Last summer, someone hired me to be his coach …

But then his plans changed and he decided to hold off on doing anything.

I was bummed. I liked him and really wanted to help him get his coaching business rolling.

But what can you do? I let him go, and wished him well.

For the last 10 months or so, we stay connected on social media. We chatted a few times, commented on each other’s posts, and stuff like that.

He recently asked to connect again, and when we were talking he told me that things had changed in his life and he was ready to move forward now.

We had our first coaching call earlier this week, and things went really well.

Timing doesn’t always line up, and you can’t get too worked up if the timing doesn’t work for the client.

Just because the person doesn’t go with you NOW doesn’t mean that they won’t in the future.

You have to just let go and move on. What’s the old saying? “If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be”?

Compare that to another experience I had about 18 months ago, when I was on the client-side of things.

I had a call with someone who I was thinking of hiring to help me with some business-building things. We had an hour-long Skype chat, and I told him I’d think about it.

Over the next week or so, he contacted me a number of times, pushing me to start (I was beginning to think that I was his only prospect!)

I told him “No thanks” – things changed on my end and the timing wasn’t right for me.

I guess that rubbed him the wrong way, since this fellow dropped me as a Facebook friend and left my Facebook group (sniff)

The funny thing is I didn’t know that he dropped me until a few months later, when I was about to message him to tell him that I was ready to get started with him. When I saw what he did, I decided to move on and hire someone else.

I don’t want to work with someone who behaves like that. His immaturity cost him a client.

Keep enough prospects in the pipe that even if one doesn’t come together now, you’re not stuck. Never put the future of your business in the hands of just one person.

But also remember to handle the departure the right way, so you can get the business in the future.