Pitch coaching: what to budget and how to compare offers
By Léo BarcetPublished Updated 4 min read
You have a fundraise, a demo day or a panel in a few weeks, and you wonder what real coaching costs. This guide publishes no price: prices change, and mine are always current in the programs section. It gives you what matters for comparing: what makes a coach's price vary, what each format brings, and the questions to ask before you sign.
The three families of offers
Pitch and public speaking coaches generally offer three formats.
| Format | What you get |
|---|---|
| One-off session (1 h) | An expert eye, priorities, immediate corrections |
| Pitch coaching (a few hours) | Structure, script, rehearsals, question preparation |
| Speaker program (10 h and more) | Several talks, keynote, follow-up over months |
| Group workshop (incubator, school) | A half-day or a day for a cohort |
Price gaps between coaches are large. Tutoring marketplaces often show lower hourly rates, but for very varied profiles, rarely specialized in pitching. Always ask what is included before comparing two amounts.
What really makes the price vary
1. Writing the script
This is the biggest difference between two offers. Some coaches only work on presence: voice, posture, nerves. Others write the pitch with you. A three-minute script that sounds good out loud takes several hours of work outside the sessions. If the offer does not say who writes, ask.
2. The number of rehearsal hours
A pitch is judged standing up, out loud, with someone in front of you. A single session shows you what is wrong. It takes several for the text to disappear and for you to really speak. In the theatre this is called "going from text to play", and it does not happen in an hour.
3. Preparing for questions
In front of investors, the pitch lasts a few minutes. The questions often last longer. Good coaching spends time on the tricky questions: the numbers you do not master, the competition, the valuation. That is often where everything is decided.
4. Follow-up until the big day
A last rehearsal the day before, a debrief after the meeting: follow-up costs little time and brings a lot of confidence. Check whether it is included.
5. The coach's background
Former investor, consultant, actor, trainer: each profile brings something different. A former investor knows what a panel expects. An actor knows how to deliver a text and handle nerves. Ideally, know what you are missing most before choosing.
My programs, no mystery
I publish my prices, because a prospect who has to ask for a quote to find out whether they can afford it loses time. They are in the programs section, with the payment options. Here is what each program contains:
- Essentials: one 60-minute session. A diagnostic of your pitch, a first tailored structure, and a written sheet of your three priorities. Its price is credited toward The Pitch if you continue within 30 days.
- The Pitch: 5 hours of coaching, your script written for you (2 to 5 minutes), two rounds of revisions, the full S.C.E.N.E. method, recordings of your sessions and 15 days of follow-up.
- The Speaker: 10 hours of coaching, a keynote or speech of up to 45 minutes, then a 30-minute check-in every week for 3 months.
- The Pitch Workshop for incubators and schools: a half-day for up to 12 founders, with individual feedback for each of them.
Everything is online, and the first meeting is a free diagnostic, with no commitment.
How not to overpay
Before signing, ask these five questions:
- Who writes the pitch? You alone, the coach, or both?
- How many hours of out-loud rehearsal? Not slide reading: rehearsal.
- Are the panel's questions worked on? With real questions, asked without warning?
- Are the sessions recorded? Watching yourself is the fastest way to improve.
- What happens if it does not suit you? A clear guarantee says a lot about the coach's confidence in the work. Mine: a 30-day money-back guarantee after the end of the program, on a reasoned request (conditions in the terms).
What if the budget is tight?
Start with what has the most effect:
- One well-used session. Arrive with your pitch filmed and your deck. One hour is enough to spot the two or three changes that will make the difference.
- Your incubator's resources. Some run free pitch sessions. Use them for the basics, then keep one-to-one coaching for the final stretch.
- Film yourself. It is free and brutal. Watch the video once with sound, once without: you will see everything your body is saying for you.
To go further on the substance, read how to make a pitch, step by step and how to handle nerves before a pitch.
To go further, read how to structure an investor pitch and the questions investors ask after a pitch.
