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Script text
[Client Name], I want to say something to you. And I want you to know I'm saying it because I believe in you, and because I think you're ready to hear it.
Can I share an observation? [Wait for yes.]
In our [Number] sessions together, I've noticed a pattern. Every time we get close to [The key goal or breakthrough], you [Describe the pattern — e.g. bring up a reason it's not the right time, pivot to what other people are doing wrong, agree in the session but don't take action].
I've also noticed that every time I ask you about [The pattern], you [What happens — e.g. go quiet, change the subject, give me a very logical answer].
Here's what I think is actually going on: [Name the underlying belief, fear, or story — e.g. I think there's a part of you that doesn't believe you deserve this, I think you're more comfortable being almost-there than actually arriving].
I could be wrong. But if I'm even partially right — how much has that pattern cost you?
[Pause. Let them sit with it.]
I'm not saying this to make you feel bad. I'm saying it because the thing you said you want — [Repeat their stated goal in their words] — is on the other side of this pattern.
So here's my question: what would you need to believe about yourself to stop letting [The pattern] run the show?
[Listen. Don't rush to fix. Let them find the answer.]
What you'll need to fill in
This script has 8 details to fill in before you read it. Have these to hand — the customizer above updates the script as you type:
- Client Name
- Number
- The key goal or breakthrough
- Describe the pattern
- The pattern
- What happens
- Name the underlying belief, fear, or story
- Repeat their stated goal in their words
It also contains 3 stage directions in grey. Those are instructions to you, not lines to say out loud — they mark where to pause, listen, or wait for a response.
That timing assumes about 130 words a minute, which is a normal conversational pace. If you are presenting to a room you will likely go slower; if you are nervous you will go faster. Read it aloud once and time yourself before it matters.
When to use this script
Use this to prepare for the conversations you keep handling inconsistently. Discovery calls, first sessions, difficult feedback, and clients who want to quit all recur across a coaching practice, and improvising each one afresh produces wildly variable results. A script is a rehearsal of the structure, not a text to read to a client.
The value is mostly in preparation. Working through the wording in advance means you have already decided how to phrase the hard question, which frees you to actually listen when the session happens.
Making it sound like you
- Turn statements into questions wherever you can. Coaching works through the client's own realisations.
- Prepare the hard question exactly. Under the pressure of a real session, that is the one that gets softened into uselessness.
- Leave deliberate silence in the structure. The pause after a difficult question is doing the work.
- Adjust the language to your modality and your client. Borrowed frameworks sound borrowed.
Reading it out loud
Never read this to a client — use it to prepare, then keep at most a few prompts visible during the session. If the call is on video, keep any notes near the webcam so glancing at them does not read as disengagement, which in a coaching context is more damaging than in most.
More on the setup side: Teleprompter for Webcam, Teleprompter for Laptop, Moving Text for Scripts.
Questions about this script
How long does this coaching difficult feedback script (truth bomb) script take to read?
The script runs to about 240 words, which is roughly 1 min 51 sec at a normal speaking pace of around 130 words a minute. Your own pace will vary, so time one read-through before you rely on the number.
What do I need to prepare before using this script?
There are 8 details to fill in: Client Name, Number, The key goal or breakthrough, Describe the pattern, The pattern, What happens, and a few more. Enter them in the customizer and the script updates as you type, then opens straight in the teleprompter.
Should I read a coaching script to a client?
No. Use it to prepare and to settle the wording of the difficult questions in advance, then keep only a few prompts in view. A coaching session that sounds delivered rather than heard undermines the relationship.
How do I use notes without seeming distracted?
Keep them minimal and positioned near your camera if the session is remote. A few key prompts you glance at are invisible; a full script you track down the page is not.
