The 2 Biggest Mistakes in Coaching Contracts
Let’s talk about the two biggest mistakes that I see in coaching contracts.
Mistake #1 - Not Being Specific
The first big mistake that I see in coaching contracts is not being specific enough. And specifically, I'm talking about the services that are included in the coaching package or the coaching relationship. As with any contract where you're providing services, the devil is in the details.
If you're providing one on one support, what does that look like?
How many one-on-one meetings are included?
And for how long?
60 minute, 90 minutes?
Every month, every quarter?
And if you provide unlimited chat support, do you truly mean Unlimited?
That's fine if you do, that's great. But maybe you want to set certain office hours that you will respond to these messages. I often say it's wise to put parameters around that. Maybe you'll respond within 12 hours or 24 hours, but only within those office hours, whether it's 9 to 5 or whatever you decide, but put some boundaries in place. You know, if we're talking about coaching, we're all familiar with boundaries. It's important to set that expectation from the beginning, so be specific!
Mistake #2 - Lack of Cancellation Policy
The second big mistake that I see in coaching contracts is a lack of a cancellation policy.
Remember that cancellation and rescheduling are two different things. We're not talking about rescheduling a session, we're talking about canceling the whole coaching relationship.
If a client cancels a six-month contract or a year-long contract, and they've only gone for three months, what does that mean for you? Do you charge a cancellation fee?
Here's what I want you to bear in mind: because coaches are helpers, oftentimes there is this mindset of well, if they are canceling at month three, then they have to pay up through month three, and the rest, they don't have to pay. And some go whole hog and that they and the client would have to pay for that full six months. That's your right, that's your prerogative.
If you've cleared off your calendar to work with this client for six months or for a year, you might not think you have you might not feel like you have - but you have. Energetically, and literally timewise, because if you had 24 clients, that would mean one hour per day per client. When you say yes to a client, you're closing that block of time off for any other client. It is a kind of a loss of business when someone terminates part way through.
So you're well within your rights to impose a cancellation fee of some kind. I would make that very specific in a cancellation section which is again different from a rescheduling issue.