ICF Coach Business Groweth Diagnostic™

This document replaces guesswork with informed decisions.
It is designed to be used repeatedly, not read once.

HOW TO USE THIS REPORT (CLIENT ORIENTATION)

This report answers three questions definitively:

1. What business model should I run next?

2. What must I stop doing immediately to unlock growth?

3. What exact actions produce £150k+ without burnout?

If you implement only sections 4–8, you should see material movement within 90 days.

1. STRATEGIC BASELINE — WHERE YOU ACTUALLY ARE

Professional Reality

You are operating a late-stage solo practice using early-stage economics.

• Credential strength: High

• Market credibility: Proven

• Business design maturity: Lagging

This mismatch is the core friction.

Revenue Efficiency Scorecard

Observation:
You do not need “growth”. You need a 3× efficiency correction.

2. MARKET TRUTH & PRICING REALITY (UNCOMFORTABLE BUT NECESSARY)

External Benchmarking (UK / Professional Services Leaders)

In your niche:

• £6k–£10k is standard for senior-level coaching engagements

• £12k–£18k is common when framed as leadership transition or influence work

Your current £150/session pricing:

• Signals competence, not authority

• Attracts buyers who comparison-shop

• Repels corporate sponsorship

This is not hypothetical. This is market behaviour.

Strategic Implication

Remaining at your current price point actively damages your future positioning.

3. STRATEGIC PATH DECISION (NO AMBIGUITY)

After modelling three viable paths, one is clearly dominant.

Chosen Path:

Premium, outcome-based 1:1 engagements with controlled capacity

This path:

• Matches your risk tolerance

• Minimises visibility burden

• Maximises referral leverage

• Preserves energy and longevity

All other paths (groups, high-volume content, hybrid scaling) are second-order strategies and should not be pursued in the next 12 months.

4. BUSINESS MODEL ENGINEERING (THE CORE VALUE)

Target-State Model (12 Months)

• Flagship Engagement: 6 months

• Price: £9,000 (anchored at £7,500 for first 90 days)

• Active Clients: 8–10

• Annual Revenue: £150k–£165k

• Weekly Working Hours: 30–32

Model Sensitivity Analysis

Key Insight:
You do not need more leads. You need 3–4 right decisions per quarter.

5. OFFER INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (WHY THIS IS DEFENSIBLE)

Your offer must feel designed, not assembled.

Flagship Offer Name (Example)

Strategic Leadership Influence Engagement™

Embedded IP Elements

• Defined leadership risk framework

• Career leverage assessment

• Decision-making under visibility pressure

• Influence without authority methodology

These are not “models” you teach. They are thinking tools you deploy.

This is what separates you from generic coaches.

6. SALES ARCHITECTURE (BUILT FOR HIGH-STAKES BUYERS)

Entry Criteria (NON-NEGOTIABLE)

You do not accept:

• Exploratory browsers

• Price-first conversations

• Clients without a defined inflection point

You accept:

• Promotion risk

• Increased visibility

• Organisational complexity

Decision Call Flow (Designed)

1. Stakes & cost of inaction

2. Diagnosis

3. Recommendation

4. Investment

5. Silence

No follow-ups unless requested.
Confidence is part of the value.

7. CLIENT ACQUISITION — PIPELINE MATH, NOT HOPE

Required Activity (Quarterly)

To close 6 clients per quarter:

• 18–24 qualified conversations

• 6–8 strong referral introductions

• 1–2 authority signals per month

Anything more is noise.

Referral System (Formalised)

You will introduce:

• A “strategic introduction” ask

• A post-engagement close-out conversation

• Sponsor mapping (who influences whom)

This converts goodwill into momentum.

8. DELIVERY SYSTEM & ENERGY GOVERNANCE

Weekly Operating Rhythm (Target State)

This is the minimum structure required to operate credibly at senior levels.

9. RISK & FAILURE MODE ANALYSIS (WHAT COULD DERAIL THIS)

Risk 1: Underholding Price

Mitigation: scripted delivery + price rehearsal

Risk 2: Over-delivery

Mitigation: written engagement boundaries + no “bonus” support

Risk 3: Old Habits

Mitigation: remove session pricing publicly and privately

10. 180-DAY EXECUTION ROADMAP (NOT JUST 90 DAYS)

Phase 1 (0–30 days): Structural Reset

• Remove all session-based pricing

• Finalise flagship engagement

• Rewrite positioning language

Phase 2 (31–90 days): Controlled Launch

• Close first 2–4 engagements

• Refine framing based on objections

• Stabilise weekly rhythm

Phase 3 (91–180 days): Consolidation

• Move pricing to £9k

• Reduce lead volume, increase quality

• Establish predictable monthly baseline

11. BOARD-LEVEL METRICS (WHAT YOU TRACK)

Weekly

• Qualified conversations

• Energy level (subjective but logged)

Monthly

• Revenue per client

• Hours worked

Quarterly

• Effective hourly rate

• Pipeline strength

12. FINAL STRATEGIC JUDGEMENT

You are not building a “bigger coaching business”.

You are transitioning into a senior advisory role, whether you name it that or not.

The market already rewards this role.
Your business simply has not been engineered to claim it.

This blueprint corrects that.