How to Prepare for your First Coaching Call
I’m a big fan of investing in myself and my business, and one of the most fun and rewarding ways I do that is by hiring amazing coaches.
If you’re thinking of hiring a coach, I suggest doing some research and hiring someone who has already achieved what you’re hoping to accomplish, and is willing to share the dirty behind-the-scenes of how to achieve it.
When you hire a great coach, they’ll be prepared to lead the conversation. But you’ll get so much more out of the process if you do some prep work. Like with anything, the more you put into it, the more you’ll get out. Below are the four steps you can take to prepare for your upcoming coaching call.
Step 1: Set aside at least 30 minutes to brainstorm
This brainstorming session is your opportunity to put any and everything on paper that you desire for your business. Don’t let logistics or thoughts about implementation hold you back. Ask yourself: if time, money, and skillset were no barrier, what would I want for my business?
If this feels a bit too pie-in-the-sky, here are some tactical places to start:
Where my business is now:
- Gather some KPI (Key Performance Indicators). Write down your revenue streams and profit margins. How many followers do you have on social media? The more quantitative information you can write down, the better.
- Write down what you love about your business. What activities in your business light you up? What could you spend all day doing?
- Write about the aspects of your business you really don’t enjoy. (So you + your coach can talk about ways to get those tasks off your plate!)
Where do I want to take my business:
- Ask yourself: how much revenue do I want to make next year? In 5 years? In 10 years? Don’t hold back!! This is your place to really dream!
- Ask yourself: What do I want my days to look like? What do I want to be working on, how much time do I want to spend on my business each day?
- Ask yourself: What does my team look like?
From your notes, write down a list of targeted questions to ask your coach on the call. The more specific you can be about where you are stuck, the better able your coach will be to give you advice that moves the needle for you.
Step 2: Communicate beforehand
Your coach will likely have an intake form for you to fill out to gather some of the information above. If they don’t, feel free to shoot them an email with three to five bullet points that you’d like to be sure to cover. This will help ensure that your coach has everything they need to answer all your questions.
Step 3: The day of the call
Be on time, shut out any distractions and bring your notes.
Your coach will likely guide the conversation, but you want to be sure you cover all of the points on your list. Remember, this is YOUR time. You paid for it! Use it how you wish.
You can’t expect miracles to happen as a result of one call, but you can expect to walk away with SEVERAL major a-ha moments, great ideas, new action steps to take, and hopefully some major mindset shifts.
Take notes during the call, or ask your coach to record it and send you the recording afterward. Then, put together an ACTION PLAN! You don’t want that call to go to waste! An action plan with specific goals each day, will help you get to those BIG goals you’ve been dreaming of!
Step 4: Follow-up
Within a day or two, follow up with your coach to say thank you. Extra credit for telling them what was most helpful and what didn’t help. If your coach is a good coach, they’ll love the feedback - both positive and negative.
If you felt like you had a good connection with your coach, stay in touch!
When I first started out in business I didn’t think I had the funds to invest in a coach. But once I saw the major shifts that came from investing in my business in this way, I never looked back. A great coach can propel you forward in a way that you could never have done on your own. And by using the tips above, you will leverage every minute of your coaching session.
If you’d like to schedule a coaching call with me, I’d be thrilled. You can email me at [email protected] or purchase one here.
