Hi
,
I recently read Michael Port's "Book Yourself Solid" (great book!), and I wanted to share something that I took from it. Port talks about the importance of having a "Red Velvet Rope" policy where you think of yourself as an invitation-only event, with your door being protected by a red velvet rope to keep just anyone from wandering in. Just like that special event, you aren't accepting everyone, only a select few that match your strict
criteria.
This flies in the face of the norm in the coaching industry, where many coaches will take on a client as long as that person has the financial means to pay (and too often, even when they aren't able to pay in full!). The result is a bad experience for both the coach and the client.
One of Port's suggestions is to clear off your client list - dump the "dud clients" that don't meet your strict
criteria. This can be scary at first, since you've probably worked with those people for some time and you don't want them to think bad of you or run you down. But these types of clients are draining your energy and hurting your effectiveness with the clients that do match who you want to be working with.
I was talking with a coach last week about their own "dud" client. This client has a habit of missing some appointments, and his
payment for coaching has been sporadic and inconsistent. I asked the coach why she's continuing to work with him. Her response? "Well, he's a great client, except (she then repeated the issues that she's having with him).
Sorry, but if someone isn't respecting what you do, is missing appointments and is way behind on their payments for your services (yet you see them splashing pictures of vacations that they're on all over Facebook!),
then he/she isn't your ideal client.
Grab your knife and ruthlessly cut the dud clients from your roster. Be clear on what you consider a great client, and get to work on finding more of them. Think of your #1, best client - the one you absolutely love working with and wish you could clone, and look for more of that client.
I'm going through a revamp of my business this fall and it includes culling the
clients who don't match my definition of an "ideal client". It doesn't mean that they're bad people, or that I hate their guts and never want to speak to them again in my life. But it does mean that I respect my coaching business, I've put a red velvet rope up and they aren't the right fit to get past it.
I'd love to hear your feedback if you currently implement a policy like this (or if you decide to do it after reading this). Good
luck!
Marc
You can get a copy of "Book Yourself Solid"
here (note: this is my Amazon affiliate link - should you buy the book, I'll be paid a commission. Not much, but I'll dedicate my next hot chocolate at Starbucks to you!)
