Coaching is future-focused performance not backward therapy
Coaching comes from sports, and that origin matters. A sports coach doesn't spend sessions analyzing why you missed a shot three years ago — they ask: what do you want to achieve? Coaching is performance-focused and forward-oriented, specifically designed to help people navigate transitions and changes over 3-to-6-month packages. It's not therapy, which looks backward, and it's not consulting, which gives you answers. Premium pricing works in coaching because higher prices attract more committed clients — Tony Robbins charges a million dollars annually for one-on-one coaching for exactly this reason. Coaches resist offering guarantees because they think in absolute terms about what could go wrong. But from the client's perspective, a guarantee is a confidence signal that you believe in your own results.
Relevant Clips3
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Why Coaches Resist Guarantees and Slip Into Paralysis
Coaches resist guarantees because they think in absolute terms and focus on what could go wrong rather than client perspective. They worry about factors outside their control like client attendance or effort, doing risk assessment that leads to paralysis.
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Premium Pricing From Thousands to a Million Per Year
Premium pricing varies widely - from Eben's example of $10,000 for a 5-day program to Tony Robbins charging $1 million annually for one-on-one coaching. The key is understanding that higher prices attract more committed clients.
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The Difference Between Coaching and Therapy
Coaching is performance-focused and future-oriented, asking 'What do you want to achieve?' rather than looking backward. It comes from sports and helps people through transitions and changes over 3-6 month packages.