How to Set Boundaries with Online Clients

Coaching Without Edges

Every coaching relationship is predicated on a few basic assumptions about the coach’s and client’s responsibilities. The coach provides expertise and accountability, and the client shows up, does the work, and tries to apply what she learns. As with any relationship, however, the lines where these roles begin and end can get a little fuzzy. A coach who agrees to provide regular feedback may find himself responding to clients’ texts at dinner, rewriting programs late at night, or handling mid-workout crises. The coach is often the only support the client has, so they reach out when something doesn’t go as planned. And, as a general rule, coaches care; we feel guilty leaving our clients on read, waiting for a response.

The problem is that when you regularly blur the line where your services end, you end up being on call with no boundaries. And without boundaries, coaching becomes less standardized, less enjoyable, and unsustainable in the long run. The most common place this shows up is in communication. Most coaches are well prepared to handle missed reps and questions about progress, but many struggle to curtail late-night texts, blurred channels, and the creeping expectation of constant access. This type of coaching without borders is a problem.

Define Communication Boundaries Right Away

Clients who expect unlimited access or lean on you for every ounce of motivation are symptoms of the same underlying issue: the failure to define and enforce communication within the outer limits of your coaching services. It is not that some clients are just needy; all clients are needy, which is why they hired you in the first place. Communication problems start and end with you.

Clients don’t intentionally abuse access; they simply fill the space you leave undefined.
Review your coaching agreements and onboarding documents. Do you clearly state the appropriate methods of communication for your clients and the times you are available? For example,

“You can reach me by email, Monday through Friday from 8:00 am CST to 5:00 pm CST.”

Or

“Feel free to message me at the following number. I respond to all messages by 5pm the next business day.”

Or

“Please include all your comments and questions about training in your workout response. This gives us one place to talk about your needs and will help me respond to your questions most effectively.”

Make sure any email or messaging service you use is designated as part of your coaching business and not a personal email or phone number. Giving clients personal contact information is an invitation to impose on your personal time.

Keep things professional. When possible, it’s best to have all your communication and coaching in one dedicated app. When a client texts your phone, they know you can see it. When they send a message to a coaching app, they can only expect that you will see it and respond in the manner you’ve laid out previously.

Boundaries Build Trust

Of course, clear communication is more than convenience. Communication is at the heart of building trust, and trust in coaching often hinges on expectations— specifically, saying what you will do and then doing it consistently. Doing exactly what your clients expect you to do shows professionalism and, when combined with genuine concern over their needs and goals, it increases the value of your services in their eyes.

Failing to meet expectations even one time, however, can irrevocably erode a client’s trust in you. So, while it may seem like taking a late-night call or answering a random text from a client is a good idea, keep in mind that you are creating a new expectation with that client. One that lets them dictate when and how you fulfill your coaching services. Failure to take the next late-night call may unintentionally lower their trust.

The good news is that when you’ve developed a good system for coaching, consistency costs absolutely nothing. Defining expectations gives clarity; meeting them proves reliability. Together, they form a solid foundation that your clients can depend on.

Consider two coaches:

1. One tries to answer every text immediately, day or night. Sometimes their responses are detailed and insightful. Sometimes they are sitting in a movie theater, driving somewhere, or leaving on vacation. Then, their responses are rushed, fragmented, or delayed.
2. The other coach sets clear communication hours, responds deliberately, and educates clients on what to do when she is unavailable. Every time the coach responds, she spends the appropriate amount of time answering the question and sharing her expertise.

The coach who builds more trust is not the one who tries to be always available; it’s the coach who does exactly what she says she is going to do, day in and day out.

The Easiest Boundaries to Enforce are Those That Make Up Your Coaching System

Here is the real secret about boundaries. They should not be an issue for online coaches. When they are, that is usually a symptom of a broken coaching system. We recently wrote an article about triaging your coaching system. Many problems with online coaching stem from the tools we use. A personal phone to handle texts is a red flag, because it invites the kind of on-call behavior we need to avoid. Sending plans via DMs or email is similarly cumbersome, and you are asking clients to contact you constantly for clarifications.

To set boundaries that enforce themselves, see if you can keep everything in one place, in one app: provide plans, messages, a workout calendar, customer support, and their workout history all in one place. This ensures clients always know where to go to get your help, and the app takes care of the boundaries. We have some good examples of this in the following video from the Business of Coaching Workshop, discussing how we use TurnKey Coach for client onboarding and support. Check it out, and if you have any additional questions, you can also get a live demo of TurnKey Coach by signing up for a discovery call.

Boundaries are not optional. They are the foundation of professional coaching. And far from limiting your clients, they give your clients exactly what they came for: the structure to benefit from your expertise and reach their goals, better, faster, and stronger.