When I first hired my coach, I couldn't afford him.
His monthly fee was higher than my mortgage at the time and I couldn't even tell my husband about it.
But I had a plan.
I really liked the ideas he shared with me about my business. I kept recording our sessions and taking notes every time we talked. My secret plan was to "pick" his brain for a couple of months then let him go.
It is now 3 years later, and he is still my coach.
How did this happen?
Why didn't I stick to my original plan of letting him go after "squeezing" all ideas out of him?
I'll share with you in minute.
So how did my coach keep me as a client beyond the first few months, in spite of the fact that I couldn't afford him and planned to let him go quickly?
There were 3 things that kept me coming back:
1. He always has an exciting vision for me, the next step for me to grow and improve. I never feel like our relationship stagnated or that there is nothing else he can offer me. He always sees the big picture of where I can go, and that excites me.
2. He has a deep industry knowledge and experience, which makes him indispensable to me. When I worked with other coaches (who were business generalists) I always felt like I needed to educate them about what I am doing. My coach is a true mentor. He knows the industry really well and is much more valuable to me because of that. I also happen to know that if he's new to the industry his client is working in, he makes it his business to learn about it and become really familiar with it; sometimes even more so than his client.
3. He truly cares about my success and goes beyond the traditional 3-4 calls a month. He creates opportunities and experiences for me that allow me to grow and stretch. He finds resources that help me accelerate my success.
Take a look at your current client relationships...
- Can you add more opportunities for your clients to experience growth?
- Have you thought about where your clients are going beyond their current projects and mindset?
- What would the "ultimate client experience" look like for you?
Not only will your clients love you and stay with you for a long time, but they will also be willing to pay you more. I pay my coach 3-5 times more than any average coaching fee because he's not just my coach--he's my vehicle to extraordinary success.
