Is your number normal?
A benchmark is a normal range, not a target. Every figure here is drawn as a band, because the only useful question is whether you sit inside it. Most coaches who think everything is broken have exactly one stage out of range.
Warm referral close rate40–70%
Cold outreach close rate10–20%
1:1 package renewal35–50%
Executive B2B renewal55–65%
What a client costs, by channel
Cost per acquisition varies by more than tenfold across channels, and the cheapest is the one most coaches have no process for.
- ReferralsEvery niche, at every stageCost$0–$50Close rate40–70%HorizonImmediate, but only
- LinkedInBusiness, executive, leadership and career coachingCost$50–$200Close rate—Horizon3 to 6
- InstagramLife, health, relationship and wellness coachingCost$50–$200Close rate—Horizon6 to 18
- Google and Microsoft AdsExecutive and B2B niches with real search intentCost$65–$150Close rate14–18%HorizonDays, once the
- YouTubeThought leadership, executive and high-ticket coachingCost$50–$200Close rate—Horizon6 to 18
- Podcast appearancesCoaches with a specific, articulable point of viewCost$100–$300Close rate30–50%HorizonWeeks, and lumpy
- Paid directoriesCoaches without an audience who need volume nowCost$200–$600Close rate—HorizonImmediate, and it
- Meta AdsConsumer niches with a strong lead magnetCost$30–$80Close rate—HorizonDays to first
- Cold emailHyper-personalised B2B outreach onlyCost$50–$300Close rate0–1%HorizonWeeks, if it
Funnels, and what each stage converts at
- Direct outreachAnyone with no audience and no budgetEffortHighSpeedFirst client in 1 to 6 weeks with consistent execution
- Instagram DM automationConsumer niches with an engaged Instagram followingEffortMediumSpeedDays once a post lands
- Paid search to a landing pageExecutive and B2B niches with search intentEffortMediumSpeedImmediate
- The 5-day challengeCoaches with a list who can teach a quick winEffortHighSpeedWeeks per cycle
- Webinar or masterclassHigher-ticket offers needing explanationEffortMediumSpeedWeeks per cycle
- Content and email sequenceAnyone building a durable asset rather than a campaignEffortHighSpeed6 to 18 months to meaningful volume
- Free communityCoaches whose offer is group-shaped anywayEffortHighSpeedMonths
- Quiz funnelConsumer niches where the buyer cannot name their own problemEffortMediumSpeedWeeks
- Corporate outboundCredentialed coaches with corporate backgroundsEffortHighSpeed2 to 4 month sales cycle
- Retreat or in-person intensiveEstablished coaches with an existing audienceEffortHighSpeedMonths of planning per event
- Free assessment or auditBusiness, executive and career coachingEffortMediumSpeedDays
Every other band
Read the evidence warning before you act on any of this. The income and retention figures trace to real studies. Most acquisition and marketing numbers are practitioner estimates, because no large-scale public study of coaching marketing spend exists. The method page says which is which, figure by figure.