In our Learning Community, one of the members asked on a coaching call, “I keep running over on my individual sessions with clients. How do I stop over giving to them?”
Let’s stop right there. It’s so interesting to me how hard we can be on ourselves. The first thought was that they were over giving and needed to somehow change who they are.
Now, this definitely happens. Business owners, practitioners, can give too much for a variety of reasons. However, something else might be going on, and instead of focusing on the over-giving, I want to look at what that might be.
Many service professionals go into business copying someone else’s template for how it all works. Because, of course, how else do you start something new? If you were trained or mentored by someone who does one hour sessions, you’re probably going to do one hour sessions.
The thing is, we’re all different beings, with different strengths, and different ways of moving in the world. And, honestly, an hour is a somehow arbitrary length of time. Dividing the day up into 24 equal parts, and then somehow the things we do need to fit neatly inside of these slots? It doesn’t make a ton of sense, really.
When I work with my own coach, we do have an hour scheduled, but we just go until we’re done, which is usually anywhere between 30 minutes and 50 minutes. It doesn’t change how much I pay, because I’m not paying per minute, I’m paying for the session.
For my own individual clients, we do schedule for one hour, because I’ve found that’s a pretty organic space for me. And, I *always* have 30 minutes of padding between the end of a client session and whatever is next, because if we need to, we can go over a few minutes without stress. And sometimes that happens.
I remember a client who struggled with ending sessions on time. When we really talked it through, she loved to do deep work with folks, and she listened very deeply to her own guidance, and to what her client’s body needed. It was never sixty minutes. She came to the conclusion that two hours was a natural length of time for the kind of work she did.
So, two hours it was. She always ended on time, the clients loved the work, and she felt relaxed and not in a rush, that she could give exactly what she was supposed to give to help her clients. It really worked well and her practice was full.
I’ve had clients create all kinds of different session structures, based on what their strengths and natural flow is. Two hour sessions. Half day sessions. 30 minute sessions. 15 minute “laser calls.”
And that includes different rhythms of sessions. One session per day for five days straight, then once per week for 3 weeks is what one client did, really effectively. Another did deep dive VIP days. Another did weekly sessions for a month, then twice monthly for three months.
If you think you’re over giving, that is absolutely a possibility. But I also want you to consider, what is it that the client really needs? What is it that the work you do really asks for? What would be both sustainable for you and really help your client with the work you do?
It’s sometimes hard to get how free you are to create exactly what you want. But you are, and you can. And if it’s effective, clients will be super happy, even if the schedule is non-standard.
Why will clients be super happy? Because you’ll be working within your strengths, you’ll be doing things in a way that helps you to shine, and helps you do your best work. And that’s what your clients really want.
If you let yourself be creative and free, if you let your heart run wild, if you designed your offers exactly to match your strengths, what would they look like?
With love,
Mark Silver, M.Div.
Heart of Business, Inc.
Every act of business can be an act of love.
The space to find your freedom.
In the rush of business, it’s hard to find the time to listen to the quiet voice of guidance. It can be challenging to really sink into your own space, letting go of the voice of fear, or the voice of worry…
It’s one of the reasons we have a virtual retreat every other month in our Learning Community. It’s also why I’m committed to offering Virtual Spiritual Business Retreats at least a few times per year.
The next one is this Friday. Whether or not you can be there for the whole thing, it’s still worth it, because you will get way more space than if you don’t. And since it’s priced from the heart, not as some strange “premium platinum floofy floof thingamadoodle” you don’t have squeeze value out of every minute.
Why not join us, and relax into your heart, and hear the truth that is trying to speak to you?
Take a look: Heart of Business Virtual Retreat
If you have questions, ask. But don’t wait. It starts this Friday, 9am eastern.
