Many coaches offer a short ‘discovery’ session for free.
I don’t. My introductory offer is a full, 90-minute coaching session, and it costs £99.
This is much more affordable than my usual fee for a one-off session (£250), but it’s still a substantial investment.
Which means that everyone who books is committed, and shows up. (Nothing less fun than preparing for a session, then sitting looking at yourself on Zoom for 30 minutes, waiting for someone who has forgotten they even booked a free session with you.)
This is for you if you are ready to make changes, and are willing to do the work. You’re now looking for the right method, the right person, to support you as you make those moves.
It’s not a sales call.
The truth is, the free session most coaches offer is usually a sales call. The coach will help you identify your pain points, and the blocks and beliefs that are holding you back. They’ll encourage you to imagine how life might be for you, if those issues were solved. Then they’ll invite you to buy a coaching package to work on those issues.
This is an effective sales technique, which is why so many coaching organisations teach it. But I don’t feel comfortable prodding at people’s tender and painful places without also offering some immediate help, if I’m able to.
I’d much rather spend my time coaching clients than selling coaching. And I certainly don’t want to pressure anyone into working with me if it’s not right for them, or if they’re not yet ready.
The best way to learn about coaching is to experience it.
The best way to know if it’s right for you is to experience it, not read or talk about it. The only way to know if I’m the right person is for us to have a proper coaching conversation. So what you’ll get is a full 90-minute session in which I’ll give you as much value as I can.
It’s not the same as regular coaching, where we get to know each other deeply. Over a 12-session programme, we can experiment to find tools and strategies that will work for you for life, and make lasting changes. But an introductory session will give you some things to try, and a good sense of whether I’m a good fit for you.
If you have questions about coaching, or you’re interested in knowing what a full 12-session programme might offer you, I’m happy to discuss that towards the end of the session..
If you’re not yet ready to invest £2500 or more on ongoing one-to-one support, I might suggest options such as my regular group courses. But if you’ve got all you need from the session – or if you’re not interested in more – that’s fine, too.
There is no hard sell, no pressure to buy.
If I don’t think I’m the right coach for you at this point, I’ll be honest about that. Sometimes I can even suggest other coaches, therapists or professionals who might help more.
I want you to get the results you want, to feel that your investment of time and money was worthwhile.
Even if we’re not a good fit, we’ll both get something from the session. You will leave with a few new tools, ideas, resources, course or book recommendations. I will have an interesting conversation with someone new. And I’ll cover my costs, without feeling I have to sell to you.
So what now?
- If you want to know more about what to expect from an introductory session, read that here.
- If you’re ready to apply for a session, I have some clarifying questions for you.
- And if you’re still looking for a free session, there are loads of coaches out there offering this. And some of them are brilliant.
- Not yet ready to invest? You’re still welcome here! Take a look at the hundreds of blog posts and resources for creative professionals on this site. Or try my free 10-day e-course on growing your creative business.