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Inner Samurai Business – What a Confused Client Is Telling You
Susan L Reid
How many times have you heard a client say, "I'm confused"?
As a coach for spiritually conscious women starting up businesses, I hear it all the time. It doesn't matter what a client is confused about. In fact, it often isn't what she thinks she's confused about in the first place. What does matter is that you pay attention and listen to your client when she says she is confused.
Inner Samurai Business always looks at business from both the practical and energetic viewpoints. From an energetic standpoint, when a client says she is confused, there are four main things her confusion could mean. Here is some practical advice for what is energetically going on when your client says she's confused.
Four Things a Confused Client Is Telling You
1. Yes, it was something you said.
First, realize that you may indeed have said something that doesn't make sense. Perhaps you did not articulate a concept or direction clearly enough. The mind likes it when things are sequential, chronological, and logical. A confused mind will say, "Wait, I'm confused" if something you've said doesn't line up or is too far afield for your client to align with.
If this is the case, then the confusion will be sorted out easily by asking, "Tell me what I said that is confusing to you."
2. Your client has put on the brakes.
If you have been sequential and logical and your client is still saying she is confused, check to see if she is experiencing the fear that sometimes accompanies saying yes. It’s true that most of the time we experience a heightened sense of euphoria when saying yes to a new direction. Still, there are some folks who shut down when they perceive the natural unfolding of events to be happening too quickly for them.
Saying yes to a new direction, even if your client is excited about what she's calling forth, may cause emotional, psychological, and even physical discomfort to arise and block her forward movement. That's because there's both healing and alignment that needs to occur first, before change can take place. If this is the case for your client, she may actually need an energetic moment to collect her thoughts, calm her mind, and align herself.
To find out if this is the reason for your client’s confusion, ask, "What point do we need to revisit and clarify so we can make moving forward together as easy and joyous as possible for you?"
3. Your client is not fully aligned.
If you've been sequential and orderly in your direction and she's not putting on the brakes, then consider that your client may not be fully aligned yet with her new direction. It happens all the time. Say, for instance, she is very excited about starting up her business, yet she is unsure about having the financial foundation to seed her start-up. Or she may be wondering whether her husband or family will be supportive of her focusing so much time and attention on her new business.
If a lack of alignment is the reason for her confusion, then she must be allowed the time necessary to align herself and those important to her with the vision that she is calling forth.
As a coach, the best approach to this kind of confusion is for you to take a supportive role. Align yourself with her vision and ask, "What would you like me to do to help?"
4. Your client is abdicating responsibility.
The fourth thing that could be going on if your client is feeling confused is that she may be abdicating responsibility and looking to you to tell her what to do. As a coach, this is never a good position to be in. You are not there to take responsibility for her direction. Instead, you are there to support her vision as an expert in your field. You are there to heighten and further her movement and momentum.
If this is the reason why she is saying she is confused, then the best thing you can do as a coach is to ask her this question: "What is it you need to face right now that is holding you back and rendering you powerless and hesitant?" The answer to this question will help her bring her own inner light forward so that she can feel the powerful direction that light inspires.
A confused mind says no every time. No exception.
If your client says, "I'm confused," pay attention. Don't ignore it, gloss over it, or take on the responsibility of solving her confusion. Instead, take time to figure out the deeper meaning behind what her confusion is saying. You can easily do that by asking the above four questions.
Answering these questions will help your client align with her greater inner knowing, clear up any confusion she's experiencing, and move her forward on her path toward success.
Copyright © 2009 by Susan L. Reid
