This question came up on a coaches forum I like to contribute to, and I know this’ll apply to a lot of my readers…

“How do I cope with no-show clients? A new client hasn’t shown up for two of the four sessions we contracted. Each time she follows up with really apologetic emails, begging me not to give up on her…,” the life coach asked.

Here’s my response:

Fire her.

Or, to put it another way…

Fire her.

Keeping her as a client is not good life coaching.

The life coach writes: ‘My gremlin [inner saboteur] insists that she doesn’t value the coaching and it is judging her, and suggesting I either “lay down the law” or fire her.’

That ain’t your “gremlin” honey. That’s your professionalism and self respect. It’s your gremlin that’s telling you you’re not allowed to to have standards. And it’s your gremlin having cocktails with her gremlin when you buy into her excuses. (I roll my eyes.)

She doesn’t want to be coached. Period. End of story. If she wanted to be life coached she’d show up. It’s that’s simple.

If I’m wrong, and she really wants to coach, make her earn the right to continue coaching with you. I suggest an agreement that you’re authorized to charge her credit card $1,000 every time she’s a no show.

That’ll let you know real fast how serious she is about coaching.

Fire her. It’ll be great for your self esteem as a life coach, and that’ll be attractive to better clients.

And ALWAYS get paid in advance.

PS: My use of “gremlin” comes from Rick Carlson’s book “Taming Your Gremlin.” Learn more at his Gremlin Training Institute for coaches.