Are you effectively cutting through the overwhelm for your clients?
Why this matters + Strategies you can implement today!
Greetings Fertile Guides!
It’s pretty normal for a client to begin the coaching journey feeling extremely overwhelmed by their current situation. Usually, the thought to pursue a coach comes after a season of trial and error, disappointing or frustrating medical appointments, and repeated emotional defeat. Instead of trying to figure out the next thing alone, clients turn to Fertile Guides in the hope that they can break through the noise to offer the most useful education and resources.
Now, this is where being extremely familiar with expert opinions, research, and reproductive health come into play. We need to be able to present the most relevant, evidence-based information in a way that makes sense for our clients. Additionally, we need to have the keen insight to know what, from this vast body of information, should be shared now and what should wait. There’s no, singular approach that works for this. What we share and how we strategically introduce new information must be client-driven. Some clients may be interested in acquiring information as fast as possible, but others will need to have bite-sized pieces of education in order to move forward.
It’s vital to remember that, while you are affluent in all things fertility, your clients rarely come to you with such a vast foundation of knowledge. Overwhelmed clients are notoriously terrible at implementing change, even small changes. It’s up to you to eliminate overwhelm and be highly sensitive to your client’s unique needs so you can still effectively provide education.
Red Flags that a Client May Be Overwhelmed
Client suddenly seems distant or less talkative during call
Client doesn’t schedule (or cancels) a follow-up and/or is difficult to reach
Client suddenly requires a significant amount of hands-on support following meeting
Client does not implement the next baby step or abandons it after starting
Implementation Strategies
Be intimately familiar with each educational topic or strategic goal you talk about with clients. Understand why it is useful, the evidence behind it, who it works best for, and the ideal segment of baby steps to implement.
When conducting a client consultation and talking during appointments, be meticulous to identify what has been tried, how long a client attempted a given goal, and what aspects were overwhelming.
Set a limit of no more than two educational topics (though speaking more in depth on just one is ideal) and two strategic steps during each individual client session. (One main topic per group session.)
Have handouts and other materials prepared to distribute to clients as a way to help guide them following the call.