Your client is hesitant about change in motivational conversations. How can you earn their trust?

1. Active Listening and Empathy: • Pay attention to nonverbal cues • Reflect and paraphrase • Ask open-ended questions • Validate their feelings • Show empathy and compassion 2. Creating a Safe and Supportive Environment: • Be genuine and authentic • Avoid judgment • Maintain confidentiality • Be respectful of their time • Be flexible and adaptable 3. Finding Common Ground and Building Connection: • Look for shared interests • Share relevant personal experiences (appropriately) • Offer encouragement and support • Use humour appropriately

I would suggest that you approach your client with genuine curiosity & empathy, creating a safe, non-judgmental space where they feel genuinely heard. Please be sure to use open body language & attentive presence to convey respect. Small personal disclosures, when appropriate, can humanize you & foster connection. This relational foundation lowers defenses & invites trust, making it easier for clients to open up about their hesitations.

1. Adopt the Spirit of MI Show up with the MI spirit: Partnership – Work with the client, not on them. Acceptance – Honor their autonomy, strengths, and perspective. Compassion – Prioritize their welfare. Evocation – Draw out their ideas and motivation instead of giving advice. 2. Practice Reflective Listening Show you’re genuinely listening and not rushing them. Use simple reflections (“You’re not sure if change is even necessary”) Use complex reflections to deepen the conversation (“Part of you wants to feel better, but you're unsure if changing your habits is worth the effort right now”).

When a client is hesitant about change during motivational conversations, earning their trust starts with *creating a safe, nonjudgmental space*. Show empathy by genuinely listening and reflecting their concerns without pushing for immediate solutions. Use affirmations to highlight their strengths and past efforts, which helps build confidence. Normalize ambivalence — let them know it’s okay to feel uncertain. Instead of directing, ask open-ended questions that invite them to explore their own reasons for change. By honoring their autonomy and pacing the conversation to match their readiness, you build rapport and make space for meaningful progress when they’re ready.

1. Acknowledge resistance as valid and understandable 2. Listen actively to build emotional connection 3. Share relatable success stories and data-backed outcomes 4. Propose small, low-risk steps toward change 5. Follow through consistently to build credibility

Change feels risky when trust is fragile. In motivational conversations, start with listening. Show genuine curiosity about your client’s fears, not just their goals. Mirror their language, honor their pace, and avoid pushing solutions too soon. Trust grows in moments where they feel seen, not fixed. Share small, relatable examples of change, and celebrate their own insights. When they feel safe, they’ll begin to shift—from hesitation to hope, from defense to possibility.

I don’t chase trust, I aim to earn it by slowing down first. If a client’s hesitant about change, I stop trying to solve and start listening. Not just to what they say, but what they’re protecting. Trust builds when people feel seen without being rushed or fixed. I’ve found the real shift happens when clients realise you’re not there to push an agenda, you’re there to hold space until they’re ready to move.

Trust doesn’t come from talking at someone - it comes from sitting with them. I build rapport by showing up human first, expert second. I ask real questions, reflect what I hear, and make sure clients feel seen, not sold to. Because when someone feels safe, heard, and respected? That’s when the real transformation work begins.

Building rapport means creating a genuine connection and trust with others through open, respectful communication. It involves active listening, showing empathy, and finding common ground. When you build rapport, people feel valued and understood, which fosters collaboration and eases conflict. Small gestures like remembering names, maintaining eye contact, and being authentic can strengthen relationships. Building rapport is essential in both personal and professional settings, as it lays the foundation for effective teamwork, stronger partnerships, and improved communication, leading to better outcomes for everyone involved.

When a client is hesitant about change, I pause fixing and lean into listening. Instead of convincing, I reflect what I hear: “You’re not sure this will work — and you’ve tried a lot already.” That simple validation builds trust. It tells them: “I see you.” From there, we explore gently: “What’s one small thing you’d feel curious to try, not pressured to do?” Trust grows when clients feel heard, not judged — and when they lead the pace of change.

1. Pay Attention and Observe: • Active Listening • Non-Verbal Cues • Avoid Interrupting 2. Reflect What You Hear: • Simple Reflections • Complex Reflections • Double-Sided Reflections • Amplified Reflections 3. Check for Understanding: • Verbal Cues • Non-Verbal Cues • Open-Ended Questions 4. Summarize 5. Be Genuine and Empathetic

Practice reflective listening by actively hearing your client’s words & then paraphrasing or summarizing their feelings. This validates their experience without judgment, helping them feel acknowledged & safe. Reflective listening not only builds trust but also encourages more profound exploration of their thoughts, paving the way for openness to change.

I’ve learned that when a client hears their own words reflected back, with zero judgment and full clarity, it can unlock something powerful. Sometimes I’ll say, “Here’s what I’m hearing; tell me if I’ve got it right.” That moment of being seen creates space for honesty, trust, and forward motion. Reflective listening isn’t about repeating - it’s about respecting the why behind the words.

Reflective listening is an active communication technique where the listener carefully hears what the speaker says and then restates or paraphrases it to confirm understanding. This approach shows empathy and validates the speaker’s feelings, helping build trust and rapport. Reflective listening encourages open dialogue, reduces misunderstandings, and allows deeper insights into concerns or ideas. It also promotes a supportive environment where people feel heard and valued. By practicing reflective listening, you enhance communication effectiveness and foster stronger, more collaborative relationships.

1. Identify and Acknowledge Strengths: • Active listening • Observe behaviors • Inquire about past successes 2. Craft Effective Affirmations: • Be specific and descriptive • Use present tense • Focus on effort and progress • Be genuine and authentic • Connect to values 3. Deliver Affirmations Effectively: • Warm and supportive tone • Regular and consistent • Make it a dialogue

Highlight your client’s past successes, resilience, & positive qualities throughout your conversation. Recognizing their strengths reinforces self-worth & boosts confidence, making change feel more attainable. This positive reinforcement activates reward pathways in the brain, increasing receptivity & engagement in the process.

When clients doubt themselves, I don’t start with “what needs to change” - I start with what’s already strong. I highlight the fact that they’ve survived, adapted, and already solved hard things. That reminder shifts the story from “this is hard” to “I’ve done hard before, and I can do this too.” Confidence isn’t built by flattery...it’s built by facts they’ve already earned.

Affirming strengths means recognizing and valuing the skills, qualities, and achievements of individuals or teams. It boosts confidence, motivation, and engagement by highlighting what is working well. This positive reinforcement encourages people to build on their abilities and take on new challenges. Affirming strengths also fosters a supportive environment where everyone feels appreciated and empowered. By focusing on strengths rather than just weaknesses, you create a culture of growth and resilience that drives higher performance and satisfaction, ultimately leading to better outcomes for individuals and organizations.

Project value and confidence when your customer is ambivalent. Sometimes they need the confidence to trust you in taking an important step in growing their business. Remind them of prior success and how those customers achieved their goals with you when they were having similar concerns before starting. You can help them, you have experience and you need to get them to trust you for their own good.

1. Acknowledge and Validate: • Recognize that ambivalence is normal • Reflective listening • Open-ended questions 2. Explore the Pros and Cons (Decisional Balance): • Pros and cons of change • Pros and cons of maintaining the status quo • Values clarification 3. Elicit Change Talk: • Identify and amplify change a desire, ability, reason, or need for change (DARN talk). • Evoke change talk • Summarize and reinforce 4. Roll with Resistance: • Reframe resistance • Emphasize autonomy • "Yes, and..." approach 5. Support Self-Efficacy: • Identify past successes • Focus on small steps • Positive affirmations

Could you invite your client to openly express both their reasons for & against change without pressure? Validating their mixed feelings shows respect for their autonomy & reduces resistance. Exploring ambivalence helps clients feel understood, which is crucial for building trust & encouraging honest reflection that leads to motivation.

I normalize ambivalence by reminding clients that hesitation doesn’t mean failure, it means they’re thinking critically. We walk through “what happens if nothing changes” versus “what becomes possible if it does.” When they realize staying stuck costs more than trying something new, clarity follows. My job isn’t to push - it’s to hold space until their own logic makes the next move obvious.

Exploring ambivalence means recognizing and addressing mixed or conflicting feelings about a situation, decision, or change. It involves creating a safe space for open dialogue where individuals can express doubts, fears, and hopes without judgment. By understanding ambivalence, you can identify underlying concerns and motivations that might otherwise block progress. This exploration helps build empathy, trust, and clarity, allowing people to move forward with greater confidence. Embracing ambivalence as a natural part of change encourages thoughtful reflection and more balanced, informed decisions.

1. Ask Evocative Questions: • Open-ended questions • Explore their values 2. Explore Reasons for Change: • Ask for elaboration • Ask for examples 3. Use Change Rulers: • Assess motivation • Explore reasons for the number 4. Explore the Past and Future: • Looking back • Looking forward 5. Query Extremes: • Worst-case scenarios • Best-case scenarios 6. Understand Sustain Talk: • Acknowledge it • Use double-sided reflections • Offer reflections

Ask open-ended questions that encourage your client to articulate their reasons, desires, & ability to change. Reflect on and reinforce these statements to build momentum and confidence. Eliciting change talk helps clients internalize motivation, making change feel more achievable & personally meaningful, while deepening trust in your guidance.

Evoke change talk by encouraging individuals to express their own motivations, desires, and reasons for change. Use open-ended questions and reflective listening to help them explore their feelings and goals. This approach builds internal commitment rather than imposing external pressure. Highlight their strengths and past successes to boost confidence. By gently guiding conversations toward personal benefits and positive outcomes, you create a safe space for honest self-reflection. Evoking change talk empowers people to take ownership of their growth, making lasting change more likely and meaningful.

When a client feels hesitant about change, it’s important to approach the conversation with patience and care. Rather than jumping in with solutions, it helps to take the time to build a genuine connection. Creating space for them to speak and feel heard can make a big difference. Listening closely and reflecting back what they say shows that you truly understand. Highlighting their strengths—especially the ones they might not see themselves—can gently boost their confidence. It’s also important to acknowledge any mixed feelings they have without trying to fix them right away. Once there’s some openness, planning the next steps together can help them feel supported, not pressured. Trust often grows from these small but honest interactions.