7 things that coaches do that clients hate
As coaches we work hard to bring clients on board, the last thing we want to do is annoy them. And yet time and time again I see coaches doing things that I know that clients hate.
How do I know this?
Well I’ve been a coach myself for many, many years now, but more importantly I’ve also trained and mentored a lot of coaches and as part of that process I’ve spoken to many of their clients and the same things keep getting raised as points of annoyance.
So let’s get into this list so you can make sure you don’t make one of these 7 deadly mistakes …
1. Waffle
Business owners often engage coaches because they are time poor and in need of fast solutions. The last thing they need is a coach waffling on and not getting to the point. Get in, give them what they need, and then get out and let them get on with doing the thing that you’ve both identified they should be doing.
2. Disorganisation
Your clients are paying you good money as a professional advisor, it’s important that you be professional and carefully plan your coaching sessions. An experienced coach might occasionally get away with ‘winging it’ at an appointment, but even seasoned professionals can crash and burn if they haven’t put the ground work in prior to talking to their client. Take the time to go back over the tasks you’ve set them at the previous meeting and be clear on the outcome that you want to get out of your current meeting as well as how you’re going to achieve that outcome. A quick way to lose a client is to show up unprepared for your meetings.
3. Focus on yourself
Clients engage you because they have issues that they want you to help them with or goals that they want you to help them achieve. They haven’t engaged you to talk about yourself or your achievements. You need a certain amount of ego to become a coach in the first place but too much ego is a recipe for losing clients. Make sure that your clients are the focus of your coaching sessions not you.
4. Pretending to know what you don’t know
A major complaint I hear from clients is that their coach pretends to have knowledge on subjects where it’s clear they don’t. I’ve known coaches who feel they need to appear to be knowledgeable about everything or their clients won’t value them, but the truth is no client ever expects you to be an expert on all things. It’s ok, and in fact better, to say ‘I don’t really know, but I’ll look into that for you’. Trying to bluff your way through something just paints you into a corner and makes you look unprofessional. Don’t try to be an expert on everything. You’re there to assist them in finding answers for themselves as much as you are there to give advice.
5. Failing to keep them accountable
Although clients may resist it they are engaging you to make them do the things they need to get done. I once hired a personal trainer who would ring me from time to time telling me he was too hungover to make it to my session. After the third time I told him his services were no longer required. If he couldn’t motivate himself how was he going to motivate me? Clients need to be kept accountable if your coaching is going to have a positive impact. You need at times to be tough, that unreasonable friend who keeps them on track and doesn’t accept excuses. Fail to do that and you can’t expect to keep your clients for long.
6. Failing to address the client’s problems
I’ve seen plenty of cases where coaches have got a plan for their client which they stick to so rigidly that they fail to address their client’s more immediate needs. Now it can be tricky. Constantly stopping what you’re meant to be doing to put out fires is counterproductive. At some stage you need to ignore the fires and stick to the plan. But equally, if you continue to ignore your client’s most pressing needs just to stick to your longer-term plan you’ll soon find yourself with no client to coach at all. There needs to be a balance and you need to listen carefully to your client’s concerns and make sure that you are helping them address them.
7. Never giving answers
I’ve heard plenty of people say that it’s coaching, not consulting. It’s not a matter of giving their client’s the answers but helping the clients discover answers for themselves. And that’s true – to a point. There does come a time where if you answer your clients question with another question the client is likely to reach out, wrap their fingers around your throat and strangle you. It’s a matter of knowing when to get them to think for themselves and when to simply give them the answers. Good coaches know how to strike the right balance and benefit with longer client retention as a result.