By: Sabrina Schleicher, PhD, PCC, BCC

For any potential client considering coaching, there is one burning question they likely have in mind and it may go unspoken. If you aren’t addressing this critical unspoken question, you may be finding it difficult to get clients to move forward in working with you. The question is:

What results can I expect from coaching?

For us coaches, this is a difficult question to answer for several reasons. First, we know that the results of coaching are heavily dependent upon the client’s engagement in the process. This makes us hesitant to discuss specific results with potential clients. We can deliver great coaching, but if the client doesn’t follow through, she or he won’t get the results.

Second, if you are a coach without a clear niche, you are coaching a variety of people with a variety of issues. So, the results your clients get from working with you vary, depending upon the reason they are engaged in coaching with you. When you have a clear niche, it’s much easier to answer a potential client’s unspoken question of: “What results can I expect from coaching with you?”

Even though this question may be difficult for you to answer right away, I invite you to take it on as an inquiry. Start by paying attention to and tracking specific results your clients are telling you about.

There are lots of ways the coaching process supports you in doing this. I like to start my coaching calls by asking my clients about their wins and successes. For the client, you are acknowledging progress and it supports the client in developing a more resilient mindset. As the coach, you have a structure that supports you in tuning into results from coaching. Plus, it’s just fun to celebrate progress with your clients!

Another way to identify results your clients get from coaching is to use the Wheel of Life. Invite your client to complete the Wheel of Life at the beginning of their work with you, and again at the end of a coaching engagement. Walk the client through identifying specifically what has changed from the beginning of coaching through the end of coaching—in each life area. As the client is identifying specific changes that have occurred, a great follow-up question is, “What do you imagine to be the long-term impact of ... (name the specific change the client identified). These are results for you to note.

Because coaching results in mindset shifts and new life skills, most likely, positive changes will continue to happen for the client long after the coaching engagement has ended. You can check in with your past clients a few months after the completion of coaching and inquire as to continued positive changes that are happening. By the way, these conversations are great opportunities to ask for testimonials to use on your website and other marketing materials!

By paying attention to and tracking the results your clients are getting from their work with you, you will be able to tell potential clients about the possible results they may get from coaching, given the expectation they will fully engage in the coaching. Along the way, you’ll notice your confidence in the coaching process increasing. It’s a win-win!

Do you have a burning question about marketing or growing your coaching practice? Send it to me at admin@tapthepotential.comwith “ILCT Blog” in the Subject Line and I may answer it in an upcoming blog post.

Dr. Sabrina Schleicher specializes in training coaches and therapists to double their Ideal Clients so they can build thriving, lucrative practices working part-time. Get her free audio training, "3 Secrets to Doubling Your Ideal Clients in 90 Days," plus script to discover exactly what your Ideal Clients want from you at www.tapthepotentialcoaching.com