As a Virtual Assistant who has worked with Professional Coaches for 10 years now, I’m constantly surprised to see how many Coaches still do not have a Client Welcome Package.    Whenever a Coach hires MJVA, the first thing I ask to see is their client welcome package. Majority of the time the client does not have one and in some cases are not even familiar with what a Client Welcome Package is.

Now, Coaches are not normally the administrative type and nor should they be.    Their job is to Coach their clients in living the life they truly desire.  Not an easy task (but an admirable one), just ask my Coach!  My job is to ensure they have all the items they need to support their clients as successfully as possible.

So why do I feel so strongly that a Coach have a well designed, informative Client Welcome Package to write about it here?  

For me, it sets the stage for the Client/Coach relationship.  The Client Welcome Package is a neatly packaged, convenient series of documents that informs the client of all of the important items they need to know in order to begin that oh so important Client/Coach relationship.  As a client, I want to know what to expect and what is expected of me.  The Client Welcome Package provides this dialogue and much more!

In the past 10 years I’ve created dozens of Client Welcome Packages for our Coaches and each unique to that particular individual.  There are however some items that are a must have for any Coaches welcome package:

• Welcome Letter – a personal welcome to your client letting them know how genuinely honoured you are to support them with their goals in life and business.
• Coaching Agreement – an agreement that outlines the terms of the relationship (confidentiality, not to be construed as therapy), scheduled days/times, fees, payment policies and any other information that requires your clients consent.
• Client data sheet – it is exactly as it sounds, ask the client to fill out all their contact information, and remember to include other important information such as spouses name, children’s name and of course their birth date. A Coach should never forget their client’s birthday J
• Coaching prep form – not always a must have, but definitely an item to consider. The client prep form is a handy form for clients who may need some time to think about their agenda and what to really focus on during their coaching session. Not all clients need this, but quite a few do, so if it works use it.

Some other items to consider:

• General Information – Guidelines for the relationship, how they can get the most out of their sessions, what to expect from your coaching style. Not all Coaches add this piece as some of these items are discussed in that first initial interview, but I’ve always found it a nice piece to incorporate.
• Testimonials – If you have them, then use them!
• Coaching Assessments – Assessments such as Clean Sweep, Tru Values are used often by Coaches. If you are a coach who uses assessments, be sure to include them.

Now once you have decided what to include in your client welcome package, it’s time to put it all together.  This is where the fun really starts.  If you’re a creative type such as myself, I thoroughly enjoy creating the overall design and image of each package.  

Ensure that:

• Your package represents you in the best possible way. Include your company logo, company name tagline, be consistent with font style/size and do not go overboard with unnecessary graphics. Simply using your letterhead would be sufficient.
• You make it easy for your client to fill out information. Although most of the information can be in PDF, you may want to consider creating some of the information as forms. This way your client can fill out the forms directly in a program such as Word. (Coaching Agreements should always be faxed or mailed if you require billing information such as credit card number)
• It is absolutely free of spelling and grammar errors – need I say more?

The client welcome package in my opinion is one of the first items a new Coach should be considering. For me I feel it is a necessity for any Coach.  And I say this not only speaking from the VA point of view, but from the client point of view.

And for those Coaches who would sooner delegate this type of work and focus on what they do best – Coach.  Give me a call J