How A Career Coach Earned 3X Per Sale With A Value-Based Pricing Model.
Theory
Look at things not as they are, but as they can be.
David J. Schwartz
One of the most important things you’ll ever learn is that there are no “rules” per se—there might be accepted norms and patterns that people and markets are used to: but you can break these (at any time) provided you are willing to pay the price with the right strategy, energy, and effort.
You determine what’s important. You determine what action has value. You determine what goal is realistic, or reasonable, or possible.
Most service businesses—especially coaching and advisory businesses—set their prices far too low. They don’t do this intentionally. It’s usually accidental, and a result of what I call Mimetic Gravity—an invisible force that pulls us toward imitating others and aiming to be average. You look at what other people charge. You anchor to it. You assume there is some invisible standard of what is “fair” or “acceptable”—without ever asking whether it makes any sense in your context.
For most coaches, this is a very expensive mistake. Especially when the true value they are creating is wildly disproportionate to what they are charging.
However, that does not mean you are stuck with it. Unlike escaping gravity in the physical world, you do not need permission to change this. You simply need to see the situation clearly—and act accordingly.
Application & Results
I worked with a career coach who was a perfect example of this dynamic.
Her business was already successful by many outside measures. She had a strong network, a great reputation, and a steady flow of clients coming through word of mouth and referral. But she was attracting very low quality clients because of her pricing. She was anchoring to a “market rate” that had nothing to do with the value she was delivering.
Here was her client profile:
Senior leaders: VP, SVP, and C-suite candidates
Typical client age: 38–55
Most clients seeking $200K–$600K base compensation roles
Many clients navigating transitions after layoffs, acquisitions, or voluntary exits
Typical outcomes: landing a new role with $50K–$250K increases in annual compensation, often life-changing for the client and their family
And here was the core problem:
She was charging a flat fee of $3,000 per client—and often much, much, less.
She had arrived at this number by “looking at what other coaches charged”
She had never mapped her pricing to the value of the outcomes she was driving
As a result, she was regularly helping clients achieve $100K+ gains while capturing only $3K for herself
In her words: “I just never thought about it this way. I didn’t want to feel like I was taking advantage of people.”
This is exactly how (what I call) Mimetic Gravity works. You see what others do, and you mimic or copy it. It comes naturally but it’s a huge pitfall. It’s the invisible force that convinces good people to set small targets—and accept small returns—without realizing they are doing it.
My first step was to walk her through a simple exercise:
What is the actual lifetime value of the results you are helping create for a client?
What portion of that value is directly tied to your work?
How does your pricing reflect that?
How would a more aligned pricing model look—and how would it feel to both you and your clients?
Once she saw the math in front of her, the shift was obvious.
Within a few weeks, she rolled out a new pricing structure:
A $5,000 starter fee and a more premium version of her offer at $10,000
She also created an ongoing “executive excellence” follow up coaching program that generated a monthly retainer once clients found their new role ($5,000 to $20,000 per year depending on how much the client wanted to invest)
Her first client under this new model landed a role with a $50K+ compensation increase. The client had no issue with the new fee. In fact, they expressed gratitude that the pricing was aligned to results—it felt logical and fair.
The coach, meanwhile, more than tripled her revenue per client, doing exactly the same work she had always done.
She didn’t change her coaching methodology. She didn’t suddenly become a better practitioner. She simply stopped anchoring to market rates—and started pricing based on value.
These shifts are not rare. They are not magical. They simply require a willingness to see through the noise, question invisible defaults, and set targets that match the actual value you are delivering.
Confidentiality Notice.
At MXW Group discretion is paramount. Names and events in these stories have been changed where necessary to protect the anonymity of our clients while preserving the spirit of their accomplishments.
About MXW Group
MXW Group is a boutique advisory specializing in predictable revenue strategy. I partner with ambitious entrepreneurs to build safe, steady, & reliable revenue engines using proven principles, not overhyped fads. As a consultant (sales & marketing) and Fractional Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), I work directly with founders to optimize their pricing, sales, positioning, client acquisition and retention.
