The Quarterly Coaching bridge

The Quarterly Coaching bridge

The Quarterly Coaching bridge holds your client accountable for achieving the 90-day goals they set in their Business Plan. During the session, you'll review their progress and update the Business Plan with new goals and actions. Quarterly Coaching can also be used for general coaching; simply tailor the content of each coaching session to reflect the needs of the particular client.

Important info
If a Quarterly Coaching client doesn't have a Business Plan, use the Quarterly Coaching Meeting Minutes to record goals and actions for each quarter.

To access the Quarterly Coaching bridge, go to Navigation panel > Bridges > Quarterly Coaching bridge.

Understanding the Quarterly Coaching process

Quarterly Coaching is one of the many ways to provide ongoing reporting and accountability for your clients as part of the Business Advisory Trifecta.

Accountability is an essential tool to ensure success; Decisions X Actions X Accountability = Results.  Quarterly Coaching is designed to hold clients accountable to achieving the goals in their Business Plan and to ensure the Business Plan is updated each quarter.
  1. The Process Guide outlines best practice use of the content in the Quarterly Coaching bridge; click the Download Process Guide button in the top right-hand corner to view this guide

Note
Ensure you review the Process Guide prior to using the content in the bridge.
Important info
Quarterly Coaching is also valuable following the creation of a Succession Plan, or following another specific planning service.

Marketing the Quarterly Coaching service

There are many ways to actively market the Quarterly Coaching service, including: 
  1. Discussing your Quarterly Coaching service as part of a Complimentary Client Review, Proactive Accounting Meeting or Annual Accounts Review Meeting.
  2. Discussing who will hold your client accountable to achieving their goals during a Business Planning or Succession Planning session.
  3. Sending out relevant educational marketing content to your database to subtly position the value of a Quarterly Coaching.
    1. Go to Navigation panel > Marketing  > The Gap + BOMA  > The Gap + BOMA Content Library Catalogue to check out our education marketing content ready for you to send via BOMA
  4. Hosting one of our Gap Webinars or Seminars to generate interest in your Quarterly Coaching service.
    1. Check out our Seven Ways to Grow your Business webinar, go to Navigation panel > Bridges > Gap Webinars and Seminars section >  Seven Ways to Grow your Business

The Quarterly Coaching proposals

There are five proposals in the Quarterly Coaching bridge; one is for the standalone service and the others for Quarterly Coaching combined with other services commonly sold with this accountability framework. Only send a proposal for services you have gained conceptual agreement for.
  1. Consider the client's unique situation and use the checkboxes to select the objectives, measures of success and value to the client; add bespoke objectives, measures of success and points of value to reflect the client's individual needs
  2. If your client does not accept within seven days, call them to follow up
For more information, see our Using proposals article.

Tip
Carefully read through the objectives,  measures of success and values to better understand the types of problems this service will help solve for your clients.

Delivering the Quarterly Coaching sessions

Client outcomes

By undertaking Quarterly Coaching, clients will:
  1. Plan to increase their profitability and cashflow
  2. Gain an understanding of the key drivers within their business and what impacts them
  3. Have access to an expert sounding board to thoroughly discuss their ideas
  4. Keep their Business Plan as a ‘living document’ to ensure they're working towards their goals
  5. Have a better understanding of the impact of ideas prior to implementing them 
  6. Have accountability and support from their coach to enable them to achieve their desired results
  7. Access the collective wisdom of your accountants, systems, products and services

Service duration

Each coaching session takes one hour. Quarterly Coaching sessions should be held near the end of every third month.  For example, if the client has a June balance date, you should hold the sessions in June, September, early December, and March. Timing the session later in the month (except in December) allows time for most quarterly projects to be completed prior to the next session.

The service

You will facilitate four coaching sessions over the period of one year to ensure the client achieves the goals set in their Business Plan. During this process, you will:
  1. Review the client's objectives and their numbers
  2. Review the issues and opportunities identified in the pre-work
  3. Review the client's 90-day goals and actions
  4. Update the Business Plan with goals and actions for the next quarter 
Prior to each session, you'll provide all attendees with pre-work to complete, ensuring that any issues that need to be discussed are identified and you can prepare accordingly.

Important info
We recommend enforcing a 'no pre-work, no meeting' policy. Politely discuss the benefit of pre-work and reschedule the meeting so it does not become one of discovery.

Click here for more information about common content found in the Gap bridges and how they relate to each step in the Quarterly Coaching process. See the Quarterly Coaching Process Guide for detailed information about the Quarterly Coaching content.

The fourth Quarterly Coaching session

As the fourth Quarterly Coaching session coincides with the annual update of the Business Plan, it's best practice to 'upsell' the coaching session to a half-day Business Planning session. This will provide enough time to review and update the first page if required and then set the client's goals for the next 12 months.

Prior to the session, send the Business Planning Annual Review Confirmation and Pre-work Email instead of the Quarterly Coaching Pre-work so the client has the opportunity to review their progress over the year.

Note
As the client already paid for a one-hour coaching session, charge the client less than your standard fee for annual Business Planning.

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