How Does a Coach Motivate and Inspire Their Client?

Here are six ways that coaches can motivate and inspire their clients:

1. By focusing them on their big picture, long term Vision, which is their ultimate life desire. There is nothing more inspirational and motivating than a juicy Vision.

2. By endorsing their progress. Helping the client give themselves credit for their forward movement and accomplishments big and small is inspirational and motivating (using the coaching skill of "endorsement," NOT praise!).

3. By asking powerful questions. As a coach you ask the best question that occurs to you in each moment and you can't plan or script a powerful question, but when it happens it has an inspirational effect.

4. By our coaching presence. My metaphor for the ideal coaching presence is "the iron fist in the velvet glove," and we inspire our clients by simultaneously challenging them, encouraging them, cheering for them, advocating for their Vision/success, and strongly believing in them.

5. By walking our talk. Who we are, how we show up, our own life journey, struggles and accomplishments can be inspirational to our clients even if we don't tell them our stories.

6. By helping them find inspiration if/when needed. One of the best ways to do this is to find examples of others like them who have struggled as they struggle and have accomplished what they want to accomplish. This is especially effective when the role models are famous people.

All our clients have big challenges and struggles, which is why they hire us, and our ability to motivate and inspire them is one of our most effective strategies for helping them overcome those challenges and struggles.