July 31, 2025
Can a coach use value pricing?
Fellow list member Henriette wrote in to ask if a coach can use value pricing, considering that the results are so dependent on the coachee doing a lot of work.
Here’s our thread:
(shared with permission, edited slightly for clarity)
Henriette:
Hi Jonathan,
I have a question; would you advise value pricing for a service based business or would that need some tweaking? I am a coach but I don’t see how I could put the risk on myself, while results are very much dependent on the clients doing the practices and the inner work.
Would like to hear your thoughts on this.
And thank you very much, your work is very inspiring!
Jonathan:
Hi Henriette!
You asked:
Would you advise this strategy for a service-based business, or would that need some tweaking?
The concept of pricing based on the value of the outcome to the buyer certainly can work for service-based businesses like coaching.
If you don’t mind answering a couple of questions, I can probably give you some ideas specific to your business...
- What kind of coaching do you do?
- Who is your ideal client?
- What transformation does your ideal client hope to achieve? (i.e., in a perfect scenario, how will they be better off after you’re done?)
Henriette:
Hi Jonathan,
Thank you for your reply!
My answers:
1) Emotion coaching: I teach people how to use their emotions as an inner guidance system, so life gets congruent to their inner world. Which means stress diminishes and if... then they know how to quickly bounce back to inner peace.
The result can vary, depending on their efforts in training their focus:
- they find the life that fits like a glove.
- they know their passion and know how to express this in the most fulfilling ways
- relationships change for the better (or they lose the ones that didn’t fit)
- connection to themselves and others is improved.
2) Seekers, the ones that won’t settle for less than finding their inner peace and purpose. Most of my clients are female, 40 plus, middle to higher class, who want to get rid of stress and all sorts of problems. In my opinion they want to feel free to become who they are in essence. Lately times are changing... more and more men are finding their way to me, which I love as a new group to serve!
3) My clients know how to use their inner guidance system (the means) to get a grip on themselves and their life (the outcome)... which makes them feel happy and at peace (wonderful side product ;-))
How could I sell guaranteed outcomes while results are very much dependent on the client doing the practices and the inner work?
Will wait eagerly for your reply ;-)
Jonathan:
Thanks for the additional info!
You asked:
How could I sell guaranteed outcomes while results are very much dependent on the client doing the practices and the inner work?
If the client has to do the practice and inner work, you could make a promise like:
“If you give me [time commitment] and [caveat], I guarantee that in [timeframe] you will be [transformation]”
So for you, that might look something like:
“If you give me an hour a week and keep up with your homework, I guarantee that in 2 months you will feel more peaceful and have an increased zest for life.”
Does that help?
Henriette:
Brilliant! Would have taken me 5 years ;-)
Thank you, Jonathan
Thanks to Henriette for permitting me to share this with you!
I hope it helps clarify things for others as well.
Yours,
—J