Ever watched a client settle for way less than they're capable of? It's frustrating, right? You can see their potential, but they're playing it safe, staying in their comfort zone, and frankly, wasting their talents.
Getting clients to play a bigger game isn't about pushing them into unrealistic goals or setting them up for failure. It's about helping them recognize they're operating at maybe 30% of their actual capacity and showing them how to step into their full power.
Why Do Clients Play Small?
Before we dive into the how, let's understand the why. Most clients aren't intentionally limiting themselves: they're just operating from a place of learned caution.
Fear of failure is the big one. They've been burned before, or they've watched others crash and burn, so they stick to what feels safe. The problem? Safe rarely equals fulfilling or profitable.
Imposter syndrome creeps in too. "Who am I to think I can do this?" becomes their internal soundtrack. They convince themselves they're not ready, not experienced enough, not smart enough, basically, not enough.
Then there's analysis paralysis. They want to plan every detail before making a move, which means they never actually move. Perfect planning becomes an excuse for avoiding action.
The Seven Strategies That Actually Work
Here's what I've learned from working with hundreds of clients: there are specific strategies that consistently help people break through their self-imposed limitations.
1. Reframe Risk as Necessary Investment
Most clients overestimate the downside and completely ignore the upside. Help them see that playing small is actually the bigger risk: the risk of regret, missed opportunities, and a life half-lived.
Start by having them list what they're risking by NOT taking action. Often, this list is longer and scarier than the risks of moving forward.
2. Get Ruthless About Priorities
Big games require big focus. Your clients can't do everything, so help them identify the 20% of activities that will drive 80% of their results.
Create a "stop doing" list alongside their "to-do" list. What are they currently spending time on that's keeping them busy but not moving them forward? Cut it.
3. Build Their Collaboration Muscle
Bigger games need bigger teams. Clients who try to do everything solo are setting themselves up for burnout and mediocre results.
Challenge them to identify three people they should be collaborating with but aren't. Then help them create a plan to reach out and start those conversations.
4. Challenge Their Status Quo Stories
Every client has a collection of "that's just how things are" stories. These stories feel true because they've been repeating them for years, but they're often just outdated beliefs disguised as facts.
Ask questions like: "Is that still true today?" "Who says it has to be that way?" "What would be possible if that weren't the case?"
5. Speed Up Their Decision-Making
Perfect is the enemy of good, and good enough beats perfect every single time when it comes to momentum.
Help clients identify which decisions need 95% certainty (the big, irreversible ones) and which ones only need 70% (most everything else). Then teach them to make the 70% decisions faster.
6. Cultivate Unstoppable Commitment
This isn't about blind determination: it's about developing unshakeable commitment to their bigger vision. When clients truly believe in what they're building, obstacles become puzzles to solve rather than reasons to quit.
Help them connect their goals to something bigger than themselves. What impact will their success have on their family, their community, their industry?
7. Make It About Service, Not Self
The fastest way to get clients comfortable with playing bigger is to shift the focus from what they might gain to who they might serve.
When they realize that playing small is actually selfish: they're withholding their gifts from people who need them: it changes everything.
Building the Foundation
Before clients can sustain a bigger game, they need the right foundation. Think of it like building muscle: you can't go from couch potato to marathon runner overnight.
Strengthen Their Daily Habits
The way clients show up in small things determines how they'll show up in big things. Help them identify 2-3 daily habits that would build their confidence and capability over time.
This might be a morning routine, a learning habit, or a consistent follow-up process. The key is consistency, not perfection.
Upgrade Their Skills Strategically
Playing a bigger game often requires new capabilities. Instead of trying to improve everything at once, help clients identify the one skill that would have the biggest impact on their results.
Maybe it's public speaking, maybe it's financial management, maybe it's team leadership. Focus on that one thing until it's solid, then move to the next.
Overcoming Resistance (Because There Will Be Resistance)
Even when clients intellectually want to play bigger, their nervous system often has other plans. Resistance is normal: expect it, plan for it, and help them work through it.
Start with Small Wins
Don't jump straight to the biggest, scariest goal. Build confidence with a series of smaller challenges that stretch them without breaking them. Each win makes the next challenge feel more achievable.
Address the Internal Critics
Those voices in their head saying "you can't do this" are usually recycling old programming. Help clients recognize these voices aren't facts: they're just thoughts, and thoughts can be changed.
Create Accountability Systems
Playing bigger is easier with witnesses. Set up regular check-ins, find them an accountability partner, or create some other system that makes backing down more uncomfortable than moving forward.
Measuring Success
How do you know if your client is actually playing a bigger game? Look for these signs:
- They're taking on challenges that would have terrified them six months ago
- Their goals have expanded (sometimes dramatically)
- They're thinking in terms of systems and impact, not just personal gain
- They're more willing to be visible and take credit for their successes
- They're attracting different opportunities and people into their orbit
The Ripple Effect
Here's what's really exciting about helping clients play a bigger game: it doesn't just change their results, it changes who they become. And when someone steps into their full power, it gives everyone around them permission to do the same.
Your client who finally launches that big project inspires their team to think bigger. The entrepreneur who scales their business creates jobs and opportunities for others. The leader who steps up influences their entire organization's culture.
Playing a bigger game isn't selfish: it's one of the most generous things your clients can do. Because the world needs what they have to offer, and it needs them operating at their full capacity, not playing it safe in the shallow end.
The question isn't whether your clients are capable of more. They are. The question is: are you going to help them see it and step into it? Because that's where the real coaching magic happens.
