Figuring out how to price and package nutrition coaching programs is challenging.
The #1 question we get asked from gym owners is, “What should I charge for nutrition coaching?”
When adding nutrition coaching to your gym, you need to determine what your nutrition coaching packages will look like.
One of the first training calls in the HSN Mentorship teaches how to price nutrition coaching programs whether you own a gym, or you are a stand alone nutrition coaching business.
So many coaches would offer their services for free if they didn’t have any bills to pay. Additionally they would look at what their competitors charge and base their pricing on that.
We are here to help eliminate both of these scenarios so that the coach and owner can make money while the client feels like they are getting the best deal in town.
In this blog post, we will teach you three things to consider when you price and package nutrition coaching programs in your facility.
What Is A Nutrition Coaching Program?
A nutrition coaching program is a structured approach to helping individuals achieve their health and wellness goals through nutrition. It involves working with a trained nutrition coach or registered dietitian to create personalized wellness plans, set achievable goals, and provide ongoing support and education. The program typically includes regular one-on-one coaching sessions, as well as access to educational materials and resources.
The coaching sessions may cover a wide range of topics, including healthy eating habits, portion control, meal planning, and grocery shopping. At Healthy Steps Nutrition, we believe in a holistic approach to nutrition coaching. So much more goes into nutrition choices than just deciding what to eat for the day. Our coaches help clients identify and overcome barriers to achieving their goals by looking at stressors in areas such as sleep, stress management, exercise, and finding a support system.
Nutrition coaching programs can be tailored to a variety of needs, such as weight loss, disease management, or athletic performance. They can be conducted in person or remotely, depending on the individual’s preference and availability. The length and structure of the program can vary, but typically lasts for several months to a year, with regular check-ins and adjustments made along the way.
Why Is Proper Pricing For Nutrition Coaching Packages So Important?
Paying clients are imperative! Learning how to price and package nutrition coaching programs is important for several reasons:
It ensures that the program is financially sustainable
If the programs services are priced too low, they may not generate enough revenue to cover costs. On the other hand, if the program is priced too high, it may not attract enough clients to be viable. Setting the right price helps ensure that the program is financially sustainable over the long term.
It reflects the value of the program
The price of the program should reflect the value it provides to clients. If the price is too low, potential clients and current clients may not perceive it as valuable, or it may not attract the ideal client. This can lead to lower engagement and retention rates. Conversely, if the price is too high, customers may have unrealistic expectations for the program and be disappointed if it doesn’t meet their needs.
It helps support a coaching role in the facility
Another reason learning how to price and package nutrition coaching programs is important is because the role supports a nutrition coach. An owner of a gym will struggle to run a nutrition coaching program on their own, unless they have other roles in their business covered. A nutrition coach is an integral part of the success of a nutrition coaching program. In fact, not having a nutrition coach to support the program is the #1 reason why HSN Mentoring sees nutrition programs fail. So, ensuring the nutrition coaches commission is enough per month to support their basic lifestyle is very important.
It can impact the overall revenue of the gym
A nutrition coaching program should make up around 15-20% of a fitness facilities revenue. It has potential to be a key revenue driver for the gym. Setting the right price is essential to ensure that the gym’s overall revenue remains strong. If the program is priced too low, it may not generate enough revenue to contribute significantly to the gym’s overall financial health.
In summary, setting proper prices for a nutrition coaching program in a gym is important to ensure its financial sustainability, reflect its value, differentiate it from other programs, and impact the overall revenue of the gym.
3 Tips To Help You Price & Package Your Nutrition Coaching Program
What we find a lot is that most coaches don’t feel confident in their coaching services, therefor they undercharge. Even more experienced coaches offer clients too cheap of a rate. Setting your prices correctly right from the launch of your program eliminates the need for having to make major adjustments down the road.
Let’s get right into the 3 tips that will help you be a successful nutrition coach who attracts high paying clients and provides a high quality service.
Tip #1 - Set Up The Structure Of Your Packages Properly
Package length is important! At Healthy Steps Nutrition, we recommend a 3-month commitment for all new clients. We call this Phase I. After Phase I our clients move into Phase II which is a month to month commitment moving forward beyond the initial 3 months.
This structure gives the nutrition coach time to help clients create a solid foundation of healthy habits. Additionally it shows the value of accountability to the client, and how it can make a real difference in their mindset and approach to change.
In order to support your clients with nutrition coaching beyond 3-months, your coach needs time to build rapport and relationship with their clients.
When Nicole Aucoin first started Healthy Steps Nutrition, we offered an option for a 1 month commitment for our first time clients. Time after time our clients would make some immediate dietary changes, experience some weight loss, and then quit the program thinking they could continue on their own.
Most clients want to lose weight. We learned that 1 month was long enough for weight loss, but wasn’t long enough to ensure the habits they learned were sticking. Anybody can do something for a month. But in order for better health and real changes to become habits, more time is needed.
This is how the initial commitment of 3 months was adopted.
Tip #2 - Tier Your Packages Based On The Level Of Accountability & Support Provided
If you offer personal training or group fitness classes in your gym, you probably offer different tiers of accountability and support. If a client is coming in 3x a week, they will pay more than a client coming in 2x week. The same principle applies when adding a nutrition coaching program in a gym.
Clients who need more accountability pay a higher price. Come up with packages that charge clients based on how much time they need on the nutrition coaches schedule.
At Healthy Steps Nutrition, we offer several options for accountability within that 3 month time frame. Below we provide an example of our pricing and package line up.
Option 1: 12 Week Total Transformation: $499/month for 3 months, High Accountability
4 – 1 hour PT sessions used as onboarding for CrossFit
Monthly Inbody scan & progress assessment
Monthly goal setting session
Monthly unlimited small group CrossFit class
Open gym daily
Individualized nutrition plan & access to our exclusive HSN app
4 In person meetings with a nutrition coach
Weekly virtual checkins with a nutrition coach
Weekly calls with a nutrition
Option 2: 12 Week Total Transformation: $399/month for 3 months
4 – 1 hour PT sessions used as onboarding for CrossFit
Monthly Inbody scan & progress assessment
Monthly goal setting session
Monthly unlimited small group CrossFit class
Individualized nutrition plan & access to our exclusive HSN app
4 In person meetings with a nutrition coach
Weekly virtual check in with a nutrition coach
Option 3: 12 Week Nutrition Coaching Only: $299/month - High Accountability
Initial consult with a nutrition coach
Monthly Inbody scan & progress assessment
Access to our exclusive HSN app
Individualized nutrition plan
Healthy Cook Book written by Nicole Aucoin
Weekly virtual checkins with a nutrition coach
Weekly calls OR in person meetings every other week with a nutrition coach
Option 4: 12 Week Nutrition Coaching Only: $199/month - Standard Accountability
Initial consult with a nutrition coach
Monthly Inbody scan & progress assessment
Access to our exclusive HSN app
Individualized nutrition plan
Healthy Cook Book written by Nicole Aucoin
Weekly virtual checkins with a nutrition coach
If you want transformation stories, make sure to have a specific solution to each persons accountability needs. Our program is set up to facilitate accountability at many different levels. This provides a premium service to our clients at the same time as providing adequate income to the coach.
Tip #3 - Make Sure You Take Into Account In-Person & Virtual Follow-up When Pricing Your Program
Checking out the options we provide in tip 2 can help give an understanding of how much time to set aside in the nutrition coaches schedule to see clients. Adding up the amount of time it takes to see clients can help determine how much the nutrition coach should make, thus helping you price your packages.
Make sure to keep in mind that there is more of a time requirement than just the initial consultation. Setting up enough time for scheduled follow up and random questions is important. Each client will be different in their requirements.
Nutrition coaches at Healthy Steps Nutrition typically make between $30-$50/hour. The coaches are paid between 45-50% of the nutrition revenue that comes in for each client.
Standard Accountability time commitment for nutrition coaching
Month 1 is typically 120-150 minutes
Month 2 & 3 land at about 60 minutes per month
High Accountability time commitment for nutrition coaching
Month 1 is typically 150-175 minutes
Month 2 & 3 come in at around 90 minutes each per month
Again all clients are different in their needs, however this is an estimate based on the 1000’s of clients we have seen.
Conclusion
Hopefully you can determine from reading this post that more goes into pricing your program than basing it on what your competitors charge. Whether you are seeing your first clients, or you are experienced at coaching. Pricing and packages is something to develop if those systems are weak in your business.
We want you feeling completely confident while seeing more clients than ever.
If you need help – we are here!
