Why Your Clients Don't Follow Through

Brianna Dick
Dec 4, 2025
3 min read

Some clients nod through your session, say they’ll practice, and show up the next week having done nothing. It’s frustrating, especially when you know the work matters.

This isn’t always about laziness or bad clients. Most of the time, it comes down to too much information, not enough clarity, and a plan that doesn’t feel doable on their end. If you want better follow-through, you have to meet people where they actually are, not where you hope they’ll be.

Here’s what to focus on.

You’re Giving Them Too Much

(Why your clients don't follow through)

Trainers often feel like they need to prove themselves in the first session. You show up ready to deliver value, so you cram in everything — leash handling, crate work, thresholds, heel, “stop jumping,” and maybe even a little body language theory for good measure.

But that much information doesn’t land. It overwhelms the client, floods their working memory, and sends them home unsure what to even focus on. And when people don’t know where to start, they often don’t start at all.

If you cover one or two main points per session, they’re far more likely to retain it and follow through. It’s not about watering it down. It’s about making it digestible. You’ll get better outcomes with fewer instructions and more clarity.

You’re Working With the Wrong People

If your calendar is filled with people who cancel last-minute, don’t do their homework, or show up expecting a miracle fix, that’s not a training issue, it’s a marketing issue.

You might be unintentionally attracting the wrong clients. That could be because of the language you use on your website, the tone of your social media, how you price or structure your programs, or how referrals are coming in.

Take a step back and ask yourself:

Is my messaging clear about who I work best with?
Do my services reflect the kind of client I want to serve?
Am I qualifying people before letting them book?

Fixing this doesn’t require a full rebrand. It just means tightening up how you communicate what you offer and who you offer it to.

You’re Not Asking the Right Questions

Sometimes clients don’t follow through because the plan doesn’t feel doable, but they won’t always tell you that directly. You have to know how to ask.

If you only ask “Do you have any questions?” you’re going to get polite nods. But if you ask things like:

“What made this hard to implement?”
“Was there anything that felt unclear or uncomfortable?”
“What would help you feel more confident trying this on your own?”

Then you’ll actually get answers you can work with.

Being a good trainer means knowing how to break down the dog’s behavior. Being a great trainer means knowing how to understand the client’s.

Not sure which ones to ask? Check out my online course on Mastering Private Lessons to help!

A Quick Note on How People Learn

Most people can’t absorb and apply everything you throw at them in one go. That’s not a reflection of their motivation, it’s just how humans work. Research on adult learning consistently shows that people need repetition, clear takeaways, and hands-on practice.

If your client is only hearing things once and doesn’t write them down or try them in the moment, chances are they’re not going to remember.

You’re better off slowing it down, repeating what matters, and giving them a single next step than sending them home with a full curriculum.

Final Thought

When clients don’t follow through, it’s easy to feel frustrated, especially if you’ve done everything “right.” But if it’s happening a lot, it’s a sign your process needs to change.

You can shift this by:

Simplifying how you deliver information
Being clearer about who you work with
Asking better questions
Creating a more structured client experience

If you want help reworking how you onboard, teach, and retain clients, I can help you build that. I work with trainers to create systems that actually support both the trainer and the client long-term.

By Brianna Dick

Owner of Pack Leader Help

Owner of Your Dog Biz Coach