If this is new for you, don’t worry – recording your phone-based coaching sessions can be handled very easily.You’ll want to do this to support your own development as a coach and it is a great way to provide added value for your clients.
First, Open an account with one of the free conferencing services online. Be sure to use one that has a recording feature built in.
I’ve used www.freeconferencecall.com for several years with very few glitches, and the past couple of years, I’ve used www.freeconferencecallhd.com, which offers both an in-system recording as well as an online dashboard with some really useful features.
There are several other free conferencing services available online; just do an internet search.
Be advised: At one time, www.freeconferencing.com was blocked by a major Canadian phone service provider, so many Canadians were not able to dial in. I discovered this after the fact when several Canadians reported they weren’t able to dial into a call I hosted. So be sure to test any conference line you use with callers from the geographic regions you serve.
Be sure you have a clause in your Coaching Agreement to address the use of any coaching session recordings. You’ll want to include confidentiality policies to reassure clients on how any recordings will be used.
For example, you might specify something like: For review purposes only in supporting your development as a coach, to be shared only with your mentor coach and possibly, when you are ready, as part of a credentialing exam process. Be sure to confirm that your client’s anonymity will be protected, and only his/her first name will be revealed to your mentor coach or exam reviewers.
As noted above, you can offer recordings as an added-value service for your clients. I also caution you to include a clause in your agreement stating you make no guarantee of successful recording of any session, as the technology can occasionally fail.
An additional caution is that any recordings of client sessions you maintain at your location are secured, and that you do not as a rule archive recordings of client sessions. Keep only those sessions you are currently reviewing for your development, and possibly those you have chosen to submit for a credentialing review process.
After you deal with the nuts and bolts and you have your conference line ready to go, you can begin recording your sessions.
I’m sharing all of this in such detail as I’ve seen a lot of coaches get stopped when it comes to recording their sessions. This can get in the way of your coaching skills development.
So I strongly encourage you to handle this up front in any coaching relationship, beginning with your coaching agreement. And – remember to position any recording as an added value for clients who enjoy the use of audios in their learning process.
I encourage the coaches I mentor to begin recording their coaching sessions as soon as possible so we review them together. This is one of the most powerful ways to support yourself with improving your coaching skills and leveraging your investment in mentor coaching.
