A Beginner’s Guide on How to Create a Group Coaching Program
Ever wanted to coach or mentor more people with your skills, but you're already too busy with one-on-one clients? Creating an online group coaching program is the ideal way to share value, build connection, and provide custom guidance for multiple people, which amplifies revenue without taking more of your time.
What is a Group Coaching Program?
An online Group Coaching Program is where you work with a group of people on a specific topic or problem over a set period of time. It's a more affordable option for those who may not be able to afford 1-on-1 coaching, and it allows them to benefit from the support and accountability of a group.
And the beauty of an online Group Coaching Program is that you and your group can meet without added travel costs.
How a Group Coaching Program Can Lead to a Course
A successful and high-demand group coaching program can eventually be turned into an evergreen course that can be sold at any time. Your recorded coaching calls and lessons can be edited and optimized into video lessons that students can consume at their own pace.
Why create a Group Coaching Program?
A Group Coaching Program has several unique benefits for both you and your clients.
Reach more people with a more affordable price: Group Coaching appeals to more people because they can access your expertise and guidance at a more affordable price compared to 1-on-1 coaching.
Easier to upsell other products: Once Group Coaching clients have a taste of what it’s like to work with you, it’s much easier to upsell products that provide continued support - such as courses, higher ticket 1-on-1 coaching packages, or other group programs.
More interactive & community focused: Compared to a self-paced, pre-recorded course, Group Coaching offers a more hands-on, interactive experience. You’re able to host live coaching calls, facilitate group discussions, and provide individual feedback, which all contribute to building a tight-knit community around your brand.
Now that you know why you should create a Group Coaching Program, how do you get started creating your very own coaching program?
12 Key Steps To Create & Sell Your Group Coaching Program
Identify your target audience and their needs. Determine who your program is designed for and what specific problems keep them up at night. Narrow down which problems your program will solve.
Create a program outline. This includes outlining a high-level framework you can teach through a series of topics that are broken down into bite-sized lessons. Also, identify discussion prompts that invite participants to share their experiences and feedback with the group.
Grow your audience. With a clear audience and outline defined, start sharing content to grow an engaged email list. Create a lead magnet related to your program topic, then share it on social media and during networking events. Growing your audience should always be happening in the background so you have people to sell to when you’re ready to launch your program. Click here for more about growing your email list.
Choose the delivery format. Decide how you will teach your topics and lessons: Will you deliver the content as live video calls, pre-recorded videos, or a combination of both? Will you include additional materials and resources to complement certain lessons?
Determine the length and frequency of your program: Decide on the number of weeks or months your program will run - common lengths are 3, 6 or 12-month programs. Also, decide how often you'll meet with your group: weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly?
Create your program content and materials. Design slides, workbooks, and any other materials you will use to teach. If you’re including pre-recorded videos, this includes recording and editing videos. IMPORTANT: You don’t have to create everything prior to selling your program, but it’s helpful to have Week 1 content ready to go so you feel prepared.
Set your price: Determine how much you will charge for your program. Then decide if you want to offer payment plans in addition to a pay-in-full option.
Choose a platform for hosting your program. An online course platform organizes and stores teaching materials and replays of your group coaching calls. Coaches commonly host and record the live coaching call on Zoom, where they can screen share, chat with participants, and launch breakout rooms for smaller group discussions. Afterwards, they upload the recording to a course platform for students to access later. I recommend and use New Zenler, an all-in-one platform for courses and group programs.
Design and build a sales page. A high-converting sales page conveys the value of your program and lets visitors pay and checkout after choosing one of your payment options. (New Zenler includes a sales page builder.)
Plan how to promote and market the program. You need what’s called a LAUNCH PLAN which sets the objectives, launch timeline, marketing strategy and content strategy to get your program in front of ready buyers. Discover how to Create Your 90-Day Launch Plan In 90 Minutes here.
Launch your program! Let your audience know your Group Coaching Program is open for enrollment. Enrollment is typically open between 1-2 weeks. During the launch, be available to answer questions and host live events to raise awareness and hype for your program.
Deliver your program. This is the BEST part! Once all the selling is done, over the next few months you’ll get to focus on connecting with your group and guiding them through amazing transformations.
Now that you know how to create an effective group coaching program, it’s time for you to get started!
About the Author
Hi, I’m Klara Cu, CEO of Conquer the Digital Empire, a creative studio for coaches and consultants who want to launch their own digital products.
I love the interactive, community-focused aspects that define group coaching programs. During the live coaching calls, you’re able to provide valuable insight and still give individualized feedback within the group setting (a better way to leverage your time).
The best part?
You’ll also build a supportive community where relationships blossom and participants continue to support each other even after the program is over.
Want more in-depth and ongoing support to create your own coaching program?
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In my 12-week group coaching program, I work with a small group of Knowledge Entrepreneurs who want to add digital products to their business, so they can scale beyond 1-on-1 client work and share what they know with more people.
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