Excuses, Excuses, Excuses ...
After providing a few thousand of hours of individual, couple
and family coaching, you will likely become an authority on excuses. Some
clients won't do homework. Some people don't show for appointments, some will
perpetually forget to pay and some will try to cheat you.
This will likely continue until you change your attitude.
Health coaching, therapeutic coaching, systemic coaching
and organizational coaching ... even spiritual coaching ... you invest time,
energy and money to find clients. If a client wants only
one session, I doubt that you can recover the cost of finding that
client. And if you don't get paid - you may feel a
little stupid.
Handling No-Shows
How many times have you had a full schedule, and you have
even refused or postponed motivated clients - and then some of your clients did
not show? Maybe an hour before, or 15 minutes
after an appointment, a client calls and says, "I'm so sorry I can't make
it, because ..."
The most common excuses I hear are:
- "My car is not working / not available"
- "There was an accident ..."
- "The bus / tram / train / taxi was late"
- "My child / pet / partner is sick"
Probably sometimes they are true. Yet of those
who do it once, about two-thirds will do it twice. Of those who do it twice,
nearly all will do it three times - or until you say STOP!
I suggest a small change: Print on an your appointment
cards, "Change appointments at least 24 hours in advance or you will be
charged for your appointment." And follow through.
If you say "I cannot charge them for something they did
not get" - when you return to work and if the client returns for
coaching, your irritation may interfere with your effectiveness. And they will
likely do it again.
Coaching Friends & Family
Many people will assume that their acquaintance with you
implies that you will work for them free. After all - don't you solve
relationship, health and success problems? Isn't that what friends do?
If you want to lose both clients and friends; or if you
want to alienate family members - accept friends and family as non-paying
clients. Unless you carefully set up a professional space for your work -
your friends will cease being friends - and they are unlikely to become your
clients.
Honest people will feel obligated towards you, and dislike
the feeling of indebtness. Also, when working with friends, you may well
uncover some emotional conflict of interest.
Either set up an "emotionally clean" space for
professional, paid work; or refer friends and family to other coaching
professionals. Or you risk losing your friends and alienating your family.
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Copyright © Jan Sikorski 2002, 2006 All right reserved. |
