SHOWNOTES
In this episode, I share my own experiences of joining and starting a group coaching program including:
The key steps I make when I started my group coaching program
What we do in my VIP Accelerator group
Benefits of joining a coaching program
You don’t have to be an expert to start a coaching program
How to set up your own similar type of programs even you don’t have a large audience yet
And many others
RESOURCES
Voxer (Walkie talkie app)
VIP 90 Day Accelerator Application
TRANSCRIPT
00:08 Hey there, Jen here. Today I wanted to talk today about group coaching from two perspectives, as a participant, and as a facilitator. So from the facilitator’s perspective, this is not something I ever thought I would do. In my early days of business I started as a consultant, and I didn’t really love that, and since then had grown my business with information products like online courses and my membership site, Front Row VIP.
00:38 But my coach suggested that I consider it. He thought I might enjoy it and that it would be a great way to add a new revenue stream, So I opened up 10 spots for this pilot program and charged $2,000 per person for a 90-day program and in that program I included one-on-one strategy calls and group calls.
01:01 So once somebody signed up I would send them a very detailed intake form that helped me to learn as much as I could about them and their businesses: their goals, their challenges, their values... then we would have our first strategy session one-on-one to lay out a plan of action for their next 90 days.
Read more...
01:18 This was a really detailed plan that we constructed together. We set
benchmarks for their goals, we set deadlines, and we created a detailed
list of steps that needed to happen. Then, each week we came together as
a group to share any wins we've had over the week and any struggles or
questions that came up and then they set their action items for the week
ahead. At the end of the month, I would meet with each person again one
on one to evaluate where they were in regard to the plan we had initially
laid out.
01:51 It's at this point where we may need to Pivot based on feedback that naturally happens when you start to take action on a project or work through any kinks or issues. We continued like this for the rest of the 90 days meeting one-on-one at the end of each month and to my surprise, I not only brought in significant new revenue into my business I learned that I really liked working with my clients in this format, and as it turns out they really liked it too. I loved being part of the incredible work they are doing. I’ve helped them launch membership sites from scratch, create their live events, their courses, and reach their revenue goals.
02:37 I've launched this program which I call the VIP 90-day accelerator 4 times now. Several of the people who were with me for the first iteration are still with me in this program. I've added some fun extras, like Voxer support so that everyone can contact me during the week if they run into any roadblocks or need help with anything. I've also added a live content creation Workshop that is included in the price of the program so we can all come together and meet in person to create a full three months worth of strategic content in one day. Actually, that’s a bonus that I've added for this current session of the Accelerator.
03:26 But now I want to talk about the benefits of being a participant in a program like this. So I am in a program very similar to the one that I run with my coach, Ron Reich, who is incredibly brilliant and really just a lovely person who I respect and admire very much. he's created a community that for me has become invaluable. So just like in my own Accelerator, he offers one-on-one strategy calls but the bulk of our time together is spent as a group. We have 2 calls a week and it’s a place where I can go when I get stuck with anything and know that there are people there who are going to have a solution. I've also been able to find joint venture partners and new clients. It’s where I go to receive encouragement, commiseration and inspiration when I need it.
04:19 So now let's go back to discussing group coaching as a new revenue stream in your business because I have had such success with my accelerator program I have been sharing this with my own students and clients and helping them to set up their own similar type of programs. and this is especially great for people who don't really have a large audience yet. So for example, one of my accelerators Aryan has no website no real mailing list to speak of but she does have a small Facebook group where people come to listen to her awesome live streams. We decided to set up a small group coaching program for her to see how that might go because she loves working in that setting anyway.
05:02 She didn't have to do a big launch. she didn't have to send out an email blast. all she did was reach out to women in her Facebook group who she had identified as people she thought she could help. She created a simple application using Google form but it all just started with a simple Facebook message on messenger. so it looks something like this...she’d send an audio message and say something like “Hey Sally this is Arianne. I just want to let you know that I'm putting together a small pilot program, a group coaching program, where I'm going to be working with women to help them XYZ I know that you've been working on your ABC business and I really think that this is a program that might be perfect for you. if you'd like more information just let me know and I'll send you a link.”
05:47 So this voice message that Arianne left was really personable and really warm and she reported that it felt very doable for her. she didn't feel awkward or salesy or anything like that. when people replied to say that yes they were interested, Aryan sent them a link to a very simple landing page and in fact because she has no landing page software we just put this together on a free platform called spark.adobe.com and on that page it listed the specifics of how the program would work the cost of the program and then the call to action on the page was “If you're interested in reserving your spot click here to send me an email” and then they would send her an email and then she would send them a link to her PayPal. And that is how she filled up her first group coaching program.
06:42 So this method is really such a relief to so many people who really don't love launching or if you don't have a big list. and the thing is, it is absolutely scalable, especially in the beginning. so Ariens started with six women at a certain price point. let's say she started at $1,000 a person and six people so that was $6,000. but next time Aryan offers this, she now has testimonials and real case studies. She can now easily double the price she can double the number of participants. if Arianne reaches a point where she doesn't want more than let's say 12 participants in any one group she could easily launch a second group that meets on a different day if she was interested.
07:24 The other benefit as an entrepreneur of Hosting these small group coaching programs is that the next point of scale is that you now have an audience of people who have proven results. You’ve developed a deep working relationships with these people. now they might be ready for your higher level mastermind or your one-on-one coaching or maybe a live retreat that you're hosting.
07:45 Now you might be thinking oh gosh I don't feel like I am an expert enough at whatever it is that you're doing but here's the thing. You don't have to be the world best such and so. you just need to be able to ask yourself this question: Can I help this person? and if the answer is yes then you are expert enough. Sometimes you only have to be a couple of steps ahead of the person.
08:08 And a large part of why these groups are so successful is because it goes beyond you and your expertise. as I said earlier, my coach is a genius. he gives us great information. But stay in his group not just because of him but because of the other people who are in the group, and all of the value that they bring.
08:28 And finally, accountability is huge. This is built into a program like this.
Most of us do not need more information. we have gobs of information out
there. we can Google something or find a YouTube video on just about
any subject under the Sun, but to have a group that you have to check-in
with each and every week on your progress with your wins and your
losses... Well, that's huge. And as solopreneur working in front of a
computer in an office all by your lonesome. Well, a group like this becomes
a lifeline to the outside world.
Are you currently hosting a group coaching program or have you been part of a group coaching program? What has worked? What hasn’t worked?
Let me know in the comments below or send me an email me at jennifer@jenlehner.com
Twitter: @jenrgy
Instagram: @jen_lehner
