Life Coaching Blog - By Rhonda Hess

Are You Coaching Prosperity?

Bill@CoachTrainingAlliance.com (CTA Admin) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 12:50:22 -0800

by Rhonda Hess

We aim to coach our clients to an expansive life full of joy, opportunity and wealth. But, have you tapped into the most dynamic source of that – prosperity? For any niche, coaching around prosperity has its time, place and long lasting value.

How do you enter the territory to coach clients toward greater prosperity? One of the most common entry points is to detect scarcity thinking, which slows the flow of prosperity down to a trickle.

Within each of us lives a loud gremlin – a naysayer that wants to keep us small, scared and under tight control. His secret weapon is scarcity-based thinking, steeped in feelings of neediness, lack and fear. It's all a sham. Like the great and terrible Oz behind the curtain, this part is just a small, bumbling fool.

Reframing to the Positive
Rather than heed the naysayer, put him in a bright corner where he can be easily seen for what he is and learn his tricks. Support your clients to recognize the naysayer in their language and shift self-talk from scarcity to prosperity thinking.

Reframe this... To this
I don't want . . . I want . . . (or) I intend . . .
I can't afford . . . I choose . . .
I'm struggling with . . . My opportunity now is . . .
What if I can't . . . I envision . . .

The Universal Law of Attraction states that like attracts like. Prosperity thinking attracts more of what we want. Self-deprecating language and scarcity thoughts set up negatively charged energy that attracts what we don't want.

Detecting scarcity thinking is just one of the many ways to enter the territory of coaching your clients (or yourself) to greater prosperity.

Rhonda Hess is a Mentor Coach and author of Working Websites for Coaches. Learn more about Coaching Prosperity and attract more of what you want!

Eight Secrets of a Thriving Coaching Business

coach@bubblingwell.com (Rhonda Hess) — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 12:56:07 -0800

Rhonda Hess

In our role as Coaching Business Owner, we take many significant actions that greatly impact our success. Big decisions and tasks usually get our concentrated focus. Day-to-day tasks often go overlooked, but they can make or break a coaching business.

The Right Stuff

Even if you're just getting started as a coach and have no clients on board yet, put on your business owner's hat every work day with 100% commitment to the life of your coaching business. True commitment means dedicating resources of time, energy, money and attention to detail.

Take Care of Your Baby

Take your business seriously. If you are only giving it ten hours a week, it will take years to "make it" professionally. You might give up before your business really takes off.

Think about it. Building a business is much like raising a child. It is a full time process. Healthy gestation is critical. Birth is laborious and joyful. The early stages of development take tremendous energy and focus. Certainly, less attention is needed in the later stages, but there are times right up through maturity that require dedication.

Treat your business like a living entity. Give it your 100% commitment. With that and these secrets, which are just simple, smart systems, success will come more easily.

1. Plan the work and work the plan. Whether in a simple Day Timer or a Palm Pilot, schedule your time and honor that schedule. In addition to coaching time slots, plan in your breaks, lunches, exercise, admin, writing and marketing time. If you have an empty calendar, you're more likely to get distracted on things that steal energy from your business. If you've recently found yourself doing things for friends and family during the business week that you didn't intend, it's probably because you have no serious plans for your coaching business.

2. Use the one touch method. Touch everything -- emails, bills, other mail, everything -- just once. Download your email, read through it, toss it, respond to it, file it -- get it out of the inbox now. When you get your mail, open it, recycle the junk, pay the bill, file the document, make the call -- whatever is required, do it now. If you use this system faithfully for a few months, you will teach yourself how to be efficient and organized all the time.

3. Tame the email monster. If you have more than ten emails in your inbox and any that are more than two days old, tame the beast or you'll slowly and painfully lose grip on your business. Email is a valuable tool if you keep your inbox cleaned out every day using the one touch method.

4. Create easy filing systems, then keep them updated. Create a backup of electronic files every day. If you like database programs to keep organized, use one for your clientele and prospective network. I prefer simple email and paper files. For clients, I have a paper file with a one page document listing out the session number, date, time, length of session, agenda topics, achievements and next steps for accountability. Keep minimal notes. Or, if you tend to write copiously, clean out notes from time to time. You'll find you rarely, if ever, return to your previous notes if you have the streamlined one page document.

5. Keep your financial books up to date or hire someone to do it. Use the one touch method here too. Balance your statements when they come in. Make entries when you write the checks or pay electronically. Quicken or Quick Books are relatively easy applications for keeping books. If you use a CPA, find out what they prefer so that you can share files electronically for tax preparation. And set up your accounting as simply as possible. If you take fees using credit cards through a system like Practice Pay Solutions that deposits directly into your account and emails a receipt to your client, then you need never write a bill or collect overdue fees.

6. Intend to get everything out of your court and onto someone else's as soon as possible. Teach yourself to be responsive with fast and thorough turnaround. Then, keep tabs on the other party. If you turned over all your content to your web designer three weeks ago and haven't heard back, that relationship needs more attention from you. Create ticklers in your scheduling program to remind you to follow up.

7. Reply to all phone calls immediately. And never later than 24 hours on business days. This will not only keep you organized, but it will win you new clients and other opportunities that slower responders don't get.

8. Follow through on networking leads within 24 hours. If you forget to follow up with the stack of leads in your pocket from the last networking meeting, you've let the lead go cold. They will remember you if you remember them in a timely way.

Apply these smart systems to your business today and watch the positive impact it has on your coaching business!

Transitioning: Taking the Leap of Faith

coach@bubblingwell.com (Rhonda Hess) — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 08:36:47 -0800

Rhonda Hess

The decision to become a full time professional coach is what shamans would call a "bid for power" -- making your vital essence manifest in the world. It's no small thing.

Reading the Signs
I know you've felt the pain and glory of walking on and wavering off the path of entrepreneurial coaching. Starting with a lot of passion and maybe even a sense of calling, you dive into it, learning skills and setting up your business. The closer you get to the moment of transitioning full time into your business, the more you feel pushed out of your comfort zone. There is nothing for it but to forge ahead.

All bids for power come with an assortment of encouraging and not so encouraging signs:

1. Synchronistic events -- allies, breakthroughs and quick successes that seem to confirm you're on the right path.

2. Challenges -- the discomfort of the unknown, trials of patience and steep learning curves.

3. Petty tyrants -- individuals or groups that cast aspersions on your visions and goals.

4. Tests -- competing opportunities or set backs that test your resolve.

5. Sacrifices -- things you have clung to that now you must let go of in order to succeed. This is the price for the new power you will gain in doing the work you are called to.

Putting Both Feet on the Path
I've seen it so many times with my clients and students and know it for myself: the point of fully transitioning is the hardest step. It requires sacrificing other work that brings you income, obligations you're used to: the safe things. Before this point you've kept one foot on the path of your new life, hopping along in baby steps. And yet you know in your heart that to make real progress requires that both feet be firmly on the path.

Embracing the Inevitable
Often, out of fear, we'll put off the inevitable transition, until the dynamic tension between the unaligned old life and the more appealing new life creates tremendous pain and pressure. I witness many coaches opting for joyless choices just to avoid taking the risk of transition.

It takes great courage and commitment to believe in yourself enough to take that leap of faith. In the end, we'll remember those leaps as the most meaningful and rewarding decisions of our lives. The path with heart is risky and that's what makes it the path with heart.

I wish you many blessings and great courage as you transition into full time coaching!

Copyright ©2005, Bubbling Well – Rhonda Hess
All rights in all media reserved.
The content of the Coaching from Center may be forwarded in full without special permission provided it is used for nonprofit purposes and full attribution and copyright notice are given. For other purposes, please contact Rhonda Hess.
Coaching from Center is published bi-weekly on the 2nd and 4th weeks each month by Rhonda Hess of Bubbling Well, providing mentor coaching to professional coaches.

Slowing Down

coach@bubblingwell.com (Rhonda Hess) — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 11:46:40 -0700

Rhonda Hess

On the highway, a car zooms up behind and rides right on my tail a while. I send the driver a telepathic message: Move away from me! Suddenly, the car accelerates, just missing my fender, darts into the next lane and jumps through traffic, like the highway is a chessboard. Anxiety floods through me. Two minutes later when I come to the stop light at the off ramp, there’s the same car, waiting just like me. Now, we’re both wired up, adrenals pumping, wasting life energy for nothing.

A Feverish State of Mind

I used to drive like that too. These days I work at home. I drive mindfully. But what about the way I drive myself through my life? I’m often reckless with myself, pushing hard, boosting my energy up into overdrive the moment I roll out of bed. And, it’s not as if it does any good. I don’t accomplish any more by working myself into a feverish state. It leaves me older, frailer and sadder.

Less Stress

On our wedding anniversary, my husband & I talked about how we’d like our life to be different. It came down to one thing – less stress. That would mean more joy, prosperity – because we’d be alive in the moment rather than pushing for some unseen future. We’re clear about this; it doesn’t mean we’ll stop accomplishing our dreams. Instead, we’ll make the journey with more mindfulness, letting ourselves be nourished by experiencing our lives rather than pushing through them.

The Sane Pace

So, I’ve been seeking my sane pace – the one where my body moves in rhythm with the earth instead of my mind driving me toward the next objective. It begins with the first thought upon waking. I stop my mind from racing into my to-do list and slow to simply noticing my body, the light, the air, the sounds. I breathe. Somehow time expands.

There are all sorts of practices to set the sane pace. What seems to work best is entraining the mind with the body. Anything done mindfully in accordance with your body’s natural rhythm will be supportive – yoga, meditation, journaling, taking a walk, deep breathing. Some days you’ll have more vigor, some days you won’t feel well. These are natural rhythms. Let your body lead.

An Experiment
Try this out. Take one day and decide to move through it at a sane pace. Entrain your mind to follow the rhythm of your body. Start off with mindfulness and movement. When you eat, take in the nourishment. With each thing you do, whether brushing your teeth, driving to work or spending time with your kids, be there in the moment. Now, do that again tomorrow. After a week, look back and see how you’ve accomplished at least as much as you would have by driving yourself, but now you have reserves of peace and joy.

Copyright ©2005, Bubbling Well – Rhonda Hess
All rights in all media reserved.
The content of the Coaching from Center may be forwarded in full without special permission provided it is used for nonprofit purposes and full attribution and copyright notice are given. For other purposes, please contact Rhonda Hess.
Coaching from Center is published bi-weekly on the 2nd and 4th weeks each month by Rhonda Hess of Bubbling Well, providing mentor coaching to professional coaches.

Sowing the Seeds of Prosperity

coach@bubblingwell.com (Rhonda Hess) — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 08:47:22 -0700

Rhonda Hess

In the last edition, The Roots of Prosperity, we looked at the messages we took from our parents about money, spending and prosperity. From these we discovered the current messages we put out to our self and others. Then, we decided which of these are messages we’d like to keep or change and wrote new messages for those. You finished this four-step exercise with something that looks like this:

Example:

Know what/how you spend, owe little, save some.

CHANGE TO: Manage money impeccably, owe only mortgage, save aggressively.

Pay experts for their services and spend that time on doing what you do best.

KEEP
Use money for caring well for yourself.

KEEP
Invest in yourself.

CHANGE TO: Invest in yourself and others in sustainable ways.

I can make good money if I follow my bliss.

CHANGE TO: I am prosperous when I follow my spiritual path.

Now it’s time to anchor these newly intentioned messages into reality.

Step Five – Making Change

To make a change we need to create a practice. Look at each of the messages you want to change and your newly formed language. What can you do now on a regular basis to effect that change?

Example:

Manage money impeccably, owe only mortgage, save aggressively.

To anchor this new message in reality, I intend to do the following:

1. Set aside a half hour each week on my calendar to look at inflows/outflows and budget for the future.
2. Double my monthly savings.
3. Put money from sales of my jewelry into a special savings account.
4. Ask myself this question for each purchase I make: Does this purchase bring me enough delight or return on the investment to merit the number of hours I’ll need to work to pay for it?

Step Six – Enrolling Support

Any change is easier with support. Share with at least two people your discoveries through this exercise. Specifically tell them of your newly changed messages and the ways you intend to anchor them in reality. Arrange with a good friend, your spouse or your coach to hold you accountable for taking these actions.

It is possible to re-program our habitual thoughts and responses so that we shift from living in scarcity to living with prosperity. It all comes down to the messages we put out. Blessings as you effect this change in your life!

Visit Rhondas website at http://www.bubblingwell.com

The Roots of Prosperity

coach@bubblingwell.com (Rhonda Hess) — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 08:19:33 -0700

Rhonda Hess

Over the past two editions, we’ve looked at setting fees from integrity – a prosperity based practice. During that discussion you might have noticed some discrepancies between your desires to make money and your willingness to value yourself. Or you might have caught yourself in other challenging beliefs about money. To take some of the mystery out of prosperity, let’s look at the roots of our beliefs around money.

This exercise starts by looking back to see what messages you took about money, prosperity and scarcity from your parents. You’ll also look at your current beliefs and habits to see how they are derived from those early messages. Lastly, you’ll decide how you want to change your beliefs, habits and the messages that you put out to the world.

Step One – Gathering the Snapshots
Remember the place where you spent the most years growing up. What did the neighborhood look like? Think about your room, where your family spent time together. If it helps to take you back, pull out some photos of that time. Or, sketch a quick floor plan of the place where you lived and label the rooms.

During the part your life when you lived with your parents or a primary guardian, what did you learn about money, wealth and prosperity? Consider things said or done regarding money. Write down everything you can remember. Include memories about all your primary guardians.

Example: Here are five of the many memories I have about my mother regarding money:

My mother paid the bills, kept the house books, managed the money. She was thrifty, cut coupons and would drive extra miles to the stores that had the best deals.

She made what she could — canning vegetables, sewing, cooking — and rarely spent money on conveniences.

Healthcare was a priority and she’d find a way to pay for it even if it meant scrimping elsewhere for a while.

She was generous with us kids if she felt the money spent would invest in our futures and our long-term happiness. Few things were purchased without considering the return on the investment.

She encouraged us to find creative and meaningful ways to earn money.

Step Two – Naming the Messages
Read over the snapshots you wrote in Step One. For each, name the messages you took from the words and actions around money. List the messages even if you don’t agree with them now. Notice what you learned from whom.

Example: My mother’s ways with money gave me these messages:

1. Manage your money well and save money wherever you can.
2. Don’t spend money on what you can get for free or less expensively.
3. Above all else, use money to take care of your body.
4. Invest money wisely for your future and your happiness. Make your money work for you.
5. Moneymaking can be creative and meaningful.

Step Three – Taking Current Snapshots
Look at each of the messages you received from your parents or guardians above. As an adult, how have you adopted the same or a different message? Whether or not you agree with them, what are the current messages that you give yourself, your spouse, kids, co-workers or friends about money now?

Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, list your current messages, as derived or changed from your parent’s messages.

As you do this, you might notice that some of your current messages are reactions against what your parents did or said. Or, they might be messages that you have carried forward out of loyalty to the individual who taught them to you, whether conscious or unconscious.

Example: Here are some of my current messages as derived from my mother’s messages:

- Know what and how you spend, owe little, save some.

- Pay experts for their services and spend that time on doing what you do best.

- Use money for caring well for yourself.

- Invest in yourself.

- I can make good money if I follow my bliss.

Step Four – Weeding Out the Current Messages
Now that you have a picture of how you’ve derived your beliefs and actions around money, prosperity and scarcity, which do you want to consciously keep or change?

In the right column, note whether you’d like to keep or change the current messages you put out to yourself and others about money. If you’d like to change a message, also write in that right column your newly formed and conscious message.

Example:

Know what/how you spend, owe little, save some.

CHANGE TO: Manage money impeccably, owe only mortgage, save aggressively.

Pay experts for their services and spend that time on doing what you do best.

KEEP
Use money for caring well for yourself.

KEEP
Invest in yourself.

CHANGE TO: Invest in yourself and others in sustainable ways.
I can make good money if I follow my bliss.

CHANGE TO: I am prosperous when I follow my spiritual path.

Take time over the next two weeks to harvest this learning thoroughly. In the next edition there will be two more steps to take.

Setting Fees with Integrity

coach@bubblingwell.com (Rhonda Hess) — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 08:36:24 -0700

Rhonda Hess

Setting coaching fees can feel like a stab in the dark. A typical approach might be to look at what other coaches and professionals charge for their services and try to imagine what the target market will bear. Rarely does this approach work well for the coaching industry.

Rather than look outside for answers, look within your self, incorporating both business and intuitive sensibilities. Let go of assumptions about what your clients will pay. Set fees from a place of prosperity, leading with belief in your services. Then stick with those fees until it’s time to raise them. This will serve you and your clients.

Billable Time vs. Non-Billable Time

Whether you begin with the intuitive approach or with the business calculation, use both for a balanced perspective. Here, we’ll begin with the pragmatic method to shed some light on rate setting as a professional.

While every hour you dedicate to your business supports your success, it’s important to distinguish between billable and non-billable hours.

Billable time = time spent for which fees are paid.

Non-billable time = time spent for which no fees are paid and includes:

· Managing client records

· Billing & administration

· Doing sample sessions

· Marketing

· Travel for work

Determine how many hours per week you plan to dedicate to your coaching business next year* to make the income you desire. In this exercise, we’ll assume a plan to offer three one-hour sessions per month with a monthly retainer fee that includes some email correspondence in addition to the session time. So we’ll count client time as 1 billable hour per client per week. Example: 20 clients x 1 hour/week = 20 billable hours.

Then consider non-billable hours spent on your business. As you are establishing your business a rule of thumb is to plan for one hour of marketing for each client you want to enroll in your practice. Of course, if your marketing is well planned for your target market, it will take less time as you saturate the market with your message. Add to marketing, time for administration. Example: 25 hours per week for all non-billable time.

If you’re not certain how many non-billable hours you’ll spend on your business, estimate based on what you know now. As you gain more knowledge, re-calculate. Over time, you’ll become more efficient at both attracting and managing clients.

Doing the Math

Determine a minimum for your hourly rate based on your desired income and your billable hours.

1. What is your desired income from your coaching business for next full year? Example: $100,000
2. Determine how many clients you plan to coach each week. Example: 20 clients.
3. Multiply the number of billable hours per week by the number of weeks you’ll work each year (subtract vacation time). Example: 20 (billable) hours X 48 weeks = 960 billable hours per year.
4. Divide the number of billable hours each year into your desired income for the year. Example: $100,000 divided by 960 = $104.17. This figure is the minimum fee for every billable hour needed to make the desired income with this number of clients.

Now you have a sense for your minimum hourly rate and can easily extrapolate your retainer fees per month as well as what you’ll want to make per hour on group events and other fee-based services. For the minimum hourly rate above, the monthly coaching retainer rate would be approximately $425. Remember, our example assumes 4 billable hours per month per client.

If you have other ways of earning income as a coach, such as selling products or group services such as workshops, teleclasses or group coaching, you’ll factor those in, but the result will be similar.

Listening for the number

In addition to the exercise above, check in with your integrity. Ground yourself in prosperity thinking:

- Clear your mind of any attachment to outcome.

- Release any fears or concerns.

- Trust that you are enough and that your services are valuable.

Then, ask yourself a clear question. Listen for the number that comes to you. Example question:

For my highest good, what is the best monthly retainer rate for my coaching?

If these two approaches produce incompatible results, consider what the discrepancy is telling you. For example, if the intuitive number is much lower than the calculated number, you may be approaching this territory from a place of scarcity. If you’re not comfortable having your rate be comparable with the minimum hourly rate you calculated, you’d need to increase the number of clients you serve or decrease your annual income goal. We’ll take a philosophical look at coaching fees in the next issue.

The Growing Edge of Your Integrity

Bill@CoachTrainingAlliance.com (CTA Admin) — Fri, 14 Jul 2006 09:22:44 -0700

More than any other, integrity is the character trait that clients want to see in business people. Integrity is often defined as honesty. More than just in word and deed, I like to think integrity is honesty to self – being authentic and true to our highest self.

As professional coaches, integrity is our ethical compass. If our highest self guides our approach to business, we’ve got a true north to steer by. Building integrity means keeping attention on that growing edge. Occasionally, we’ll be blown off course. The goal is to find true north and steer back on course with greater speed and grace each time.

Developing Sense Memory

Learning to stay in integrity is like learning to ride a bike. Watching other people ride provides a model. But actually learning it begins within, with the courage to get on and ride. We get on the bike, wobble, maybe even fall off a few times. We pick ourselves up, and try again until we finally "get it". Each time we ride after that, we’ve got that sense-memory to bring us back to a point of balance. As we explore new terrain, we learn more about how to ride safely.

So it is with integrity. Our physical and emotional bodies are sensitive instruments that let us know when we are in our integrity or about to fall out. We can learn how to use these instruments by raising our awareness about them.

Learning to Read the Signs

You may already know what part of your body is your barometer for integrity. For me, it’s a feeling in my solar plexus. An open, relaxed feeling there indicates that all is well. A jittery, contracted feeling puts me on notice. If I bring my attention there, I’m usually able to know how and where I’m starting to veer off course. Often, it’s a matter of:

Checking boundaries.

Adjusting attitudes & beliefs.

Letting go of judgments and assumptions.

Opening to new perspectives.

Considering motivation.

Or, letting go of attachment to outcome.

With a slight course correction, the sense of peace is back in my solar plexus.

Continuously Learning

Mastery in anything starts with raising awareness and giving attention to detail. In coaching, it’s paying attention to those internal instruments while we connect with our clients, honoring their wisdom. In business, it’s checking our intentions and actions to see if they serve our highest self.

Rhonda specializes in coaching new coaches, women entrepreneurs and small business owners through Bubbling Well Inc., a coaching practice she founded in 1999. She helps both new and experienced coaches find their "growing edge" and true success in coaching.

Rhonda is a graduate of Coach U, a past board member of the Denver Coach Federation and is certified by CTA and ICF. She co-designed the Certified Coach Program and co-authored the Coach Training Accelerator with Will Craig.

Impeccable Communication (Part Four)

coach@bubblingwell.com (Rhonda Hess) — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 09:47:47 -0700

Rhonda Hess

by Rhonda Hess

By learning to be open to or detached from outcome we bring a profound freedom to our lives. With it we’re able to operate from a place of strength, compassion and tolerance. Without it, our communication is limited by the only position we know to hold onto.

Be Open to Outcome, Not Attached to Outcome is the last part of the Impeccable Communication series. To review the first three parts, see the Coaching from Center archives.

Attachment causes us to lose our sense of humor and flexibility. Think about any outcome you feel attachment to. It sits like a stone in your belly or throat. Now release your grip on it and feel the difference in your body. Detachment brings a sense of expansion and new opportunities.

The word ‘detached’ sounds aloof and uncaring. However, detachment is defined as “the capacity to care deeply from an objective place”. It clears the path of obstacles so that the travelers on the road to understanding can walk without stumbling.

- Without Expectation

In conversation, honor the other person by hearing their response in the moment without the constraint of your expectations or assumptions.

- With Trust

Become comfortable with uncertainty. Trust that whatever happens is the only way it could have happened. In everything there is a gift.

- Believe in change

Everything that is alive keeps moving. Just when you think that the sentence is final, along comes an ellipse, a semi-colon – something more. Allow the evolution of the conversation and the relationship.

Voice to Voice

Impeccable communication is accomplished in real time where the parties can respond to each other in the moment. Anything that carries an emotional load should be spoken, if possible, in person. Hiding behind written words, especially through email, will likely create more clean-up work in the relationship because of the likelihood of misinterpretation. Pick up the phone. Speak your truth.

May all of your communication be impeccable!

Rhonda specializes in coaching new coaches, women entrepreneurs and small business owners through Bubbling Well Inc., a coaching practice she founded in 1999. She helps both new and experienced coaches find their "growing edge" and true success in coaching.

Rhonda is a graduate of Coach U, a past board member of the Denver Coach Federation and is certified by CTA and ICF. She co-designed the Certified Coach Program and co-authored the Coach Training Accelerator with Will Craig.

Better Business Boundaries

coach@bubblingwell.com (Rhonda Hess) — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 10:18:56 -0700

Rhonda Hess

by Rhonda Hess

To get a new client, we might be inclined to make concessions no matter what the cost: offer a second or extra long sample session; reduce fees; set session times we don’t want to work. We might leap at any opportunity before looking at the possible return on investment of time. These situations end up being lessons learned, sometimes painful ones.

Before you get caught in another good lesson, set up your business with strong boundaries. They create a friendly and ethical structure that allows others to find their place with you. They speak volumes about your professionalism and keep both you and your clients on track.

Want only as much for your clients as they want for themselves.

If you find yourself feeling frustrated about your client’s results, you are wanting too much for your client. Challenge them and let go of the outcome. If you can’t let go of the outcome, you may need to let go of the client.

If this is happening often, consider setting criteria for your prospective clients. In my own business as a mentor coach, to avoid getting started with someone who isn’t ready to make progress, I pre-qualify possible clients by asking:

“Are you committed to building a successful coaching practice and ready to invest your resources (time, energy and money) to making this happen now?” I may even go further to inquire about how much time they will dedicate and how many months of coaching they will budget.

I’ve found this puts clients on notice that the success of the coaching is largely up to them. It also raises the perceived value of my coaching services because they see that I don’t take on just anyone.

Stand firmly by your chosen fees.

Set fees that will pay you well for the time it takes to market to, coach and manage your clients. If you discount your services because a prospective client won’t afford your fees, in essence you’ve discounted the value of your services. So will your new client. The coaching won’t be as effective because they will be depending on you to take on some of the burden of their financial limitations. This forces you both out of the Co-creative Relationship.

Consider developing group coaching at half price for individuals on a tighter budget. This way you offer them something of value without taking on their financial problems as your own. Once your practice is well developed you can have a client or two on partial scholarship where they pay at a reduced rate for a limited time, say two – three months. Then the fee goes up to your full rate. You’ll want to be sure they’ll make a strong commitment to doing their own work. And never call it a discount.

Create and hold time boundaries.

If your stated session time is an hour, do your best to keep that boundary. When answering inquiries, let the caller know you are available for a specified amount of time. These are courtesies that also keep you on track.

I enjoy my work and have often forgotten to hold time boundaries. I’m learning to value my time and energy in new ways. If I do spend extra time with a client, I note it by saying: “I’d like to gift you ten extra minutes today.” This effects my client two ways: one, they understand I’ve loosened the time boundary, and two, they perceive additional value.

When someone says “Jump!” look before you leap.

When asked to do something – take on a role, task or project – give yourself time to thoroughly review how well it:

Fits your interests.
Aligns with your business purpose and niche.
Provides a good return for your investment of time.

Say no, unless it will pay off for you. This applies to non-business opportunities as well. If you're overcommitted, you'll not be able to dedicate enough time and energy to satisfy any of your priorities, especially your business goals.

Turn down work that isn't ideal. If clients are not a good fit refer them to another coach that fits the client's interest, values or price range better. It will make room for the right opportunities and your ideal clients.

Enjoy the structure and professionalism these boundaries bring to your business. In the next edition we'll discuss coaching ethics, another set of important boundaries.

Rhonda specializes in coaching new coaches, women entrepreneurs and small business owners through Bubbling Well Inc., a coaching practice she founded in 1999. She helps both new and experienced coaches find their "growing edge" and true success in coaching.

Keeping it all together: Organizational Wizardry

coach@bubblingwell.com (Rhonda Hess) — Thu, 10 Nov 2005 16:21:11 -0800

Rhonda Hess

You may be an ace coach but if you can�t keep your business running smoothly, financial success might elude you or come at the high price of burnout. Precious opportunities are lost if you misplace files, over commit, or double book clients. It�s time to slow down and design better business systems.

For many of us, our coaching practice is the first foray into self-employed business. Coaching is the service we offer. But the real business is behind the scenes � marketing and administration. For sustainable business, create a solid infrastructure that is simple to maintain.

Ten steps to sanity

1. Reduce obligations

Eliminate tasks during your work time that do not give you an ample return on your investment of time � fees, the right opportunities, professional development. Think of each hour of your business day as equivalent to one hour of your coaching fee. It will help you to make smart choices about your time.

2. Under promise and over deliver

Stop yourself from agreeing to demands and unrealistic time frames just because you want to please others. Give yourself time to think rationally about the consequences of dedicating your time and energy to it.

3. Get back to a clean slate every month

If your office looks like a cyclone hit it, your to-do list is long, and your email box isn�t cleaned out, schedule a chunk of time to catch up. Systems won�t hold up under a heavy load. Every day that your business is in chaos will cost you time, energy and likely money.

4. Optimize your equipment

Rather than spend hours fighting against your computer, software and phone system, take the time to make them work for you. Hire a competent computer consultant who will optimize your systems and teach you what you want to know. Shop around to find the right person.

5. Use professional resources

Delegate whatever isn�t your strength to someone who can do it faster and better � then you�ll have time to coach, increasing your income rather than floundering on a slow learning curve. Resource yourself with professional services such as a:

- Virtual Assistant

- Office Organizer

- CPA/Bookkeeper

- Web Designer

6. Set up easy systems and use them

You�ll need streamlined systems for record keeping, accounting, bill paying, marketing, follow through, scheduling etc. If designing systems that work well isn�t your forte, hire an office organizer to create them for you. Once you�ve got systems in place, USE THEM!

7. Use the one touch approach

This system works! When email or snail mail arrives, execute whatever is called for now � open it, respond to it, schedule a task, file it, dump it, recycle it. With communication from clients and colleagues do your best to responsibly but quickly get it back into their court. They will value your turnaround if it�s within the same day or hour.

8. Schedule everything

Put everything on your schedule (day timer, palm pilot � whatever you use). Commit to accomplishing what is written there. If you don�t, is it because it was too big a bite to chew? Delineate the task into bite sizes and put those on your calendar.

9. Stop procrastinating

Waiting until the 11th hour to do anything causes stress and can appear unprofessional. Since you�ll have to do it anyway, do what you can in this moment. To reinforce this habit, figure out your final deadline, then what it will take to accomplish it. Schedule and accomplish the bite sizes. Leave room for contingencies.

10. Use small bits of time wisely

Use the 5 � 15 minutes between clients to finish notes, put away client files, make a quick phone call, clear out email or take a small bite out of a big project.

Implementing these ten simple methods will make you an organization wizard!

Copyright �2005, Bubbling Well � Rhonda Hess
All rights in all media reserved.

Making Your Website Work

coach@bubblingwell.com (Rhonda Hess) — Tue, 08 Nov 2005 08:11:23 -0800

Rhonda Hess

by Rhonda Hess, Mentor Coach

Many coaches are underutilizing their websites. Often, it is because the website was developed without a well-conceived plan and with misunderstandings about what will effectively attract clients. Let�s uncover common misconceptions about coaching websites and replace them with a better approach.

Misconception #1
If I create a website that will appeal to everyone, I�ll get more clients.

The Better Approach
Create a website that is designed to attract one distinct target market.

Coaches that have sustainable and financially successful businesses have chosen, and are marketing exclusively to, a specific target market. Coaches who hang their shingle as a Life Coach or Business Coach without a specific niche will usually fail in their businesses within the first 1 � 3 years.

Your website will attract and pre-qualify ideal clients if it offers valuable information and services to one specific group.

Misconception #2
If I start by surfing other coach�s websites I�ll learn what I need to do for my own.

The Better Approach
Unfortunately, few coaching websites are well written and designed to funnel prospective clients to coaching services. Instead, start with an introspective process.

1. What are the three most compelling challenges and desires for my target market? Write streamlined content that addresses those issues.
2. What message do I want my web visitors to get from my website? Craft an authentic message that carries through all of your marketing.
3. What actions do I want my web visitors to take? Sure, you want them to contact you for a sample session but most visitors will need an interim way to get to know the value of your services. Make subscribing to your ezine compelling and easy.

Misconception # 3
If I write content that ensures coaching will bring my clients �a more fulfilling life� that will be enough to get prospects to call me.

The Better Approach
Dangling abstract promises of fulfilling dreams and goals rarely produces results. Instead, design a marketing funnel � ezine and other free information, mid-price products and services, then higher end products and services � that will build credibility and visibility with your target market.

Your website will be more dynamic�and work�if it is designed with all these approaches in mind.

Are you creating or updating your website? Get step-by-step guidance on how to create a compelling and authentic website with Mentor Coach, Rhonda Hess through her new ebook Working Websites for Coaches.

Winning with Group Coaching

coach@bubblingwell.com (Rhonda Hess) — Tue, 11 Oct 2005 08:24:05 -0700

Rhonda Hess

by Rhonda Hess

Have you thought about offering Group Coaching to your target market? If you already have this in your suite of services then you know the significant return on investment for everyone involved -- you and your clients.

Less Effort for Greater Impact

You spend less time and energy coaching more than one person at a time.
Your marketing will be leveraged because group coaching is a gateway from which to enroll clients into one on one coaching and other services.
Each client is coached both directly (through their own issues) and vicariously (through the topics brought by other members of the group). Often clients receive tremendous value from the other participant's input. This is made possible by designing a group to your target market that addresses their specific interests.

Earn More for Each Hour You Coach
Let's say your current one on one coaching rate is $350 per month for three 45 minute sessions. That's approximately $155 per hour. If you provide group coaching for $250 per month for three 90 minute sessions and have a minimum of 8 people in your group, you'll be earning approximately $444 per hour!

More People Experience Your Coaching
For some prospective clients, the opportunity to experience your coaching in a group setting will not only make it more affordable, but also more comfortable. Most people truly enjoy the support that comes with a group of like minded individuals.

You can learn more about designing and facilitating group coaching programs in Lesson 14, "Gaining Visibility and Credibility," in the Coach Training Accelerator� self-study course.

Rhonda Hess is a Mentor Coach and Trainer for Coach Training Alliance. She is also the co-author of the Coach Training Accelerator�

Impeccable Communication (Part Three)

coach@bubblingwell.com (Rhonda Hess) — Thu, 08 Sep 2005 08:45:20 -0700

Rhonda Hess

Love and respect makes it worthwhile to communicate and hear the hard stuff. With it, when I receive feedback, I am blessed with instant learning and new depth in the relationship. With it, when I give feedback, whether it is to the waiter or my colleague, I honor the other. If you believe as I do, that we are all connected, then your respect and love for others will come around full circle back to you.

Tell the Truth Without Blame or Judgment is the third part of Impeccable Communication.

It�s natural to have judgments. Portions of our brains are dedicated to this task. As children, we learn to differentiate ourselves from others and discern between complex options. Judgment can be useful in making choices that help us survive and thrive. However, judgment often becomes prejudice that limits the depth of connection. As we strive to evolve, judgment must be checked.

- Keep an open mind

Monitor what you think and feel, own up to and let go of judgments as best you can before you speak to someone else. And don�t cling to your truths. Allow yourself to see with a new perspective. This takes practice.

- Take responsibility for yourself

The way you feel, think and act are always your responsibility. Use the tool outlined under Unraveling the Story in the edition called The Truth Will Set You Free to help you determine what about a situation is fact versus your interpretation.

- Use a healthy feedback model

When you have a complaint, turn it into constructive feedback using a process like this:

1. Permission

Start by asking permission to give feedback: �I have some feedback I�d like to give you. Is this a good time for us to talk?�

2. Share out of love and respect for the other

When the other person is ready, share the reason why you are giving the feedback. �I�m telling you this because our relationship is important to me and I love you very much.�

3. Share the facts and your feelings

�When you (did or said) _______, I felt _______.�

4. Own your judgments and interpretations

�My judgment about that was . . . ". Take care not to convey blame or intend shame.

5. Share what you want now

�What I�d like now is . . .� Do your best to know what you want to have happen between you in the future before the conversation begins. Take care to language this in positive terms. This is not about what you don�t want or what you would�ve wanted. Ideally, you�ll ask for something that benefits both of you. Ask for what you want straight up, without manipulation. We can�t expect others to know what we want. And, we can�t expect to get what we want if we don�t know or aren�t willing ask for it.

6. Ask for feedback in return

Even with the best intentions and purest motivation, we cannot control the impact of our communication. Listen and watch for the impact of your words. If you don�t hear feedback, ask for it. �When I (did or said) _____, how did you feel?�

7. Listen

Allow the other person time to finish their response and any feedback to you completely before you speak again. Stay with it until you have both resolved to move forward.

Practice bringing love and respect and this method of feedback to all your relationships and watch them blossom.

Impeccable Communication (Part Two)

coach@bubblingwell.com (Rhonda Hess) — Mon, 29 Aug 2005 10:30:44 -0700

Rhonda Hess

Show up and be present is the first step in impeccable communication with others. Staying current and checking motivation are foundations for the next piece � where we put our attention.

With our critical minds, it�s so easy to see the glass as half full, project negativity into everything, look only for what�s wrong. If we believe in a world of hurt, that is where our attention and our reality will stay. We always have the choice to hear and see things differently.

Pay Attention to What Has Heart and Meaning

Pick through words and non-verbal cues to find the gift in every conversation. Some fact revealed about the other person or yourself will give you greater understanding. Or, with just hearing and being heard, something in you may be healed. Getting the gift may require humbling yourself, stepping out of your �position� to hear things from another perspective.

- Listen

Listen and keep listening with the depth that you wish for when you�re speaking. Listen for the impact of your words. Pause often to allow for a response rather than holding forth. If you apply this to coaching, you�ve achieved some mastery. Now apply it to every conversation.

- Stay with it

Even if the words seem harsh, keep your focus on honoring and respecting both yourself and the person you�re talking with. Stay in dialogue until both of you are finished.

- Let go of interpretations
Let words wash over and past you knowing they will only hurt if you hold onto your interpretations. Check out your assumptions with the other person.

Truth lives in our hearts. When we receive what has meaning into our hearts and convey what has meaning from there, we can tell the truth and also honor the other.

Copyright � Bubbling Well � Rhonda Hess
All rights in all media reserved.