READ PART ONE

It’s one thing to know what your strengths are, but another to understand how to match those strengths with the needs of your clients.  Often, in an effort to be of service to all types of clients that come to us, we become chameleons – ready to change our philosophy, teaching style and even personality to fit the needs of the person who’s booked the hour.  The truth about this way of teaching? IT’S EXHAUSTING!!

Your energy is your most precious resource.  Therefore, the process by which your work is best received needs to ensure that your clients feel personally attended to AND doesn’t ask you to be anyone other than the teacher you truly are. Here’s the assignment:

Develop a Pathway For Your Services That Supports Your Skills And Meets Their Needs 

STEP ONE – Create Language Surrounding Your Passion For What You Do 

You can reflect back to Part I for the Third Party Perspective Exercise to help this process. 

1. What is your strongest skill set and what are you already doing well?
2. Who do you do it for the most right now?
3. What are the individualized gifts you bring to the table? What are you known for?
4. What do you NOT need to be doing in your work right now?

STEP TWO – Identify Your Clients Desires

One of the simplest/most complex questions to ask when building a pathway is “Why This, Why Now?” When you can answer these questions from a client perspective, you can better design the pathway that accounts for  their needs and with every step along the way.  Ask this question to address the following:

1. Why Work With You? Why Now?
2. Why Try This Service? Why Now?
3. Why Address This Pain Point? Why Now?
4. Why Pursue This Desire? Why Now?
5. Why Celebrate This Milestone? Why Now?

STEP THREE – Get Down To The Nitty Gritty

Now that you have some insight into what you’re doing really well and what your clients want, it’s time to map out the pathway that will help you both.  Here are some (more) questions to answer.  The more ridiculously specific you can be, the better.

WHAT’S THE PROMISE? 

1. What’s the best possible outcome for clients who work with you?
2. What elements are part of the formula for this outcome?
3. What elements don’t belong?
4. What do you already have in place as part of the process?
5. Where are the gaps?

      MILESTONES

1. What are important milestones for them to reach?
2. What are important milestones for YOU to reach as a teacher?
3. How will you celebrate these milestones?

THE PROCESS 

1. How do clients find you?
2. How do they learn more?
3. How do they sign up?
4. What happens next?
5. And then what?
6. And what about after that?
7. How do you know that they are in the arena of the best possible outcome?
8. What are the dealbreakers? What ends a relationship?

You’ve gathered the information and it’s time to map it out.  If you were to draw out a pathway that was informed by your skillset and gifts + your clients and their desires, where does it begin? What are the steps you believe would lead them to a milestone? What doesn’t belong as part of the pathway or part of your practice?

There is definitely work involved in creating a pathway.  However, through defining how your teaching is best received and supported, you’ll be better able to share it with others. Take some time with the above questions and know that your pathway will evolve as you and your clients do.  If you find that you need support with this process, don’t worry – there’s a pathway for YOU, too.  I’m here to help!