Published:

01/13/2014 02:48am

3 Things To Consider Before Starting A Group Coaching Program

Whether you're a new or seasoned coach you know how important it is to leverage your time and one of the best ways to do that is to start coaching people in groups instead of one on one which can be very limiting.

Here are 3 things you must have before you can run a successful group coaching program.

1. You Need To Have A Following

Offering group coaching is tempting because it's a lower priced option and seems like it would be easier to sell, especially when you're just started out. That's not usually the case though, when you start out you're usually getting leads one by one and filling a group can be difficult.

The reality is only a small percentage of your audience will want what you're selling at any given time and in order to have a group you need well... a group all at once!. So you need to build enough of an audience so that, that small percentage of people will fill your group.

Don't be discouraged though, because there are ways around everything! Even if you don't have a large audience yourself, you can still form joint venture partnerships and have other coaches refer their audience to your program.

Before you do that though, you'll want to read the next 2 things you need first.

2. Your Coaching Program Must Be Repeatable

Running a group coaching program is much different than a one on one client relationship. You are spending less individual time with your clients and they are doing more home study which means, your ability to customize the program based on their progress is limited.

I recommend starting out with offering one on one coaching until you've taken enough clients through your system that you know the most common pitfalls they run into, and also what parts of your program may need to have more clarification from the get go.

When you're planning your program it can seem to you like taking a client through it would be as easy as 1, 2, 3 but that isn't usually the case. What seems clear as day to you or easy to achieve in a short amount of time can be completely different depending on the client.

So by taking clients through the system on a personal basis you can work out the kinks and prepare for those pitfalls people might run into so you can start coaching in groups much easier.

3. You Need A Time Limit

Another common mistake coaches make when they try to start a group program is to run it on an ongoing basis. This doesn't usually work because in order to make sure everyone is moving through the process together you need to have a defined start and end date. And this means, you need to have a critical mass of people interested all at once time in order to get your group going.

The best way to prepare for this is by doing a "launch" for filling your group with established time limits for when they can enroll.

A launch involves doing a lot of promotion in a short amount of time to try to get the most signups all at once. This will help ensure that you get the multiple signups you need to actually run a group. This is also where you get your referral partners involved and have them promote the program during this set amount of time.

There is a lot that goes into a launch that is too much to talk about here, but the take away in this article is that you need to have a defined start date for the group and an organized promotion plan to fill it. Having an ongoing group program isn't feasible for most coaches unless they have a large client base already.

So there you have it, 3 pieces you must have in place if you are planning on starting a group coaching program. What has been your experience with running group coaching programs? Would you add anything to this list?

Holly Chantal is the founder of The Land of Brand, a website design and branding company for coaches and solopreneurs. Go to http://www.thelandofbrand.com and download a free video training on how to use your personality to create a unique brand - because your mom was right when she said you were special.