Life Coaches may take on a client at zero or a discounted fee. There are a number of good reasons to do this. However, it is important for both parties to feel there is an exchange of value for the relationship to persist and be powerful.
Here are some suggestions for what to ask for, and how to set up for pro-bono or nominal fee life coaching. These should be covered in your intro session i.e. up front.
1) Tell them your regular full fee.
This helps them appreciate the value of the discount they are receiving.
2) Charge something.
Even as low as $100 per month. This increases the client’s perception of the value of the relationship. It also starts a precedent of them paying you – e.g. writing a check or giving credit card details. It’s much easier to ask for your full fee from $100 than it is from zero.
If it’s a good friend and you feel uncomfortable charging them, you can have them write the check out to your favorite charity. (But a very powerful coach I’m mentoring is coaching their best friend, both her parents, and they’re all paying!)
3) Ask the client what they’d be comfortable paying for a trial month.
4) Suggest a bonus payment
e.g.If they reach their goal, get the new job etc., they pay the regular fee.
5) Suggest they pay the full fee at their option at the end of the month, and only if they love the coaching and want to continue
You can waive this later during negotiation if necessary for them to continue.
6) Bargain for a longer time commitment
When you’re starting out, you do not want a practice client for one month, you want them for 3 months – the longer the better. Remember, money is not as important as your training and experience. It should be very empowering for them to commit to a certain time frame. e.g. “If you’re willing to make a commitment to this, I’ll reduce my regular fee to $100 per month. That is if you are willing to commit to 6 months of coaching”. You should even ask for payment up front.
7) Ask for referrals
If you are giving them a discount of $200-$500, let them know you expect five referrals during the month from people who would benefit from coaching, and only IF the coaching is going well. OR, tell them at the end of the month, if the coaching was of benefit, you will ask them for referrals to 3 -5 people.
Ask for a testimonial
There is no reason not to get a paragraph from every client you coach. It only takes a few minutes for them to write it and email you, and some will be excellent!
9) Set up the expectation of what will happen at the end of the month
e.g.“Let us try this for a month trial. If you are loving the coaching and getting results, we will continue at my regular fee of $XXX. Fair enough?”. Or, “Because this is a stretch for you financially, let us start you at 50% of my regular fee. Then we’ll increase this by $50 per month, as we increase your ability to pay via the coaching.”
10) Go for a Contra deal
So far I have exchanged coaching for different services e.g. web design, accounting advice, massage, interior decorating, and research assistance. Find out what they could provide in return for the life coaching.
To see if coaching is right for you take the coachability assessment at http://mylife-coach.net
