10 Facilitation Mistakes That Cost You Clients (And How to Fix Them) | #ADAW Ep. 24

The hardest part of facilitation isn’t designing the workshop.It’s convincing the client to try it in the first place. And once you’ve done that… you have one job: don’t screw it up. In this episode of Another Day, Another Workshop, I’m sharing the 10 expensive mistakes I’ve made that cost me clients and what to do instead so your clients keep coming back. I split them across the workshop journey:👉 5 mistakes during preparation👉 5 mistakes in the roomIn this episode, you’ll learn:✅ How to say “no” and manage expectations so the scope is actually feasible ✅ Why too many activities kills depth (and burns participant energy) ✅ Why simplifying your activities is part of your job as a facilitator ✅ How to choose the right people (and keep the group size manageable) ✅ Why rehearsing your intro is non-negotiable (confidence comes from prep) ✅ How to set the stage so people trust you quickly (goal + purpose + agenda) ✅ Why it’s not about you (and how to avoid “TED Talk mode”) ✅ Why skipping breaks destroys outcomes (and what a real break looks like) ✅ How to read the room and adapt instead of blindly following the plan ✅ Why you can’t show doubt if you chose the activity — you need to sell it ✅ Bonus: how to close with commitment + clarity so action happens after 🛠️ Resources & Links📩 Want to design and run better workshops?https://facilitatorscorner.substack.com/Or connect with me on LinkedIn for daily ideas: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mehdi-en-naizi-75b533116/ 📌 Chapters:00:00 — The hardest part: convincing the client00:35 — 10 mistakes that cost clients (and how to avoid them)01:30 — Prep mistake 1: not daring to saying no 04:23 — Prep mistake 2: too many activities (surface thinking) 06:02 — Prep mistake 3: overcomplicating activities 08:31 — Prep mistake 4: wrong people in the room (and too many people) 12:03 — Prep mistake 5: not preparing your performance (rehearse intro) 15:03 — In-room mistake 1: not setting the stage properly 19:03 — In-room mistake 2: making it about you 20:42 — In-room mistake 3: skipping breaks 23:30 — In-room mistake 4: not adapting to what’s happening in the room 25:27 — In-room mistake 5: showing doubt / not “selling” the activity 29:39 — Bonus: how to close properly (commitment + clarity) 33:00 — One thing to change next workshop + outro