Tom Rauch

Building a Structured Program

The best coaches, the best teachers, the best businesses, the best organizations all have a process, a system for getting their clients breakthrough results.  The kind of results that turn their students, clients, and employees into active promoters who have an emotional connection to the person or the organization, sometimes both.

Building a system that generates those kinds of results is hard work — it takes a lot of reflection and creativity.  But consider the pay-off, you get a process that’s repeatable.  You can see more clients in a month without burning yourself out.  You can increase revenues AND lower costs which raises profitability.

That’s why I created this video, to show you how the “best” bosses and coaches and teachers and businesses get outstanding results for their clients.  After you watch the video, I encourage you to download the template (below) to help you get organized.

Adobe Acrobat version

Microsoft Word version

I’d love to see what you come up with, so when you finish the template, send me a copy and let’s talk!

Building a Web Presence for Your Virtual Practice

(the first in a series of how-to’s and tutorials to help you decide what web-based technologies make sense for your virtual holistic practice).

What is a blog, exactly?

Blog is short for “web log.”  Not the most elegant name, but it’s here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future.

A blog is a website, just like any other website accessible through an Internet browser.  Blogs many of the same basic technologies as many other websites you’ve visited.  They have pictures, buttons, fill-in boxes, hyperlinks, etc.  You can embed video clips, process customer orders, have people opt-in for newsletters – all the things you would expect to find on a fully-functional, high powered website.

Blogs are unique in how they organize content, especially content created by the owner of (and visitors to) the blog.  Blogs are highly interactive.  As you may know, blogs got started and became popular because they were a simple, easy way for a blog owner to create the equivalent of their own personal online newspaper or magazine.  In fact, I was introduced to blogs through my good friend Jim Pire about the time of the second Gulf War.  Residents of Iraq who had Internet access started posting blog entries that were many times more accurate (and compelling) than the late, often-sanitized news dispatches from the Western new agencies.

Blogs allow visitors to the site an opportunity to post comments about an article that the owner/author has written.  I’m sure you’ve seen this feature in many websites (lots of “traditional” newspapers now allow readers to comment on articles posted.)

Blogs became popular in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s because they are so simple to set up and make functional “out of the box.”  Also, the most popular blogging software (Wordpress, which I use) is free.  You just download to a server, install it (which takes about 5 minutes), apply a theme (of which there are literally thousands to chose from, many of which are also free), and your now blogging.  Posting is easy, responding to comments is easy.

Then, of course, it gets a lot more complicated after that , depending on what you want your blog to do for you, your business, and most important – your clients.

Next Post: The Pro’s and Con’s of Using Blogging Software for Your Site

Step #3 (Program Design) — Going Virtual

The Business Case for Building a Virtual Practice

I have been receiving more and more requests from holistic practitioners about what it would take for them to build a “virtual” practice.  The advantages to having a successful virtual practice are pretty obvious: 1) cost-savings alone; you don’t have to have a fancy office in an easy-to-get to location, since your coaching (by definition) can be done from your home/office or (virtually!) anywhere you have a reliable phone and Internet connection; 2) top-line revenue generation; virtual coaches have a reach that extends way beyond their physical/geographic location; 3) less-wear-and-tear for everyone since there’s no travel involved.

I am not the smartest business guy in the world, but I do know that when you find a solution that could potentially lower costs AND raise revenues, even I know it bears further investigation!

Virtual coaching is no slam-dunk.  Since you lose the advantages that come with face-to-face meetings (reading body language, physically examining your clients) a virtual holistic practitioner has to have (or develop) outstanding listening skills.  Programs must be highly structured — even more so than face-to-face sessions — because clients are more likely to think of a virtual practice as a “package” rather than as a “person.”  Practitioners also have to be confident that they can deliver meaningful results for their clients without the benefit of seeing them eyeball to eyeball.

Why Virtual Coaching Works for Me

I am a convert to virtual coaching.  Before, I used to believe that all “real” coaching HAD to happen face-to-face.  I’ve since learned that GREAT coaching can happen over the phone and through email.  In fact, some of my BEST coaching has happened this way, and here’s why:

1.  Clients show up; they miss far fewer meetings because they don’t have to travel to see me, or me to them.  Sometimes (I think) clients don’t want to meet with me because they just don’t feel like cleaning up their office or home, or meeting me in my office, or — they just don’t feel like dealing with another human being that particular day.  Yet when its a phone-only session, they can be in their sweats or never leave their office.  When it comes to compliance, convenience matters!

2. I can take better notes as I talk with my clients over the phone; I can take notes during face-to-face meetings, but it feels (to me) a bit awkward.  On the phone, I can scribble away madly and keep scribbling after we hang up.  Taking good notes, especially at the beginning of an engagement, is critical to getting to the root cause of a client’s condition or issue.

3.  I can see more clients in a day (or week) when I coach over the phone — which is good for my practice, but also good for my health.  Here’s what I mean: it’s easier for me to “switch off” after a client phone call.  When I see someone face-to-face, their presence lingers and its harder for me to shift gears.  When I can shift gears more easily, I’m more ready and present for my next client, so they get the benefit of my full attention.

4.  Calls end more promptly.  When I’m meeting with clients face-to-face, there’s a temptation to run a bit long.  In phone meetings, I always seem to end right on time, and it feels like a whole, complete and helpful session.

Challenges Encountered

But virtual coaching has some obstacles too: Lots of information can be gleaned from facial expression and body language.  Some holistic practitioners insist that MOST of their understanding about a client and their issues comes from their intuition that relies entirely on their visual reading of their clients.  For others, especially those who do hands-on work, the physical presence of the client is an absolute requirement.

Nevertheless, if not ALL coaching happens over the phone, I would encourage you to see if maybe MORE of it could.  Some holistic practitioners will no doubt set up hybrid programs where the first 1-3 sessions happen face-to-face, the next 5-6 over the phone, then the last 2-3 in person.

Ten Lessons Learned

Here are some lessons I’ve learned about virtual coaching, or coaching at a distance:

1.  I have to be organized; keeping my notes in order and in sequence is critical.  I have to be organized with face-to-face meetings as well, but organization counts even more in my virtual practice.

2.  I have become much more conscious about my listening-without-seeing skills.  One thing I learned is that using “silence” over the phone can be very powerful.  Sometimes I just let a question “sit” out there — which can be uncomfortable, especially since I can’t see that my client is just ruminating, but I’m learning the power of a silent moment.

3.  Using a land line is a good idea.Cell phones, unless they are absolutely necessary are still (for me) too likely to lose their connection.

4.  Eliminating distractions!  Unless I have to be in front of a computer, I’m not.  I like being in an open space so I can pace (when I’m not taking notes).

5.  Be mindful of time-zone changes.  I have missed a couple of calls just because I didn’t do the math right.

6.  Email is your friend.  I use email all the time to follow up with clients.  I also ask them to email me assignments 24 hours before our session so I can review them.  But email should not become an excuse to spam your clients with a whole lot of information that YOU are SURE they will find incredibly helpful.  Especially at the beginning of the engagement, just let them focus on a couple of significant issues and assignments.  Sending them a lot of information — no matter how well intentioned — is just bound to confuse and distract them.

7.  Learn the art of the respectful “interrupt.”  Since clients can’t see you, they don’t know that you might have  a question or that you want to redirect the conversation (which can be done more easily through body language).  On the phone, you need to know when to insert yourself back into the conversation, and what to say when you want to get your client back on point.  This takes time and practice to perfect, but if you are aware that you need to build this skill, you are already half-way there.

8.  Doodle.  I don’t know if you are a doodler, but it helps you focus on the words and tone and inflection you are hearing over the phone.  Look back at your doodles before the next session and you’ll see patterns emerge that will help you get to root cause with your client.

9.  Send a “ping” via email every now and then, just to check-in and say hi.  If your client had a significant event in their life (son/daughter getting married, etc.) send a note asking them how it went.  Or just when your intuition tells you its time for them to get a “ping” from you!

10.  Structure your program — be clear about who you are, who you serve and how you do it. and what they should expect from you (and from themselves) in your program.  Remember, these folks will be at first buying a package since they don’t have a chance to get to know you as a person.  So the package you offer needs to be as clear and as personal and personalized (to them) as possible.

Need help building a virtual practice?  Let’s begin today!

Step #2 (Program Design) — Begin with The End in Mind

(If you haven’t read the first post in this series, I recommend that you click here)

Step #2 (Program Design) — Begin with The End in Mind

One of the seven habits of highly successful people (yes, the book and training program by Steven Covey) is “begin with the end in mind.”

Steven observes that most of us live life “by default” rather than “by design.” When we live by default, we end up following a path that we believe (credo!) is just the way things are supposed to be. How many times have you caught yourself saying “oh, that’s just the way life is”? The problem, he goes on to say, is that we live our lives without knowing our outcomes — what we really want in life.

When we live by design, we visualize outcomes. We can see vividly what it is we want out of life and we align our time, effort, and resources to get there. There may be plenty of zigs and zags and frustrations and obstacles, but we keep going. We’re persistent. The outcome we’re looking for gets closer and closer until one day we realize that what we are looking for has been right beside (or deep inside us) all along.

Beginning with the end in mind — for program design

Beginning with the end in mind applies to your life journey. That much is easy to see. But it also applies to designing a program for your clients.

Let me explain.

If you read the first step (“Step #1: (Program Design) — Credo et Placebo”) you know that YOU have to be clear about your beliefs and what you want yuor client to experience in your program. Because beliefs heal. We infect other people with our belief. Although “faith healing” has many connotations (not all of them positive), most “medical miracles” are attributed to the faith of the healer and the healed.

In this post — Step #2 — its time to get a bit more specific about the outcomes you believe your client will experience at the end of your engagement with them. Most practitioners (myself included) many times create vague and generic outcomes that we HOPE our clients will experience. Outcomes like “take their career to the next level” or “realize amazing energy and health forever” or “strength and fitness that helps them overcome any obstacle.”

Color me cynical, but there is SO much of this verbiage out on the web right now that people — practitioners and clients — have become a bit jaded. It’s almost as if you (the practitioner) HAVE to write those kinds of outcomes just to play the game.

Enough. Here’s my antidote to a formula that’s being used way too often these days: V + G = BS, or Vague + Generic = Bullsh*t.

1. Start with the end in mind — what you believe your client WILL experience by the end of your work with them. Don’t come up with a list. Please. Come up with ONE or TWO outcomes that you KNOW your client will receive at the end of the engagement. Make these outcomes specific (non-vague) and measurable (either by some quantity or by a quality).
2. Be able to explain to yourself (and your client) why these (or this!) outcome matters.
3. When designing your program, work your way backwards. If you know the outcome, what has to happen during the engagement to get them there? What will they need to know? To learn? To experience?

An example to illustrate the process

Here’s an example to illustrate this process:

Let’s sat I want my client (by the end of their work with me) to know how to have a critical conversation with their spouse about their relationship, and I need to build a program around that outcome.

First, I would identify that one (or two) outcomes that I believe my client will experience after working with me.  I could write something V+G = BS that might sound something like:  “Be able to conduct a critical conversation with their spouse about their shared life purpose.”  Huh?  I mean, it sounds right (because we are used to hearing that kind of slogan) but what does it really mean?  Rather, I could write something like: “Be able to clearly identify a specific issue in their relationship that keeps repeating itself and prevents them from deepening their relationship.”  A second outcome could sound like: “Be able to use a communication template that resolves the issue and strengthens the relationship.”

What did you notice about he bolded words in the re-write?  They are clear and specific.  They can be measured (either they identify the issue or they don’t), they will demonstrate facility with using a communications template (or they won’t). Both of these outcomes are directly observable.  “Conducting a critical conversation…about shared life purpose” sounds ok, but is it really observable?  For some people, a “critical conversation” may involve a lot of shouting and blame-storming.  And, at the end of the day, what is a “shared life purpose”?  Better, I think, to find a specific issue that keeps repeating itself (e.g., an inability to talk about health or money or sex).

Second, I would explain that this outcome matters for two reasons, the first being the most obvious:  A significant, specific issue that’s been “haunting” their relationship has been resolved, and their is a renewed (or new) intimacy between the partners because both have felt understood and heard.  The second reason is less obvious but even more significant:  If they can learn how to resolve this issue, then they have developed a process that will help them resolve other issues — more quickly, with less friction, with a deeper understanding.  They don’t have to be afraid of bringing up uncomfortable topics because they know how to talk about them openly and respectfully.

Third, and this gets into the nitty-gritty of program design, I would think about what my client needs to experience to get them to a place where they are now prepared to have a critical conversation with their spouse about a specific issue that keeps repeating itself.  Without getting into too much detail, I would teach them foundational skills around active listening and re-framing a message; I would encourage them to “unpack” the issue by keeping a journal and answering very specific questions.  I would roleplay with them.  I would get the more confident about actually speaking with their spouse by preparing a script and finding the right time and place to have the conversation.  I might have other people who have gone through my program share their stories.  I could have them watch videos of other couples talking about difficult issues (even clips from popular movies) and ask my client to describe what’s going on in that scene.  The list goes.

How structured program design builds your practice

Now, how I sequence that learning and those activities IS my program.  What I choose to start with (my client watching video clips), then what they experience next (reflection and self-awareness building activities), then after that (roleplaying), etc.  IS my structured program design.  This — most important– is the process that gets my clients to the ONE or TWO outcomes I believe they will experience by the end of my program.  And, of course, I really believe they are going to get there — credo et placebo.

Here’s the best part: this process becomes your brand.  Your way of reaching a targeted market that sets you apart from other practitioners.  Not that you are better or superior, but that you have an approach.  A perspective.  A point of view.  A process and program design that conveys your clients from Point A to Point B (did you know that “conveys” is an associated root word of “coach” as in horse-drawn coaches conveyed passengers back in the day?).

How much easier is to talk about your program when its unique and specific?  How much more profitable will you be when you develop a process that is repeatable — no more extra re-work or re-inventing the wheel each and every time you meet with a client?

Final words

Creating a structured program is  foundational building block in creating a profitable, thriving holistic practice.  Follow these steps and you will be on your way to differentiating yourself and creating enormous value for your clients — and, soon thereafter, their family and friends!

If you need a hand with this building block, drop me a line.

Step #1 (Program Design) — Credo et Placebo

“Credo” translates to: I believe

“Placebo” is from the Latin: I shall please.

Both words have deep religious origins; the Catholic Church uses “credo” as the opening of its Nicene Creed, a summary of the beliefs held by the Church faithful.  “Placebo” is a key phrase in the Church’s prayers for the dead:  Placebo Domino, or “I shall please the Lord.”

Interesting stuff, but what does this have to do with holistic practitioners, and – more to the point – to building well-structured programs?

First, here’s what I mean by a “well-structured” program: it has a beginning, a middle and an ending.  There are transition points between each phase (beginning, middle and ending), and the results our outcomes are predictable.  Moreover, the objections and frustrations that a client experiences as they pass from one phase to the next are also predictable.

Second, belief (or credo) plays an enormous role in defining your program’s structure.  I’ll explain more about that in just a minute.

Third, placebo (or the placebo effect) plays an equally significant part in your program, especially to your client’s healing process in the context of your program.

Confused?  I hope not!  Curious?  I hope so!

How to begin creating a structured program

I think the first step in creating a well-structured program is obvious.  You have been through a class or training program that moved you from “novice” to “competent” through a series of assignments and activities.  At first, you probably needed to be shown lots of examples and given plenty of directions before you “got the hang of it.”  In a well-structured program, the first (or beginning phase) usually has the participants watching and observing, then trying some new things on their own, under the teacher’s supervision.

After the student has acquired a basic competency and built their confidence, its time for them to “take over” – to begin deciding what they want to do, and how they plan on getting there.  Many mistakes will be made.  Frustration will set it.  Yet this the richest time of the class in terms of growth and development because the student is in action.  They are learning from their experiences – what works, what doesn’t, what they can do differently as situations change.  And, the teacher is there to coach them through the inevitable set backs – reminding them that they know what to do, they just have to be persistent and keep going.  Teachers (who are great coaches) have a knack for getting their students in this phase to recognize progress, if outcomes seem like they aren’t coming quickly enough.

In the third and final phase, a student is ready to set a plan for themselves after the class is over.  They need to take all that they’ve learned about the discipline – and themselves – so they can make that learning long-lasting.  With your clients, this is the phase when they are learning how to care for themselves, even after their engagement with you is completed.

Where does “credo” come into this?  Well, to put it simply:  Your program has to include everything you believe in about helping your clients move from novice to intermediate to advanced.  Put another way, from a client who comes to you full of complaints and self-limiting beliefs that drive unhealthy behaviors to a person who can manage and maintain their own self care program

Belief is the foundation

Belief is the foundation of your practice.  If you don’t REALLY believe in what you are doing or only believe because that’s what someone told you or you learned in a training program, your practice is going to continue to be “okay” – never great or exceptional, just “okay.”

The kind of belief that gets your practice from where it is to where it should and could be comes from inside.  The kind of credo that religious and spiritual teachers understood was deeper than textbook learning.  It comes from our experience – the best teacher of all – because we have seen with our own eyes, felt with our own hands, heard with our own ears.

It also comes from our intuition – that deep and abiding well-spring of knowledge that lives within each of us.  A sense that what we are doing is “right” – not in the moralistic sense – but aligned with a deeper purpose and meaning.

Final words

Finally, the belief is reinforced by our training, by research, by conversations we have with colleagues. Not everyone may agree with our beliefs.  That’s fine.  In fact, that’s the way it should be, because by entering into debate and discussion with other knowledgeable, competent and committed professional, learning in our fields of study advances.  Disciplines where there is no debate, only unchallenged dogma and  orthodoxy, is dead — morally, intellectually, spiritually.

Placebo.  I’m no expert on the “placebo effect.”  Researchers like Bruce Lipton, the author of “The Biology of Belief” do a much better job explaining it than I.  This much I do know:  that the placebo effect doesn’t just happen because your client believes that the process or product will help them get better, its because you believe (credo) as well.

The placebo effect is a relationship.  If you believe, your client experiences it.  Its almost as if “belief” is contagious, that we are so hard-wired and predisposed as a specie to be in relationship that we  infect other people with our beliefs.  For pioneers like Dr. Lipton, this contagion is literal: people can and do literally alter each other’s biology through their beliefs.

More research in that area must and will be done.  For now, suffice it to say that your belief (credo) put in service of others (placebo) within the context of a well structured holistic program (novice to intermediate to advanced) holds the key to building a successful practice.

What do you believe?  Where does that belief come from?  How is it reflected in your program’s structure?  How do your clients experience your belief in service to their healing, their health, and their wellness?

If you want to explore these questions with me, to build your practice, contact me!