As a coach, crafting a compelling proposal is crucial for expanding your client base. A well-structured proposal not only showcases your expertise but also leaves a lasting impression on potential clients. Notably, the International Coaching Federation (ICF) reported that 87% of individuals who received coaching were satisfied with the experience, underscoring the importance of presenting your services effectively.
While your passion lies in helping others, effectively communicating your value through a proposal is essential. According to Team Coaching International, “an effective proposal should accurately state the compelling need and your solution, highlighting the urgency and value of the coaching engagement.” This approach bridges the gap between your skills and your client’s needs, increasing the likelihood of securing new clients.
In this blog, you’ll discover how to build a flexible coaching proposal template tailored to your services. This approach will save you time while ensuring every proposal feels personalized and professional. From outlining your strengths to incorporating testimonials, you’ll learn how to make a proposal that stands out. Let’s dive in and transform how you present your coaching expertise!
What is a Coaching Proposal?

A coaching proposal is a document that outlines how your coaching services will help your clients move from where they are now to achieving their goals. It serves as a foundation for your collaboration, detailing the coaching process, session frequency, discussion topics, support materials, and costs. This proposal ensures clarity for both you and your client while acting as a reference for tracking progress and adjusting the coaching program as needed.
The coaching proposal template clarifies the services you’ll deliver and creates a professional and structured approach that builds trust and sets expectations for the coaching relationship.
Related: How to Create a Coaching Package that Sells
When Should You Send Your Coaching Proposal?
The ideal time to send your coaching proposal template is within 1-3 business days after your discovery session.
A discovery session is a valuable opportunity to evaluate mutual compatibility between you and your prospective client. It helps establish trust and clarity, ensuring alignment from both sides. By having a clear understanding of your ideal client profile, you can make the most of these conversations to leave a strong impression while assessing if the prospect fits your coaching approach. Think of it as a two-way street; just as the client evaluates you, it’s your chance to determine if they are someone you want to work with.
Once you’ve thoroughly understood your client’s needs and determined the appropriate package for them, it’s time to send your proposal. Afterward, you can seamlessly finalize the engagement by utilizing Simply.Coach’s digital contract feature. Simply.Coach allows you to create, manage, and send contracts directly through the platform, ensuring a quick and hassle-free process.
By combining your proposals with digital contracts, you can secure your client’s commitment and officially sign them up with ease.
If you’re proceeding with a written proposal, make sure to discuss your packages during the discovery session itself. This sets clear expectations and increases the likelihood of the client agreeing to move forward with you.
Your proposal template should be concise, clear, and focused on the client’s needs, reinforcing the benefits of your coaching services and making it easy for them to take the next step.
What Should Your Coaching Proposal Template Include?
Your coaching proposal template is more than just a sales document; it’s your opportunity to show clients how you understand their needs and plan to help them achieve their goals. A strong proposal includes essential elements that are tailored to each client, ensuring it resonates personally and professionally. Let’s break down what your coaching proposal should cover.
1. Address your client’s concerns
Start by reflecting on the discovery session you’ve had with your prospective client. This is where you show them you’ve listened to and fully understand their challenges. Use their own words to outline the problems they shared with you. Avoid overly formal or technical language; speak in a way that feels relatable and personal. For example, you might say to your client: “You mentioned feeling overwhelmed at work because you’re constantly juggling tasks and never getting time to focus on what really matters. Let’s explore how we can create more balance and clarity for you.”
This not only demonstrates your attentiveness but also sets the stage for the solutions you’ll propose.
2. Define desired outcomes and benefits
Clearly state the results your coaching program will deliver. Align these desired outcomes with the goals your client discussed during your initial meeting. Focus on the benefits they’ll gain from your coaching, such as improved performance, clarity, or achieving specific milestones in their careers or personal lives. While being specific, avoid diving into granular session details or timelines at this stage; save those for later.
Include key milestones your client can expect to achieve and highlight your unique value as a coach.
3. Include testimonials and social proof
Social proof builds trust and credibility. Incorporate short, relevant testimonials or positive reviews from your past clients who faced similar challenges. This reinforces your ability to deliver results and reassures the prospect that others have benefited from your coaching. Keep testimonials concise, and provide a link to your website or portfolio for additional client reviews if applicable.
4. Detail your coaching packages
Present a tailored coaching package based on your client’s needs. Include specifics such as:
- The number of sessions
- Duration and frequency of sessions
- Any included assessments or materials
- Additional support like email check-ins or community access
Clearly outline pricing and payment terms to avoid any confusion. While it’s best to propose one customized package to emphasize that it’s been designed specifically for them, you can also provide a couple of alternative options if necessary. Transparency in this section builds trust and sets clear expectations.
5. Outline the next steps
Provide clear instructions on what happens after they’ve reviewed your proposal. Outline steps for booking the first session, signing the agreement, and making the payment. Using tools like Simply.Coach can simplify this process, enabling your clients to handle contracts, invoicing & payments, scheduling and their workspace under one roof. The easier you make this process, the more likely they’ll commit.
6. Set a deadline
Adding a deadline to your proposal creates urgency and sets boundaries as a professional. It’s not about pressuring the client but about managing your time and resources effectively. You can ask them to confirm by a specific date to secure their spot at your current rate or indicate when the offer expires. This approach helps you work with clients who are decisive and committed to making progress.
7. Leave room for questions
End your proposal by inviting your clients to ask any questions they might have. This demonstrates approachability and ensures they feel supported throughout the process. If certain questions come up frequently, consider including an FAQ section in future proposals to address common concerns and streamline communication.
A simple way to go through this process is to answer these key questions, mentioned below, to build a strong foundation for your proposal:
- What specific services does your coaching package provide?
- Which area of the coaching industry does your expertise shine in?
- What are your primary objectives for working with clients?
- Who is your ideal client, and what challenges do they face?
- What steps does your coaching process include to achieve results?
- What problems are your potential clients hoping to solve?
- Can your services effectively address and resolve their issues?
By answering these questions, you’ll be able to craft a coaching proposal template that speaks directly to your client’s needs while clearly outlining the value you bring.
Also read: The BEST Coaching Contract Template to Use
Why personalization matters
The key to a successful coaching proposal template lies in personalization. Tailor every proposal to reflect the unique goals, challenges, and aspirations of your client individually. This extra effort demonstrates your investment in their success and positions you as a coach who genuinely cares about their growth.
When all these elements are combined thoughtfully, your coaching proposal becomes more than a document; it becomes a compelling invitation to embark on a transformative journey with you.
Use a strong Call to Action (CTA)
Every coaching proposal template needs a clear, actionable conclusion. Without a strong CTA, even the most well-written proposal may fall flat. Instead of leaving your client wondering what to do next, guide them with a direct and compelling action step.
Your CTA should motivate your potential client to act immediately. Use confident, action-oriented language like “Sign up today,” “Schedule your first session,” or “Get started now.” This leaves no ambiguity about how they can move forward with your services.
While multiple CTAs can be used in a proposal, a single, well-placed and powerful CTA is often more effective. End your proposal with clarity and purpose, ensuring your client knows the next steps to begin their coaching journey with you.
Common Mistakes to Avoid in a Coaching Proposal Template

Writing a coaching proposal template can feel like a balancing act, but avoiding these common mistakes will help you craft a document that resonates with your clients and drives results.
1. Overly sales-focused approach
Your clients can spot insincerity a mile away, and no one wants to feel like they’re being pushed into a sale. Authenticity is crucial in coaching. Instead of trying to “sell” your services, focus on building a connection. Treat your potential client as a partner in the journey, not just another customer.
Be transparent about how your coaching works, what they can expect, and why you believe it’s the right fit for their goals. The right clients will appreciate your honesty and choose you because of your genuine approach, not flashy promises.
2. Vague or impersonal proposals
A common mistake is failing to clearly address your client’s specific concerns or articulate the unique solutions you provide. A vague proposal can leave your client feeling unheard, which undermines the trust essential for a strong coaching relationship.
Make your proposals specific and outcome-focused. Reference the concerns they shared during your discussions, and use testimonials and social proof, as mentioned, to illustrate the tangible results your coaching can deliver. By mirroring the language they use to describe their challenges, you demonstrate that you’ve truly listened to and understood their needs.
3. Forgetting to follow up
It’s easy to assume that silence equals rejection, but often, it’s just a case of your email being overlooked in a busy inbox. Following up is an important step in maintaining communication and showing that you’re genuinely interested in working with them.
A simple, professional follow-up message can make all the difference. For example:
“Hi [NAME], just checking in to see if you had a chance to review the coaching proposal. Let me know if you [CLIENT’s NAME] have any questions or need clarification—I’d love to discuss further!”
Send follow-ups strategically, keeping them brief and spaced out. A good practice is to send a follow-up before the deadline mentioned in your proposal and limit your outreach to two reminders.
Related: Essential Business Coaching Templates and Tools
Benefits of Using a Coaching Proposal Template
- Time-saving and efficient: A coaching proposal template provides a pre-built and fully formatted structure, sparing you the effort of creating one from scratch. You can focus on adding relevant content and tailoring it to fit your client’s specific needs.
- Clear and concise: The template strikes the right balance between including essential details and keeping it manageable. It gives an organized overview of your coaching program while allowing space for further discussions as needed.
- Professional appearance: With its polished design, a template helps you present your services in a way that reflects credibility and expertise. You can easily adjust the layout to align with your personal or business branding.
- Adaptable for various coaching styles: Whether your focus is life coaching, business coaching, executive coaching, or another niche, a versatile template can be customized to suit your approach and meet your client’s unique goals.
Use Simply.Coach’s Free Coaching Proposal Template
Streamline your onboarding process while still personalizing your coaching proposals for each client. A free coaching proposal template, like the one offered by Simply.Coach, helps you create professional documents in no time. Simply download the template, customize it with your business branding, and save it in a format that works for you. This way, you can focus more on connecting with your clients and less on administrative tasks while ensuring every proposal is polished and professional.
Download this Coaching Proposal Template.pdf to present your services professionally and streamline client onboarding. Grab your free copy now!

Using a well-designed coaching proposal template can streamline the creation process, ensuring consistency and professionalism. Tools that offer additional features like digital signatures, setting and tracking action plans, utilizing different forms and templates and integration with CRM systems can enhance efficiency and client experience.
Conclusion
Once you’ve presented your proposal, make the next steps clear and actionable. Let your prospective clients know how to proceed, whether it’s making their first payment, signing the contract, or booking their initial session with you. Include details about when and how they can contact you with questions, and consider adding an FAQ section to address common concerns upfront. You can also set a specific date for them to respond, ensuring both parties stay on track.
To make the entire process easier, use Simply.Coach’s free coaching proposal template. With features like digital signatures, client management tools, and customizable templates, you can streamline your workflow while maintaining a personal touch.
Schedule a demo or sign up for a free 14-day trial today and experience how Simply.Coach can assist you in client management and circulation of your newly created coaching proposal template.
FAQs
Q. How do you write a coaching proposal?
A. Start by clarifying the goal of your coaching services. Identify who will be involved, outline your process, and explain the benefits. Include relevant success stories or testimonials, provide a clear breakdown of the investment, and end with a strong call to action to encourage the next steps.
Q. What are the 3 C’s of proposal writing?
A. A great proposal is compliant, compelling, and complete. This means meeting any guidelines, presenting a strong and engaging case, and ensuring all necessary information is included.
Q. What makes a good written proposal?
A. A good proposal grabs attention from the start with your most important points. Use concise sentences and place key takeaways at the beginning of each section. Avoid burying critical information at the end.
Q. What is the best format for a proposal?
A. Follow a clear structure: start with a title page, include an executive summary, and provide background and objectives. Outline your approach, timeline, budget, and your qualifications or experience to build credibility.
Read More:
How to Create and Maintain a Coaching Log Template
How to Become a Certified Executive Functioning Coach?
6 Best Mindset Coach Certifications and Training Programs (2024)
Strategies for Conducting Great One-on-One Coaching Sessions
The Ultimate Guide to Executive Coaching Pricing in 2024
Crafting Effective Payment Policies for Your Coaching Business: A Guide with Examples
About Simply.Coach
Simply.Coach is an enterprise-grade coaching software designed to be used by individual coaches and coaching businesses. Trusted by ICF-accredited and EMCC-credentialed coaches worldwide, Simply.Coach is on a mission to elevate the experience and process of coaching with technology-led tools and solutions.