Would you ever fire a client? When the winning of clients is so often the hard part of running a coaching business, it sounds blasphemous to even consider ever throwing that away.
But you’re out to be a difference-making coach, right? And a meaningful difference will be made if and only if the client shows up to the process and does the work.
If client doesn’t, that’s a breakdown in your ability to deliver.
There is a counter-intuitive allure in your being willing to fire clients. It has integrity to tell your would-be clients up front, in so many words, “Do the work or GTFO.” In doing so you show you mean business, and are not just willing to take their money and waste their time.
Conversely: unless you’re willing to declare publicly up front that results don’t matter and “we’ll just see how it goes”, going through the motions for so long as the checks clear has no integrity.
You want to make a powerful impression with would-be clients? Make it clear we need to continue to earn the privilege of having you as our coach. Put it on your brochure, discuss it in the discovery call, include it in the written agreements for the coaching engagement. Be open about your willingness to fire a client and clear about the conditions under which you will not hesitate to do so.
Beyond first impressions, this serves to strengthen our coaching relationship in three ways:
- We like to belong to clubs that are a little exclusive, rather than those who’ll take (and hold on to) any shlub off the street.
- It elevates our confidence in you by you demonstrating power in your ability to attract clients, rather than some desperate grab.
- It sets the tone that there a genuine commitment to us getting real results and that we are here to play for that.
I’m not saying you necessarily should put “Do the work or GTFO” as one of the headings in your coaching agreements, but it certainly will grab our attention in a document that is often merely skimmed over.
Actions, Worksheets, and Metrics are all ways by which you can plan and structure the work with your clients.
When you do, it’s SUPER CLEAR when they’re showing up, and when they’re not.
With a few screenshots you can show off what it will be like to work with you as something more than merely participating in conversations, making it clear that this will be a genuinely results-based experience.
You could let them know that if their performance is a sea of red, i.e. everything showing as late, incomplete, or under target, that simply will not work. You can communicate suitable expectations that make it clear this is not a social club (it will be a hoot, but results matter to continue working together).
The Agreements you’re able to issue via CA are a great way to spell all of this out and get their explicit buy in. Agreements are kept on file and are easy for your client to review at any time. You might point them there if they happen to be looming towards PIP territory.
