Recently I was on a coaching call. It was that one time of the month that we “students” got to interact live. It was a coach that was making a name for themselves in a specific niche, a niche that I wanted to expand into. I signed up for their entry level coaching program as a trial.
Being that this was my 1st month with this coach, I didn’t know what to expect but having been on calls with my millionaire business coaches, I guess I had come to expect a certain standard.
So the presentation was over, and the lines were opened for us to ask questions. What I heard next blew my mind.
• No structure for the call
• Everyone talking over each other
• Attendees being allowed to ask multiple questions at a time.
• The coach inadvertently referring to previously taught material as “crap”
Listing to this call, it sounded more like a bunch of girlfriends on the line, chatting about the next girls’ night out. Total turnoff.
Where am I going with this? Well as you grow in your purpose and also in your business, You need a certain level of professionalism and As you establish yourself in the marketplace you may be asked to host or speak on a call. You may even start to hold your own calls. Here are some guidelines to help you:
4 Tips to Hold a Successful Q&A Session
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Keep it professional
Inside jokes, side conversations, personal opinions, background noise – all take away from the learning atmosphere. People are turning to you for guidance. -
Un-mute each person one at a time
Make sure that the service provider you are using to host your session has this feature. This will eliminate a barrage of people talking at once.
Tip: Become familiar with the service you are using BEFORE the call. Do a test call with a few family and/or friends if necessary -
Set a limit on questions
One question per person, repeat as many rounds a necessary until the call is completed.
Tip: Yes, there may be times when a 2-part question is necessary, but there needs to be a limit stated upfront. -
Set a time limit to each question
Of course you want to give your clients the best answer, you want them to hang up from the call with clarity, understanding and a sense of XXX, but spending an undetermined amount of time answer a question will only XXX your other clients on the call. Be respectful of their time.
Tip: if a client asks a question that will take more than the allotted time to answer, ask them to post the question in the group/forum and you can answer it at length there. This also gives everyone a chance to benefit from the answer.
Some people need more help than others. When in a group setting, most people take advantage of the live call and hold their questions until then. And let’s face it everyone wants live one on one “talk time” with their coach, who wouldn’t?
But the key is to keep it professional and make sure that you are providing value to your clients.
So I ask you…. Do you have a life or business coach? If so what made you choose them?
