Running a career coaching business means wearing a lot of hats, but admin doesn’t need to be one of them.

I use HoneyBook to manage everything behind the scenes, including proposals, payments, contracts, and client scheduling. It’s saved me hours every week. 

Use this link to get a 30% discount.

Give it a try, you’ll thank yourself later!

Last week, we talked about the hard truth: 

Most career coaches are undercharging, and it shows up in ways they might not expect:

But pricing doesn’t have to feel like a mystery.

You can absolutely create a pricing strategy that reflects your value and works in the real world.

So in this second part, I’m walking you through what I actually do when a coach comes to me and says:
“I don’t know if I’m charging the right amount.”

Let’s get into it.

You can Google pricing guides all day long.
I’d still say: go talk to people.

When I started out nearly 20 years ago, I had to figure this out myself. Here’s what I did:

Most people are more open than you think.

Think of this as a confidence-building research project that can save you years of trial and error.

These days, the majority of my focus is on coaching career coaches. However, as a career coach I only offer two things:

That’s it.

They don’t overlap. The deliverables are different. Clients can buy one or both, but they’re not getting the same content in two different wrappers.

And here’s the thing: most people come in thinking they need help with job search (resume, LinkedIn, interview prep)... but then realize they’re not actually clear on what they’re looking for.

So they end up stacking the packages: transition first, then job search.
It keeps things clean. They know what they’re paying for, and I know what I’m delivering.

No confusion, no scope creep, and no resentment!

You don’t need a formula. But you do need a reason.

Here’s when I’ve raised mine:

Resist the urge to change your pricing every six months. That gets confusing and people start to question your credibility.

But if your visibility goes up... if your calendar is full... if you’re not the same coach you were two years ago... it’s probably time.

Your pricing should evolve as your coaching practice does.

My coaching packages are either 8 or 12 weeks.

That’s not random. Most job searches take at least three months, and career transitions take even longer.

Eight weeks gives us a clear arc. We can always extend if there’s momentum (like if a client takes a week off), but the point is: there's a container.

If it’s totally open-ended, things tend to stall. You stop making progress. You start checking in just to check in. That’s not valuable for you or your clients.

I also offer a maintenance package—just ongoing support once we’ve done the core work. Monthly, prepaid, no extras (no new resumes, no cover letters). We keep meeting if they want the accountability.

Here’s what I do:

Maintenance clients pay monthly, upfront. But I don’t do month-to-month. It’s a minimum three-month commitment.

Why?

And I use HoneyBook to handle all of this. Contracts, payment links, reminders—it’s all automated.

I’m not sitting there emailing PDFs back and forth. That’s time I could be spending on coaching, or not working at all.

If you’re a career coach wondering how to fix your pricing:

I’m pulling together a free download you can use to structure your own pricing and proposal process. Inside, I’ll share:

You’ll be able to copy, paste, and customize it for your own career coaching business.

Want a copy?
Reply to this email with “Pricing” and I’ll add you to the waiting list.

Stay tuned for that,
Heather
Coach for Career Coaches

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