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Let me tell you about a mistake I made recently that I’d like you to avoid.

I had a lovely and productive complimentary consultation with a prospective client who felt just right in terms of fit.  Turns out she felt the same way.  She wanted to discuss coaching with her business partner and told me she’d get back to me by email.

Background:  The options I offer prospective clients are three calls a month at a certain price or two calls a month at a lower price. I also request a six month commitment.  I say “request”, but I will rarely work with anyone who can’t commit to six months, because you have to have at least that much time to get measurable results.

I always suggest scheduling a follow-up call instead of waiting for the other person to call or email you back.  But it was clear she wanted to follow-up by email.

She got right back to me in the timeframe she promised and said, “I’d love to work with you and would love to start with a set of three meetings.” 

We scheduled a quick follow-up call, and I sent my coaching agreement with all the details, including that our coaching involved a 6-month commitment.

The night before our first scheduled call, I got the following email, “Are you ok with an initial period of two months instead of six?  I was originally under the understanding that we were going to try one month working together and see how it went.”

The problem: “Would love to start with a set of three meetings” didn’t refer to which option for monthly coaching she wanted.  She wanted a trial period.

Hmmm.  I was perplexed, wondering how that miscommunication had occurred, but, of course, I’d serve her as she requested.  For me, it’s always about service.

This has rarely – if ever – happened in my 22 years of coaching, and it caused me to realize I must not have been entirely clear.  I thought I was, but …

Now, why am I sharing this with you?

Because I’ve noticed if there’s one place that many service based business owners are uncomfortable, it’s talking about their pricing, packages and options. 

Now, I’m not uncomfortable with that in the least.  I just missed this piece somehow.

So, I thought I’d give you some tips on being absolutely clear with your prospects based on the experiences I’ve had helping my clients.

• First, be absolutely clear on what your services cost. I know this sounds like Business 101, but I can’t tell you how many people stumble and fumble with that question, “What do you cost?”  Be able to tell me how much you cost if I wake you up in the middle of the night!
• Base your pricing on value, not time. Clients pay for outcomes, not hours.
• Don’t compete on price. Compete on differentiation.  It’s always about the value of what you provide.
• Never cut your price. Discounts can devalue your work and create confusion from client to client.  Offer tiered packages instead. 
• Give your prospect two options. More than that is too many and they get confused and don’t chose.  Give your clients an opportunity to choose their level of service … a higher price option for your “premium” clients who want and need more time with you and more added benefits. … and more of a “standard” option.
• Present the high-priced option first, which makes the second feel more affordable and valuable in comparison.
• Be clear on what’s included in your services and what the commitment looks like. All the details.  And you’ll avoid misunderstandings like mine above!
• And don’t forget to review and raise your prices regularly.

Just for Coaches

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You became a coach because you love helping people grow.  You didn’t start coaching to spend hours creating content, setting up systems, or chasing down tech tools.  Building a coaching business can feel like you’re stuck in a loop of admin, marketing overwhelm, wondering if there’s a smarter way.

There is.  And it just might start with adding AI to your toolset.

Many of you know I’m passionate about helping entrepreneurs in every way I can.  That’s why I’m excited to introduce you to my friend and fellow coach, Lei Comerford, someone I trust and admire.

Lei can show you an approachable way to integrate AI into your coaching practice, so you can spend more time doing what you love … and less time buried in admin.

She’s launching a 3-month guided program, the Solopreneur Coach Launchpad, designed for coaches who are ready to simplify their systems, create content with ease, and build client-centered workflows with the support of easy-to-use AI tools.

If you’re interested, this is timely!

The program starts August 5 | 45-min sessions twice monthly on Tuesdays

• Registration closes July 25
• Learn more: Solopreneur Coach Launchpad

Best Wishes,

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Meet Denise: Denise Hedges is a Business Development Coach and Speaker Coach for small business owners who want to be more comfortable, confident, and successful with their sales and marketing efforts. She specializes in helping them use speaking as a way to dramatically improve their results

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