Articles

I have written every day for the past 10 years. If you like to read, I've got your back - and I promise to challenge your thinking
Back to articles
August 9, 2014 • Creating Clients, Creating Community

Needy is Creepy

“Needy is Creepy” – Steve Chandler taught me this phrase and it changed my life as a Professional Coach.

Steve shared the following in our book, The Prosperous Coach:

“You will have a hard time really hearing your client if your own mind is occupied by your own needs, as in, “I need this client, I need this money so badly, I really can’t afford to lose this client, I’ll discount, I’ll do anything, I’ll become desperate—I really need it.”

If you’ve got this sense of extreme need in your mind, your behavior and your communication is going to push the person away. That’s because neediness is creepy.

We don’t want to be needy. We want to have it be the opposite. We want to talk and think deeply about the client’s world, not ours. The sale always occurs inside the client’s world.

If my client says, “Well, I’m going to think about this, I’ll get back to you,” I don’t want to keep calling and emailing this person like I’m needing this work. Anything needy is creepy to the other person. Human need in the world of business is really off‑putting. It causes people to not want to work with you. So it must be stopped.

Many times I have my clients who are coaches put on their computer the phrase “needy is creepy” just to remind them. Because look what people do. They check in, they touch base, they annoy people: “I’m just checking in. I’m just touching base. I’m just trying to find out if you are going to work with me. I’m just trying to find out if you are going to be my client,” and that’s really uncomfortable to another person.

We want to practice different ways to stay connected. We want to explore ways to deliver value in each communication. We practice these different approaches when we communicate because we’ll get clients so much faster that way.

If you haven’t heard back, send a gift and a note. Don’t even refer to working together. Contribute and serve. You don’t need them; they need you. Behave accordingly.”

Want to see what ‘needy’ looks like?

Watch Mikey:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0PUrNwvvBk

DON’T BE LIKE MIKEY!

Love. Rich

PS. Dramatically increase your confidence as a coach by mastering enrolling clients. Drastically increase your ability to raise your fees and up-level your clients. And learn to have fun making money. Join me on The 90 Day Money Game. There’s still time to join us…   

 

PLUS, whenever you’re ready – here are 4 more ways you can drastically increase your income and impact as a world-class coach:

  1. Assess your current coaching level and learn how to get to your next level. Read – or remind yourself of – The Litvin Levels, from The Prosperous Coach.
  2. Watch me coach some of the top coaches on the planet, in order to drastically uplevel your coaching skills. Join me on How To Coach A Superhero: The 4PC edition. 
  3. Imagine joining a Deep Coaching experience alongside the members of 4PC, my community of high-level coaches… We only offer The 4PC Accelerator once a year and it always sells out in advance. Save $1,000 with early-bird pricing.
  4. Learn how to enroll and coach successful, talented and ambitious clients – with power and impact. Join my flagship program, Project Kairos – for 8 months of guidance, challenge and support to master creating clients.

 

Transforming world-class leaders into world-class coaches.
That’s what we do.

If this sounds like you, let’s talk and explore if working together is a good fit.

Learn more about ways to work together

<h2>Join the Deep Dive Waitlist</h2>

<form accept-charset="UTF-8" action="https://jk322.infusionsoft.com/app/form/process/5bc29e0421b01e24647c19a6050e234b" class="infusion-form" id="inf_form_5bc29e0421b01e24647c19a6050e234b" method="POST">
    <input name="inf_form_xid" type="hidden" value="5bc29e0421b01e24647c19a6050e234b" />
    <input name="inf_form_name" type="hidden" value="Web Form submitted" />
    <input name="infusionsoft_version" type="hidden" value="1.70.0.523259" />
    <div class="infusion-field">
        <label for="inf_field_FirstName">First Name *</label>
        <input id="inf_field_FirstName" name="inf_field_FirstName" placeholder="First Name *" type="text" />
    </div>
    <div class="infusion-field">
        <label for="inf_field_Email">Email *</label>
        <input id="inf_field_Email" name="inf_field_Email" placeholder="Email *" type="text" />
    </div>
    <div>
        <div>&nbsp;</div>
    </div>
    <div class="infusion-submit">
        <button class="infusion-recaptcha" id="recaptcha_5bc29e0421b01e24647c19a6050e234b" type="submit">Submit</button>
    </div>
</form>
<script type="text/javascript" src="https://jk322.infusionsoft.app/app/webTracking/getTrackingCode"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="https://jk322.infusionsoft.com/resources/external/recaptcha/production/recaptcha.js?b=1.70.0.523259"></script>
<script src="https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api.js?onload=onloadInfusionRecaptchaCallback&render=explicit" async="async" defer="defer"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="https://jk322.infusionsoft.com/app/timezone/timezoneInputJs?xid=5bc29e0421b01e24647c19a6050e234b"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="https://jk322.infusionsoft.com/js/jquery/jquery-3.3.1.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="https://jk322.infusionsoft.app/app/webform/overwriteRefererJs"></script>

Join the Deep Dive wait list

You will be notified when we open registration for the next Deep Dive