You’re worth more than an unlabeled can of beans
Recently I was having a conversation with a new coach. She was about to have her first discovery call and she was nervous about how to proceed.
We talked through a discovery call process and then when we spoke about pricing. She said that she had already told the prospective coaching client that coaching with her would be free because she still needed to get her hours for ICF certification.
And I totally understood where she was coming from because I made the same mistake when I first started out.
I was a new coach and had never done it before and I wasn’t convinced I could help people. In fact, at the time, I had never even had my own coach! I really had no idea of the potential for transformation.
Here’s why it’s a mistake to charge nothing for your coaching services.
When you give your services away for free, you’re not only discounting YOUR worth; you’re discounting ALL coaches ’ worth. You’re saying to the world, “what I do isn’t worth much.” And if you’ve ever had a powerful coaching experience, you know that’s not true.
Imagine going to the grocery store and you see a bin of colorful, organic fruit, it’s a little expensive but it looks enticing. And you can imagine cutting it up into a cool, summer salad and enjoying the hell out of it on a hot day.
Right next to the fruit is a shelf of unlabeled can goods. There is a sign that says fruit but it’s marked FREE, and you have no idea what’s inside the cans.
Which food item will go home with you? The slightly expensive, organic fruit or the unlabeled can of fruit?
Now if you’re in desperate times you may be very grateful for the unlabeled can of free goods.
But Coaching is a Luxury Item.
Most people don’t have budgets for coaching. But unlike that purse, that two-week vacation, or that blowout they may have no problem spending on…we help our clients change their lives.
As coaches we have to remember that people aren’t buying us; they’re investing in themselves; they’re investing in the possibility of a different future. They’re investing in a fresh fruit salad, made with organic fruits on a summer day because of the way it will make them feel.
If you’re struggling with what to charge, find an amount you feel comfortable with and then stretch just a little bit.
When you reach a full calendar and can’t or don’t want to add any more clients, it’s time to raise your prices.
Charging people doesn’t mean you can’t serve people who aren’t in a position to pay your fees. For those who aren’t ready or aren’t able to pay your fee, you can write blogs, serve through a FB Group, provide insight via IG Lives, start a podcast, share knowledge on TikTok.
But your one-on-one time is VALUABLE. You are providing a service of truly seeing someone, listening to their dreams, supporting them on their journey and that, my friend, is priceless.
