The first coaching session sets the tone for the entire coaching relationship. Get it right, and you create a foundation of trust, clarity, and momentum. Get it wrong, and you may find yourself working harder to rebuild confidence in subsequent sessions.
Proper first coaching session preparation is crucial for both new and experienced coaches. Whether you’re nervous about your first client or looking to refine your approach after hundreds of sessions, the fundamentals remain the same.
In this article, we will explore the essential steps every coach should take before their client walks through the door — or logs into that video call — for the very first time.
Essential Preparation Steps Before the First Session
Review Your Client’s Information Thoroughly
Start by reviewing everything you know about your client. If you conducted a chemistry call, revisit your notes. What did they share about their goals? What challenges did they mention? Which topics seemed to energise them?
The key here is to refresh your memory without making assumptions. Your client may have evolved their thinking since your initial conversation, and that’s perfectly normal.
Create a simple client profile that includes:
- Their stated coaching goals
- Key challenges they mentioned
- Their preferred communication style (direct, reflective, visual)
- Any logistics they’ve shared (time constraints, location preferences)
Prepare Your Physical and Digital Environment
Your coaching environment directly impacts the quality of your session. Whether you’re meeting in person or online, preparation matters.
For in-person sessions:
- Ensure privacy and minimise distractions
- Have water available for both of you
- Position seating to create equality — avoid sitting behind a desk
- Check lighting and temperature
- Prepare any materials you might need (notebooks, coaching agreement)
For virtual sessions:
- Test your technology 30 minutes before the session
- Check your internet connection, camera, and audio
- Ensure your background is professional and distraction-free
- Have backup communication methods ready (phone number, alternative platform)
- Close unnecessary applications and silence notifications
Draft a Flexible Session Structure
We recommend preparing a loose structure for your first session, but hold it lightly. Your client’s needs in the moment should always take precedence over your planned agenda.
A typical first session might include:
- Welcome and connection (5-10 minutes)
- Coaching agreement review and questions (10-15 minutes)
- Goal exploration and clarification (20-30 minutes)
- Initial coaching on their priority topic (15-20 minutes)
- Session close and next steps (5 minutes)
Remember, these are guidelines, not rigid timeframes. If your client needs to spend the entire session exploring what they truly want from coaching, that’s valuable time well spent.
Prepare Key Questions
While you cannot predict exactly where the conversation will go, having a repertoire of powerful questions ready can help you feel more confident and present.
Consider preparing questions around:
Goal clarity:
- “What would success look like for you in our coaching relationship?”
- “What’s most important to you right now?”
- “What would need to change for you to feel this coaching has been worthwhile?”
Current state exploration:
- “What’s working well for you at the moment?”
- “Where do you feel stuck or challenged?”
- “What have you already tried to address this?”
Expectation setting:
- “What are you hoping I’ll bring to this relationship?”
- “How will you know when you’re ready to conclude our coaching?”
- “What would get in the way of our coaching being successful?”
The key here is to have these questions available, not to work through them mechanically. Use them when they feel natural and relevant.
Setting Expectations
Clarify the Coaching Relationship
Many clients arrive at their first session with misconceptions about coaching. They may expect advice, therapy, or mentoring. Your role is to clarify what coaching actually involves.
Be direct about what coaching is and is not:
- Coaching focuses on the client’s agenda, not the coach’s advice
- You will ask questions that help them think more deeply
- They are responsible for their insights and actions
- The relationship is collaborative, not directive
Discuss Confidentiality and Boundaries
Even if you covered this in your coaching agreement, it’s worth reinforcing in your first session. Clients need to feel safe to be vulnerable and honest.
Explain your confidentiality policies clearly:
- What you will keep confidential
- Any legal or ethical exceptions
- How you handle notes and records
- Boundaries around contact between sessions
Address Logistics and Practicalities
Cover the practical elements that support your coaching relationship:
- Session frequency and duration
- Cancellation and rescheduling policies
- How you’ll handle emergencies or urgent issues
- Payment terms and invoicing
- Preferred communication methods between sessions
These conversations may feel administrative, but they create the container within which powerful coaching can happen.
Managing Your Own Nerves and Expectations
Acknowledge Your Humanity
If you’re feeling nervous about your first session with a new client, that’s completely normal. Even experienced coaches feel anticipation before working with someone new. The key is to use those feelings productively rather than letting them overwhelm you.
Remind yourself that:
- Your client chose to work with you
- You have the skills and training to support them
- Imperfection is human and often builds connection
- Your presence matters more than your perfection
Focus on Serving, Not Impressing
New coaches often feel pressure to demonstrate their worth in the first session. This can lead to over-coaching, showing off techniques, or trying too hard to create breakthrough moments.
Your sole focus should be on serving your client’s agenda. Listen more than you speak. Ask questions that genuinely intrigue you. Trust the coaching process to unfold naturally.
Prepare for Different Scenarios
Consider how you might respond to various first session scenarios:
- A client who is unclear about their goals
- Someone who talks extensively without pausing
- A client who expects you to provide solutions
- Someone who seems anxious or overwhelmed
- A quiet client who gives minimal responses
Having thought through these possibilities can help you respond with presence rather than panic.
Creating Connection from the Start
Begin with Authentic Presence
The first few minutes of your session are crucial for establishing connection. Arrive fully present, not distracted by your last meeting or tonight’s dinner plans.
Start with genuine interest in your client as a person. How are they feeling about beginning this coaching relationship? What’s been on their mind since you last spoke? What do they most want to focus on today?
Match Their Energy and Communication Style
Pay attention to how your client communicates. Are they detailed and analytical? Do they speak in big-picture concepts? Do they process verbally or need thinking time?
Adapt your approach accordingly, but remain authentic. If your client is naturally enthusiastic, you can reflect some energy back. If they’re more reserved, give them space and time.
Use Their Language
Listen for the words and phrases your client uses to describe their situation and goals. Reflect this language back to them when appropriate. This isn’t about mimicking, but about speaking in terms that resonate with their worldview.
Common First Session Pitfalls to Avoid
Trying to Solve Everything
Resist the urge to address every challenge your client mentions. The first session is about building relationship and understanding, not creating comprehensive action plans.
Focus on one key area that feels most alive or urgent for your client right now. There will be plenty of time to explore other topics in future sessions.
Over-Structuring the Conversation
While preparation is important, avoid rigid adherence to your planned agenda. Your client may need something completely different from what you anticipated.
Be willing to abandon your structure if the conversation takes a valuable direction. This flexibility demonstrates that you’re truly listening and responding to their needs.
Neglecting to Close Properly
Many coaches get so focused on the coaching content that they forget to close the session properly. Always leave time to:
- Summarise key insights or themes
- Confirm any commitments your client has made
- Schedule your next session
- Check how they’re feeling about the coaching relationship so far
This closure helps consolidate the session’s value and maintains momentum between meetings.
Your First Session Preparation Checklist
Use this checklist to ensure you’re fully prepared:
24-48 hours before:
⚪ Review client information and notes from chemistry call
⚪ Confirm session details (time, location, or video link)
⚪ Prepare your physical or digital environment
⚪ Review your coaching agreement
Day of the session:
⚪ Test technology (if virtual)
⚪ Prepare materials (notebook, coaching agreement copy)
⚪ Review your flexible session structure
⚪ Take a few minutes to centre yourself
Just before the session:
⚪ Silence all notifications
⚪ Take three deep breaths
⚪ Set intention to serve your client’s agenda
⚪ Welcome your client with full presence
Trusting the Coaching Process
Remember that coaching is a process, not an event. Your first session doesn’t need to solve all your client’s challenges or create dramatic breakthroughs. It needs to establish trust, clarify expectations, and begin the journey together.
Your client has chosen to work with you. They’ve invested time, money, and courage in this relationship. Trust that your presence, questions, and genuine interest in their success will create the foundation for powerful coaching.
First coaching session preparation is ultimately about showing up fully for another human being who has trusted you with their growth. When you focus on that service, everything else falls into place.
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Photo credit: Samsung UK on Unsplash
