When is it a good idea to give coaching as a gift? Here are three important guidelines to make sure your recipient gets the most from your investment:



Almost everyone knows someone who could use a coach, but the key question when considering coaching as a gift, is will it be used?

Coaching can be the most positive and powerful gift you can give someone, because it can truly change a life. But it only works if the person receiving the coaching fully engages in the process. So, how can you be sure that your gift will be used well and truly provide a positive experience and great results?

Here are a few tips to help you decide whether coaching is the right gift for the person you have in mind, and if so what type of package would be the best fit for your budget and their situation:

1. Does the person you have in mind need to change, or want to change?

If they need to change, coaching may not help

This is an important distinction. Someone who complains a lot and maybe even asks for advice, but then doesn’t do anything with the help and advice they receive, could be stuck in a victim pattern where they simply don’t believe they have the power to change their life. You may really, really, really want them to see that they can make a change, but until they make the shift in their own mind and decide to take ownership of their situation, hiring them a coach will be just as useless as any other type of help.

Don’t despair though. One thing you can do in this case is continue to plant seeds by letting them know what has helped you without pushing it on them. If they complain about their situation, you can say something along the lines of, “I get how frustrating that can be and I used to feel that way too. Hiring a coach / reading this book / doing such and such program really helped me get my power back and take control of my life. I’d be happy to give you the information if it’s something you want to try”. Leave it at that and then set your own boundaries in your relationship with this person so the negative outlook doesn’t drag you down.

If they want to change, coaching may be the ideal gift

You will know that someone wants to change when you see them working at it. They may be trying a variety of things and failing miserably – but you see them taking enough ownership to keep getting back on their feet and trying something else. Also, when they talk about their situation, the language is less complaining and blaming and more introspective, asking themselves questions related to what they might try next, and you’ll notice a willingness to do the work, even if they are frustrated.

You can always slip in a question, “if you were able to have a coach or participate in a professional development program, do you think you would get a lot out of it?” and gauge their reaction. If they seem curious, intrigued, and positive, you have probably landed on the perfect gift!

2. Usually it takes three to six months to see the first transformational shifts.

You can purchase one or two coaching sessions as a gift, and what someone will most often get out of it is clarity. Clarity can be powerful because it can help you make a big decision, it can give you a new personal awareness, or it can help you get more clear on what you don’t want. But for long term change that lasts, the coaching process usually follows a pattern that enables someone to not only get momentary clarity on the frustration of the day, but also to learn what is behind the pattern of frustrations that keep coming back. The process is different for everyone, but a typical pattern is:

• month one – excitement


• month two – frustration


• month three – glimpses of real change


• months four and five – practice and application


• month six – the first big shift


• months seven and eight - more practice and solidifying the first shift


• month nine - seeing the “next” level

With that in mind, when it comes to time-frame, the best gifts are:

(1) a clarity gift (one or two sessions)

(2) a taste of coaching (three to four months to make sure they’ve gotten past the first hurdle – then they can decide whether or not to continue on their own)

(3) a whole package or program (6-12 months – gets them through their first major shift and settled into it so they don’t lose it and go back to the old ways)

Whatever you do, keep in mind that getting someone two months of coaching is never a good idea because it only gets them to the point of frustration and they’ll leave feeling like they didn’t get anything out of it.

Deciding on a time frame is easy with Aspyrre because with the Aspyrre Community program you can do a longer term package even on a budget.

3. Feeling comfortable and safe with your coach is critical to success.

Sometimes one conversation can give someone the comfort level they need to talk freely with a new coach. At other times they need more time to build trust before getting to that comfort level. And, in some cases the relationship never gels. If I think my coach is a “sham” or has no genuine understanding of who I am as a person, I will never trust him or her enough to share the things I really feel vulnerable about. And those are usually the exact things that once shared, enable big changes that haven’t been possible before.

When gifting coaching usually it’s best to provide a “taste” of the coach first to see if the relationship develops and then decide how to proceed. There are several ways to do this. One is to gift a few sessions up front and then find out if the person wants to interview other coaches or stay with the one they have. Another way is to have the person enroll in a longer term group program or class that doesn’t require as much personal trust up front, but enables them to get enough of a feel of who the coach is to decide whether it’s a good fit for private coaching. With Aspyrre you have the option to do both.

Aspyrre 2012 Gift Packages

A Taste of the Aspyrre Community 2012 Coaching Program – Three months - $135

This gift gives three months of the Aspyrre Community with the coaching program included. This is great because it has them engage for three months – past the typical first hurdles, and long enough to earn their first private coaching session. If they are doing the work and enjoying the program, they have the option to start their own subscription when the gift package ends, which gives them a sense of full ownership. Even if they don’t choose to continue after the first three months, they will have gotten enough in terms of training, information, tools, and personal insights to make 2012 their best year to date! MORE INFO - CLICK HERE

A Taste of Private Coaching – One month - $650

This package provides two private coaching sessions, along with two optional bonus components: (1) an additional assessment or exercise that is specifically relevant to their situation (such as a business assessment, a self-discovery tool, a personal marketing plan, or a personal development program), and (2) an additional private coaching session to review the results of their work. This provides them with three coaching conversations (a $1050 value) and a solid plan to help them move to a new level in 2012. They will also have enough of an experience of working with me to see if working together long term would be a good fit and help them put their plans into action! MORE INFO - CLICK HERE

Aspyrre Community 2012 Coaching Program – Full year plus Bonus Coaching - $1490

This package provides one full year of the Aspyrre Community Coaching program – from January through December 2012, plus 5 private coaching sessions to be used anytime during the year. As a member of the Aspyrre Community coaching program – each participant has the opportunity to earn up to 4 private sessions per year, so this package gives them the opportunity to have nine private sessions total along with a full year of classes that they can participate in live or listen to as recordings, depending on their schedule. Please note, the private sessions can ONLY be taken in conjunction with full engagement and participation in the Aspyrre Community and packages must be purchased before January 15^th 2012. MORE INFO CLICK HERE

Leadership Development – Individual Custom Package – One Year - $9500

This package is an ideal gift for someone in an organization who is poised for growth. As an ideal year- end bonus, or in conjunction with an annual evaluation, it shows your willingness to invest in your people and provide them with the tools and resources they need to shine and reach their next level professionally. It includes initial meetings with all involved to clarify objectives, review of evaluations and objectives, a “mini-360”, twelve full months of private coaching, and three progress “check-in” meetings with stakeholders. It’s everything you need to insure your employee gets full support throughout the year to rise to his or her highest level, and at the same time it allows you guide the process, provide regular feedback, and integrate what is learned into your team environment. This package can be purchased at any time during the year, and also can be modified to include additional assessments, workshops, or team programs as needed. MORE INFO CLICK HERE