What’s the first meeting with a client like? What kind of environment should you meet the client in?
According to Steve Chandler and Rich Litvin, the first meeting with a client should be like a mini-coaching session. This initial encounter should be no less than two hours, and you should spend this time showcasing all the traits of a successful coach.
Here are the guidelines you should follow in your “showcase” meeting with your client.
Hold a “Showcase” Meeting
Once you’ve established a relationship with a potential client and confirmed that they’d like assistance, schedule a time to have a “showcase” meeting with them. In the first meeting with a client, you’re essentially letting them sample what it would be like to work with you so they can decide if they want more.
(Shortform note: The authors’ recommendation for a lengthy “showcase” meeting with potential clients finds strong support in research on experiential marketing and product sampling. Studies in these fields have consistently shown that allowing consumers to directly experience a product or service can significantly influence their decision-making process and increase conversion rates. This approach leverages the psychological principle of the “mere exposure effect,” which suggests that familiarity tends to increase liking. By providing an extended sample of your coaching style, you give potential clients a chance to become familiar with and appreciate your services.)
During this meeting, say the authors, make sure that you’re the one directing the conversation. This conversation isn’t only about your client’s needs—it’s largely about whether you want to coach them, and it should give the impression that your services are a limited commodity that your potential client should be seeking.
(Shortform note: Research on luxury marketing strategies supports the authors’ recommendation to direct the conversation and present your services as a limited commodity. This research demonstrates that creating an aura of exclusivity around a service can significantly enhance its appeal to consumers. By framing the coaching relationship as selective, with the coach also evaluating the client, you can tap into this principle, potentially increasing the perceived value of your services and the client’s motivation to engage you.)
Chandler and Litvin share several guidelines for driving these conversations: 1) Meet in a professional place, 2) be honest with the client, 3) uncover the client’s true goal, and 4) showcase your work.
Guideline #1: Meet in a Professional Environment
According to the authors, your preliminary meeting is not a social engagement, so have it in a professional—not social—environment. You should talk in a space that’s conducive to clear communication and free from distractions—for example, your office or a quiet public space. Don’t take them to an extravagant restaurant or bustling coffee shop, or they’ll leave with the impression that your services are about socializing and not actually coaching.
(Shortform note: The authors’ advice to conduct initial meetings in a professional setting rather than a social one is well-supported by research in environmental psychology and related fields. Studies have shown that physical settings can significantly influence behavior, perception, and decision-making processes, suggesting that a professional environment can improve your standing in the client’s eyes. Furthermore, cognitive psychology research on attention and distraction supports the recommendation for a quiet, distraction-free environment, as such settings have been shown to enhance focus and information retention.)
Guideline #2: Be Honest With the Client
Start by being completely honest with the potential client about their current situation, advise the authors. Don’t beat around the bush or understate their problems to try to endear yourself to them; you need to paint them a clear picture of what they’re facing. This will make them feel seen and heard because you’re showing them you understand where they’re coming from and what they need—a taste of what they’ll get from you in future coaching sessions.
(Shortform note: The emphasis on being honest with clients about their situation aligns with the concepts that Kim Scott explores in Radical Candor. Scott argues that effective leadership is caring personally while challenging directly. For coaches, this means balancing empathy with straightforward communication about the client’s challenges. Scott suggests specific techniques for delivering difficult messages honestly: For example, she recommends that you be as precise as possible and make it clear that your intention is to be helpful, not hurtful. By adopting this approach, you can build trust with clients, demonstrate your value, and set the stage for meaningful change, even when discussing uncomfortable truths.)
Guideline #3: Uncover the Client’s True Goal
Within those two hours, explain Chandler and Litvin, you need to find what the client’s true goal is. This may not be obvious at first, and the client themself may not even know it until you uncover it together. It must be something they’re excited about, but it shouldn’t be something they’ll easily accomplish without your help. If their goal is to become CEO of a business and they’re already well on track to doing that, they don’t need your services.
Finding a client’s true goal happens in two steps: First, ask them what their goal is. Then, ask them why they want to achieve that goal or how it will improve their life. The life improvement they’re seeking is their true goal. And once you know it, you can assess whether their current plan is the best way to reach that goal. If they want to become CEO, your questioning might reveal that their true goal is to earn their colleagues’ respect. Together, you examine their current path to see if it’s the best way to earn that respect. For example, you might determine that they’ll have more success more quickly by maximizing their performance in their current position or by being more willing to admit their shortcomings and mistakes.
(Shortform note: The process of uncovering a client’s true goal relates to the concept of laddering in consumer psychology, where researchers use a series of “why” questions to uncover deeper motivations behind consumer preferences. Similarly, motivational interviewing techniques in psychology emphasize the importance of eliciting and exploring a client’s own reasons for change, rather than imposing external goals. By uncovering a client’s true, often unconscious motivations, you can help them find effective ways to adjust their behavior to meet their goals.)
Guideline #4: Highlight Your Successes
Once you’ve found your client’s goal, show them what you can offer by discussing your success stories, giving them a sense of what you can accomplish for them. Chandler and Litvin explain that this isn’t the time to be modest: Be clear and confident in showing off your work because that’s what they’ll be paying for.
(Shortform note: The advice to highlight successes when showcasing work aligns with another of the principles described in Cialdini’s Influence: the Social Proof Principle. Cialdini argues that people often look to others’ actions to determine their own behavior, especially in uncertain situations. For coaches, sharing success stories provides potential clients with evidence of effectiveness. Cialdini also suggests that social proof is most powerful when it comes from people similar to the target audience. Therefore, you should focus on highlighting successes with clients who are similar to your prospects, increasing the likelihood of new clients seeing the relevance and potential of the coaching relationship.)
