Ask, Know, Do: Ask the Coach

Ten Questions to Ask Your Coaching Client

Top 10 Questions to Ask Your Client So That You Learn What They Are REALLY Receiving From You and Your Services

by Thomas J. Leonard

Introduction

The purpose of this Top 10 List is to help you find out the exact nature of the value that your clients are receiving from your professional services - beyond the obvious that they would expect from you. It is important that you know this information because you can then expand your marketing efforts to include these 'hot button' items.

The Set Up

It's important to call your clients on the phone to ask these questions or to do so in person. Don't use email, don't fax, and don't send a letter or 'survey' (INSULTING!).

The reason that it's important to ask these questions live is that you may have to press or help the client to articulate their answers beyond the 'obvious first response.' Think of a faucet in an old building that hasn't been turned on for a while. What comes out for the first 30 seconds? Yep, rusty water.

It's true for this exercise as well, because this may be the FIRST time ever in your client's life that they've ever been asked these types of questions. Be patient, quiet, and encouraging. And, stick with them until the 'truth' comes out. It's there, like delivering a baby. And a relief to all when it comes popping out! (Okay, sorry for the analogy, but it does fit.)

Open the call with a statement/question like this one:

"Bob, I am hoping that you can spend 10 minutes with me because I need your help with something I'm working on."

"Sure, Mary, what can I do?"

"Bob, I'm trying to get a handle on the nature of the value that ALL of my clients are receiving from our working together, so I'm calling each client -like you - and asking them a couple of questions. Would you be willing to give this a shot?"

"Uh, sure, Mary, ask away."

"Thanks, Bob." (proceed to questions below)

The point is to get permission, give background/context/purpose, and inform the client that you are doing this with every client (full disclosure) so they know the scope of the project.

Select and adapt the questions which fit best for you.

Top 10 Questions To Ask

1. "What are the 3 important ways that you have benefited from our working together?" (accept what they say, and then press for clarity/simplicity/truth)

2. "Have you benefited in surprising ways, perhaps outside of what you hired me to do for you?" (press for truth/release)

3. "Is there an area of our work together that you would like to spend more time on?" (be patient as they create this; this tells you what they want more of and may help you expand your practice by serving others with similar needs)

4. "Five years from now, what will you say about the work we have done together to this point?" (be patient as they process this)

5. "You know me as a [insert your profession here]. What ELSE would you call me or the role I play in your life?" (have fun with them as they think of this; press for other examples until one rings true for both of you)

6. "What are the 3 positive (meaning complimentary) adjectives which describe me?" (this, so that you can discover how you or your personality are perceived, which you can craft into added features/benefits of your work.)

7. "What are the 3 ways that our working together is saving you money and/or making you more money." (be patient as they identify these)

8. "How is our working together improving the quality of your personal life?" (be patient; they aren't expecting this one)

9. "As a result of our working together, what have you been freed up to do and accomplish work-wise or business-wise?" (be patient; they need to connect the dots between you, your work, them, and their business/work)

10. "Given my goal is to identify EVERYTHING that you receive/get from our working together, what else would you want to add to make this list complete?" (be patient; this is the BIG QUESTION)

Can't Get Enough Leadership

Develop Leadership Skills: A Reference Guide

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July 25, 2014 in Ask the Coach, Books, Business Coaching, Coaching, Personal Coaching | Permalink

What we don't know, we don't know.

For over fifty years, I have tied my shoes the same way.

Then while getting a shoeshine at the airport, the shoe shiner told me that I didn't have to double tie them in order to keep my shoelaces well-tied.

He said that if I tied my laces by looping the lace under, rather than over the loop, I would tie a "square knot" that would hold. Every sailor knows how to tie a square knot but it took fifty years for this knowledge to get to me.

Just like tying your shoes correctly, there are many principles in life that we don't know, we don't know.

For example, we have all heard the sayings, "It's not what you know but who you know that achieves success" and "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" but most of us still believe in the myth of individualism. We embrace this myth and go about our lives believing that it is solely up to us to achieve success---without depending on the help of others to get what we want. Yet, as hard as we try, we can't seem to get it done alone.

The book, "Achieving Success Through Social Capital: Tapping Hidden Resources in Your Personal and Business Networks" by Wayne E. Baker explains that it's not just what you know (but that plus who you know) that determines your success in life. The book proves that the myth of individualism keeps us from using our personal and business networks to gain the resources we need to excel in life.

Through reading Dr. Wayne Baker's book (based upon principles like the "small-world principle" and the "Law of Reciprocity"), I found out about things I didn't know existed and how to use them to improve my life.

Wayne E. Baker: Achieving Success Through Social Capital: Tapping Hidden Resources in Your Personal and Business Networks

July 11, 2014 in Ask the Coach, Books, Career, Success, Web/Tech, Work Life | Permalink

Get the Socionomic Edge

Find out how at the 4th Annual Social Mood Conference

By Elliott Wave International

Robert Prechter forecasted more than 10 years ago that the War on Drugs would become more violent, leading eventually to the decriminalization of the possession and sale of recreational drugs. The Socionomist followed up in 2009 with an in-depth story by Euan Wilson called "The Coming Collapse of a Modern Prohibition." We published an update in November 2013, "Marijuana: The Mood Shifts, and Decades of Prohibition Go Up in Smoke," that was a timely reminder just before marijuana stocks exploded in early 2014. The recent rush of new state laws to decriminalize pot bears out these forecasts.

Enter Alan Brochstein, a pioneer in the Green Rush by way of his groundbreaking website, 420 Investor, which provides investors information about how to invest in the nascent cannabis industry. He will be just one of the speakers from around the globe at the upcoming 4th Annual Social Mood Conference on April 5, 2014. Join the many people already scheduled to attend who are also interested in understanding how socionomics makes it possible to understand changes in the world -- before they happen.

Here are the topics of five of the nine researchers and business people who will present their ideas in Atlanta.

* * * * * * * * * *

Capitalizing on Cannabis: The Transformation of an Industry and the Creation of a New Investment Bubble

Alan Brochstein, CFA, Founder of 420 Investor.com

Mr. Brochstein has seen the herding impulse up close on a consistent basis through his investing service. The rapidly changing landscape for legal and medical cannabis presents opportunities for many stakeholders, including patients, consumers, entrepreneurs and government entities. Investors, whether through publicly traded companies or privately, are poised to capitalize on cannabis as well.

He will discuss how the combination of a rapidly changing industry and a political dynamic that touches many investors on a deeply personal level is already attracting substantial capital that might even be characterized as a bubble in the publicly traded stocks. At the same time, a highly uncertain financial regulatory environment has left the cannabis industry without ample access to traditional funding sources. Mr. Brochstein will discuss the opportunities ahead for investors who can navigate what will likely be a volatile environment.

Predicting Human Behavior with Internet Data

Suzy Moat, Assistant Professor of Behavioral Science at the Warwick Business School, UK

Our everyday Internet usage generates huge amounts of data on how humans collect and exchange information worldwide. Dr. Moat's recent research asks whether this data can be used to measure and to even predict human behavior.

Her talk will aim to show how large-scale patterns of communication can indeed help us to understand large-scale patterns of behavior. Dr. Moat will describe a number of illuminating case studies that link data (from sources such as Google, Wikipedia and Twitter) to collective behavior in the economic domain and beyond. For example, her team tested a hypothetical investment strategy based on big data about Google searches for financial terms such as "debt," "portfolio" and "stocks." It earned a 326% theoretical profit from 2004 to 2011, compared with 16% if the model had simply purchased the same stocks in 2004 and sold them in 2011.

From Individual Decision Making to Collective Dynamics

Thomas Brudermann, Ph.D., Researcher at the Institute for Systems Sciences, Innovation and Sustainability Research, University of Graz, Austria

How do ideas go viral on a large scale? Decades of research on human decision making have yielded rich insights on psychological biases. We are well aware of the power of social influence, conformity pressure and herding. At the same time, suitable methods have been developed to keep track of collective phenomena. To get an idea about ongoing processes in markets and society, we may analyze Twitter tweets, track Google search trends, observe sales figures of certain products or look at stock market indexes.

What is still missing is a comprehensive understanding of the underlying collective dynamics, that is, the missing link between decisions happening on the individual level and emergent phenomena occurring on a macro level scale. This talk will address prospects and challenges of this research as well as possible links to socionomics, and discuss under which circumstances thoughts, ideas and preferences might go viral on a large scale.

How to Use Socionomics in Real Time

Peter Atwater, President of Financial Insyghts, a U.S. consulting firm

Using examples from his own socionomic applications � ranging from huge unexpected wins to failed applications � Mr. Atwater will discuss the valuable lessons he has learned, some the hard way, in his years as a social mood researcher and finance professional.

He will share some of his real-life experiences with socionomics, such as what happens when he challenges money managers to view what is happening outside the markets as equally important as, if not more important than, what is happening inside the markets. He will also discuss how some pioneering business leaders have adopted socionomics as an indispensable tool for strategic planning.

The Socio Edge: Making Socionomically Informed Decisions in an Era of Dynamic Change

Matt Lampert, Ph.D. candidate at the University of Cambridge, UK

Despite the availability of information in the Age of Big Data, we are consistently blindsided by game-changing events. Mr. Lampert's thesis is that, in a world marked by constant change and fluctuation, being able to see around the corner before others gives you the opportunity to prepare early. Socionomic analysis can cut through the noise to identify the signals that matter most. It can also generate a strategic advantage -- from forecasting entirely new industries to recognizing the potential for swift trend changes. He will explore how the socio edge has allowed analysts to anticipate and adjust for changes in the social landscape that catch most of the world off guard.

Book Your Seat: The 2014 Social Mood Conference
Registration is now open

Join these five exciting speakers at the 2014 Social Mood Conference, April 5 in Atlanta, GA.

Learn more and reserve your seat now >>

If you would like to receive the free socionomics content each week, sign up here.

March 14, 2014 in Ask the Coach, Current Affairs, Food and Drink, Health, Personal Life, What is | Permalink

What's so hard about asking a good question?

You've been asking questions since you could talk. The problem is that the more knowledge you acquired and the more sophisticated your vocabulary became, the worse you probably got at asking questions.

Effective questioning is about accuracy and efficiency, and the way that most people structure questions on a day-to-day basis is about neither one.

In "FIND OUT ANYTHING FROM ANYONE, ANYTIME" by James O. Pyle and Maryann Karinch reveals how to reframe your questioning to discover more information while building long-term skills such as rapport-building, active listening, critical thinking and numerous other competitive advantages.

Effective coaching can happen on the dance floor of conversation.

The structure and flow of effective questions probably won't come naturally. You'll need to rewire your brain to become more like Socrates and ask "open questions" to discover what is important to the person you are talking with. An open-ended question is designed to encourage a full, meaningful answer using the subject's own knowledge and/or feelings. It is the opposite of a closed-ended question, which encourages a short or single-word answer. Open-ended questions also tend to be more objective and less leading than closed-ended questions

"Questioning is about discovery and it's a process that enables you to connect with other people," explains author Pyle. "I encourage you to see questioning as a handshake. Asking questions is an invitation to a relationship."

Asking the right question is rewarding to the person being asked and to the asker. Open questions make it possible for the person being asked to yield the information you need from a source who doesn't even realize s/he has anything worthwhile to contribute.

The rule of thumb is, if you ask an open question and get an answer that suggests there might be additional information, ask that question again. So, "What's your favorite music?" gets a particular answer, and ""What else do you like a lot?" is a tightly related open question that probes more deeply.

At some point the "what else" open questions lead the person to say, "That's it. Can't think of any more." Then you know you're done with that line of questioning and can move on to a directive question. For example, a directive question might be: "If you look at your favorite from each decade, what similarities do they have? Is there something common to all of your favorites?"

That question is exactly the kind of imaginative question that can trigger a spontaneous Aha! moment response. So, we are not suggesting it be eliminated because it doesn't follow a prescribed flow or structure; we are just suggesting that the placement of it needs to be carefully considered.

For now, just consider that this question was designed to draw out psychological information about the person, not just the facts. The power of a well-structured question like that cannot be underestimated. Psychological or directional questions can take someone off guard so much that what follows is thinking, and in this case, trying to remember particular songs and what they might have in common. No easy or prepared answers readily came to mind.

The importance is viewing questioning as discovery, and the two key coaching points are:

1. In general, ask an open question for a narrative response, rather than yes or no. An obvious exception is "Will you marry me?"

2. Know when to ask, "What else?"

To do both of these things well, you probably need to fight your impulses. By learning how to question well, you are starting to change the way you think.

Source: James Pyle: Find Out Anything From Anyone, Anytime: Secrets of Calculated Questioning From a Veteran Interrogator

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January 17, 2014 in Ask the Coach, Books, Business Coaching, Coaching, Personal Coaching, What is | Permalink

The First Five Minutes of the Job Interview are Critical

When it comes to a job interview, the first few minutes may be the most crucial. A new survey from CareerBuilder finds that nearly half (48 percent) of employers know within the first five minutes of an interview whether a candidate is a good or bad fit for the position, and 87 percent know within the first 15 minutes.

Common Mistakes

The top most detrimental blunders candidates make in interviews are often the most common, according to employers:

Appearing disinterested 55 percent

Dressing inappropriately 53 percent

Appearing arrogant 53 percent

Talking negatively about current or previous employers 50 percent

Answering a cell phone or texting during the interview 49 percent

Appearing uninformed about the company or role 39 percent

Not providing specific examples 33 percent

Providing too much personal information 20 percent

Asking the hiring manager personal questions 17 percent

Communication involves much more than simply words, and forgetting that during an interview could harm your chances. Employers weighed in on the worst body language mistakes candidates make in job interviews:

Failure to make eye contact 70 percent
Failure to smile 44 percent
Bad posture 35 percent
Fidgeting too much in one¹s seat 35 percent
Playing with something on the table 29 percent
Handshake that is too weak 27 percent
Crossing their arms over one¹s chest 24 percent
Playing with hair or touching one¹s face 24 percent
Using too many hand gestures 10 percent
Handshake that is too strong 5 percent

"Employers want to see confidence and genuine interest in the position. The interview is not only an opportunity to showcase your skills, but also to demonstrate that you¹re the type of person people will want to work with," said Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder. Going over common interview questions, researching the company, and practicing with a friend or family member can help you feel more prepared, give you a boost in confidence, and help calm your nerves.

Survey Methodology

The national survey was conducted online by Harris Interactive^© from November 6 to December 2, 2013, and included a representative sample of 2,201 hiring managers and human resource professionals across industries and company sizes. With a pure probability sample of 2,201, one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 2.09 percentage points. Sampling error for data from sub-samples is higher and varies.

Ask the Coach

When Doing It All Won't Do: A Self-Coaching Guide for Career Women

Decoding the Executive Woman's Dress Code

January 13, 2014 in Ask the Coach, Books, Career, Current Affairs, Personal Coaching, Success, Work Life | Permalink

How Coaches Win Referrals Through Their Professional Network

How do you combine off-line and online network building approaches in a way that focuses your efforts so that you minimize wasted time?

Few people will buy coaching; they will buy solutions to problems that they experience or for overcoming barriers to the fulfillment of a dream or desire.

If they have a problem in mind, they will usually have in mind a solution of some sort. That solution may be coaching or something that resembles coaching. However, the client may not perceive it as such. That is why you need to be looking to develop connections with people who fall into one of four categories:

1. Potential clients with a known immediate need.

2. Potential clients with a likely future need.

3. People who can give you immediate referrals (to someone they know in their personal or business networks who could use your coaching).

4. People who may be able to give you referrals in the future.

Of these, categories 3 and 4 may prove to be of the greatest value to you over time.

In developing your professional social capital network, you are looking to make a reasonable number of high-quality connections, not necessarily to connect with every possible potential client. However, the more closely you have defined your perfect client, the easier it will be to locate people like that. The more specific you can be in defining your target market, the easier it becomes to decide how best to reach people within it. The narrower your definition of your target, the more focused your marketing efforts can be.

You will need to be present and constructively visible in places where the kind of people you would like to meet are likely to be found. Some coaches opt for a wholly off-line approach to building their professional network; others prefer to work online. In today's world, one must combine the two in order to be most successful.

Source: Stephen Newton: Success as a Coach: Start and Build a Successful Coaching Practice

Frank Bresser: The global business guide for the successful use of coaching in organizations

John Agno: Ask the Coach

Gordon S. Curtis: Well Connected: An Unconventional Approach to Building Genuine, Effective Business Relationships

January 08, 2014 in Ask the Coach, Books, Business Coaching, Personal Coaching, Success, What is | Permalink

Coaching Competition

As coaches, we always have competition.

However, that competition is not always in the form of other coaches. It may come in the form of alternative approaches to resolving the prospective client's problem; through a consulting exercise, some mentoring work, advice from a professional associate, etc. It may be something as basic as a conversation with a trusted friend or family member. It may indeed be the old and comfortable approach of "doing nothing."

Competition is not normally an issue provided that you have engendered:

basic like-ability and trust

credibility in the eyes of the client

a sense that you have heard their issues at a deep level

an understanding of the benefits you deliver

In the case of business or executive coaching, selection onto a shortlist may be based on objective and emotional factors. These might include items such as formal coaching qualifications and individual certification by an organization like WABC (Worldwide Association of Business Coaches). There may be additional factors such as foreign language capability, physical location, past business experience and level of seniority attained. However, once you are on the shortlist, your ability to win business is once again down to the basic personal like-ability and trust perceptions you develop during the first meeting with the corporate client and person-to-be-coached.

There is little point in focusing on what the competition have that you don't....because focusing on the competition acts as a distraction. Focusing on maximizing the number of opportunities you have to connect with potential clients and holding the best on-line and off-line conversations will be your best chance of building a client base.

Source: Stephen Newton: Success as a Coach: Start and Build a Successful Coaching Practice

Frank Bresser: The global business guide for the successful use of coaching in organizations

John Agno: Ask the Coach

January 07, 2014 in Ask the Coach, Books, Business Coaching, Coaching, Personal Coaching, Success | Permalink

Working with Other Coaches

If you decide that you prefer to work with others rather than solo and are willing to brave the issues that can arise in doing, consider associating with a group of like-minded coaches.

It may be that you seek partners or associates actively, or you may simply meet like-minded individuals with whom you feel it would be good to work. Before you embark on working with others, it is essential to decide on what basis you wish to work together (associate or partnership) and what factors will influence your selection of colleagues.

The selection of people with whom to work is not trivial. In corporate life we do not usually have the opportunity to select our colleagues. In your own business, it is a valuable blessing.

There are groups of coaches and a few full-blown 'corporate' entities and franchises. Many more that work in loose groups of 'associates.'

It may be tempting to view a group of associates as akin to a partnership. It is not. You can choose to work with an associate or not. With a partner, you are accepting liability for actions taken by your partner. Even if you do not have a formal partnership arrangement, but allow yourself to be spoken of as a partner, it sets perceptions in the minds of others and in particular of potential clients. If a client likes and trusts you but has a visceral dislike of someone who talks of you as a business partner, that dislike will rub off on you.

If you decide to go down the route of partnership, the basis of your partnership agreement must be written down and signed by each partner. Among other things that agreement must cover:

* ownership of any existing client relationships;

* the basis of fee splits and/or income division;

* contributions by individuals to the business and the basis of repayment, and

* a mechanism to dissolve the partnership and events that will trigger dissolution automatically.

Whether as a partnership or as a group of associates, the key skill is not usually coaching but client acquisition. Coaching is in fact, more often not, the pleasurable outcome of the hard work of marketing and selling.

Source: Stephen Newton: Success as a Coach: Start and Build a Successful Coaching Practice

Frank Bresser: The global business guide for the successful use of coaching in organizations

John Agno: Ask the Coach

January 01, 2014 in Ask the Coach, Books, Business Coaching, Coaching, Personal Coaching | Permalink

Positioning Your Coaching Business

What is the type of client with whom you can be most successful and with whom you are most likely to enjoy working?

As part of your strategic marketing process, you will explore the value you are able to deliver so that you can focus on those clients where you can make the greatest difference. This will help you define the type of referral that you would most like to receive. The two are, of course, closely linked.

Defining clearly the type of client with whom you wish to work and the factors that will allow you credibly to approach that type of client, you minimize the probability of summary rejection and maximize the likelihood of winning business once you meet the potential client. The result is that you save time and effort.

Many coaches believe that they are able to coach literally anyone successfully. In theory that may be possible. However, experience indicates that it is rarely the case in practice. In the mind of the client, your coaching credentials are only one element in the hiring decision. Factors such as personal chemistry and relevant experience often carry more weight, not least because relatively few clients have any objective means to judge your ability as a coach and the whole field of training and certification is confused and fragmented.

If the client perceives relevant experience to be the key selection factor for their coach, no amount of positive references and testimonials will overcome that perception and if you lack that experience, the chance of being hired is slender.

In order to develop a coaching practice that is successful for you as well as for your clients, you must decide early on what factors define a "perfect" client for you and what would cause you to decline an engagement.

Source: Stephen Newton: Success as a Coach: Start and Build a Successful Coaching Practice

Frank Bresser: The global business guide for the successful use of coaching in organizations

John Agno: Ask the Coach

December 30, 2013 in Ask the Coach, Books, Business Coaching, Coaching, Personal Coaching, What is | Permalink

Who Buys Coaching?

The actual buying process for coaching seems to depend on the nature of the coaching sought.

However, in the vast majority of cases, the final decision on coach selection seems to rest with the person-to-be-coached. In the case of business/executive coaching, an initial shortlist may be made by the Human Relations (HR) or talent management department in the organization (at the request of a general manager, C-Suite executive or other leadership of the company). The final choice will usually depend on the personal chemistry between the prospective coach and the person-to-be-coached combined with trust that the desired personal development results can be delivered by the person-being-coached.

Coaching is such a personal and intense relationship that it is usually best for the client to select the person they feel best able to work with. It may prove necessary to transfer to another coach after a period of time when the person-being-coached is able to take advantage of a different, perhaps "tougher" approach.

In the case of career coaching and personal coaching, the selection may well be made by the person-to-be-coached with no formal external input or financial support. Choice may be based on referrals or in some cases search engine results followed by website review and a phone call that may then lead to a chemistry discussion or meeting. In some cases, the person-to-be-coached may rely simply on a referral as long as the personal chemistry is adequate.

This sort of impression in business/executive and career coaching is almost certainly a product of the fact that there is limited regulation of such coaching and little by way of agreed accreditation factors. In other words, it is hard for buyers to form a view of coaches and their capabilities, based on a common and consistent set of objective criteria.

Individual coaches therefore have an opportunity to use this situation to their advantage, with the help of an experienced mentor coach, in differentiating themselves from possible competitors.

Source: Stephen Newton: Success as a Coach: Start and Build a Successful Coaching Practice

Frank Bresser: The global business guide for the successful use of coaching in organizations

John Agno: Ask the Coach