Don’t let your clients regret hiring you because you don’t ask for feedback

One morning last week, I was talking to my friend Maria about her disappointment with her coach.

An acquaintance had sung the coach’s praises. And Maria liked that she offered the specific mix of things she was looking for. She was excited to work with her to finally grow her business the way she’d dreamed of since starting it 5 years ago.

After 6 months of working with her coach, Maria was in the same place as when she started.

What happens when a coach doesn’t deliver on their promise

What her coach promised and what she delivered were not the same. She also made a lot of excuses when Maria had to follow up with her on deliverables. Maria was frustrated but kept giving her the benefit of the doubt.

She did this even though the work they had done was not at all what Maria had expected.

Maria kept hoping that things would change. That she could somehow get what she needed in the remaining months of their 12-month engagement. But deep down she knew better.

You want to validate your decision and actions

She felt stupid and ashamed for hiring this coach in the first place. And for not saying something early on.

Every month was a chance to vanquish her shame by turning things around. To prove she had in fact made the right decision. But things didn’t get better.

When Maria’s seventh monthly payment was coming up, she knew she had to fire her coach.

Don’t make it your client’s responsibility to speak up

I’m not Maria, she’s really a friend. But I’ve had similar experiences and I know many other women who have. And it pisses me off! A client should never feel like they are responsible for bad service or delivery.

Any coach or service-provider worth their salt should consistently check in for feedback. And not just asking “how are you feeling about everything?” They should ask specific questions based on clear deliverables and outcomes.

Here’s what we agreed to work on. Where are things falling short? What is working well? Where are you still feeling frustrated?

How you start will set you up for success

Start your work with a client by letting them know that you want this to feel right for both of you. And that even if you like each other, there may be issues that come up. Make it safe for them to tell you by consistently checking in.

Asking for feedback can be hard but it does get easier and it is so worth it.

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