor with enquiries about whether they got
your press release or if and when they plan to use it. Take it from me.
They did get it and they will use it if it is good enough!
" Use a well crafted press release whenever you need to increase your
client base.
" But first, read the next section about timing.

THE IMPORTANCE OF TIMING
" If you send your press release to the local paper and expect to see your
practice featured in the next issue - you may be disappointed!
" Even daily papers, both local and national, tend to prepare their featured
articles several weeks in advance of publication.
" So when CAN you expect to be published? Here is a rough guide. You
should keep these timescales in mind when you are sending a time-
sensitive press release.
Daily Papers Four weeks before intended publication
Weekly Papers Eight weeks before intended publication
Weekly Magazines Three months before
Monthly Magazines Four months before
Quarterly Magazines Nine months before
TIP:- Contact the editor of your chosen publications and ask for a
‘forward features list’ and deadlines. You can then tailor your press
release to pick up on one of the featured themes and get it there on
" For inclusion in TV documentaries you may wait a year or more before
your programme is screened. TV chat-shows have a shorter lead time.
" Radio programmes offer the most instantaneous coverage.

" Send your press release by first class post and, just to drive the point
home, write ‘First Class’ on the envelope (or use a pre-printed First
Class sticker).
" Editors are always busy people. They don’t like Monday morning mail
as many have a production meeting on that day. They like to ‘run-down’
on Fridays, so time your posting to arrive on Tuesday, Wednesday or
Thursday.
E
PL
M
SA

HOW TO IDENTIFY YOUR TARGET PUBLICATIONS
"The first step is to have a clear idea about who you want to reach.
"If your objective is to attract local clients, there is no point in seeking

national coverage - so focus on local publications and broadcasters.
"If you have just written a book or won an award and seek sales, fame
and glory on a national scale - then go for nationally distributed
publications and national broadcasting media.
"Now refine your target further. (Don’t be tempted to say ‘everyone’ as

you will be wasting your time and postage.)
"Identify your prime target audience by sex, occupation, ethnic group,

family status, socio-economic group, special interests and so on.
"If you want to attract business executives as clients, there is no point in

submitting a press release to Woman and Home. If you want housewives as
clients, then don’t seek publication in Management Today. You get the
picture?
There are three annual publications that you may find useful…
" Writers and Artists Year Book
" The Guardian Media Guide
" Freelance Photographers’ Handbook
" They all contain a wealth of information, names and addresses. Your
local bookshop or library will have them.
" Professional PR agencies use Willings Press Guide ...but this costs
megabucks and is not really necessary - but you may find it useful to

browse through a copy in a library.
"Be prepared to think ‘outside the box’. If your special interest is, say,
horse riding, then consider a press release about the way that a coached
rider can enjoy a happier relationship with their horse. (Did you know that
stables use chiropractors, osteopaths, acupuncture and herbalists for
their animals?… so why not life coaches for their owners?)
"A local story will sometimes be picked up by the national media - so be

prepared. It may never happen to you. But it might!

HOW TO PRESENT YOUR PRESS RELEASE
" Use white A4 paper.

" Type or print on one side only.
" Use double line spacing.
" Send only pristine, perfect, first generation copies.
" Ensure that your name appears on every sheet. (Use the ‘header’ facility
if you have a word processor.)
" Ensure that every sheet is numbered.
" Ensure that every sheet contains an identifier keyword (more on this
later).
" Always conclude your text with a word count.
" Keep paragraphs short.
" Keep sentences short.
" Check, double check and triple check spelling.
" Avoid fancy fonts or typeface - Times New Roman is ideal.
" Avoid colourful gimmicks - stick to black ink.
" Avoid jokes, cartoons, illustrations, graphs or charts.
TIP:- Put your most important points at the start and the least
important at the end. Most editors will ‘cut’ from the bottom upwards.
" Keep to one sheet of A4 if possible, two or three sheets are acceptable,
more will reduce your chances of even being considered. The editor will
ask for more if he or she needs it.
" Include a brief covering letter. Keep it simple and address it to a named
person. (An example follows overleaf.)
" Do not submit press releases by email unless requested to do so.

YOUR PRACTICE LETTER HEADING
With address, phone and other contact details included…
For the attention of:

Bill Bloggs
Features Editor
Presentation Magazine
Top Hatt Publishing
Sydney
2000
23rd May 2001
Dear Mr Bloggs
I am pleased to enclose a press release about a new life coaching

practice that is creating considerable interest in show business
circles. I am sure that your readers will find this information useful.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need more information.
I look forward to receiving a copy of Presentation Magazine when you

decide to use this material.
Yours sincerely
Andrew Coacher
Andrew Coacher
Enc x 1

WHAT YOUR PRESS RELEASE MUST (AND MUST
NOT) CONTAIN
" It MUST have a headline. You have about two seconds to attract the
editor’s attention. If the headline fails in this mission, the rest of your
press release will not be read.
" It MUST NOT be a blatant advertisement for your practice or services.

If it is construed as such it will not be published. You may, however,
receive many calls from the advertising salesmen inviting you to take
paid advertisements instead.
" It MUST have a ‘news’ angle. This may be to announce a new product
or service, to mark the anniversary of something, to mention a famous
name visiting your area, to announce new and improved offices, to
announce the youngest, oldest, rarest or most unusual of something.
" It is OK to be inventive when looking for ‘news’. In our experience, given

that many life coaches offer broadly similar services, we suggest that a
‘tie in’ with national anniversaries. e.g. Valentine’s Day; offers a
suitable ‘news’ angle. (For ‘news’ in this instance, read ‘topical’.)
" Every sheet MUST have an identifier key word (see examples) and your
details in the header. It must be numbered. At the foot of each sheet
put /More if the text is continued. At the foot of the last sheet put ENDS
350 WORDS (insert the correct wordcount).
" It will help your chances of success if you add a standard form of ‘notes
for editors’ (see examples).
" You MUST NOT use registered trademarks, brand names, individual’s
names or quotations without the prior written consent of their owners.

BEYOND YOUR PRESS RELEASE
"Most editors maintain a list of contacts and you could be on it.
"Once you have established a reputation for providing well crafted and
professionally presented press releases, you may well be contacted for
a quote or a comment if the need arises.
"If you are able to develop a working relationship with an editor, you can
save a lot of ‘cold calling’ by using this as the introduction to having an
article or series of articles in the title.
" An article about an aspect of your practice will have all the benefits of
a press release (free publicity across generous space etc) but it will
have a significant extra benefit - you should be paid for it too!
"Contact the author of this paper if you need more information about
promoting your practice through articles.
COPYRIGHT
"It is illegal, immoral and not becoming of a life coach to steal the
intellectual property of another. Copyright protects the originator of a
work against this.
"The originator of an item may, however, bestow copyright to a third party.
In the case of this paper, for example, the author has received a fee
which was partly for creating the work and partly for bestowing its
copyright upon The Coaching Academy Ltd.
"If you acquired this document through the correct channels, the Academy
now bestows limited use of that copyright on you. This means that you
can use the 12 press releases that follow for promoting your own
practice and for no other reason. The Academy does, however, retain
copyright of the rest of this publication which means that you are NOT
permitted to copy, reproduce or sell it on.
TIP:- It is not in your interests to claim copyright of your press release

because the whole objective is to get it published as widely as possible.

A USEFUL CONTACT
"This paper is produced for The Coaching Academy by Colin C. Edwards.
"Colin is an experienced author, editor, journalist and PR consultant.
"He works on a freelance basis and will be happy to quote for your writing
needs. He is a life coach too!
"As an exclusive offer for Academy graduates, Colin offers 25% reduction
from his usual fees.
"He will be pleased to hear from you during office hours on

0208 313 3971 or by email at pdqmag@yahoo.com
The following pages contain a press release for each

month of the year.
Please read the notes concerning ‘timing’ elsewhere in this booklet and
remember that the suggested months are planned publication months.
It is not recommended that you photocopy these examples. Write the

content yourself making the appropriate changes to name, town and
contact numbers and then save them to your own computer or word
processor. If you have a typewriter, then keep a simple file copy.
Do not send monthly press releases to the same editor. Use the examples
as ‘ideas stimulators’. Keep a record of the dates of mailing and
publication of each of your releases. If one works better than others, use
it again with minimal changes for a different audience.

Release 1 for January publication
PRESS INFORMATION Immediate Release - [Date]
Resolution
HOW TO KEEP EVERY RESOLUTION WITHOUT FAIL

We have all done it. We make New Year resolutions, maybe struggle to keep them for a
few days, make ourselves miserable and then lapse back into our old habits.
Sure, we may keep a few of these resolutions during our life but, for most, it is a losing
battle. Now a man/woman from Anytown says that he/she has the vital formula that can
ensure that you can keep every resolution without fail.
According to John Doe, we could all benefit from this simple procedure. He claims that
the key lies in that word ‘resolution’. He suggests that when we make these promises
to ourselves, we should drop the ‘re’ bit of the word and concentrate on the ‘solution’.
Doe is a life coach and tells us that many of his clients benefit from this simple change
to their thinking. “Consider why people make resolutions. It is usually because there is
some aspect of their life that they want to change for the better. Then, instead of
focusing on the great benefits that they will achieve, they focus on what they are giving
up so, of course they fail.”
John Doe again. “In this life you attract whatever it is that you think about the most. If you
think about negative words like giving up, stopping, doing less or changing something that
you have enjoyed for years, then it is inevitable that your subconscious will rebel to ensure
that it does not happen.”
He continues: “Instead of thinking about resolutions, think about solutions. Think about
how you will look, feel and sound when you have found the solution. Instead of thinking
about what you may be giving up, think about what you will gain. Remember too that there
is no success or failure; there is only a result. Don’t beat yourself up if the result is not
what you planned, just change something and start again.”
Doe also offers some pointers about why so many people get results that they see as
failure. He tells us that there are two main reasons. The first is that they try to change
the habits of a lifetime overnight and the human mind and body doesn’t work like that.
The other is that they attempt to do it alone. The help and support of a non-judgmental
and uncritical third party is crucial to a good outcome.

More/
Resolution
Many coaching clients think that setting a resolution is all that it needs. Doe often
spends the first few coaching sessions getting them to fully appreciate why they choose
what they choose and to examine their commitment to the change. Then he gets them
to define strategies for creating the change with small action steps that will bring them
gradually closer to their goals.
Achieving solutions begins with setting them correctly and then having support to make
them happen in a timescale that the body and mind can and will accept.
John Doe is always happy to discuss this or other aspects of his approach to life
coaching, absolutely free of any cost or obligation. He can be contacted during usual
office hours on Tel 0208 765 4321
We give him the last word. “ New Year solutions are great if they get you thinking about
your life. Remember, you can start work on a new solution at any time. The power of
personal change is just too good to be limited to the first few days of the year and it really
is possible to keep every resolution without fail”.
ENDS 600 WORDS
Notes for editors: John Doe is available for interview and photographs. He can be
contacted on Tel 0208 765 4321 Fax 0208 123 4567 or by email at johndoe@aol.com
NOTES:- Before you send this to a potential publisher, make the following changes: Where you
see 'John Doe' or 'Doe', substitute your own names or surname. Where you see 'Anytown'
substitute the name of your town. Where you see 'Tel, fax or email' add your own number.
Where you see 'date' substitute the date that you send the release. Print the finished version on
your own letterhead.

Release 2 for February publication
Love
THE BEST VALENTINE - LOVE YOURSELF

This is the month when love is in the air, thanks to Saint Valentine. But here is a thought
for you. When did you last give yourself a Valentine?
That is not as strange as it may seem. As anyone who knows true love will tell you, the
more love that you give, the more you receive. This starts an amazing circle of ever
increasing love, which makes your eyes shine; your energy level rises and improves every
aspect of your life.
According to John Doe of Anytown, the place to start this whole cycle going is with self-
love. This doesn’t mean selfishness and introspection. It means taking time out to truly
appreciate all your great qualities, skills and talents.
to their approach to love. He explains that, because so many of us are brought up in a
culture where it is considered bad form to put yourself first, we can severely limit the love
that we have to give.
John Doe again. “It can also limit your capacity to receive love. If you don’t love yourself,
you may feel that you are unlovable by someone else. At best, this can make you doubt
any expressions of love that you receive. At worst, it can even make you repel those who
want to love you and that can result in the collapse of a relationship.”
He continues: “Self love is not the same as selfishness. It is the ability to acknowledge
all your good points instead of a continual focus on your faults. It means looking into the
mirror and seeing a person of great potential. When you can do this you can look the
world in the eye, you can give freely and you can project love outwards to others.”
Doe also offers a reason why so many people never get to find the one true love that the
Valentine’s cards talk about. “It is because the whole idea of self love is alien to them.
If they think about it as self-esteem then it becomes more acceptable. Every truly happy
and successful person has high self-esteem. This is not the same as arrogance or
conceit, it is about giving as much credibility to your positive qualities as you do to all
the others.”

Love
Some of his coaching clients have discovered that, once they have addressed the issue
of self-esteem, then everything else just falls into place. Doe says that the process of
increased awareness is simple, gradual and very effective. The biggest pay off is that
when you have done it once; you have it for all time. Then you become truly aware that
you can be, do or have whatever you want in life - and that includes love.
office hours onTel 0208 765 4321
We give him the last word. “We are all born with a good awareness of ourselves. What
subsequently happens is that we remember all the negative things that others tell us
about ourselves and these can swamp our opinions about the good qualities that we
have. Decide to base your impressions of self on what you truly know to be true instead
of the opinions of others and you are well on the way to building up that never-ending
store of love that is your birthright.”
ENDS 630 WORDS

Release 3 for March publication
(NB: The date of Mother’s Day is variable around the world!)
Mother
FOR MOTHERS’ DAY and FATHERS TOO

We all have a mother and a father and, of course, most of us remember them especially
on their special days. But now it could be time to go beyond cards and flowers.
We all owe a deep debt of gratitude to our parents for creating us in the first place, then
for giving us roots in a secure environment to progress from infancy to adolescence. The
best parents of all then gave us wings so that we could explore the world and soar to the
heights of our own vast potential.
According to John Doe of Anytown, this is an ideal situation and, alas, one that a great
many people feel they have lost out on.
Doe is a life coach and tells us that many of our attitudes to work, relationships and life
in general are coloured by how close our childhood came to this ideal. He points out that
any couple can become parents without any training, lessons or experience. So it is not
surprising that many fall short of the perfection that we might have felt was our due.
John Doe again. “The key to overcoming any resentment or regret is forgiveness. After
all, what has been done cannot be undone and you are what you are. You are also what
you think, so Mothers’ day is a great time to eliminate any negative thinking about your
parents.”
He continues, “They did the very best that they could with the knowledge that was
available to them at the time. Like you, they only discovered what they didn’t know when
they needed to know it - so it is hardly surprising that they may have made a few mistakes
along the way.”
Doe excludes parents who wilfully mistreat their children from this general observation.
These individuals will require a greater effort for forgiveness but it is an effort well worth
making. Some of his coaching clients are held back in achieving the great things in life
because there is simply no room to let them in. He explains it like this, “If you harbour
a grudge or resentment it will fester and impact on everything else that you do and that
is like trying to cycle uphill with the brakes on. The way to release the brakes is to just
let go.”

Mother
“If it becomes apparent that a client is being held back by some imagined past injustice
I ask them three simple questions. ‘Could you let that feeling go?’ ‘Would you let it go?’
‘When?’”
Their answers invariably lead to the client becoming aware of the way forward and going
for it. This process also has a positive impact for clients who are parents themselves. In
understanding their own parents, they find a greater understanding of their children.
office hours on Tel 0208 765 4321
We give him the last word. “In the final analysis we all have a choice. We can carry
negativity and bitterness with us to the grave or we can decide, right now, to let it go and
replace it with happiness and love. Share that love with your parents before it is too
late.”
ENDS 600 WORDS

Release 4 for April publication (NB: The date of Easter is
variable)
Easter
THE PROMISE OF EASTER

Easter is one of the most special public holidays of the year. Of course there is a special
significance for Christians but there is also something in the air for everyone.
As the mornings and evenings grow lighter and as the last of the winter frosts disappear,
there is a great feeling of a new beginning. The first trees are in blossom and the others
have green buds. The grass is starting to grow faster than even the most avid gardener
can mow it.
According to John Doe of Anytown, this is a great time of year to look back at those New
Year resolutions, to review progress and to take any corrective action needed.
Doe is a life coach who has a keen professional awareness of the way that the seasons
can affect our feelings and attitudes. “The chances are that you made those January
resolutions in the midst of a cold, grey and wet winter. That probably made your emotions
and optimism pretty cold, grey and wet too.”
John Doe again. “But, when the natural world is bursting with the promise of a glorious
spring and the warmth of summer, this is an ideal time to decide that you too will start
over and put right anything that you feel needs correction in your own life.”
He continues: “Unless humans interfere with nature, it has its own graceful balance. The
old and used makes way for the new and vibrant. Anyone can do the same with their own
thoughts and attitudes. Perhaps those fondly held beliefs that served you well in the past
are due for an overhaul. Perhaps it is time to restore your own natural balance.”
When pressed further, Doe explains that balance means harmony rather than discord.
He suggests that this should include a brief but thorough examination of all the areas of
your life - relationships, career, health, finances, leisure and talents.
He described one client. “This man was a success by most material measures. Despite
his large house, ample income and luxury car, he was an unhappy person. He had spent
so much energy building his business that he had no time left for all those other aspects
of his life. As our coaching sessions progressed he began to work on restoring the
balance. Within weeks he had found happiness too and without putting any of his

material gains at risk either.”
More/
Easter
office hours on Tel 0208 765 4321.
We give him the last word. “You would have to be a very cold individual indeed to totally
ignore the promise of Easter. So take some of that promise for yourself and then make
sure that it is a promise that is delivered. You deserve nothing less”.
ENDS 520 WORDS

Release 5 for May publication
Spring
SPRING CLEAN YOUR LIFE

Spring cleaning has its origins in ancient history. Back then; with no labour saving
devices and no electricity, spring marked the start of the season when the weather
allowed a complete cleaning of the cave or house.
Since then, the tradition has been maintained but now there is a new angle. It is called
life coaching and it is, in effect, spring cleaning for your life.
According to John Doe of Anytown, life coaching is one of the most effective ways of
staying green and growing instead of becoming ripe and rotten. It is simply a way of
looking at where you are now, where you want to be in the future and how you are going
to get there.
Doe is a trained, professional life coach who helps his clients to do just that in a series
of one-hour telephone conversations at weekly intervals. “A few people are able to do
this for themselves but the vast majority find that having an outsider like me to keep
them on course is a vital ingredient in their life spring cleaning.”
John Doe again. “Frankly, I am not interested in how they got to where they are now. The
only place that they can start to change their life is here and now. So we focus totally on
the future and the actions that will lead to the positive results that they desire”.
He continues: “In the same way that our homes can become musty during the winter
months and often look in need of a new lick of paint, so our lives can become a bit
tattered and full of mental junk that no longer serves us well.”
Doe states that we all, without exception, carry a load of excess baggage in the form of
worry, guilt, fears and false beliefs or expectations. He is a great believer in the power
of a positive mental attitude and claims that very few of us ever achieve anything
approaching our full potential.
In life coaching, clients are shown how they can easily let go of all this baggage to create
room in their lives for new and exciting challenges. He says: “Many clients are amazed at
the positive impact that even a small change or shift in attitude can produce.” This really
is spring cleaning for the mind.

Spring
In the same way that the onset of spring is often the catalyst that triggers a burst of
domestic action, so a life coach can be the catalyst that allows amazing and positive
changes to happen.
He says, “I am still surprised at how often my clients tell me that their emotional and
mental spring cleaning is like a weight being lifted from their shoulders. The joy is that
they do it all themselves, I am just there to show them how.”
ENDS 530WORDS

Release 6 for June publication
Miracle
RETREAT FOR SUMMER MIRACLES

Indians, we are told, do it more than any other nation. People with religious beliefs do it
once a year. Captains of industry do it less often. You can do it whenever you like.
For centuries, the practise of taking time out to do something different has been recognised
as a sure-fire way of recharging your batteries, igniting your enthusiasm and solving problems.
In commerce it is sometimes called a sabbatical, others may call it going on retreat.
According to John Doe of Anytown, we could all benefit from this simple procedure. He even
goes a step further. “You don’t have to spend a week as a hermit on a mountain top. Just
one day will release amazing benefits and the best part is that it doesn’t cost anything.”
to their routine. When you put a little distance between yourself and your routine
challenges or issues, you see them in a different light and from a different perspective.
You may even create a few miracles for yourself as a result. These will come as flashes
of intuition that can lead you to take the action needed to resolve a problem.
John Doe again. “If you look at something, say an apple, and hold it close to your face
so that it is touching your nose, you will see a very small part of it. Hold it at arms length
and you will see the whole apple and its texture and colours. Look at it from the other
end of the room and you won’t see the detail but you will see it in the perspective of its
surroundings and in true proportion.” He continues: “It is the same with issues or
problems. You add distance and see them from a new angle.”
According to Doe, the summer is a great time to do this. Simply set a weekday date in your
diary right now, when you will take off to the countryside, the hills or the beach. Go by car,
bike, train or on foot but go to somewhere that you have never been before and where you
can be sure of some space alone. Set off early and plan to be out all day. Leave your mobile
phone at home and travel light. Then just wander around for the day, thinking of nothing,
focusing on the ‘now’ experience.
Many coaching clients are amazed how easy this is. They are ‘off the leash’ and just by
being in a different place they find that their thoughts turn to solutions and answers
rather than problems and challenges. “You create in life what you think about”, says Doe.

Miracle
So, make that date in your diary now. Look forward to it, keep it without guilt, enjoy it
and return refreshed.
We give him the last word. “If you do the same thing, in the same way, you will get the
same results. Your one day summer retreat may be the one enjoyable change that you
need to create those spectacular ‘miracle’ results that you know you deserve”.
ENDS 570 words

Release 7 for July publication
Relax
TIME TO RELAX
Those hazy, lazy days of summer - weather permitting - are ideal times for doing nothing,
either on an annual holiday or at weekends.
And yet, for all too many of us, we are so used to absorbing information, working against
the clock, commuting and just dealing with life that we are unable to totally unwind or
relax.
According to John Doe of Anytown, relaxation is a skill that can be learned just like any
other. He goes even further: “It is more than a skill, it is a natural state, that is why we
are called human beings instead of human doings.”
Doe is a life coach and tells us that many of his clients initially contact him with a feeling
that ‘life should be better than this’. During their very first coaching session, it transpires
that their life could indeed be better. These same clients are surprised when he suggests
that they could achieve more by doing less.
John Doe again. “If you constantly keep a muscle under tension or strain it will ache and
eventually fail. It needs periods of rest to remain in good working order. This holds true
for your entire being - your mind, body and spirit. You must take time out to relax.”
According to Doe, relaxation does not mean lazing on a settee watching television. He
claims that this can be the exact opposite of relaxation, especially if the programmes are
full of bad news, violence or crime. He says: “My approach to helping clients relax is to
show them how to switch off completely, how to do nothing except enjoy their ‘now’
moments and how to let go of the many thoughts that may intrude.”
Many coaching clients are amazed how easy this is. They wonder that nobody ever
explained this to them before. They are even more surprised when they discover how
their energy levels are higher after proper relaxation. Doe recommends daily meditation
too. He teaches his clients some very simple and enjoyable techniques that they can use
at any time.
More/

Relax
ENDS 400 words

Release 8 for August publication
Tune Up
YOUR AUTUMN TUNE UP

If you own a car, boat or aeroplane you will be well aware of the need for regular
servicing, maintenance and a routine tune up.
Engineers have an adage. ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. This may hold good for a while
but you know, in your heart of hearts, that if you ignore some basic requirements it will
break and probably do so at a time that is inconvenient at best and dangerous at worst.
John Doe, a professional life coach of Anytown explained this to us recently. He was
telling us about a new service that he offers his clients. “Even my long term clients, who
already know how coaching can transform their lives, sometimes need a ‘tune up’ after
a few months. For people who haven’t yet experienced the amazing results of life
coaching, this new tune up service offers a valuable introduction to the coaching
process.”
In a few one-hour telephone conversations, at weekly intervals, Doe invites his clients to
review where they are now and where they want to be in the future. Together they create
a strategy for getting to where they want to be and define the actions that will produce
the desired results. He is quick to point out that the life coach is simply the catalyst. It
is the client who makes the decisions and the commitment. For a great many, the weekly
reporting back of progress is the spur that keeps them on target.
Doe returns to the engineering analogy again. “After a long summer, machinery is
probably needing a good lubrication, a removal of accumulated debris and attention to
the ravages of long, sunny days. Autumn is a great time for human engineering too. As
the evenings grow darker and there are fewer outdoor distractions it is all too easy to
lapse into evenings in front of the television. I just invite my clients to spend a few
minutes a day on their own tune up needs. They are then better equipped to face any
challenges that come their way and to create great new opportunities for themselves”.

Tune Up
ENDS 430 Words

Release 9 for September publication
Evenings
USE THOSE LONGER EVENINGS

If you lead an active outdoor life you will think of the September dusk as coming too early
and making your evenings shorter. If you spend much of your time indoors you will see
them as longer evenings. The hours of darkness are the same for everyone. It is only
your perception of them that is different.
John Doe is a professional life coach with a practice in Anytown. He says: “No two people see
the world in exactly the same way. The art of achieving success in life is to ensure that you
see every challenge or opportunity in its most positive light - and this is a great time of year
to start doing this.”
Doe suggests that many of us are too busy working at earning a living to actually take
time out for living fully. He begins by asking a client, ‘What would you choose to do in
your life if you could do absolutely anything with no limitations, no prospect of failure and
no accountability to anyone?’ He is no longer surprised when clients answer this innocent
question with a long list of what they don’t want to do.
“It seems to be a natural reaction”, he says. “I don’t let them off the hook that easily. I
listen and keep returning to the positive side of the question. Eventually I will get them
to admit to themselves, and often this is for the first time, what it is that they really want
to do.”
Life coaching is a painless procedure that seeks to eliminate limitations, ensure success
and allow individuals to take personal responsibility for their own lives. Doe again. “Some
clients are amazed at how liberated they feel when they realise that they can and should
take control over their own lives. Too many just go with the flow and respond to the
pressures of what others think they should do. With coaching they can change from this
‘victim’ mentality to one of ‘victor’ thinking. And anyone can do it.”

More/
Evenings
ENDS 500 Words

Release 10 for October publication
Perfect
PLAN YOUR PERFECT CHRISTMAS NOW

As the shops begin to display their full ranges of seasonal gift ideas, they are putting
plans into action that were formulated almost a year ago. For many of us, Christmas is
a last minute rush and an expensive time of rampant consumerism and materialism.
John Doe is a professional life coach with a practice in Anytown. He says: “This is a good
time to start planning your own perfect Christmas. Not in a materialistic sense, but in a
sense that is measured by contentment and satisfaction.”
Doe suggests that a lot of Christmas stress results from people trusting to luck that
‘everything will be alright’ rather than taking control and ensuring that they actually make
everything as they want it to be. He begins by asking a client, ‘What would you choose
to do in your life if you could do absolutely anything with no limitations, no prospect of
failure and no accountability to anyone?’ He is no longer surprised when clients answer
this innocent question with a long list of what they don’t want to do.
“It seems to be a natural reaction”, he says. “I don’t let them off the hook that easily. I
listen and keep returning to the positive side of the question. Eventually I will get them
to admit to themselves, and often this is for the first time, what it is that they really want
to do. This awareness can be the best Christmas present that you can give to yourself.”
It is nowhere near as selfish as it sounds either. According to Doe, all his clients discover
that, once they have a plan for their life and achievements and are working towards its
fulfilment, all the other areas of their lives improve as well. Partners, relatives and
colleagues alike notice a new sense of purpose, a new enthusiasm and a contagious
happiness. He says: “You may not be able to wrap all this up in pretty paper but even
so, its value is beyond measure.”
More/

Perfect
ENDS 500 WORDS

Release 11 for November publication
Review
YOUR YEAR END REVIEW

Some American motivational speakers have a phrase. They refer to their ‘warm fuzzy file’.
This may seem a trifle unacceptable to our ears, but the philosophy behind it is certainly
sound.
John Doe, a professional life coach with a practice in Anytown explains.”It seems to be
human nature to dwell on mistakes, failures and the negative aspects of life. This is
really sad because we all, without exception, have some achievements that are worth
rewarding ourselves for.”
reporting back of progress is the spur that keeps them on target. For others, even small
achievements can create their motivation to raise their personal goal posts and to aim
higher.
“It seems to be a natural reaction for my clients to focus on what they have not done
rather than on what they have done. This is enough to prevent some of them even
attempting anything new if it is allowed to pass unchallenged.”
Doe often gets a laugh when he refers to their warm, fuzzy file. This is simply a list of all
the good things that you have done since your last review. These may be as simple as
having a daily ‘To Do’ list and then actually doing everything that is on it. They can be as
simple as spending some time with someone who is lonely - or smiling at a shop
assistant. He says: “This doesn’t exclude the big things too, but if you focus on these it
is all too easy to lose sight of those little things that make a big difference to someone
else.”
As this year draws to a close, Doe suggests that now is the ideal time to undertake your
own warm and fuzzy list. “You will be surprised how helpful it can be when you are having
a day when things seem out of kilter. If you maintain your list regularly you will be amazed
at what you have achieved and this will spur you on to do even more.”

Review
ENDS 490 WORDS

Release 12 for December publication
Relationships
A SPECIAL TIME FOR SPECIAL RELATIONSHIPS

Christmas is, for many, a time when relationships are foremost in their minds. But for
some, it is a time of deception, when the printed words of peace and love are in direct
opposition to what they really feel inside.
John Doe, a professional life coach with a practice in Anytown explains: “At this time of
year, any relationships that are under strain may totally split asunder. As families gather
together, old animosities and rivalries can bubble to the surface. The mature approach
is to just let them go. It takes two people to have a disagreement. If one of them (you),
decides that life is too short and makes a personal commitment to let the real happiness
and peace that is Christmas become a reality, then there is no more argument. There is
no point in winning a series of battles if you can simply end the war.”
review their relationships at home, at work and in a social environment. Together they
create a strategy for repairing any that are suspect and for terminating the few that are
beyond repair. He is quick to point out that the life coach is simply the catalyst. It is the
client who makes the decisions and the commitment. For a great many, the weekly
reporting back of progress is the spur that keeps them on target. For others, even small
achievements can create their motivation. “If you use your energy to perpetuate a feeling
of grudge, envy or hurt, then you are using energy that could, and should, be directed
towards more positive things - like building yourself the life that you truly desire.”
Life coaching helps people from all walks of life to take control of their future. If
relationships, either intimate or work related, are a cause for concern, your weekly
coaching session can show you a clear way forward.
In coaching there is no blame, no right and no wrong. There is simply an outcome or

result that arises from an action. If you can learn the actions that create harmony and
peace, then the joy of Christmas really will, as the cards say, stay with you throughout
the rest of the year. As Doe says, “If you want to change somebody else, the only place
you can begin is with changing yourself. And, the only time you can start is right now.”
More/

Relationships
ENDS 480 WORDS

Appendix 24
YOUR PERSONAL BROCHURE
• You really do need an informative brochure to give or send to people who

express an interest in what you do as a Life Coach.
• The following four pages can be personalised with your own name and
contact details and used as an A4 brochure. (A single A3 sheet, printed
both sides and folded in the centre.)
• Another option is to reduce the size by 50% and have it printed as an A5

brochure. (A single A4 sheet printed both sides and folded.)
• If you are not offering corporate coaching, simply delete the sections that
refer to this and replace them with information about personal coaching
and its benefits.
• A simple ‘tri-fold’ brochure is a cheaper option (but it looks cheap too!)
• Your local high street copy shop will be pleased to advise you on your
options.
• If you use more than one colour for print you will add to your cost.
Instead, add colour by asking for a standard tinted paper.
• If you modify this text:-

Never offer more than you can supply.
Be brief, be clear, be accurate, be honest.
Check for spelling errors before you order your printing
Then check again!

This is
LIFE COACHING
By
(Your Name Here)
‘Of all the personal development and performance improving techniques developed in
the last century, life coaching is one of the newest, the fastest growing and the most
effective.
Its popularity stems from its pure simplicity’

‘Life Coaching may not be magic - but the results are certainly magical’
HISTORY
The concepts of personal development and
self-improvement have their roots in psycho-
therapy and first came to public notice in the
1930’s with the initial momentum in the
USA.
From then until the mid 1980’s there were

few break-through developments. Most
procedures retained a degree of ‘therapist “When a life coach helps you
and patient’ relationship where the source to
of a trauma or issue was sought to provide
an indication of the ‘cure’. define an action it is not the
This left many individuals with a general
action itself that is important.
feeling that ‘there must be something more It is the results that derive
to life’. Life coaching evolved to
accommodate this need, once more, the from that action that create
momentum started in the USA. the success.”
The new relationship became a partnership
between coach and client with each equally
and totally committed to the client’s desired
and stated outcomes.
Unlike therapy or counselling, life coaching

starts from where you are now and helps
you get to where you want to be.
TWIN OPTIONS
The growth of life coaching in the UK has
been phenomenal since 1999. This demand
has been fired almost totally by word of
“Everyone, without exception, mouth recommendation from people who
have transformed their lives with the help of
has a vast potential for their coach.
happiness and success, a
INDIVIDUAL COACHING is a one to one
potential that is all too often relationship between coach and client. It
unexplored. Your life coach usually follows the format of weekly
telephone sessions by prior appointment,
awakens you to the amazing each lasting around an hour. Coaching is a
practical and holistic process and is totally
possibilities that you possess results oriented.
and shows you how to use
CORPORATE COACHING acknowledges that
them for the benefits of you, any business or company is made up of
your family and individuals. Unless they all share common
objectives and buy into the company ethos
your employer or staff” and culture, there will be a lack of
productivity. A one to one relationship is still
maintained but, most corporate coaches will
conduct face to face sessions on your
premises.

‘With coaching, you truly can do, be, do or have anything that you want’
YOUR PERSONAL COACH

Your coach brings training, experience, care,
skill and absolute confidentiality. You bring
any concerns that you have about
relationships, values, business, career,
finance, personal values, guilt or fear. (The
list is endless!]
During the early sessions you will work

together to define your own life plan. This
‘People will soon no longer ask has elements of goal setting but, is
proactive with an emphasis on goal
“do you have a personal life achievement.
coach?” instead, they will ask, Your coach will help you realise that you truly
“who is your personal life can be, do or have anything that you want. Your
coach will be with you each step of the way as
coach?” you turn that realisation into your reality. The
format of weekly sessions sustains your
enthusiasm and determination to ensure that
the results are lasting beneficial changes -
unlike the temporary ‘high’ that can follow a
seminar or motivational talk.
Your coach will lead you through all the

areas of your life - mind, body and emotional
- without judgement or criticism. The results
will speak for themselves.
YOUR CORPORATE COACH

Your staff are your most valuable resource.
It is also true that your company is only as
strong as the weakest link.
Corporate life coaching will encourage staff

to per form at the optimum levels of
application, enthusiasm and accuracy. As a
result of coaching they will do all this ‘It was clearly demonstrated
because they want to - not because they that training alone could
have to.
increase productivity by 20 per
Corporate coaching is applied at all levels in cent - but, when training was
your organisation, from the top executive
post to the person who sorts and delivers combined with coaching, the
the executive post. True productivity is
achieved when every individual is working productivity increase was a
for the good of the organisation and when massive 80 per cent’
they understand and truly share the aims
and objectives of the company or enterprise.
Interpersonal disputes can be resolved,

square pegs can accept round holes, levels
of personal responsibility can be enhanced
and, recruitment and retention costs can be
slashed with positive cash savings.

This publication is presented with the compliments of (Your name)
Put a brief note about yourself here.
Include contact numbers - phone, email, address, fax etc.

Appendix 25
LETTER & APPRAISAL
Sample Prospecting Letter for you to use as a model and a Personal

Coaching Appraisal to send to clients.
Dear
Are you ready to take your life to the next level?
Do you lack the ‘follow through’ or motivation needed to reach your goals? Maybe you
get frustrated by set backs and feel you are not enjoying life as much as you could. Or
perhaps you want to make a specific life change and need the courage?
If so, perhaps it’s time you discovered the benefits of personal coaching. Together with
a coach you can permanently close the gap between where you are and where you
want to be. If you are discontent with a particular aspect of your life whether it be your
relationships, career or even your general happiness, I believe I can help you.
I am a professional life coach and my goal is to make sure you reach yours – whatever
they may be. Imagine what you could achieve if you had someone 100% committed to
your success spurring you on every week. Someone who is more than a friend or
relative, someone who won’t be jealous of your ambition and shoot you down,
someone who is dedicated to helping you improve every area of your life.
You could benefit from weekly coaching sessions along with email support between
sessions. Our partnership would be entirely confidential and together we’d keep you on
track and overcome all your personal challenges. Our relationship can last for as long
as you need – it’s entirely up to you.
If you would like to find out more about how a personal coach could turn your life
around please contact me for an initial, FREE and without obligation consultation on
YOUR PHONE NUMBER.
I look forward to speaking with you soon.
Kind regards
YOUR NAME
P.S. During your initial consultation you may wish to use the appraisal overleaf as a
rough model for the session. If so please complete it, noting any additional points you
wish to discuss and have it to hand when you call.

PERSONAL COACHING APPRAISAL
Which of the following statements relates to you? (Please ✓ BOX.)
1. “Circumstances take advantage of me and I’d like it to be the other way

round.” ■
2. “I have come to the end of my career path and realise I want something
more.” ■
3. “I work extremely hard for seemingly little reward and would like to take a
step back and enjoy what I do.” ■
4. “I feel my relationships with people need improving. I would like to be more

in touch with the people around me.” ■
5. “I have been placing all my hopes on a miracle and it hasn’t happened.” ■
6. “I lack self-discipline and would like to take more control of my life.” ■
Please answer the following questions honestly.

1. What do you feel you have been putting up with ?
2. What in life is most important to you?
3. Who is most important to you?
4. What goals have you set aside as unachievable?
5. What personal trait or habit do you most wish to change?
6. What things give you enjoyment?

Appendix 26
MARKETING - A5 FLYER
Below is a sample of an A5 FLYER for you to use as a marketing tool to

attract clients.

WEEK 12 - MARKETING YOUR COACHING SKILLS

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Coaching Skills Program

© 2011 The Life Coaching Academy Version 2011/1

The Building Blocks of Coaching Page 2

This phenomenal growth is largely the result of word-of-mouth

The Academy operates out of offices in Queensland. 2000 coaches

The Building Blocks of Coaching Page 3

In Miles Downey’s own words, “Coaching by definition encourages

In Take Yourself to the Top, Laura Berman Fortgang offers a more

The Building Blocks of Coaching Page 4

What life coaching is NOT!

Just to be absolutely clear let me reiterate that:-

Life Coaching is not designed to support individuals in times of deep crisis

The Building Blocks of Coaching Page 5

A life coach encourages and facilitates clients in identifying their own

Who trains to be a life coach?

Why do people use a life coach?

The Building Blocks of Coaching Page 6

How does coaching work in the practical sense?

Face-to-face – the coach will work one-on-one with the client in an

The Building Blocks of Coaching Page 7

The Building Blocks of Coaching Page 8

This guide addresses, in plain language, the most frequently asked

Think of it as your first signpost to a journey that could provide greater

1. What is The Coaching Academy?

The Building Blocks of Coaching Page 9

Coaching is an interactive process where the coach guides and facilitates

Your coach is a listener who is totally non-critical and non-judgemental. As

The Building Blocks of Coaching Page 10

"Coaching helps me define where I want to go and it gets me there

The Building Blocks of Coaching Page 11

Many personal development and self-help techniques can be traced back

Coaching has no such pedigree and no founding father. It is the result of a

The Building Blocks of Coaching Page 12

The Building Blocks of Coaching Page 13

In many situations, a therapist or counsellor will look to the immediate or

The next major difference is that therapy or counselling may address a

The main purpose of coaching is to empower you to take control of every

"My coach said he would be like a control tower talking me down to

The Building Blocks of Coaching Page 14

The Building Blocks of Coaching Page 15

Consultants are invited to investigate a particular work related situation.

The Building Blocks of Coaching Page 16

The Building Blocks of Coaching Page 17

Coaching focuses on establishing and achieving personal goals. Business

The Building Blocks of Coaching Page 1 8

The Building Blocks of Coaching Page 19

The Coaching Academy's three-month training course will build on these

"I went to the Introduction session out of casual curiosity. Now I

The Building Blocks of Coaching Page 20

The Building Blocks of Coaching Page 21

Professional coaching is never offered as a “business opportunity”. It is a

The Building Blocks of Coaching Page 22

The Building Blocks of Coaching Page 23

9. Is there any support after the course?

The Building Blocks of Coaching Page 24

"Always conduct themselves to the highest levels of ethics,

"Treat all clients and potential clients with absolute dignity,

"Respect the commercial confidentiality of The Coaching Academy

"Maintain the good reputation of the coaching profession in

"Make commercial agreements with clients and potential clients

The Building Blocks of Coaching Page 25

"Clearly state to clients and potential clients, the terms of any

"Make no claims or implications of outcomes that cannot be

BOOK TITLE: __________________ Date:

BOOK TITLE: __________________ Date:

BOOK TITLE: __________________ Date:

BOOK TITLE: __________________ Date:

BOOK TITLE: __________________ Date:

BOOK TITLE: __________________ Date: