Module 2: Intake Forms and Interpreting Them

Like any relationship, coaching starts with getting to know each other, and that means asking questions.

The goal of the intake is to gather as much relevant information as possible, in as little time as possible, that directly shapes your decisions and the program you write. Chasing the client back and forth for things you forgot to ask is the last thing you want. It looks disorganised and unprofessional before you've even started.

The rules for what goes in

1. Only ask what's relevant to the problem you solve. For us that's a physical transformation, so we need food, exercise history and lifestyle. Anything that helps build the plan earns its place.
2. If you keep asking the same follow-up, put it in the intake. Recurring follow-ups mean the form has a hole.
3. If you never use an answer, cut the question. It wastes your time and theirs.
4. If you don't know how to interpret an answer, don't ask the question. Good categories are useless if you don't know what to do with what comes back.
5. If something in your intake causes friction, either eliminate it or solve it.

By the end of this module you should be able to build an intake that fits your coaching, and read one well enough to know how much change a client can handle before you write a single line of their plan.

The principles behind this module: their reality is reality (the intake is how you find out what theirs is) and practicality over perfection (only ask what you'll actually use).