Why I Don’t Offer Free Consultations (And why that’s actually better for you)

It’s common practice across coaching, consulting, and other service industries to offer free consultations. You’ve probably encountered them before—maybe even expected them. So when people ask me why I don’t offer free consultations, it’s a fair question, and it deserves a fair answer.

The short version is this: I’ve found that free consultations misalign our incentives. So instead, I offer a discounted first coaching session— which I call Starter Sessions—to make sure we're both pointed in the same direction from the start.

The hidden problem with “free consultations”

On the surface, a free consultation sounds like the obvious way to start. You get a chance to talk to someone who might be able to help you, risk-free. But in practice, free consultations are just sales calls.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Businesses have to sell in order to survive, and a consultation is a useful way to determine fit. But it means that you and the service provider are focused on completely different things.

You show up hoping to get ideas, help, and support. The service provider, meanwhile, is focused on getting a sale. 

Why I stopped offering them

When I was just starting my coaching practice, I offered free consultations like everyone else. I needed to meet people, learn how to have those early-stage conversations, and figure out what kind of support people were really looking for. The practice was helpful for a while!

But as my business grew, I started to notice real problems.

• People would no-show, often without explanation or ever responding again
• The sessions were half-coaching, half-selling, but doing neither well
• I was constantly distracted, calculating how much to give away for free and when to pivot to selling, 
• I left feeling anxious about whether I'd get paid, instead of fulfilled by providing high quality support

I wasn’t showing up as my best coach. I was showing up guarded, distracted, and (if I’m being honest) a little resentful.

That’s not how I wanted to feel about my work or my potential clients.

So I made a change.

Enter: The Starter Session

I decided to test a different model. Instead of offering free consultations, I created a low-cost, one-time coaching session called the Starter Session. At first, the price point was very low—just enough to act as a commitment mechanism. And immediately, everything changed.

No-shows disappeared almost entirely. The people who booked were serious, motivated, and respectful of my time. And because I was being compensated, I no longer felt pulled between serving and selling. I could just focus on coaching. I showed up fully present, generous, and grounded fully in helping .

Over time, I raised the price to reflect the more of the true value of the experience. Today, a Starter Session is a 30-minute, focused coaching session for $99. There’s no sales pitch. Just real support, tailored to your needs, with a custom follow-up email that outlines how I’d recommend continuing—if you want to.

That last part is important. If the Starter Session gives you everything you need, I genuinely consider that a win. And it happens all the time. If you want to go deeper, you’ll have a clear plan to consider. But I never sell in a Starter Session. Even if you ask.

A values-aligned experience for both of us

Ultimately, I made this change because I want our first touchpoint to reflect the kind of relationship I build with all of my clients: one based on mutual respect and generous, focused support.

You want help. I want to help. Being compensated fairly allows me to joyfully give you everything I possibly cam in the session and ensures you get the most out of it.

A first session with me is real coaching, not a warm-up act for a sales pitch.

If that sounds like what you’re looking for, I’d love to work with you.

Book your Starter Session

It’s 30 minutes. It’s $99. It’s focused on you.
And it just might be the first step toward real change.