This is a text recap from the “Enrollment Mastermind” workshop with Greg Reinauer, PCC(ACE). Feel free to jump to the bottom of the page to find recording of the event.
I hosted this workshop because I used to be terrified of asking people to pay me.
Not the coaching part. The coaching felt natural. But the moment someone asked, “So how much does this cost?” something in me would freeze. I’d undercharge. I’d discount my own pricing.
Greg named it early in the session, and I felt seen immediately:
“Coaches have big, compassionate hearts and are generous in spirit. And so, it can be naturally uncomfortable talking about money with clients.”
That was me. And maybe that’s you too.
But here’s why Greg says getting good at this matters so much. By being able to earn money with clients, it sustains the profession. It allows you to make a bigger impact, rather than something you do on the side while you have to focus on making money elsewhere. As he put it: “You have a contribution in your heart to make as coaches. And you make a huge difference in people’s lives and in the world.”
That’s not a motivation speech. It’s the reason enrollment is worth learning.
It wasn’t until I went through the Art of Enrollment training at the Academy for Coaching Excellence (ACE) that something shifted. And that’s exactly why I invited my mentor Greg to bring this to our community.
Here’s what stuck with me from the conversation.
Enrollment is not about getting a “yes”
Greg opened with a definition that changed how I think about the whole thing:
“We’re not just enrolling someone into our services. We’re really enrolling them into the vision that they have for their life.”
And then this one, which I think is even sharper:
“Enrollment occurs when I support someone to see a possibility that is so compelling, they eagerly act on it.”
Your job in a discovery call is not to sell. It’s to help the person in front of you get clearer on what they want, and whether working with you might help them get there.
That reframe alone takes about 80% of the pressure off.
Why it feels so hard (and it’s not your fault)
Greg shared something from neuroscience that I found genuinely relieving.
Our brains haven’t had a major update in about 100,000 years. Back then, there were two types of mistakes a person could make stepping out of a cave:
- You thought there was danger, but there wasn’t. You miss a meal.
- You thought it was safe, but there was a tiger. You become someone’s meal.
“Our ancestors survived with a brain wired to look for threats before treats. We inherited an anxious brain.”
So when you’re about to have an enrollment conversation and your mind floods with “What if they think it’s too expensive? What if I can’t deliver? What if they say no?” — that’s not weakness. That’s a 100,000-year-old survival mechanism activating.
The key Greg gave us: You are not your brain. You have a brain. And you can train where it focuses.
The Enrollment Lens: 6 questions that change everything
Most of us walk into enrollment conversations focused on ourselves:
- How can I be inspiring to them?
- What are my qualifications?
- How do I get them to say yes?
When attention is on us, the monkey mind runs wild.
Greg introduced what ACE calls the Enrollment Lens — 6 questions that shift your focus from yourself to the person in front of you:
- What do I find inspiring about this person?
- How are they seeking to grow?
- What possibility is emerging for them?
- How can I be of service?
- Is this a fit for us to work together?
- What value will they get if they participate?
Notice the shift. It’s from getting to giving. From convincing to exploring. From me to them.
The contractor analogy
Greg told a story that’s hard to forget.
Imagine you’ve been dreaming for years about building your ideal home. You finally have the money, so you hire a contractor. But instead of asking about your vision, they immediately take you to the back of their truck to show you their saws and drills. Best tools on the market, they say.
“They don’t care how we do it. They care that we see their vision and support them to see how we can work together to get them there.”
Coaches do this all the time. We explain our tools, our frameworks, our certifications. But the person sitting across from us just wants to know: Do you see me? And can you help me get where I want to go?
It works — here’s what happened for me
After taking the Art of Enrollment course, all of my ICF certification coaching hours were paid hours.
That was not the case before. I remember physically struggling to say a dollar amount out loud. Now I can say it clearly, with care, and without discounting myself.
And this year, I’m adding something new: fun. Not just getting through enrollment conversations, but actually looking forward to them.
Watch the replay
If you missed the live session, the full recording is available here:
The workshop runs about 90 minutes and includes live practice in breakout rooms, the full Enrollment Lens framework, and a Q&A.
If this resonates, feel free to share it with a coach friend who might need it today. And if you’d like to explore working together, you’re welcome to visit mengchen.co.