Some might say, if your clients stay with you too long you must not be a very good coach. After all, a good coach will quickly help clients solve their problems and send them off to live happily ever after.
I believe the contrary… A good coach will help their clients solve any current and immediate problems they’re experiencing, then will help them set future goals, create a success path with exciting and meaningful milestones, and help them accomplish more than they ever thought possible.
When I first hired my coach, I couldn’t afford him. His monthly fee was higher than my mortgage at the time and I couldn’t even tell my husband about it. But I had a plan. I really liked the ideas he shared with me about my business. I kept recording our sessions and taking notes every time we talked. My secret plan was to “pick” his brain for a couple of months then let him go. I ended up working with him for almost three years.
How did this happen? Why didn’t I stick to my original plan of letting him go after “squeezing” all ideas out of him? How did my coach keep me as a client beyond the first few months, in spite of the fact that I couldn’t afford him and planned to let him quickly? There were 3 things that kept me coming back:
1. He always had an exciting vision for me, the next step for me to grow and improve. I never felt like our relationship stagnated or that there is nothing else he could offer me. He always saw the big picture of where I could go, and that excited me.
2. He had a deep industry knowledge and experience, which made him indispensable to me. When I worked with other coaches (who were business generalists) I always felt like I needed to educate them about what I am doing. This coach was a true mentor. He knew the industry really well and was much more valuable to me because of that. I also learned that if he was new to the industry his client was working in, he made it his business to learn about it and become really familiar with it; sometimes even more so than his client.
3. He truly cared about my success and went beyond the traditional 3-4 calls a month. He created opportunities and experiences for me that allowed me to grow and stretch. He found resources that helped me accelerate my success.
So take a look at your current coaching client relationships…
- Can you add more opportunities for your clients to experience growth?
- Have you thought about where your clients are going beyond their current projects and mindset?
- What would the “ultimate client experience” look like for you?
Not only will your clients love you and stay with you for a long time, but they will also be willing to pay you more. I paid my coach 3-5 times more than any average coaching fee because he was not just my coach–he was my vehicle to extraordinary success.
Be sure to check out How to Create Best-Selling Coaching Programs for Maximum Client Enrollment and Retention, where I take you through some of the best coaching and mentoring program formats you can fill quickly and easily.
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
This is excellent advice. And I think it applies to many professional services. Even though I’m not officially a coach, I try to make a point of learning as much as possible about my client’s businesses because knowing more about their plans and goals helps me help them.
Your experience is spot on. Thanks for keeping our focus on what is most important for a great client relationship.
It reminds me of the common theme heard at this year’s Coaching Super Summit…if you are going to be “world class” then you need to surround yourself with “world class” people. As you state so clearly, if you desire extraordinary results/success you must go above and beyond for your client(s)!
This is great advice. I’m currently transitioning from being a VA, to offering services, products and coaching as a Marketing Tech Coach, and I know that, just like your tips above, going above just providing support and truly thinking big for my clients is what will help my business continue growing.
You are right. We need to surround ourself and listen to those who are ahead of us, not behind us. Thanks for a point on article.
What an excellent post! This is very solid advice! Thanks for posting this great article!
Good article. I have a comment to make, however. First there are two types of coaching : the TELL coaching and the ASK coaching. The TELL coaching is when the coach tells the coachee what to do, he is in thiscase a counselor or a mentor or an instructor rather than a real coach. On the other hand, in ASK coaching model, the coach triggers solutions and awakens the coachee by asking questions (the right ones), there are no given advices, the coachee has to find the best solutions by himself guided by the coach.
As it was your case, you couldn’t stop seeing your coach, because your coach used the TELL model, you got dependent because the coach has the knowledge ! While in the ASK model the coachee gets more and more autonomous session after session, since he learns from his own experiences and discovers news solutions even unknown to the coach himself !
Whether in the first or the second case the most important factor to have your clients wanting to continue working with you is getting short term results. No client will continue working with a coach if he doesn’t get an evolution rapidly.
Regards,
Majed
Hope coaches reading this blog, take your advice to heart. Wise words, brilliant strategy.
Yes agree – it’s all about adding value and expanding their experience. It then becomes fun sharing your knowledge and resources with them – once they see the value it completely changes the dynamic.
Love this – “my vehicle to extraordinary success” It supports the partnership model that I believe needs to happen for truly successful coaching relationships. It makes you the coach a “resource” and they’ll keep coming back to you. Great article!