How to Develop Coaching Packages (and What to Charge)

Your packaging and pricing says a lot to potential clients about your value and what they should expect from a purchase! Many coaches struggle to find the best way to offer their coaching services to clients (and at what cost), especially because the right combination is unique to every coach. In this ultimate guide, you’ll learn how to put together profitable packages that serve your brand and your clients well.

Choose the best coaching model for your niche

Whether you’re a fitness coach, business coach, career coach, or any other type of coach, niching down is an extremely important part of success. Only once you’ve honed in on your unique brand and message, can you package your services in a way that aligns with your audience’s specific needs.

And remember — today’s online “shoppers” are accustomed to having options. It gives them a sense of safety and control when choosing products and services. So as you consider various coaching models, don’t think in terms of one-size-fits-all. You can mix and match elements of multiple models or perfect a specific one. Either way, decide what you will do based on your ideal client.

Read on to learn about the four most common models for online coaching — and how you can layer these together to offer upsell and downsell options that maximize signups and keep clients coming back.

Popular Types of Coaching Models

Model Type	Advantage	Challenge
One-to-one	Simple and personal	Limit on scalability
Group	Versatile middle-tier option	High turnover
Membership	Most scalable long-term	Demands the most resources
Program	High revenue opportunities	Requires a steady pipeline

One-to-one

In this classic model, coaching clients pay you for your time — often at an hourly rate or by a monthly retainer. You can also incorporate 1:1 coaching calls in memberships and programs.

The advantages of 1 to 1 coaching

This model is simple and proven. It’s the most intuitive way to coach clients, and it’s where most coaches start. One-to-one coaching is also a versatile model, as you can provide sessions in-person, online, or in a hybrid setting.

The challenges of 1 to 1 coaching

It’s difficult to scale! If your only pricing option is direct access to you for an hourly rate, then finding time to market and grow will always be a struggle. You’ll also hit a revenue ceiling — there’s only so much time in your schedule for individual coaching sessions.

Group coaching

Many coaches pivot to group coaching when they find themselves booked out with one-on-one sessions. Group coaching can be part of a membership or program experience or simply another option for clients who want to interface with you at a more affordable price.

The advantages of group coaching

Group coaching is a good middle-tier option, making the hours you spend servicing clients stretch further. Clients still get direct access to you, but you can template programs, utilize group communication, and serve many people at one time.

The challenges of group coaching

Groups tend to have high turnover, so the biggest challenge to scaling your business with this model is keeping clients engaged so that they don’t drop out.

Because you’ll be running a more standardized program than with 1:1 coaching, a lot of your service time will be spent developing onboarding and FAQ documentation, collecting feedback, and improving your program on a regular basis.

Membership

In a membership model, coaching clients pay a monthly or annual subscription through an online platform. The membership may include a designated number of 1:1 or group coaching sessions, or it can give members access to online courses and other coaching materials that they can work through in their own time.

The advantages of a coaching membership

A membership is the most scalable model for online coaches. Packaging your programs for independent use enables you to reach potentially hundreds of clients at a time!

Building a membership model alongside other types of packages is a great way to diversify revenue streams and enhance client satisfaction by providing options that meet different needs and budgets. This approach also comes with a couple unique marketing advantages:

• A lower-cost membership option demonstrates the added value of your higher-tier programs. It’s the illusion of the “middle” level — most people feel that a middle price option gives them the best bang for their buck.
• A membership also improves retention by providing your one-on-one and group coaching clients a downgrade option when they face busy periods in their lives. Rather than quitting altogether, they can stay engaged with a membership. This flexibility helps maintain the client-coach relationship and fosters a sense of loyalty and continuity within the coaching program.

The challenges of a coaching membership

It can be expensive and time-consuming for coaches to develop the pipeline needed to keep business flowing. It’s also a challenge to successfully manage a large number of clients.

High-ticket program

High-ticket coaching programs involve structured coaching with a defined start and end date, often focusing on specific goals. Clients typically pay a fixed rate upfront or choose a payment plan.

The advantages of a high-ticket coaching program

These programs often command higher prices due to their intensive nature and promised results. To successfully market high-end coaching programs, emphasize your unique selling points and success stories. Even if you’re less experienced, you can start with a pilot program and gather testimonials to build credibility.

The challenges of a high-ticket coaching program.

By their nature, high-ticket programs are fixed in length, so they require a steady pipeline full of potential clients if this is your only model. The program also needs to deliver tangible results within a specific time frame, making it less flexible than coaching services with an indefinite length.

Design individual coaching packages around your clients’ goals

“What should my coaching package include?”

There are so many different ways to put together a coaching package that it can feel like there’s no real system for deciding what does or doesn’t make it in.

To avoid uncertainty or randomness, start with your audience’s goals and design the whole package around what they need to accomplish those objectives.

Every part of the coaching offer — the number of sessions in the package, period of time, 1:1 vs. group elements — should be worked out based on how effectively it moves your client from Point A to Point B.

Don’t worry if you make some wrong assumptions at first. The more you interact with your clients, the more you will understand what they need! And if you already have a few clients, pay attention to their feedback, their questions, and their common challenges. These insights are invaluable as you build out your coaching business and present new packages.

Create meaningful distinctions between packages or tiers

A common mistake that new coaches make is offering a variety of packages or tiers without clear distinctions between them. Each offering might be slightly different, but it’s not readily obvious why a client would choose one over another. The result is that most clients choose the cheapest option — or worst case scenario, they’re not compelled to choose any.

There are many ways that packages can be distinguished from each other:

• Program length
• Number of sessions
• Subject matter
• Products and services offered
• Coaching models (such as 1:1 vs. group)

We can’t tell you the best way to divide your packages. But what we can tell you is that each package or tier needs a distinct purpose!

For example — if the main difference between two packages is that one of them offers 1:1 coaching while the other offers group coaching, don’t assume that is enough distinction. Why should certain types of clients pay more for individual sessions? Why would another type of client get more value out of a group dynamic?

Providing multiple choices isn’t just a marketing tactic — the options need to reflect a true variety of needs.

How to Price Your Coaching Packages

Once you decide the best way to deliver your coaching services, you’ll need to set a specific price. As you probably guessed, there’s no magic number that works for everyone. The good news is — you have the freedom to charge a coaching fee that works for you and your clients!

Here are three tips on how to arrive at the best price for each coaching package.

1. Focus on worth, not cost

You can’t completely avoid thinking about cost. After all, you need to consider your target audience’s resources and what makes sense for their lifestyle. But ultimately, pricing your services is about worth. People make buying decisions based on what they expect to receive from their investment!

Business owners who are worried about sales often fall back on the idea that lower prices will attract more clients.

While this can be true in some situations, many consumers actually associate higher prices with higher value and would rather pay more for a better experience. However, that high price point can backfire if students don’t feel they got what they paid for.

Ultimately, people want a product or service that is worth their money. Overpricing and underpricing both discourage sales in different ways — one by overpromising and the other by underselling.

Here are some categories to think about while you assess the value of your services:

• Informational: your clients will receive expert direction and information difficult to find elsewhere
• Monetary: clients will earn or save money as a direct result of working with you (this one really puts the cost of your services into perspective!)
• Experiential: in signing up for your program, your clients will gain access to a unique experience and/or online community distinct to your brand
• Transformative: the trajectory or quality of your clients’ lives will be impacted through your coaching

2. Don’t copy the competition

Competitor research is helpful for gaining insights about your market and your audience. But don’t set a price that is purely based on what other coaches are doing. It’s common for service providers to analyze their competitors and find a middle-of-the-road price that seems safe. The problem with this approach isn’t that the number is always wrong — but that it’s all about the competition instead of your brand!

Once you’ve found your coaching niche, you don’t have to be as concerned about what everyone else is doing. Your biggest consideration is whether your coaching price aligns with your brand — because your brand is already something different from the competition.

3. Set a specific revenue goal for your business

Whether coaching is your weekend side-hustle or your full-time job, having a specific revenue goal helps protect you from undercharging clients or overstretching your time. A goal also puts hard numbers to a particular coaching model — showing you your earnings potential and what it will take to get there.

Here’s a simple pricing formula that breaks down how much you have to charge based on a revenue goal and the number of clients on your roster.

Wondering where to find new clients and how to grow your business? Check out our guide to Marketing for Coaches: Practical Tips & Strategies

Give yourself room to grow with Kartra’s online coaching platform

As we discussed at the beginning, online coaching is a varied industry with no single model or package or price. You have to find the best system for your business — and adapt to meet client needs as you grow!

This is one reason we’re excited about the possibilities for online coaches who run their online business through Kartra.

Our all-in-one platform was designed with all the tools you need to create, market, and scale your online business — so that what you offer your clients isn’t limited by your software.

Some of Kartra’s key features for coaches include:

• Landing page and form builder
• Membership site software
• Appointment scheduling
• Email software
• Help desk software
• Done-for-you sales funnels