Life Coaching Fees and Packages: How to Structure and Price Your Services

Hey there, coach! Ever feel lost when it comes to structuring and pricing your life coaching fees and packages? Wondering how to make your services stand out and attract the right clients?

We get it – we’ve been in your shoes, and we’re here to share the insights that helped us succeed!

In this blog post, we’re diving deep into the art of creating life coaching fees and packages that not only appeal to your ideal clients but also reflect your value and expertise.

By the way, we’re Cass and Tee, the dynamic duo behind Lovely Impact – your go-to resource for all things branding, web design, and business for coaches.

With years of experience in the coaching industry, we’re excited to share our tips and tricks to help you structure and price your services effectively.

Ready to transform your life coaching business? Let’s get started!

Understanding the Value of Your Coaching Services

You’re a treasure trove of skills, insights, and experience. 

You’re truly a unique blend, coach!

So when you feel like you’re just a copy of someone else and you’re tempted to type out a small number… kick your imposter syndrome to the curb.

You’re aiming for greater things. 

While you do want to be flexible with your life coaching fees and packages as a rookie, there’s no reason to be lowballing it. 

➡️ Hey, want a website that reflects the value you bring to your clients? Our Maryann Life Coaching Website Template is your go-to solution. 

Assessing Your Expertise and Experience

First, you want to get forensic with your background. What kinds of evidence do you have that makes the case for your life coaching fees and packages?

Take a magnifying glass to the following:

1. Your skills. Active listening, emotional intelligence, problem-solving, creativity, and ethics are just a handful of skills you’ll need to be a good life coach. A legendary life coach acknowledges the skills that need to be improved on and takes the steps to refine them. Look, coach. Nobody’s perfect. You can start even without having it all figured out. However, it should be your life-long endeavor to always be improving. 

2. Your certifications. College degrees are the salt and spice that bring flavor and depth to your background. If you have certificates from continuing education AND your life coaching certification, even better!  

(You do have a life coaching certificate, right? Right? If you don’t, click over to ➡️ The Best Affordable Life Coach Certification in 2024. It’ll save you from second-guessing yourself over and over again, and give you the green light to price with confidence.)

With degrees and certificates in hand, you have the expertise to back up your life coaching fees and packages. 

3. Your experience. It doesn’t necessarily have to be paid either. For example, if you want to be an addictions life coach and you have personal experience with a family member or friend who fought addictions, you’re ahead of the game. If you want to be a finance life coach and have personal experience paying off your debt — whoop, whoop! That’s amazing! — Your clients will love to know you’ve been there and done that!

Pro tip: The more your skills, certifications, and experience align with your niche the better! And the more cheddar you’ll acquire. 

Researching Life Coaching Fees and Packages

Now that you’ve pieced together a winning case that backs up your expertise, let’s flip the switch and put a light on the market. 

Your life coaching fees and packages need to stay on beat with the drums of the market. Getting off-beat might not set you up for the success that you want. 

Embrace your inner detective and start investigating. 

• How much are other life coaches in your niche charging?
• Are there Reddits, Facebook groups, or forums, where potential clients talk about how much they’re willing to sign up for?
• How much is being charged in the city you live in?
• Because the internet lets us go further than ever before, is there a certain city you would like to get clients from? How much are life coaches charging there?
• What kinds of clients are you trying to attract? High-powered CEOs or teens with family relationship problems? What are the pricing possibilities there?

What you’ll find is that the market is going to totally depend on your niche, target audience, and geographical location. These are the trails you’ll follow to get your answer. 

Whip out your detective notepad and get recording! When you know what’s going on in the market around you, you’ll have a good idea of where to aim your life coaching fees and packages. 

Types of Life Coaching Fee Structures

Ever notice how a shark’s body is perfect for swimming? It’s practically effortless. This is because the shark is a fine-tuned swimming machine built to glide through the ocean. 

This is how you should think of the structure for your life coaching services. 

Your life coaching fees and packages should be structured to be a fine-tuned money-making machine. 

You’ll be a top competitor for sure!

Hourly Rates

This is the go-to pricing structure most coaches start with. That’s because this is the easiest way to sell your services to clients. Clients often find the hourly rate easier to grasp.

Your pricing structure becomes more transparent. 

To determine your hourly rate consider the following:

• The area you live in;
• What you need to earn to live comfortably and enjoy life;
• What kind of clients you’re working with;
• What your coaching program includes;
• How long your coaching sessions are;

An hourly rate is great when you’re in the trenches trying to get your first client. 

However, if you want to make more money, you’ll have to work more hours and will have a hard time cramming your curriculum into your life coaching fees and packages. 

You’re limited by the amount of clients you can see in a day. Second, you’re shackled down to a value determined by your hourly rate. NOT the actual value you bring.

Let’s say you’re a holistic health coach and you help a client regain their health, avoid disease, and live a more fulfilling life. 

That is UNIMAGINABLY valuable. When you see yourself as a secret weapon in the lives of your clients you’re going to want to price yourself way more favorably. 

Package-Based Pricing

This is a lump-sum approach to life coaching fees and packages. 

You’ll need to decide:

1. How long your coaching program will run for;
2. How frequently you will touch base with your clients;
3. Your availability beyond the coaching calls (It’s essential to set boundaries!); 
4. The total cost of the program

The benefit of this approach is that you can vet clients before you start working with them. 

As we mentioned earlier, your life coaching fees and packages send a message into the universe! If a client is ready for change, they’ll be primed to sign up with you. 

While those who are not ready for personal transformation see your pricing as too much of a sacrifice. 

You want to find clients who are eager to begin. 

A package-based pricing model guides those clients to you. 

Retainer Models

The retainer model is a gem if you can find one. 

It’s a way to get paid consistently month after month. 

Not only does it bring peace of mind to your business, but it also helps you sharpen your skills because you’ll be in a constant state of refining your fabulous life coaching signature identity. 

Where can we find these coveted gigs?

You’ll likely find retainers with corporate giants who need continuous self-development for their employees. 

Also look into health organizations, universities, and charitable organizations, where there’s a steady flow of people in and out of doors. 

Creating Compelling Coaching Packages

We’re not putting together life coaching fees and packages that are like flashlights going dim with dying batteries. 

We’re turning on the strobe lights, and skylights, and letting the music bump into the night! Clients won’t be able to resist coming to check it out.

Read on to see what makes magnetizing life coaching fees and packages.  

Defining Your Core Offerings

One thing we can’t emphasize enough:

Define your core offerings!

What does this mean?

This means you know exactly the outcomes you are trying to achieve with your clients.

Here’s an example of a generic core offering versus a defined offering for a career coach.

1. Land your dream job! (Generic)
2. Land your dream job as an executive leader! (Much more defined.)

Option B tells us exactly who you are trying to work with and what you are trying to help them accomplish. 

Option A tells us nothing. It could be a dream job to be a freelance writer, a remote life coach, or an astronaut!

Your life coaching fees and packages are 100% dependent on the specificity of your messaging. The more specific you are about what your core offering is and who you work with, the more your message will attract clients like a magnet to iron filings. 

In the end, your core offering is more about who YOUR ideal clients are. 

What THEIR ideal outcomes are.

And what YOUR preferences are for a program structure. 

So, coach. What does your dream life coaching job look like? 

Define it, and share it clearly in your life coaching fees and packages.

➡️ Feeling a little stuck on how to define your services? Our Money-Making Offers Workbook is here to guide you every step of the way. It’s like having a trusted friend helping you craft offers that not only shine but also bring in the income you deserve.

Tiered Package Options

What makes cake delicious? The layers!

You can think of your services as different tiers or layers of a cake. 

Basic, standard, and premium. 

The basic package is like the bread of your cake. It’s the opportunity for some of your clients to get a taste of what you offer. 

It’s also great for those clients who really want to sign up for your services, but don’t currently have the means, too. 

And that’s ok!

If your services are excellent, you’ll stick in their minds and there’s a good chance they’ll come back when they do have the means. 

Next up, is the standard package. This adds another layer of enriching flavors — bread and filling. 

Perfect for clients, who want a well-rounded experience, with a bit more support and depth to your services. 

Finally, the premium package. This is the frosting and tasty fruit to top off your life coaching fees and packages. 

This is for clients who want all in —  with some extra supportive hand-holding, helpful resources, and frequent access to you. 

The higher the tier, the higher your life coaching fees packages will be. 

The tiered approach is going to look different for everyone. 

Here are some ideas to get you started. 

• Basic. A 90-day program. Weekly group calls with strategic exercises and actionable steps to self-improvement. Have questions ready to go during coaching sessions.

• Standard. A 90-day program. Weekly one-on-one calls with strategic exercises and actionable steps to self-improvement. Email, or DM questions anytime.

• Premium. A 6-month program. Weekly one-on-one calls with strategic exercises and actionable steps to self-improvement. Connect with your fantastic life coach through text, email, or DM anytime with prompt responses. Schedule two additional sessions monthly as needed. Access to exclusive resources. 

See how it gets more and more supportive at each tier? 

In other words, clients will pay top dollar to have more access to you, so you can be a more present coach and guide them to even greater success. That’s how you differentiate your tiers and life coaching fees and packages. 

Adding Value with Bonuses

Can we make this layered cake even more delicious? We sure can!

You can add more depth to your signature coaching program and life coaching packages. Do this by allowing your clients to have exclusive access to additional resources, tools, or support. 

This can include:

• Online courses
• Books or e-books
• Newsletters
• How-to guides
• Workbooks
• Planners
• Conferences
• Masterminds
• Podcast compilations
• Certificates etc. 

The more bonuses you add to your program, the more you can increase your life coaching fees and packages. Also, you’ll be able to support your clients with flair and versatility. 

Pricing Strategies for Life Coaching Fees and Packages

If you’ve scrolled this blog looking for numbers so you could nail a benchmark — we know the anxiety of just wanting to get an answer!

There’s a major problem with that, coach! The issue is no one is a unique gem like you. No one else in this whole world comes with the same combination of experiences, education, background, and flair for coaching like yours. 

That’s why it’s up to you to figure out your life coaching fees and packages. Don’t throw in the towel just yet. We’re here to give you some guide posts.  

Cost-Plus Pricing

Our first strategy is cost-plus pricing. This is where you calculate your life coaching fees and packages based on your costs of operations and your desired profit margin. 

Keep your eyes steady, don’t let the formula scare you!

Here’s how you do cost-plus pricing:

(All your business operations costs) X (1 + Markup)

For example, if it costs you $2,000 to run your life coaching business and you want to add a 10% markup, the equation will look like this:

($2,000) X (1 + 0.10) = $2,200

You get a $200 profit margin. This approach to your life coaching fees package creation is helpful when you want to focus on yourself and not your competitors. 

Value-Based Pricing

Life coaching fees and packages can also follow the principles of value-based pricing. 

In this approach, you keep your finger on the pulse of the market. 

Think of it this way. Would you pay $3,000 for a new set of matching plates and bowls?

Probably not because unless the set is designed with flecks of gold, they’re probably not worth it. Most people wouldn’t buy them because they’re overpriced. 

Now, would you pay $30 for a new chic set of plates and bowls? That’s a more reasonable price and worthy of a card swipe for the average person. 

This is the challenge with using value-based pricing for your life coaching fees and packages. 

You have to consider two things:

1. The outcomes you bring;
2. What people will pay to get the outcomes.

Earlier we talked about a hypothetical scenario where a holistic health coach helps a client avoid disease, reach health-related goals, and overall be a star-powered participant in life. 

Those kinds of goal accomplishments can command higher rates. No doubt about it.

However, clients have to see that value right off the bat! It’s up to you to convey that golden message to them. 

Competitive Pricing

You risk a lot by screaming through the electric signals of the internet, “Low-priced life coach in town!”

When your prices are too low you miss out on the opportunities to build trust with potential clients, boost your authority, AND make a profitable life coaching career.  

Those are not the vibes you want to send out into the interwebs! 

Keep in mind, however, there’s a difference between cheap pricing and competitive pricing. 

This life coaching fees and packages pricing strategy means keeping your binoculars trained on your competitors and tailing their pricing. 

Then pricing accordingly. 

No one ever complained about saving a few hundred dollars! That kind of pricing is an irresistible siren’s song to catch potential clients who are actively window shopping for a program.

However, you MUST have the social proof to back up your pricing. Without it, clients (who are on the fence) might wonder why your pricing is lower than your competitors. 

Communicating Your Fees and Packages

You have your life coaching fees and packages all figured and you’ve done the hard work to fine-tune your program structure. 

It’s a jam-packed package filled to the brim with all sorts of goodies!

We know you’re just vibrating with energy — ready to share it with the world!

Here’s how to share your life coaching fees and packages with precision and not as a hot mess!

Creating Clear Service Descriptions

The content inside your transformative life coaching fees package needs to be clearly articulated.

If the delivery is messy and unclear, your potential clients might lose interest. Yikes!

We don’t want that! 

Whether you’re delivering the deets on your website, a landing page, or a brochure — stick to these three things:

1. The features of your coaching program — plain and simple. These are things like session format, assessments, resources, life coaching exercises, or worksheets. 

2. The tailored benefits of your coaching program and how it makes your client’s life easier. These are things like greater self-awareness, better relationships, business prowess, more energy, better health, etc. The key here is that benefits need to reflect your client’s needs. 

3. The ultimate DREAM outcome. Your client has a dream outcome they want to achieve. Your content should paint a clear and compelling picture of that dream! Here are some possible dream outcomes: Ditching the 9 to 5 grind. Becoming an energetic and engaged momma. Getting a promotion. Starting a business. Paying off debt. Get off medications etc. 

Don’t glaze over these, make these the main attraction of the service descriptions that support your life coaching fees and packages. These are the best ways to build connections with potential clients. 

➡️ Need a little help crafting those perfect service descriptions? Our Client Investment Guide for Coaches is here to make it easy. With 12 customizable Canva templates, you’ll have everything you need to create proposals that close the deal.

Addressing Pricing Objections

We won’t sugarcoat it. Your potential client’s mind is always on guard. 

Objections to your services will be as present as the stars in the sky. 

Coach, this is important to remember. It’s not a rejection of you or your services. You’ll find it’s more an internal war raging inside your client’s mind that has little to nothing to do with you. 

So when you hear, “Your services are more expensive than I thought they’d be.”

Remind your client of a few important things as they look over your life coaching fees and packages:

• The price of inaction and staying stuck;
• They are worth it;
• The value of personal transformation. 

Bonus points for weaving these affirmations into your content. 

Plus, you can ignite your objection-crushing strategy by building trust with your clients through other avenues like social media, blogging, or email newsletters. These are a surefire way to handle pricing objections like a pro. 

Reviewing and Adjusting Your Pricing

The market is a roller coaster. There will be ups and downs, recessions, and economic booms. 

There will be client shifts in the markets, too. 

Different generations will struggle with different challenges, and there will be current events way out of your control (Gen Z and Gen Alpha, the pandemic, shifts to AI, inflation — no further explanation needed!).

It’s important to update your life coaching fees and packages regularly. This makes it so you can be 100% positive your life coaching services are an attractive option regardless of what’s happening in the world. 

Regular Price Evaluations

An annual check-up is a solid place to start. 

However, if you also feel like you’re clenching the seat restraints with white knuckles as you ride out one of the craziest chapters in human history…

… It might be a good idea to do a price check a bit more often. 

Times are changing faster than ever. To stay on top of your game, you gotta change with it. 

Gathering Client Feedback

Let your clients be superheroes!

Your clients are an untapped wellspring of market information because they are your market!

Ask them for feedback on your life coaching fees and packages. Let them know they can speak truthfully with no filters, so you can get the most out of their feedback.

Although, we think you’ll be surprised most will say that with your extraordinary life coaching skills, you could probably price higher!

You may get some clients who say your coaching program is too expensive. Take this opportunity to follow up with questions about what would make your coaching program more valuable, and what things can be improved. 

Adjust and keep pursuing your purpose-driven adventure!

Frequently Asked Questions

When it comes to life coaching fees and packages, we know you’ve got some burning questions – and we’re here to clear up the confusion. Whether you’re just starting out or refining your offerings, understanding how to structure and price your services is crucial for your coaching business. So, let’s dive into some of the most common questions we get about life coaching fees and packages.

What is the average cost of a life coaching session?

The average cost of a life coaching session can vary widely depending on the coach’s experience, location, and specialty. Typically, you’ll find that life coaching sessions range from $75 to $200 per hour. However, some top-tier coaches may charge upwards of $500 per session. It’s important to remember that these fees reflect the value and expertise a coach brings to the table, so don’t be afraid to charge what you’re worth!

How much does it cost to have a good life coach?

Investing in a good life coach is a step toward achieving your personal and professional goals, and the cost reflects this value. On average, you might expect to pay between $1500 and $3000 for a comprehensive coaching package that includes multiple sessions, resources, and ongoing support. Keep in mind that a higher price often correlates with a coach’s level of experience, specialized skills, and proven success with clients. When choosing a coach, consider what you’re hoping to achieve and find a package that aligns with your needs.

What to include in a coaching package?

Creating a life coaching package that resonates with clients involves more than just pricing. A well-rounded package should include a series of coaching sessions (e.g., 6 or 12 sessions), access to additional resources like worksheets or guides, and clear communication about what clients can expect. Some coaches also offer email or text support between sessions, follow-up materials, or a free discovery call to ensure a good fit. Think about what will best support your clients’ journey and make them feel valued.

How to set coaching fees?

Setting your coaching fees can feel daunting, but it’s all about finding the sweet spot between what you’re worth and what your clients are willing to pay. Start by considering your experience, the value you provide, and your target audience. Research what other coaches in your niche are charging, but remember – you don’t have to match their prices exactly. Your life coaching fees and packages should reflect your unique approach and the outcomes you help your clients achieve. And don’t forget to review and adjust your fees regularly as your business grows!

Conclusion

We hope this guide has given you a clear roadmap for structuring and pricing your life coaching fees and packages!

To recap, we started by discussing the importance of understanding the value of your coaching services and how to assess your expertise. We then explored different pricing structures, like hourly rates, package-based pricing, and retainer models, and how to create compelling coaching packages that align with your business goals.

We also covered pricing strategies, including cost-plus, value-based, and competitive pricing, and shared tips on how to communicate your fees effectively. Finally, we emphasized the need to regularly review and adjust your pricing to stay in tune with your market and client needs.

Now we’d love to hear from you:

Which part of this guide are you most excited to implement in your own business? Are you planning to refine your life coaching fees and packages or perhaps introduce a new tiered offering to attract more clients?

Or maybe you have a burning question about something you’ve read.

Either way, we’d love to hear your thoughts – drop a comment below and let’s keep the conversation going! And don’t forget to share this post with your fellow coaches who might find it helpful.