TROUBLESHOOTING
TOUGH CLIENTS THAT
AREN’T GETTING
RESULTS
A ‘tough’ client that makes no progress needn’t
stay that way, writes coaching program
developer Krista Scott-Dixon. Some specific
techniques can transform the way you interact
with them, as well as their success.
e’ve all had them: the proverbial ‘tough clients’. They can
be frustrating, annoying, and even anxiety-provoking.
They can make you question your coaching skills. You
might find yourself avoiding or dreading their calls, emails, and
scheduled training sessions.
Don’t despair. There is another way – a way that will not only get
you feeling better as a coach, but will genuinely get results for those
tricky clients.
W
What’s a tough client?
At first, the answer to this question may seem obvious.
A tough client, you might think, is someone that:
• Should follow your advice – but doesn’t
• Should do things that move them towards their goals – but
doesn’t
• Should get results – but doesn’t.
Secretly, you might even ask yourself ‘What the #$^! is wrong with
them?’
You might compare these clients to other ‘easy’ clients you’ve
trained – clients that were motivated, diligent, consistent, and laser-
focused on reaching their goals.
You might secretly (or not so secretly) fantasise about ‘firing’
some of the toughest cases.
Yet one thing you’ll notice looking at the short list above is that
they’re a list of ‘shoulds’. In other words, they’re things that you want
and expect to happen, but don’t.
NETWORK WINTER 2018 | 49