You might think you're selling coaching sessions. Two 90-minute sessions per month for £2,000.

But that's not what people are buying.

They're not buying your time. They're not buying coaching. They're not even buying your frameworks.

They're buying transformation.

This page shows you what clients are actually buying, how to structure your offer, and how to price it so you build a sustainable, thriving coaching practice.

What Clients Are Really Buying

The Gap Concept

Clients aren't buying coaching services. They're buying a solution to bridge the gap between their current business and their ideal business.

Think about it like this:

Their Current Business:

• Struggling with cash flow

• Working 70-hour weeks

• Missing time with family

• Team isn't performing

• Revenue plateaued

Their Ideal Business:

• Healthy profit margins

• Working 40-hour weeks

• Home for dinner

• High-performing team

• Growing revenue

The gap between these two is what's causing them pain. And closing that gap is what they're willing to pay for.

Your role is to provide the knowledge, accountability, and outside perspective needed to close this gap.

The Personal Trainer Analogy

Think of it like hiring a personal trainer.

People looking to lose weight aren't interested in hiring a personal trainer. They're interested in bridging the gap between their current body and their ideal body.

Why do they hire a trainer?

1. Lack of Knowledge: They don't know the right workout routines or what to eat

2. Speed of Achievement: They believe they'll achieve results faster with help

3. Ease and Stress Reduction: Having someone keep them accountable makes it easier

It's the same with business coaching.

Business owners know they need to improve. But they don't know how, they want to get there faster, and they need someone to keep them accountable.

That's what you're selling.

What You Must Never Say

Because you're selling transformation (not coaching), you must never say things like:

❌ "Would you be interested in coaching?"
❌ "Shall we set up a call to see how my system can help you?"
❌ "Would be great to discuss how we work together." (Great for you, not for them!)

You are selling outcomes, futures, solutions.

That's what they're buying. So that's what you must be selling.

Your Offer Structure

Now that you understand what they're buying, let's talk about how you structure what you're selling.

What You're Offering

2 × 90-minute sessions per month

Why this structure?

• Weekly is too intense: Clients don't have time to implement between sessions

• Monthly is too far apart: Only 12 opportunities per year to course-correct

• 2x per month is perfect: Time to implement, time to reflect, 24 opportunities per year

Exception: During the first 4-6 weeks, you'll work with clients weekly to achieve quick wins and build momentum. Then transition to 2x per month.

Note: You don't have to do it exactly this way. Ashley Maile does 1 half-day per month with a short call in between. He found that worked better for his engineering clients. Find what works for you and your clients.

Your Approach: Long-Term Partnership

"As long as you are in business, we are going to be working together."

You're not selling a 3-month program. You're positioning long-term partnership focused on continuous improvement.

At the start of the marketing and sales process, you'll focus on alleviating their immediate problems and the pain those problems are creating.

But during the sales call and in the first sessions, you'll always paint the long-term picture of working together.

Why this matters: Retention. Clients who see the long-term value stay longer, get better results, and become your best case studies.

Specific Result vs. Holistic Coaching

Here's an important question: Are you offering to help with a specific problem (e.g., marketing) or are you offering holistic business coaching?

The Spear Analogy

Think of your offer like a spear.

The tip of the spear is the main problem the client has right now. This is what gets you in the door.

Maybe it's:

• "I need more leads"

• "I need better cash flow"

• "My team isn't performing"

This is your entry point. This is what they're focused on. This is what you lead with in your messaging.

But here's the secret:

Great coaches use the tip of the spear to get in, then quickly position the holistic, long-term plan for the business in the first few sessions.

Why?

Because every level has its devil.

Once you solve their marketing problem, now they have to close those leads.
Once they close, now they have to deliver and need better operations.
Once operations improve, now they need better financials and KPIs.
Once financials are sorted, now they need better team and leadership.

Business problems are interconnected. Solving one reveals the next.

The Two Approaches

Approach 1: Specific Result

You position yourself as a specialist: "I help engineering companies generate more high-quality leads."

Pros:

• Easy to market (clear, specific problem)

• High credibility (you're the expert in this one thing)

Cons:

• Shorter client lifetime (once problem is solved, they leave)

• Constantly looking for new clients

• Miss out on deeper transformation

Typical retention: 3-6 months

Approach 2: Holistic Business Coaching

You position yourself as a business coach who helps them improve the entire business, starting with their biggest pain point.

Pros:

• Longer client lifetime (years, not months)

• Better results (you solve interconnected problems)

• More impact, better case studies

• Less time spent finding new clients

Cons:

• Slightly harder to market initially (less specific)

Typical retention: 2-5+ years (Pam's longest client: 9 years)

Our Recommendation: Holistic with a Spear Tip

Use the tip of the spear to get in the door, then position holistic coaching in the first few sessions.

In your marketing: Lead with their biggest pain point (the spear tip)

"Are you looking to increase profit without working more hours?"

On the sales call: Show how you'll solve that problem AND position the long-term plan

"We'll start by fixing your cash flow in the first 90 days. But what I've found is that once we solve that, we'll want to look at your systems, your team, your long-term strategy. That's how we get you to £5M and beyond."

In the first few sessions: Use the onboarding process to map out the 3-year vision and 90-day plan (you'll learn this in Section 3: Predictable Cashflow - [link to onboarding])

The result:

• They hire you to solve one problem

• You solve it quickly (builds trust)

• You show them the bigger vision (keeps them engaged)

• They stay for years (better results, more income for you)

Otherwise, after 3 months they'll say: "Thank you, really appreciate it, you did a great job" and they're gone.

Your Pricing

There are two ways to price your coaching. You're selling the same thing, just packaging it differently.

Option 1: Monthly

Starting price: £1,500-£2,000/month

How it works:

• Simple and straightforward

• Lower barrier to entry

• Client can cancel monthly (so you need to deliver value consistently)

Price increases: Raise your price by £500 every 2-4 clients

• Client 1-2: £1,500/mo

• Client 3-4: £2,000/mo

• Client 5-6: £2,500/mo

Who this works for: Coaches confident in their ability to deliver value and retain clients long-term (like Pam, who keeps clients for 4-9 years)

Option 2: 6-Month Package

Starting price: £9,000-£12,000 for 6 months (paid upfront or in installments)

How it works:

• Higher cash flow upfront

• Clients commit to transformation (not just trying it out)

• You focus on 6-month results, not monthly justification

Payment options:

• Full payment upfront (£9,000-£12,000)

• 2-pay (50% upfront, 50% at month 3)

• 3-pay (£3,000-£4,000 every 2 months)

• 6-pay (£1,500-£2,000/month)

Why this works: Alex Hormozi calls it "The Look Back Window." Clients judge the purchase based on overall transformation over 6 months, not month-by-month performance.

Who this works for: Coaches who want better cash flow and prefer clients to commit upfront

Which Is Better?

Honestly, it depends.

We don't have enough data to say definitively, and it varies by coach, client, industry, business stage, and available cash.

Pam prefers monthly: She's confident in the value she adds and is excellent at retaining clients. "Just get them signed up and they'll stay for years."

Zander prefers upfront: Better cash flow, and you can "staircase down" with payment plans (offer 6-month upfront, then 3-pay, then 6-pay, which is the same as monthly).

Our recommendation for new coaches: Start with monthly at £1,500-£2,000. It's simpler. Once you have confidence and results, experiment with 6-month packages.

Real Price Examples

Here are real examples from coaches to show you people actually pay these prices:

James Baker: Signed 3 clients in his first 3 weeks

• Client 1: £1,450/mo

• Client 2: £1,450/mo

• Client 3: £1,950/mo (raised price)

John McCarthy: Signed 2 clients at £1,450/mo in one day

• That's £50,000+ in coaching fees over time

Anne Melling: Sold 6-month package

• £4,950 upfront + 6 × £995/mo = £11,000 total

Ashley Maile: Price progression over time

• Started: £600/mo

• Then: £1,200/mo

• Then: £1,500/mo

• Then: £2,000/mo

• (Pam kept asking "why are you not charging £2,000?")

The point: People pay these prices. You just need to communicate the value.

What to Say If Someone Asks About Price Early

Before you've demonstrated value on a call:

"Thanks for asking. My top coaching clients invest up to £50,000 a year, but you can start for under £2,000/mo. It depends on your situation and what makes sense. I could do a call on [Monday or Wednesday] to look at what makes sense for you. Which day works best?"

Why this works:

1. You're not avoiding the question (builds trust)

2. You anchor a high price first (£50k makes £2k seem reasonable)

3. You alleviate concerns about affordability

4. You take control and move to booking the call

Summary: Your Offer Checklist

Here's what you need to decide:

Structure:

• ✅ 2 × 90-minute sessions per month (weekly for first 4-6 weeks)

• ✅ Long-term partnership approach ("as long as you're in business")

• ✅ Holistic coaching with a spear tip (solve one problem, position the bigger vision)

Pricing:

• ✅ Start at £1,500-£2,000/month (or £9,000-£12,000 for 6 months)

• ✅ Raise prices every 2-4 clients

• ✅ Offer payment plans if doing 6-month packages

Positioning:

• ✅ You're selling transformation (closing the gap), not coaching

• ✅ Lead with their biggest pain point (the spear tip)

• ✅ Position holistic plan in first few sessions (better retention)

Now that you know what you're selling and how to price it, the next page will show you how to talk about it in a way that makes people want to work with you.

Ready to learn how to communicate your offer? Continue to "Your Messaging" and discover how to talk about transformation in a way that resonates.