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Getting the Right Coaching Clients: 3 Questions to Find your Tribe
I’m ready to write that I’m so lucky to have brilliant coaching clients who achieve their goals. Yet, that’s not true. It’s not luck at all: I’ve worked hard to determine who is and who isn’t a good fit for me. How?
Do they Understand My Brand?
I know that if you want a “yes ma’am” coach, I’m not it. If you want to be applauded for goals, but making no effort to achieve them, we’re the wrong fit. And, if you merely want accolades and positive reinforcement for not doing the work, we won’t be working together.
Suggestion: identify what you brand is…and what it isn’t. What are you great at achieving? Where are your weaknesses? What type of clients have you had success with in the past? Can you group these people by industry, demographics, or psychographics? Can you ask one question that provides insight as to whether or not a prospect would be a good client?
Are they Coachable?
I’ll never forget one prospect who repeatedly said to me in a discovery call “but, it worked in Berlin.” I couldn’t get her to see that she had to embrace a new philosophy here in the States. Moreover, she was inflexible. Her attitude was that she had tried American methods and they just didn’t work. Conclusion: we didn’t work together.
Suggestion: Find out what attitudes or behavior demonstrate that they aren’t a good fit. Write down a list of words that show a “can’t do” attitude. Perhaps your words are as simple as “never,” “always” or “I hate.” You need a connection to make progress and achieve results.
Will they do the Work?
Coaching with me requires homework. You have to talk to past clients, colleagues, vendors, and prospects. You probably have to analyze your success and failures. Plus, more.
Suggestion: Give prospects a homework assignment before they sign up with you. I use this technique all the time. It’s a litmus test for me. If they can’t complete a small assignment before working with you, how will they do with big assignments?
The bottom line is that I love my clients. I celebrate their success, but I can’t do the work for them. To continue to have raving fans requires that we pick the right clients from the get-go.
What are some of the questions you ask to determine if you have a good fit? I’m all ears.
To your sizzling success,
Liz
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