Why Moving Beyond Hourly Pricing Might Be Right for You

The default for many service professionals is hourly pricing. It feels simple and fair – client gets X hours, pays for X hours. However, when pricing executive functioning coaching, an hourly model often falls short for both you and your clients:

• Limits Earning Potential: Your income is capped by the number of hours you can work. As you become more experienced and efficient, you get penalized for achieving results faster.
• Focuses on Inputs, Not Outcomes: Clients fixate on the clock rather than the progress and skills they or their student are gaining. The true value of executive functioning coaching lies in the transformation, not the time spent in sessions.
• Client Hesitation: Clients may worry about sessions running long or feel pressured to rush, which isn’t conducive to deep coaching work.
• Administrative Overhead: Tracking hours for multiple clients is time-consuming.

Consider shifting focus to value-based or package pricing. This aligns your pricing with the results and benefits clients receive, offering more predictability and demonstrating the tangible impact of your coaching.

Calculating Your Costs and Desired Profit

Before you can set profitable prices for executive functioning coaching, you need a clear understanding of your own numbers. This isn’t just about paying yourself; it’s about covering all your operational costs and building a sustainable business.

1. Calculate Your Annual Operating Expenses: List all your business costs over a year. This includes:

   • Rent/Mortgage for office space (if applicable)
   • Utilities, internet, phone
   • Software subscriptions (scheduling, CRM, learning platforms, etc.)
   • Marketing and advertising costs
   • Insurance (liability, etc.)
   • Professional development/training
   • Supplies (materials, books, etc.)
   • Travel expenses
   • Administrative support (if any)
   • Taxes (estimate)

2. Determine Your Desired Annual Salary: What do you need/want to earn personally from the business?

3. Calculate Total Revenue Needed: Add your total annual operating expenses and your desired annual salary. This is the minimum revenue your business needs to generate to be viable.

4. Estimate Billable Capacity: How many hours per year can you realistically spend coaching clients? Account for administrative time, marketing, business development, vacation, etc. (e.g., if you work 40 hours/week, perhaps only 20-25 are billable).

5. Calculate Your ‘Loaded’ Hourly Rate (Internal Use Only): Divide your total revenue needed by your estimated billable hours. This gives you a baseline internal rate to ensure profitability, if you were to charge hourly. (Example: ($60,000 expenses + $75,000 salary) / 1000 billable hours = $135/hour internal rate). Use this as a floor, not necessarily your client rate. Your market value and the value you provide will likely justify a much higher rate when packaged effectively.

Exploring Executive Functioning Coaching Pricing Models

Beyond the simple hourly rate, several models work well for pricing executive functioning coaching:

• Session-Based Packages: Bundle a fixed number of sessions (e.g., 6, 10, 12 sessions). This encourages commitment and provides clients with a predictable investment.
• Time-Based Engagements: Offer coaching over a defined period (e.g., a 3-month intensive, a semester-long program). This aligns with academic cycles and allows for tracking progress over time.
• Outcome/Value-Based Pricing: While harder to quantify precisely in coaching, you can frame pricing around typical outcomes (e.g., improved grades, better time management skills, reduced stress). Price reflects the transformation potential.
• Tiered Packages: Offer different levels of service (e.g., Basic, Standard, Premium) with varying session frequency, duration, included resources, or access levels. This caters to different needs and budgets and leverages pricing psychology principles like anchoring (the middle tier looks most attractive).
• Group Coaching/Workshops: Offer lower-cost options for groups addressing specific skills. This increases accessibility and leverages your time efficiently.

Most successful executive functioning coaches use a combination, primarily relying on package or time-based models presented in tiered options.

Structuring Effective Coaching Packages

When creating packages for pricing executive functioning coaching, think about what a student realistically needs to achieve meaningful progress. A single session is rarely enough for lasting change.

Consider packages built around typical coaching journeys:

• Introductory Package (e.g., 4-6 sessions over 1-2 months): Focus on assessment, identifying key challenges, and introducing foundational strategies (e.g., time blocking, basic organization). Price example: $700 - $1200.
• Core Development Package (e.g., 10-12 sessions over 3 months): Deeper dive into core EF skills, practice, and reinforcement. Includes more customized strategies and potentially check-ins. Price example: $1800 - $3000.
• Semester/Academic Year Support (e.g., 20+ sessions over 6-9 months): Comprehensive support, adapting strategies to changing academic demands, long-term habit formation. May include parent consultations. Price example: $3500 - $8000+.

Key elements to include in package descriptions:

• Number of sessions (specify duration, e.g., 50 minutes)
• Duration of the engagement (e.g., “over 3 months”)
• What specific skills or outcomes are targeted
• What resources are included (worksheets, templates, access to tools)
• Level of support (email access, parent updates)
• Any guarantees or cancellation policies

Use specific, benefit-oriented language that resonates with parents and students seeking EF support (e.g., “Reduce stress”, “Improve grades”, “Build confidence”, “Master time management”).

Presenting Your Executive Functioning Coaching Prices

How you present your pricing is almost as important as the price itself. Avoid simply listing numbers. Frame your pricing in terms of the value and transformation offered.

• Discovery Call: Always start with a conversation to understand the student’s specific needs and challenges. This isn’t a free coaching session, but a chance to qualify the lead and tailor your recommendation. Listen actively and reiterate their pain points.
• Tailor Your Recommendation: Based on the discovery, recommend the package you genuinely believe will best meet their needs. Explain why this package is the right fit, linking it back to the challenges they shared.
• Focus on Value, Not Cost: When discussing price, talk about the investment they are making in their student’s future and the return they can expect (reduced stress, better grades, increased independence, prepared for college). Compare the cost to the cost of not addressing EF challenges (tutoring bills, academic struggles, stress).
• Use Clear, Professional Documents or Tools: Avoid sending a messy email with numbers. A well-designed PDF or a modern interactive pricing tool makes a strong impression.

For a truly modern and flexible approach, consider using a tool specifically designed for presenting service pricing. Traditional static PDFs or basic forms can make comparing options or adding services confusing.

Platforms like PricingLink (https://pricinglink.com) allow you to create interactive pricing pages where clients can select different packages, add-on services (like parent workshops, additional check-ins), and see the total investment update dynamically. This provides clarity, saves you time on custom quotes, and offers a professional, engaging client experience. While PricingLink is focused purely on the pricing presentation step and doesn’t handle full proposals with e-signatures or project management (for those, you might look at tools like PandaDoc (https://www.pandadoc.com) or Proposify (https://www.proposify.com)), its laser focus makes it excellent for businesses that need a modern, interactive way to show configurable pricing options without the complexity of an all-in-one suite.

Handling Pricing Conversations and Objections

It’s natural for parents to have questions about the investment in executive functioning coaching. Be prepared to address them confidently.

• Be Confident in Your Value: If you’ve done your work structuring value-based packages, stand by your prices. Your confidence reassures the client.
• Reiterate the Problem & Solution: Gently remind them of the challenges they shared during the discovery call and how your coaching specifically addresses them.
• Break Down the Investment: If a large package price feels overwhelming, break it down by month or even by session (using the packaged rate, not a hypothetical hourly rate). Emphasize the total transformation over the duration.
• Address the ‘Why So Much?’ Objection: This often means the client hasn’t fully grasped the value. Revisit the outcomes and long-term benefits. Compare it to the lifetime value of these skills. Contrast it with less effective interventions they may have tried.
• Offer Payment Plans: For larger packages, offer installment plans (e.g., monthly payments) to make it more manageable. Ensure your pricing tool or contract software can handle this.
• Know When to Walk Away: Not every potential client is the right fit. If someone is solely focused on getting the lowest price and doesn’t value the transformation, they may not be committed to the process, leading to poor outcomes for them and frustration for you.

Reviewing and Adjusting Your Pricing

Pricing executive functioning coaching isn’t a one-time task. Your costs, experience, market, and the value you provide will evolve. Plan to review your pricing at least annually.

Factors to consider during a review:

• Increased Costs: Have your operating expenses gone up?
• Increased Experience/Expertise: Are you delivering even greater value due to years of experience or new training?
• Market Rates: What are other coaches in your area or niche charging for similar value?
• Demand: Is demand for your services high? If you’re consistently booked solid with a waitlist, it might be time to increase prices.
• Client Results: Are your clients achieving significant, measurable outcomes? Leverage testimonials and case studies to reinforce the value.
• Profitability: Are you meeting your desired financial goals after all expenses?

Don’t be afraid to raise your prices as your business matures and your value grows. Communicate price increases clearly to existing clients with sufficient notice, often grandfathering them at their current rate for a set period or for their current engagement.