What happens in a session with a business coach?

We get it, in fact, we’d be the same. If you’ve never used a business coach before your probably wondering “what happens in a session with a business coach?”.

Well, the coaching world is about to get angry, they’ll be furious when they find out that we’ve revealed the EXACT STRUCTURE that the best business coaches in the world use.

After all, I struggled with this too.

I remember it like it was yesterday…

Laying on the cold hardwood floor in my home office…

Staring up at the ceiling…

Feeling frustrated, defeated, and confused.

I’d been running my coaching business for six long months…

My partner had just given birth to our beautiful baby girl, whilst we were on holiday, and she was 10 weeks premature!

Even still, I was showing up every day, trying my best to coach my clients and help them get results…

But other than a few small wins…

I was getting nothing but crickets.

In my first six months as a coach, my clients grew on average by a not-so “whopping” 9%.

Looking back, it’s pretty clear why…

When it came to how to run a great coaching session, I had no idea what I was doing.

It took me months and months to figure out what actually worked…

Months of trial and error, failed attempts, sleepless nights…

But once I started to understand what it actually took to run a great coaching session that actually helped my clients get results…

Everything changed.

I was able to scale my own coaching business by over 1000%…

I started to double the business month on month…

With the freedom to set my own hours and work from anywhere…

Feeling fulfilled, getting to wake up every day and change people’s lives…

Coaching is the best business I’ve ever had.

I wouldn’t trade it for a 9 – 5, even on my worst days.

And my clients were growing too, the biggest was by 9600%. And the company had been established 12 years already.

But here’s the truth…

None of this is magic.

In fact, it’s nothing more than the result of following a simple roadmap…

And doing the right things, day after day.

That’s why I’m so excited to share everything I know about running great coaching sessions with you.

Are sessions with a business coach usually structured?

Yes, they absolutely are. Well, at least the best coaches use structured sessions. Not only is the individual session structured. Each session fits into a bigger plan. Here’s the coaching framework on a bumper sticker.

We start out by uncovering what your north star and biggest life goals are. Ultimately, that’s the most important thing. A coach isn’t there to help you fight fires. They are there to help you discover and achieve your biggest dreams.

Once you’re clear on your biggest dreams, it’s time to “start with the end in mind” as Stephen Covey says, and work backward. So to achieve your biggest goal, where do you need to be in a year’s time? That’s the next step, getting clear on your 12-month goals and dreams, then creating a business plan to achieve them.

Then we split the 12-month goals up into 4 90-day goals. One for each quarter. The 90-day goal is usually a little more detailed than the annual plan. There’s more “how to do stuff” rather than just “what needs doing”.

Then in each coaching session with your business coach, you should have one eye on the 90-day goal, which is ultimately moving you toward your 12-month goal and toward your biggest north star.

That consistent weekly or fortnightly action focused and centered towards your biggest dream (by way of your 90-day goal) really is the secret to success. It’s the domino effect.

How does a coaching session start when you work with a business coach?

Here at Action Coach, we start every coaching session the same way. We call it a “WIFLE” (not to be confused with a waffle). WIFLE stands for “What I feel like expressing”. The reason we start with a WIFLE is simple. It’s a chance for the business owner to unload and tell us what’s been going on in their business and their life since the last session.

While the business owner goes through the WIFLE, the coach is likely picking up on any details that might stand out. It could be red flags, it could be things to celebrate or it could be something completely different. Sometimes the coach and the business owner will discuss the things that come out in the WIFLE at a later point in the session if they need action. And if they are more important than the alternative things to discuss.

Then our coaches will ask the second question, the same one every time. The question is “did you complete all of your goals from the last session?” The reason for this question is also simple, accountability. The business owners we work with know that the question is coming. It helps with goal completion.

If the answer is “no I didn’t complete them”, the coach has to weigh up the situation. Is there a learning to take from missing the goals? Maybe they set a goal outside of their control or that was too much to take on in a week or two. They will also weigh up whether the business owner needs challenging. Or whether they need support. Either way, the business coach won’t leave a missed goal unanswered.

How is the rest of the coaching session structured?

Once the business coach has gone through the goals from the last session with the business owner, they’ll ask more questions. Once they’ve gone through each goal, they’ll ask the business owner “does that goal need any further action or shall we move on”. Sometimes it’s complete so no further action is needed, and sometimes it’s part of a bigger project so there’s more to do.

The business owner might have a goal set already by the time we get to the next part of the session. Now it’s “open coaching”. At this point, we’ve held the business owner accountable, we’ve checked in, we’ve set another goal (potentially) based on last week’s actions, and now it’s time to freestyle a little.

The job here is to see what needs the most attention. Is it the 90-day goal that moves us toward the north star? Is it something the business owner said in the WIFLE? Or is it something else that hasn’t been covered yet?

The business owner makes the decision. The only time they wouldn’t is if the 90-day goal wasn’t covered in the last session (we don’t want to miss it twice).

Now the coach and the business owner will have an open discussion. The coach will ask some questions and maybe give some advice. They might teach the business owner something. And then we’ll set more goals to be completed for the next session.

Here’s all that in a few bullet points:

• WIFLE (What I feel like expressing)
• Did you complete your goals?
• Go through the goals and set further actions if needed
• Open coaching (based on something from the WIFLE, the 90-day plan, or something else)
• Set more goals for next session

Is the coaching session the same every time?

Wondering if every coaching session is the same? I’ve got good news and bad news.

Let’s start with the good news: most of the time, we follow a structure. Your coach will help you set some goals, explore some strategies, and create an action plan.

But here’s the bad news: life happens, and emergencies can come up.

If that happens, your coach will work with you to adapt the session and make sure you’re getting the support you need. So, while some things might stay the same, every session is unique, just like you.

Ultimately it’s about finding the right coach for you, that has the right style and that can help you get where you want to go.

How do business coaches tailor their approach to the needs of each client?

You’re probably wondering how business coaches tailor their approach to your unique needs, right?

Well, let me tell you – it’s all about you, baby!

Your coach will take the time to get to know you, your business, and your goals.

They’ll ask you questions, listen to your answers, and help you create a plan that works for YOU.

Maybe you need some help with marketing or sales. Or perhaps you’re struggling with time management or productivity. Whatever it is, your coach will use their expertise to create a customised approach that’s tailored to your needs.

At the end of the day, a business coach is there to get you ready to rock this business thing.

How does a coaching session with a business coach end?

We’ve nearly finished answering the question of what happens in a session with a business coach. But we’re not done just yet.

You’ve just rocked another coaching session with your business coach, so how does it all end? Well, it’s all about the next steps. You’ll work with your coach to set some action items and create a plan for moving forward. Whatever it is, your coach will help you stay accountable and motivated. And then?

Each of our sessions finishes with a wrap-up.

First, the coach will ask whether you are comfortable with the workload or not. If you’re not, say now. That way you won’t be challenged as hard if you miss the goal for the next session.

Then the coach will ask whether you will commit to doing whatever it takes to complete that goal. If you’re not committed to the goals you’ve set, now is the time to bring it up.

After that, your business coach will ask you what’s been most valuable from today’s session. Reflection is the name of the game.

And finally, they’ll double-check the diary to make sure the next session works for you both.

Is there anything the business owner needs to do between coaching sessions?

You’ve just wrapped up an awesome coaching session with your business coach. Is there anything you need to do between sessions?

Heck yeah!

Remember those goals you set? It’s time to crush them! Your coach will help you create a plan of action, but it’s up to you to put in the work.

Maybe you need to follow up with some potential clients or update your website. Or maybe you need to prioritize some self-care to make sure you’re bringing your A-game.

Whatever it is, your coach will help you stay accountable, but the hard work is up to you.

Ready to make it happen? Let’s go.

And that’s it. That’s what happens in a session with a business coach. And that’s the coaching structure that took me from being frustrated and in pain, to winning global awards and being recognised as one of the best coaches on the planet due to our client’s success and growth.

To learn more about the coaching industry you can check out our learning centre here.

Or to join a membership click here. And to take a look at our prices and programmes at Action Coach Manchester you can click here.