Pricing Strategy

Pricing is part math, part psychology and part positioning. There is no magic number, and anyone who tells you the “right” price for your course without knowing your audience is guessing. What you can do is choose a price for good reasons, test it honestly, and adjust as you learn. This page gives you the frameworks to do that without discounting yourself into burnout.

Start with value, not your hours

Value-based pricing means you anchor your price to the outcome and experience the buyer gets, not to how long it took you to make the product. A short course that solves an expensive, urgent problem can be worth more than a long one that solves a mild annoyance.

1. Define the result. What changes for the buyer? Saved time, avoided mistakes, a new skill, a finished project, more confidence?
2. Understand the stakes. What does the problem cost them today in time, stress, money or missed opportunities? Ask real people.
3. Look at the alternatives. What would they do instead: hire someone, buy a book, take a university class, figure it out alone? Your price sits somewhere in that landscape.
4. Factor in support. More access to you (live calls, feedback, coaching) should cost more, because your time is limited.
5. Pick a starting price you can say out loud. Then test it with real buyers.

Price by format

Different formats carry different expectations. Ranges vary widely by niche, depth and audience, so use this as a way to think, not a price list.

For coaching specifically, try the Coaching Rate Calculator, and for recurring products, the Membership Calculator.

Tiers: good, better, best

Offering two or three tiers lets buyers choose their level of support. It also helps them compare options inside your offer rather than against the rest of the internet.

• Make the differences between tiers obvious and meaningful.
• Keep it to three tiers or fewer to avoid decision fatigue.
• If you cap the premium tier, it should be a real cap based on your capacity.

Payment plans

Payment plans make higher-priced offers accessible to more people. A few guidelines:

• Many creators charge a bit more in total for a plan than for paying in full, to cover risk and fees. If you do, show both totals clearly.
• Decide in advance what happens if a payment fails: grace period, reminders, paused access.
• Make sure your refund policy says how it applies to payment plans.
• Check current platform features and fees for installments, as they change.

Founding-member pricing

When you launch something new, especially as a beta, offering a lower founding price in exchange for feedback and patience is fair and honest. Founding members take a risk on an unfinished product, and you get testimonials, improvements and momentum.

1. Say it is a founding round. Explain what is ready now and what is still being built.
2. State what you want in return. Feedback surveys, a short call, an honest review if they are happy.
3. Decide if the price is locked. For memberships, a locked-in founding rate is a thoughtful reward. Keep that promise.
4. End it when you say you will. The founding price should genuinely go away.

Discounts, done honestly

Discounts are not evil, but constant discounting teaches your audience to wait. Use them rarely and with a clear reason.

Raising your prices

As your product improves and you gather real proof, raising prices is normal. Signs it may be time:

• You have added substantial value since the last price was set.
• Buyers regularly say it was worth much more than they paid.
• Your support load is heavy relative to your revenue.
• Your premium tier is consistently full.

How to do it well: announce the change in advance, give your audience a real chance to buy at the current price, and treat existing customers generously (for memberships, consider keeping their current rate). Then actually raise it.

Test your price with real buyers

Surveys asking “what would you pay?” are a weak signal. What people actually do tells you far more. Offer a pre-sale or founding round, watch how people respond at checkout, and listen to the questions they ask on sales calls. If almost nobody hesitates, you may be underpriced. If many people love the offer but stall at the price, look first at clarity and value, then at payment options, before cutting the price.

AI prompts for pricing

Act as a pricing advisor. My offer is [offer] for [audience]. The main result is [result]. Alternatives they consider are [alternatives]. Help me think through a value-based price range and the reasoning for it. Ask me 5 questions first, and do not make income promises.

Design three tiers (Essentials, Plus, Premium) for [offer]. For each, list what is included, who it is best for, and the capacity limit for anything involving my time. Make the differences clear and meaningful.

Draft an email announcing a price increase for [product] on [date]. Explain what has improved, give current customers clear information about how it affects them, and invite anyone interested to join at the current price before [date]. Warm and honest, no pressure tactics.

Keep going

For a deeper walkthrough read how to price your course or coaching. Shape the offer itself in Create Your Offer or with the Offer Builder, then plan your launch with the Launch Playbook.