If I coached you for three hours at $500, is that better than my neighbor’s two hours at $400?
You could calculate that her hourly rate is higher, but mine costs more overall.
But that’s a trap. This isn’t about math.
The real question is: who will make the biggest impact on the problem you’re facing, and is the problem bad enough to invest $400–500 to solve it?
That’s what this comparison comes down to—not hours.
Rate cards are standard pricing menus that let clients compare your prices with competitors. If you’re comparing two items that are roughly equivalent in value, this works.
When it comes to problem-solving, the whole idea of “rate cards” collapses.
Because you have no idea who my neighbor is or how her expertise stacks up against mine when it comes to your needs.
That means the data about hourly “coaching” rates is 100% useless on its own.
It’s entirely possible that one of us could do more for you in half an hour than the other can do in six hours. At that point, trying to compare us like we sell beers is damaging to everyone involved—including you.
It’s easy to check if rate cards make sense for your industry. Ask yourself: Is the delivery of my service entirely clear-cut, like “have I delivered a beer or not”? If that doesn’t make sense, then industry-wide standardized pricing isn’t meant for you.
Stop playing the wrong game.