Coaching Tools to help Coaches Get More Coaching Clients. Suzan Schmitt: The Coach Marketer

Coaching Tools: The Laws of Consistency and Contrast

July 14, 2009

Persuasion is a skill that can be very helpful in coaching. Our goal as coaches is to help the client see past their limiting thoughts and beliefs to achieve their objectives. Sometimes those limiting thoughts and beliefs limit the "sight" of the clients so dramatically that we must help them see any available options and opportunities. The first opportunity we want to help a client see is the value they will receive from coaching.

Robert Caldini wrote the book "Influence-The Psychology of Persuasion." His research suggests that there are laws at work in our society and that we can count on the laws to hold true when it comes to influence and how we interact with others. Let's examine a couple of these laws and see how they can be applied to your coaching business.

The Law of Consistency

This law states that we have an unconscious need to stay consistent. We have a need to be consistent in the things we do, the things we say, the things we believe, and our other behaviors.

So anytime we are placed in a situation or position that violates the law of consistency we have the unconscious need to return to a position of consistency. What does that tell you effective persuasion? It says that as we work with someone we need to work with them in a way that allows them to be consistent.

It follows logically that to be an effective persuader we must allow our potential to make the decision to coach while being consistent with their values. Clarify how your coaching will help potential coaching clients become more in line with their values and goals.

Learn more about getting new coaching clients with my home study program "No Sales Required Client Attraction".

The Law of Contrast

The law of contrast says that introducing two different alternatives in succession will cause them to appear vastly different. The options will appear more different than if presented separately.

Our job as coaches is to help clients explore many possibilities and make choices that will help them improve their lives and reach their goals. You can use this law to examine possibilities with your client and help them to make better choices.

The law of contrast can also be used as a powerful motivator. When three options are presented and contrasted the middle option is usually the most attractive choice. As a master persuader you can use this information in many ways including offering three different price options for coaching with you.

Clients will not benefit from coaching unless they choose begin coaching so as coaches we must persuade the potential client to sign up for coaching with us. These laws of persuasion are a useful tool to help clients and as coaches we can also pass this knowledge on to our clients so that they may have these same tools available to reach their individual goals.

If you enjoyed this article then you will like "Emotions Can Stall Your Coaching Business Growth".

Filed under: Client Attraction

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