I was just referred to a new client who was having a tough time.
He was homeless.
He didnāt have a job.
He was estranged from his familyā¦

ā¦and living on the streets of San Diego.
I asked a friend who lived near him to deliver some foodā¦
…some sandwiches, fruit, etc.
And then I coached him.
Even though this guy was really down in the dumpsā¦
ā¦It didnāt deter me.
Why?
Because the worse off clients areā¦
ā¦the easier it is to turn things around.
It doesnāt take much for clients who are struggling to get value from coaching.
…just like a $20 tip was life changing in my ābrokeā college days.
The point?
You can always help someone.
No client is āuncoachableā.
But coaches think they need to work with clients who are already successful.
Iāve heard too many coaches say
- āCoaching isnāt for everyoneā.
- āMy client just isnāt coachable.ā
- āI only work with winners.ā
ā¦and if you pass those judgements, then youāll create that reality.
This āelitistā mindset puts your actions and coaching in motionā¦
ā¦which becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Pretty soon, coaches get absolutely certain that coaching is only for the āelite fewā.
But thatās just not true.
In fact, the least successful people often benefit the MOST from coaching.
Clients who are worse off can get even more value from coaching compared with those who are already successful.
How much EASIER is it to coach a ādown in the dumpsā client?
I recently worked with two very different ‘levels’ of clientsā¦
ā¦a hyper successful clientā¦
ā¦and a client at a very low point.
Both were in imminent danger of going bankruptā¦
My āEliteā client was a high net-worth real estate investor.
My āDown in the Dumpsā client worked at the local Walmart.
Think that itās easier to coach the millionaire?
I actually had an easier time coaching the Walmart worker.
The reason?
It didnāt take much to help the Walmart worker in a BIG WAY.
I helped him break through his barriersā¦
ā¦and worked with him to plan how heād generate another $400 per month.
He took action, and his income shortfall disappeared.
It only took a few days.
In factā¦
ā¦he went from being a drain on his parents and siblingsā¦
ā¦to supporting his own brother during his own crisis.
THATās Transformation.
In fact, the least successful people often benefit the MOST from coaching.’
How did it go with the high net-worth investor?
Think that coaching was easier with the client whose life looked amazing?
NOPE
I gave them all my positive thinking coachingā¦
I told them that their psychology was the key to their turnaroundā¦
I helped them break through their limiting beliefsā¦
ā¦and do you know how they responded?
āColette, positive thinking got me to THIS POINT.ā
āI have a strong psychology, and thatās why Iām ALREADY successful.ā
āMy limiting beliefs arenāt causing the market to go sideways.ā
āI hope you have something more helpful than that! My payroll problem isnāt going to fix itself.ā
…and even though his payroll problem was a small percentage of his successful businessās incomeā¦
I had no clue how his business worked.
I had no clue how he was going to generate that additional income (given his very specialized situation).
- He was ALREADY motivated.
- He was ALREADY positive.
- He was ALREADY pretty perfect.
And then It dawned on meā¦
At his HIGH LEVEL of successā¦
He COULD be PERFECTā¦
ā¦and STILL FAIL.
Do you see how much easier it can be to coach the ādown in the dumpsā client?
It just doesnāt take much to change their life for the better.
A hot shot thatās already successful?
It might take a lot to significantly impact them.
Please donāt get me wrong on thisā¦
I donāt mean that you shouldnāt strive to coach the most successful people.
Youāll usually charge higher fees with more successful clients.
But part of the reason why youāll tend to make more money with those high ticket clientsā¦
ā¦is that theyāre HARDER to coach.
Thereās a good chance that your āhigh levelā clients will stretch your coaching skills.
- Thereās MORE at stake for them.
- Thereās MORE pressure on them.
- Theyāre in MORE complicated situations.
- Thereās MORE high level thinking required.
Youāll generally pay a price to coach that high ticket client.
But coaching a client at a low point doesnāt have to be hardā¦
ā¦and you probably already have some of the skills that will universally help these struggling clients.

(NOTE: If you want to learn how to start your own coaching business, then check out this webinar, called “How to Start Your Coaching Business in 30 Days“ Ā During the webinar, Iāll cover how to get your first paid clients fast and make it feel natural for you. Click HERE now to attend the webinar.)
Hereās how you can help struggling clients:
Strategy:
Strategy is a fancy way of saying āhow to do itā.
There are two types of strategy work you might do with a client:
OBVIOUS STRATEGY:
Many struggling clients just need a few basic life skills.
So many clients are down in the dumps as a result of missing some pretty important (and obvious) strategic changes.
Iāve seen clientās lives change using obvious strategies like:
- Personal Budgeting
- Planning your Day / Year
- Honesty (or Acting Ethically)
- Paying Debts
- Being Generous / Nice
- Giving People the Benefit of the Doubt
- Being āRealisticā
- Taking Risks
- Taking Responsibility
- Working / Getting a Job
- Exercise / Activity
- Avoiding Bad Food
- Smiling / Hugging / Expressing Love
Your struggling client may not have friends or family who can provide these basic strategies or insights.
Fill in that gap!
NOT SO OBVIOUS STRATEGY:
Some clients (struggling or otherwise) will need you to ādrill downā into more nuanced areas to develop strategies that will work for them.
This may takeā¦
- more questions
- more session time
- more discussion
ā¦before your client reaches a valuable conclusion that makes a difference for them.
The key to this ānot so obviousā coaching is:
- Patience: Take the time to discover the situation and discuss possibilities.
- Presence: Be with your client so you notice whatās really important, and whatās really going on.
- Practicality: Get to the best solution thatās likely to work for your client, without expecting perfection.
Accountability:
Accountability helps your client take action.
Usually ālack of actionā is a major problem for clients that are in dire situations.
Helping clients learn how to be unstoppable in the face of their circumstances can be a game-changer.
Psychology:
80% of your clientās results are related to their psychology.
Helping your client learn tools to manage their state of mind and break through their limiting beliefs is priceless.
Focus:
Whatever your client focuses on will determine:
- Their decisions
- Their thoughts
- Their experience of life
Accountability helps your client take action.”
Help your client clarify what they really want, then support them to:
- keep focused on that outcome
- Keep focused on the actions it takes to achieve the outcome
- Keep focused on solutions, rather than problems
Peers:
So many clients who fall into hard times miss out on peer support.
Your clientās resources come from the 5 people they associate with most.
Support your client to find a resourceful peer group so they access the resources they need to live their dreams.
Next time youāre running a discovery session with a client at a ālow pointā…
ā¦so low that they shouldnāt be a good candidate for coachingā¦
Donāt give up on them.
See the possibility.
If you help them bridge a tiny gapā¦
Even if that gap seems to them like the chasm of the Grand Canyonā¦
You can change their entire life.
One.
Step.
At.
A.
Time.
Colette “Coaching Through Crisis” Coiner
Dr. Colette Coiner, PCC, PT, DPT, FAAOMPT
Associate Dean, Master Coach University
drcolettecoiner@coachestrainingblog.com
858-232-3739
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