One of the main jobs of a life coach is to instill confidence and trust in our clients. We need our clients to trust us, so they can open up about their hopes and dreams and make a plan to reach them. For this reason, the first sessions are incredibly important. Let’s talk about what to expect from your first session with a new client.
Meeting new clients can be a little stressful but only because you do not know what to expect. To solve this, you can plan out how you want the first session to go. After all, your client is looking to you for guidance.
It’s important to acknowledge what the purpose of the first session is. The purpose of the coaching session is for you to connect with your client and discover their needs and what they hope to achieve from coaching. You can discover this information in many ways, and this is where your own personality can shine. If you like a casual first session, you can meet your client at a coffee shop and get to know them there. On the other hand, if you like more technical initial sessions, you can have a questionnaire form ready for your new client.
Whether you have a questionnaire or you get your information through conversation, there are some things you need to learn. You need to get to know your client on a personal level, decipher what their main goals are, and understand why they sought out a life coach. You should also ask for their communication preferences. Finally, you should allow them to ask you any questions.
Initial coaching sessions are an opportunity for you to learn as much as you can about your new client, especially since they’ll be working with you for several weeks or months. If you are a new life coach or an experienced life coach looking to better hone your coaching skills, Coach Training Alliance has a plethora of coaching resources, from certified coaching courses to informative blog entries and everything in between.
