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One of the biggest mistakes coaches can make is trying to make every prospect and every person they meet a client. This is unrealistic on so many levels. It is impossible for a coach to coach every single person who comes to them with a problem. I know that when we first start out we are looking to fill all of our coaching spots and have a full practice. But we must be mindful that we stay true to our purpose and mission. As we grow as a coach there may be times that we take less than ideal clients or even clients outside of our niche for various purposes. We must always be mindful of these exceptions and make sure that we stay true to our purpose and mission. There are several things we have to remember: 1. We must approach any exception to the rules with eyes wide open. There are times when coaching and are niche might be slow or we get referrals from outside our niche. I am not saying you must turn down anyone who does not fit your ideal client profile, but at the same time you must be honest with yourself and with these clients. Be honest with the prospect or new client if they are outside of your area of expertise. Tell them up front the community that your coaching serves, and find out what they are looking for. You may still be able to effectively coach someone in a different niche. You must take these on a case-by-case basis. Be honest with yourself as well. Do not make it a habit to find the exception to the rule to coach. You are only watering down your business when you do this. We have all had coaching clients who fall outside of the parameters of our ideal client profile. As long as you are true to yourself and your mission, these interim clients can help you make up for any revenue shortfalls. But, if you get in the habit of taking every piece of business that comes your way, you will have no traction in your niche. Your ideal prospects and clients will not be able to find you, and you will never become the go to expert in your niche. 2. As you continue in your journey to coach your community, you will find that you have fewer people contacting you from outside of your niche. This is a good thing. It shows that you are staying true to your mission, and serving your community or tribe. This should be a litmus test to determine if you are staying on course. If you are still attracting people from outside of the community you serve, you should take time and examine how these people are finding you. Do you need to revamp your website? Are you targeting the wrong keywords on your website? Are you hanging out in the wrong social media circles? These are all good questions to ask if you find yourself in this situation. 3. Discover the power of saying no. There is nothing wrong with turning away a prospect who does not fit the criteria of your ideal client. It does not mean that you are being condescending to them. You can actually turn this into a positive for your practice. When going through the enrollment process, if you see that the prospect falls outside of the area you wish specialize in, tell them right then and there. You can still advise them of the course of action you recommend they take, and even refer them to a coach that would be more suitable to them. The prospect will more than likely appreciate your candor. You can even possibly develop them into a long-term networking relationship that benefits both of your businesses. If you do this right, and develop a long-term friendship and business relationship with this prospect built on honesty, you will probably see referrals coming from them that fit your ideal client profile. 4. As you become more successful, you will find yourself saying no to more things. As your coaching practice grows, and you become more successful, you will find that your time has a much higher value than when you started. Every successful coach who builds a practice from the ground up experiences this. And as your business grows, you will have the ability to be selective about the people you coach. You will also be able to charge a higher price for your services. You should never feel guilty about turning away someone that does not fit the profile of your ideal client. Just because they do not fit into your specialty niche, does not make them a bad coaching client. And, it does not make you a bad coach for not taking them on. If you handle all of your interactions properly, no one will be upset. In conclusion, I hope you see the value in being selective about taking on the right coaching clients. It will save you time, and make you more money to serve one community, instead of trying to be all things to everyone. We help coaches make more money 100coachingtips.COM
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