One of the more disheartening challenges for a coach is when a client goes AWOL (Absent Without Leave). Despite your best efforts and the progress you’ve made together, they seem to disappear without a trace.
This can be frustrating and disheartening, but it’s important to remember that coaching is a partnership, and both parties must be fully engaged for it to be effective.
This happened to one of my coaching clients recently and she asked me for some coaching on how to re-engage her client.
The first thing to remember is:
As a coach, you are not responsible for your client’s results – you cannot take action for them… but YOU CAN take proactive steps to create a safe environment for them to re-engage.
Common Reasons Clients Might Go AWOL
Understanding why a client might disengage is the first step in addressing the issue. Here are some common reasons:
- Overwhelm: Life can get hectic, and clients may feel overwhelmed by personal or professional responsibilities.
- Fear of Failure: Fear of not meeting expectations can cause clients to retreat.
- Lack of Progress: If they don’t see immediate results, they might lose motivation. They might perceive that coaching is a quick fix or the magic pill for their issue.
- Personal Issues: Health problems, family issues, or unexpected life changes can take precedence.
- Misalignment: Sometimes, the coaching relationship or goals may not align with the client’s true desires or needs.
Five Strategies to Help Re-engage Your Clients
- Reach Out with Empathy: Send a heartfelt email or message expressing genuine concern for their well-being. Avoid sounding accusatory or frustrated. A simple, “I’ve noticed it’s been a while since our last session, and I wanted to check in to see how you’re doing,” can go a long way. You reaching out may be exactly what they need to get back to coaching.
- Revisit Goals and Adjust: Sometimes, clients lose sight of their goals or feel things have changed or their goal needs to be more relevant. Schedule a brief catch-up to revisit and adjust their goals. This can reignite their motivation and commitment.
- Offer Flexibility: Life is unpredictable. Offer to reschedule missed sessions or suggest a more convenient time that fits better with their current situation. Flexibility shows that you are supportive and you care.
- Provide Additional Resources: Share articles, videos, or tools that might help them overcome their current obstacles. This gesture demonstrates your commitment to their progress, even outside of scheduled sessions. Offer some quick accountability if this is helpful to them.
- Encourage Small Wins: Break down larger goals into smaller, more manageable tasks. They might be working against the grain of their natural working style and this is causing them to burn up their mental energy and feel exhausted. Celebrate these small victories to help rebuild their confidence and momentum.
Consider a ‘Use It or Lose It’ Policy
To encourage clients to stay engaged and committed, consider implementing a ‘use it or lose it’ policy in your coaching terms. For instance, you could structure your coaching packages with a defined timeframe, such as 6 months, and stipulate that all sessions must be used within 7 months of signing up.
This creates a sense of urgency and can serve as a motivator for clients to stay on track, knowing there is a deadline for using their sessions.
It’s hard for coaching to be effective if a client isn’t using their calls regularly. They are stopping and starting and there is no consistency or momentum. This also impacts the coaching relationship, as you aren’t as connected.
What If They Don’t Respond?
Despite your best efforts, there might be times when a client remains unresponsive. Here’s what you can do:
- Send a Final Follow-Up: Send a polite but firm final follow-up message. Clearly state that you’ve tried to reach out and would love to continue working with them but respect their decision if they choose not to respond. This keeps the door open without pressuring them.
- Evaluate the Situation: Reflect on the coaching relationship and your practices. Was there a mismatch in expectations? Are there areas you can improve to support your clients better? Always use this as a learning opportunity to reflect on your 50% of the partnership.
- Document the Process: Keep a record of all your attempts to contact the client and their responses (or lack thereof). This documentation can be useful for future reference or if they decide to re-engage later.
- Focus on Other Clients: Redirect your energy towards clients who are actively engaged and committed. This ensures that your time and efforts are utilized effectively and helps you to stay confident and committed to your other clients.
- Stay Open and Positive: Leave the door open for future re-engagement. Clients might return when they are ready and you can help them create a timeline around this. Maintaining a positive and open attitude can make it easier for them to return when the time is right.
Coaching is a Partnership
Remember, coaching is a partnership where both parties must be fully committed. While it can be disappointing when a client disengages, your role is to provide a supportive environment for them to re-engage, not to take responsibility for their results. Sometimes we want our clients’ success more than they do!
Remember: You can’t make them do the work or do the work for them – they have to take action to get results.
By understanding the common reasons for disengagement, using strategies to re-engage, and implementing policies like ‘use it or lose it,’ you can help your clients get back on track and continue their journey toward growth and success.