124: The 3 Steps To Successfully Go From 1:1 to Group Coaching
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Today, we're going to talk about how we can take three very important steps to go from 1:1 or private coaching, to group coaching. The way we're going to do it is that you're not going to have to go back to one to one if you don't want to.
How did you know you were ready for a group program, Allison?
The year was 2020, and I had about 10 hours of 1:1 coaching on my calendar each week. It was exhausting for sure, but it was also COVID, and I was sharpening my coaching skills and really loving seeing my client results. It’s like when you know something has to change in the future, but you just don’t want to change it now, kind of thing.
One Friday night I was particularly tired and went to pour a glass of wine. As I started to reflect on my week, I realized that I had taught the same concept (how to network in other FB groups) about 3 times that week, to 3 different people. No wonder I was pouring that glass to the top! I wasn’t being as efficient with my time as I wanted to be - regardless of whether it was COVID or not.
It was at that point that I knew I needed to pay more attention to how to create a group program - but a good one that was results-driven.
Group Coaching Programs are Beneficial to the Client and the Coach
We've talked a lot on this show about the benefits of a group coaching program for your clients, but also for you, too. So for example, when you heard of a group coaching program for the first time, you probably were told that group programs are ways you can help more people at the same time, make more impact, save you time because you're showing up for one call a week five one to one client calls per week.
For your clients, the benefits are that it’s a more accessible way to work with a coach, get some support, and get results, while doing it with a community of other people. The value of bringing community together cannot be overstated. There are so many tentacles with all the different ways that a community inside your offer can help somebody and the results that it can have. It's really literally not possible to put a finger on how important community is.
So you created this program because you heard of all these amazing benefits. And you run your program. And then you're wondering where all the time you wanted to save went! Because sometimes we feel like we've been working long and hard on one program. So isn't 1:1 maybe a little easier, maybe we know our clients a little bit deeper, and we can just sort of personalize their journeys.
Private Coaching Is Not Always The Answer
One to one is not always the answer, if you want your business to be around for a long time. So if you want to sustain a business, if you want to actually enjoy the fruits of your labor, if you want to actually profit: it's just not going to be the answer for the long term. There's just going to be a ceiling on your income and your impact. And if you love doing one to one and you're getting the results? The good news is that's what you need for success in a group program! If you are getting results with one to one, that’s the first step to making sure that your group program will be successful.
This FREE workbook takes you through these three steps that are a companion to the episode!
Collect Client Results
The first step in going from one to one to group successfully is to collect client results.We want to collect about three to five clients that you have worked with, typically in a one to one capacity.
How do you know which ones to pick? Make sure one filter would be that the clients should have had some kind of results. Even if they vary in results, they should have all had some kind of result coming out of working with you. Next, choose clients that have similar needs in terms of mindset and strategy. What were some thoughts that they had that you could sort of read between the lines and ascertain that maybe they had similar mindset issues? And what are some strategies that you may be employed with all of them that are similar? For example: if you're a business coach, and you had to employ visibility strategies, or offer strategies, or ideal client strategies.
Once you’ve chosen those three to five clients, you're going to answer a few questions about each client. Now this is laid out in your workbook for you, but I'm gonna go deep into this with you right now, too.
The goals of the client
What drew them to working with you - what did they say on the discovery call?
How long did they spend time in your audience? Were they referred to you? If so, what did the referral person say? Why did they think that you would make a good fit?
What did they want to accomplish?
What did you actually work on together?
What results did they get?
Were there any patterns, common struggles, blocks that came up along the way?
As a bonus, I want to offer you time to reflect on what worked best in terms of your relationship with the client. How did they like to be coached? Take this time to reflect on what worked best for you and that client in terms of sort of getting through to them, and really having that clarity in that relationship.
Download your FREE Workbook - From 1:1 to Group: Create a Successful Coaching Program in 3 Steps
Put The Data Together and Synthesize
The second step is to synthesize the data that you have. So you're going to take those three to five clients and look for some patterns. This can look like similar words that you wrote, similar phrases, similar thoughts, or similar goals.
The goal of this step is to create patterns.Patterns, or repeatable steps that you're already doing in your client work. You can lay out these pages next to each other, take a highlighter or something that you can circle. If you see something written twice, start there.
Here's what we're looking for: what you help clients with (things that you've repeatedly worked on), the steps they took to get there, and if it’s different from client to client, how so? We are also looking for where they needed to be when they started working with you. What did they already know, or were able to do, that allowed them to take the next step to working with you.
P.S. When I did this exercise for myself, I came up with a “pre-step” that everyone either had, and got better results, or didn’t have and it was a theme of what we worked on together. That pre-step became something I turned into mini offers, masterclasses and workshops - because it attracted people that needed my help, but also needed to have the quick win of this pre-step first!
Download your FREE Workbook - From 1:1 to Group: Create a Successful Coaching Program in 3 Steps
Create Your Bread & Butter Group Coaching Offer
In this last step, we are creating the framework for your group coaching offer! You have synthesized the data and you are clear on what steps need to be taken to get the result (and where the potholes are along the way as well!).
I love this step because it also removes the fluff: the unnecessary things your client doesn’t need, might just overwhelm them, and add to the pressure of getting results.
This is what I like to call the bread and butter offer. Because when you have a framework that's already working for your one to one clients, you can create a kick ass group program. You can repeat results for more people over and over again… so this group program becomes your bread and butter.
At the end of this step, not only will you have a clear framework for your group program, but you'll be able to explain it. That is a gift when it comes to marketing and messaging. Because a lot of times we end up talking about the features: how many calls, co-working, etc. We want to actually talk about the benefits: what you’ll know, do and feel once you get through the steps.
People want to know what’s in it for them - if you’re a travel agent, you know not to bore people with the plane reservations, you know to talk about how it’s going to feel when they sink their feet into the sand on the beach, and get a lounge chair to read their book by the pool, etc. Think of it that way when you want to market your features inside your offer.
There are three really important factors for each part of your offer that you’ll lay out in this step.
1.What the client will be able to know after each step.
2. What the client will be able to do after each step.
3. How will the client feel after each step.
When this step is done, you’ll be able to use it as your marketing plan for your program because it's so powerful to be able to tell someone what's going to happen at each level, and know when they're going to need a safety net, and know where they can sprint.
For you as the coach, this is also how you know what resources to plug in and you’ll be able to ward away over-educating your group coaching clients.
Download your FREE Workbook - From 1:1 to Group: Create a Successful Coaching Program in 3 Steps
Recap of the 3 Steps To Go From 1:1 to Group Coaching Programs
Let’s recap:
Client case studies
Synthesize the data
Create your Bread & Butter offer
Download your FREE Workbook - From 1:1 to Group: Create a Successful Coaching Program in 3 Steps
Grow Your Group Program From The Inside Out
If your group program is up and running, but you know you could acquire some new skills in how to run your group calls better, how to train your clients better, or how to make your program more profitable, this is a 4-week group program that would be perfect for you. I am accepting applications now, and we start in May with a kick-off call in April.
CONNECT WITH ALLISON:
Book a FREE Get Your Group On 20 minute strategy call!
Join my FREE Masterclass, Why Most Group Coaching Programs Don’t Get Results (And How To Fix It This Year)