Using “Risk Reversal” to Get More Clients & Become A Better Coach
Eben Pagan teaches coaches how to use risk reversal guarantees to attract more clients and build confidence in their services. He explains why most coaches resist offering guarantees and provides specific frameworks for implementing money-back guarantees that reduce client risk while improving coach performance.
Key Moments
How to Structure a Risk Reversal Guarantee for Coaches -- A framework for creating guarantees that reduce client risk while protecting the coach
Risk Reversal Guarantees With Specific Conditions Get More Clients
Coaches can offer risk reversal guarantees by promising specific results with clear conditions, like guaranteeing a client will launch their business in 3 months if they show up for sessions and take weekly action, with a money-back guarantee if conditions are met but results aren't achieved.
▶ 5:57
Writing Guarantees from the Insecure Buyer's Perspective
Structure guarantees from the client's perspective who is spending $2,000 and feeling insecure about the investment
▶ 6:58
How Risk Reversal Guarantees Increase Net Revenue
Occasional refund requests are compensated by increased business from offering risk reversal guarantees
▶ 9:02
Two Coaching Guarantee Payment Models Compared
Two payment guarantee models: pay upfront with money-back guarantee vs. bill after service with pay-only-if-satisfied
▶ 7:56
Why Guarantees Generate More Revenue Than They Cost
No, occasional refund requests are more than compensated by the increased business generated from offering risk reversal guarantees. The additional clients gained outweigh the occasional refunds given.
Relevant Clips19
- How-To
How to Structure a Risk Reversal Guarantee for Coaches -- A framework for creating guarantees that reduce client risk while protecting the coach
- Teaching▶ 5:57
Risk Reversal Guarantees With Specific Conditions Get More Clients
Coaches can offer risk reversal guarantees by promising specific results with clear conditions, like guaranteeing a client will launch their business in 3 months if they show up for sessions and take weekly action, with a money-back guarantee if conditions are met but results aren't achieved.
- Teaching
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.
- Teaching
How Guarantees Create Accountability and Better Coaching
Guarantees force coaches to perform better because they have skin in the game and must deliver results to avoid refunds. The accountability pressure makes coaches show up with higher standards and focus on getting clients results.
- Teaching
Why Guarantees Generate More Revenue Than They Cost
No, occasional refund requests are more than compensated by the increased business generated from offering risk reversal guarantees. The additional clients gained outweigh the occasional refunds given.
- Teaching
Two Risk Reversal Models — Upfront Guarantee vs Post-Delivery Pay
The first model is charging upfront with a money-back guarantee if clients aren't satisfied. The second model is billing after service delivery, where clients only pay if they feel they received value.
- Teaching
Failure Avoidance Without Action Leads to Paralysis
Success comes from avoiding failure while taking action, but constant failure avoidance leads to paralysis in business building
- Teaching
Why Coaches Resist Guarantees and Why They Shouldn't
Coaches resist guarantees because they focus on absolutist thinking rather than client perspective and risk management
- Teaching▶ 7:56
Two Coaching Guarantee Payment Models Compared
Two payment guarantee models: pay upfront with money-back guarantee vs. bill after service with pay-only-if-satisfied
- Teaching▶ 6:58
Writing Guarantees from the Insecure Buyer's Perspective
Structure guarantees from the client's perspective who is spending $2,000 and feeling insecure about the investment
- Teaching
Risk Reversal Guarantees to Overcome Client Hesitation
Use risk reversal guarantees to overcome client hesitation by guaranteeing specific results with clear conditions
- Teaching▶ 9:02
How Risk Reversal Guarantees Increase Net Revenue
Occasional refund requests are compensated by increased business from offering risk reversal guarantees
Show 7 more
- Teaching
Guarantees Reduce Prospect Risk and Fear of Commitment
Guarantees comfort insecure prospects and reduce perceived risk rather than create legal obligations
- Teaching
How Guarantees Create Coach Accountability
Guarantees improve coach performance by creating accountability pressure to deliver results
- Teaching
Guarantees as Conditional Refund Agreements
Guarantees are conditional agreements for refunds, not absolute promises carved in stone
- Quotable▶ 8:22
Comforting the Insecure Prospect with a Guarantee
the point with a guarantee is not it's not about the guarantee it's about comforting the person who they're insecure and they don't know how all this works
- Quotable▶ 3:51
How Fear of What Could Go Wrong Paralyzes Progress
if you're always looking around at what could go wrong you're going to just be paralyzed you will literally be stopped at every possible step
- Quotable▶ 9:18
How Skin-in-the-Game Raises Coach Performance
it causes you to show up better when you know that you got to perform it makes you show up and be like all right I got to get this done
- Quotable▶ 4:49
What a Guarantee Really Means to a Prospect
the guarantee isn't signing your name somewhere in stone in reality saying this thing is going to happen
Entities Touched
Concepts
Questions
Canonical Teachings
Summary
Understanding Risk Reversal Guarantees for Coaches
Eben introduces the concept of risk reversal guarantees as a way for coaches to attract more clients by reducing perceived risk. He explains that coaches can guarantee specific results like business launches or weight loss, but most coaches resist this approach due to concerns about client behavior and external factors.
Why Coaches Avoid Guarantees and How This Hurts Their Business
Many coaches think in absolute terms and focus on failure scenarios rather than client perspective. This leads to paralysis where coaches avoid taking calculated risks, similar to airplane safety protocols that prevent crashes but can hinder business growth when applied excessively.
How to Structure Effective Coaching Guarantees
Guarantees should be conditional agreements with clear requirements for clients, not absolute promises. Examples include guaranteeing business launches with conditions like session attendance and weekly action-taking, offering refunds or continued coaching if results aren't achieved despite meeting conditions.
The Business Benefits of Offering Guarantees
Risk reversal guarantees comfort insecure prospects and reduce perceived risk, leading to increased sales that more than compensate for occasional refunds. Additionally, guarantees create accountability pressure that improves coach performance and client results.
Counterpoint
Claim: “Coaches can't guarantee results because outcomes depend on client behavior and external factors”
Reframe: Guarantees are conditional refund agreements that reduce client risk while improving coach accountability, not absolute promises
Example framework: guarantee business launch in 3 months with conditions of showing up, taking weekly action, and implementing advice - if client meets conditions but doesn't get result, they get refund or continued coaching
Claim: “Business success comes from avoiding all possible failures and risks”
Reframe: Constant failure avoidance creates paralysis - you need to take calculated risks while learning from mistakes
Airplane analogy: every safety checklist item exists because of past crashes, but applying this 'avoid all failure' mindset to new coaching businesses creates 100 imaginary reasons not to act
Claim: “Guarantees create legal liability and absolute responsibility for client outcomes”
Reframe: Guarantees are marketing tools to comfort insecure prospects, not binding contracts for specific results
The purpose is 'comforting the person who's insecure and doesn't know you very well' rather than creating legal obligations - it's about reducing perceived risk
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Topics
Coaching Strategies
Business Frameworks
Common Mistakes