Before you meet with a new client, three things are likely to happen.
First, you’ll likely want to gather some information from your client, so that you can hit the coaching session running.
Second, you’ll likely want to sit with that information a bit and begin to think about what might help and where help may “really” be needed.
Third, you may want to feel through what sharing that information may have meant to your client and how vulnerable that may have made her. Let’s look at the first of these, how you might gather client information easily and simply.
It is good to know something about your client and his or her goals and challenges before you meet for the first time. This isn’t a must—you certainly could meet with a new client “cold” and simply say “What’s on your mind?”, or some equivalent. But it is really a very good idea and helps deepen and ground the first session if you have some information beforehand.
Knowing at least a little about your client before you meet is valuable. You can do this very simply. Once a client session is scheduled, you can send your client an email, asking him or her to answer a few questions. In my own practice, and to take just one example, I send new creativity coaching clients the following email:
Hello, [ I insert my new client’s name]:
Great to be working with you! If you would, I’d love it if you’d answer the following three questions to get me oriented.
1. Can you start by describing your situation a little? What sort of art do you do, what’s been your history with art-making and art-selling, what ups and downs have you experienced, and so on? Please write as little or as much as you like—but enough to give me a starting picture of “where you’re at and where you’ve been.”
2. What are your biggest challenges right now, either internal or external, with respect to your creative life?
3. What would you like to accomplish over the next few months with respect to your creative life? Do you maybe have some “minimum goals” and also some “Wow, that would be great!” goals?
I look forward to getting your responses. Take as long as you like, but try not to labor too long over this . And, of course, add anything you think is relevant that these three questions don’t get at.
Best,
Eric
P.S. If you would, please let me know that you received this email. Thanks!
Some clients respond in just a matter of hours (or even just minutes!) and some take days. Some need a bit of reminding, especially if their session is approaching and I still haven’t heard anything. For most clients, answering these questions is an eye-opening experience and helpful in its own right. They get a lot out of it, and I get the information I need.
The above email request typically gets me a lot of information, often with an apology about having written at such length. It works well. But it is just one example. You would naturally ask the questions that you think are sensible to ask. However, my email can serve you as a pretty good model. It is not overwhelming, it is friendly, and it works. Give my “model” some thought—and begin to think about yours.
What information would you like to receive from a new client? How much of it would you like to get? How might you ask for it? If you haven’t thought about this before, take a few minutes now and craft your own “information gathering” email.
Check out Eric Maisel’s transformative courses in collaboration with Noble Manhattan – designed to elevate your coaching journey.
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