The Top 10 Tools for Coaches to use with Brand New Clients (Plus Why and How to Use Them)

Why it's great with new clients: This is one of the few tools for coaches that gives you fantastic overview of how your client is doing across all areas of their life. Which means this is a great diagnostic tool to use with new clients. It's also fun and a strong visual to show off the power of coaching!

What areas of life could get in the way of their goals? From which areas could they draw strength? And if a client is struggling to set goals—or goals for coaching with you—the Wheel of Life is fabulous to get people started (a client's low scores suggest areas for them to work on).

Plus, of all the coaching activities out there, the Wheel of Life is endlessly flexible. With a few tweaks to the categories—or using a blank wheel and asking different questions—it can be used in just about any coaching situation.

How to use: I like to include this tool in my Welcome Packet and then review it within our first couple of sessions. It can also be used in workshops, webinars, groups and one-on-one sessions as a quick barometer of how people are doing.

Tip: For everything you need to know on the Wheel of Life, see our Complete Guide to the Wheel of Life for Coaches

And to see how the Wheel can be applied to any situation watch the tools for coaches Wheel of Life Clinic here (video)

Why it's great with new clients: This life-mapping tool for coaches asks clients to map out the highs and lows of their life so far. Which life events that impacted them most? This tool gives a fabulous overview and helps us get to know our new client:

• What are the significant milestones and key events that have shaped our clients' lives?
• What do they see as their achievements? Disappointments?

Overall this is one of our most universally useful tools for coaches and provides great context for the coaching relationship.

How to use: Use in session—or ideally give as homework as part of your coaching welcome packet. Then review the completed life map with clients using the questions supplied (or your own) to delve deeper—and get to know your new client better! This tool can also be used during the coaching engagement to help identify core values, strengths and limiting beliefs.

Tip: Use this coaching tool for self-esteem building. As you review the life map with them, help your clients celebrate what they've already achieved and acknowledge the setbacks they've overcome...

Why it's great with new clients: This tool for coaches helps clients identify and release mental and physical clutter so they have energy for what's really important. This is great to do at the start of a coaching relationship to boost energy. It also helps remove distractions so our clients can focus on making change in their lives.

Empower your clients to make change, ditch what doesn't serve them and free up some beautiful energy!

How to use: Use in session or give as homework. This tool is also great in workshops, webinars and groups.

Tip: Use this coaching exercise whenever your clients have trouble focusing! Get your clients' distractions out of their heads and onto paper, so that a plan can be made to reduce and eliminate what's getting in the way.

Why it's great with new clients: Achieving our goals is a lot easier when we have energy. In this epidemic of tiredness and overwhelm we live in, energy is a scarce resource. Your new clients will love that you've helped them find more oomph to work on their goals with you!

This simple self-care tool helps clients identify energy drains and begin to resolve them. This frees up energy for them to take action and create a life they love. Which means it also showcases the power of coaching to stop, look and listen to ourselves, then make change!

How to use: Use in session or give as homework. This tool is also great in workshops, webinars and groups. I love to review the completed form with clients and come up with 1-3 actions.

Tip: I often return to this form as a check-in for how clients may be feeling, and what could be slowing them down. This exercise can also be a great introduction (for clients who need it!) to the idea that our mental health impacts our energy too...

Why it's great with new clients: Many people find it easy to reel off their faults, but stumble when asked to identify their strengths. We can use this tool to give our new clients a self-esteem-boost!

When clients come to coaching they're often unsure of what to expect. Helping clients brainstorm their strengths with them is easy, fun—and uplifting. And it's also a great way for us to learn more about our new client: How confident are they? How well do they know themselves? What transferable skills and strengths to draw on when working towards their goals?

How to use: Use this tool in a one-on-one "strengths identification" coaching session, as a workshop handout or give as homework.

You can also use sections of questions in a webinar or group. Simply give a set of questions and put people into groups or a breakout room to help each other brainstorm answers and come back with a list!

Tips:

• Once you have a list of strengths, draw on these in future coaching sessions to overcome obstacles or complete a difficult task.
• When asking these strengths questions, go into the detail. Look for things your client might normally gloss over—and drill down to specific examples.
• If a question response is not a strength, ask your client, "What's special about that?" until you get to the strength underneath.
• I also love to follow strengths identification with the Boost Your Strengths Tool.