“What you taught me doesn’t work.”

Said the new coach to me.

ME: “Really? How do you know?”

NEW COACH: “Because I tried it and it didn’t work.”

ME: “Oh. OK.”

“How many times did you try it?”

NEW COACH: “I tried it once. And then I stopped, because it didn’t work.”

ME: “So because you tried it once, you’ve decided that it doesn’t work?”

NEW COACH: “Yeah, because if what you taught worked, it would just work every time.”

ME: “Even the first time you do it?

When you don’t know anything?

When you’ve got no experience?

When your confidence is at ZERO?”

NEW COACH: (Silence)

The biggest problem with the coaching business…

…is that you make money by helping other people.

The biggest problem with the coaching business…is that you make money by helping other people.”

Why is that a problem?

Because…

Helping other people takes time.

People don’t always want to be helped.

People don’t always believe you can help them.

People stumble on their way to acting on your coaching.

It can take years, even decades, for your coaching to become positive results for your clients.

And, in the meantime…

…your fees may remain low…

…you may not get paid that much…

…and your clients may delay singing your praises (while they deal with their own bumps in the road).

What happens to most new coaches as a result of these roadblocks and delays?

Coaches flail around, trying to get their own selfish needs met…

…and usually fall off the wagon (i.e. quit).

All those big dreams and hopes…

All those grand plans…

All that ‘make a difference’ banner-waving…

…goes up in smoke.

…falls flat.

Dies.

And the “time of death” is the problem.

Those coaching dreams die sometime between the exciting start up…

…and the moment of the big payoff.

…the moment all that giving and helping would’ve come ‘full circle’

…the moment their coaching business could’ve paid them giant dividends.

The point?

Most coaches quit before they ‘get theirs’.

Most coaches quit before they ‘get theirs’.“

So, what do YOU do about it?

You coach.

You work.

You wait.

You help.

And you do all these things without bitching.

Without complaining.

Without twisting clients arms for more than they’re willing to give back to you.

Without quitting.

And then, eventually…

…you’ll get yours.

This is the simplest formula for success in the coaching world:

Here’s the translation of that formula:

HC = “Helpful Coach”

P = Patience

[WORLD IMAGE] = Getting Your Just Deserts

So, restated…

The coach who can truly help, plus patience…

…inherits the world.

The coach who can truly help, plus patience…inherits the world.“

So, assuming that you can truly help (even if you need a bit of training first)…

…patience is the only missing ingredient a good coach really needs.

That’s what to do about it.

Employ patience.

WARNING: Many coaches mistake this ‘employ patience’ idea wrong.

They translate it to mean ‘wait around’.

Or ‘do nothing’.

That’s not patience.

(At least not ‘active’ patience.)

You’ve got to act fast.

You’ve got to work.

You’ve got to continue coaching everyone…

…every way…

…every time you can.

You’ve got to learn the business and execute.

Again

And again,

And again.

And WHILE YOU’RE DOING THAT WORK…

Employ Patience.

I started my coaching business in a trailer, and didn’t get my first client for 3 months.

Patience Employed.

I started online in the crash of 2008, having gone broke after my main customers (Realtors) themselves went broke.

I spent 6 months, living off scraps, building my online coaching business.

Spending time learning how to do it.

Spending money I didn’t have on ads.

Not one single paying client.

After waiting 6 months, I finally got my first client…

…and they asked for a refund.

It took over a year before I made any significant money from my online coaching business.

Patience Employed.

I spent 6 years recruiting, training, and supporting a coaching team only to have them stolen by a business partner.

Then I spent years rebuilding the team with brand new coaches.

Since then, I’ve run multi six-figure coaching projects with Shell, Dole, Vitamix, gurus, training companies, etc.,…

…and I did NONE of the coaching.

My team (that I took over a decade to solidify) did ALL the coaching.

Patience Employed.

Where have you practiced patience and brought coaching success?

Where do you NEED to practice patience…

…so you can reap your dreamed-for coaching business rewards?

Keep giving your coaching gifts…

…and eventually…

Your coaching gifts will make room for you.

Jeffrey “Stay The Course” Sooey

Jeffrey T. Sooey
Dean, Master Coach University
Founder, Coaches Training Blog community