GroupCoachingSuccess - Amazon S3 · own coaching program is by taking a group of people through your system. #3 – The Format The third factor you need to determine is the format

GroupCoachingSuccess.com © Michelle Schubnel, 2019

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The 3 Most Proven and Profitable Group Coaching Models …and How To Choose The Best One For Your Business

By: Michelle Schubnel

Table of Contents

WELCOME! ............................................................................................................................................. 2

Why Coach Groups? ................................................................................................................................ 4

The 6 Critical Factors ............................................................................................................................... 5

#1 – Your Business Objective ............................................................................................................... 5

#2 – The Content ................................................................................................................................. 6

#3 – The Format .................................................................................................................................. 6

#4 – The Size ....................................................................................................................................... 6

#5 – The Duration and Structure .......................................................................................................... 7

#6 – The Investment ............................................................................................................................ 7

Proven and Profitable Group Coaching Model #1 .................................................................................... 8

Proven and Profitable Group Coaching Model #2 .................................................................................. 10

Proven and Profitable Group Coaching Model #3 .................................................................................. 13

Bonus Model - The Ongoing Coaching Group......................................................................................... 15

Which Group Coaching Model Is Best For You? ..................................................................................... 16

What’s Next? ........................................................................................................................................ 17


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WELCOME! Hello and thank you for downloading this quick E-Book. As you probably know, group coaching is an excellent way to expand your offerings and move beyond only coaching clients one-on-one, so that you can grow your business faster, serve more clients and make a lot more money in less time. PLUS… group coaching is a lot of fun! My name is Michelle Schubnel and since 2009 I’ve helped over a thousand coaches worldwide increase their impact and income by coaching groups… and I’ve seen just about every kind of group coaching model you can imagine. Over the years, I discovered what I believe are the 3 most proven and profitable group coaching models. Virtually every successful coaching group fits into one of these 3 models. Once I figured this out, I realized I needed to share this important and time-saving information to make it a lot easier for you to determine which type of group will work best for you and your business… …so you can quickly move forward and increase your impact and income by coaching groups. Plus, for each model, there’s a path for success and major pitfalls to avoid and I’ll be sharing those with you in just a little bit. In this E-Book you’ll also discover:

• The 6 Critical Factors you need to consider when choosing the best group coaching model for you and your business

• The typical duration and price points for each of the group models • How much content you really need to be successful with groups • The way to generate lots of new revenue, even if you’re running a low-priced group • And much more!


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Did you watch the short training video that goes with this E-Book? Having the correct business model could save you years of unnecessary effort, frustration and worry. So, I’ve carefully designed the combination of the training video and this downloadable E-Book to help you take the fastest route possible on your group coaching journey. Watch the video here: www.groupcoachingsuccess.com/ebook-video After you watch the video, please post a comment below the video and let me know which group coaching model you’re most excited about. And if you’ve received value from this eBook and the accompanying training video, please click the “Like” button to let me know. I’d really appreciate it! Last, but definitely not least, the #1 thing that keeps coaches from being successful with group coaching is not being able to fill them. So please join me in my upcoming Free Training Class…

“Fill Your Groups with Ease… Avoid The 3 Mega Mistakes Most Coaches Make

That Keep Their Group Programs Empty!” Get your seat in the free training here: www.groupcoachingsuccess.com/webinar. Okay, let’s jump in and take a look at the 3 most proven and profitable group coaching models… …So that you can choose the right one for your business. You rock,


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Why Coach Groups? Today more than ever, many different types of coaches - including life coaches, business coaches, executive coaches, corporate coaches, and all different kinds of niche coaches - are serving way more clients and making a lot more money in a lot less time by coaching groups. So why is group coaching so popular? For starters, group coaching allows you to bust through the income ceiling that you inevitably hit when you only focus on serving clients one-on-one. Instead, when you coach groups you can enjoy a truly unlimited earning potential! Along that same line, when you coach groups you get to reach and impact so many more people with your message and your gifts. Group coaching is also an excellent way to develop your credibility and expertise, grow your skills and build your business a lot faster. In fact, I would say that group coaching is a necessary step if you want to be seen as a leader in your area of expertise. Plus, clients often get better results and achieve bigger transformation in a group setting, in a way that can’t happen by only working privately with a coach. There’s the power of group accountability, the wisdom that’s in a group and the support of being in a community of like-minded peers. Not to mention that group coaching is a lot of fun! Out of all those reasons why coaches love coaching groups, which are you most excited about?

“I have been a health and wellness coach for almost 20 years and have conducted seminars and workshops for various organizations. What I really wanted to do was to reach my readers around world by conducting training programs online. Group Coaching Success gave me all the tools and resources to do my first online group coaching program only three weeks after the training started. The income I received for my group coaching program quickly paid for the investment I made in this course and more important, made a positive impact in the lives of the participants. Group Coaching Success met, and exceeded, my expectations. I highly recommend it.”

Fred Amir Founder, Health Solutions


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The 6 Critical Factors There are 6 critical factors you need to consider when selecting the best group coaching model for your business, so let’s walk through them… #1 – Your Business Objective This is a REALLY important factor and it’s a common mistake that coaches make. Sometimes, when a coach makes the smart decision to create a lucrative and leveraged business by coaching groups, they simply copy what they see another coach doing, without first considering their own unique business objective. So, I want you to ask yourself right now… What is your business reason for coaching groups? Do you want an easy, low price, entry-level way for people to experience you and your coaching and then be able to further support those clients through one-on-one coaching, a VIP day or a more comprehensive and higher-end group program? Is group coaching the main way that you want to work with clients? Would you like to coach groups in conjunction with something else you do in your business, such as offering a follow-on group program to a workshop or training, or as a way to support people going through your online program? Do you want to impact a lot more people and realize that there’s no way you can serve the number of folks you’re meant to reach if you only coach individual clients? Or perhaps you figured out that in order to make the income you desire in the amount of time you want to spend coaching you need a leveraged business where you’re coaching groups of people instead of only coaching clients one-on-one. Whatever it is for you is PERFECT! QUICK TIP: Take a minute right now and identify your business objective for wanting to coach groups. Write it down. Put it in your calendar. Record a voice memo. This is an easy step to overlook. So please remember to do this step!


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#2 – The Content The second factor you need to consider is what (if any) content to include in your group program. This factor is one of the things that keeps coaches from moving forward with groups… which is a shame. Want to know the real scoop? You don’t need a lot of content to have super successful coaching groups. The fact is, some coaches deliver little to no content, while other coaches have higher content groups where they actually provide some training as part of their group coaching program. QUICK TIP: If you like the idea of having your own signature system that you use as the foundation for your group program, go for it! In fact, one of the very best ways to develop and fine-tune your own coaching program is by taking a group of people through your system. #3 – The Format The third factor you need to determine is the format for your coaching group. Group coaching can be done in-person, virtually (by phone or online video conference) or you can even have a hybrid group where you have some in-person group sessions and some virtual group sessions. And while you do get to choose, it’s critical that you also consider which format your ideal participants prefer. QUICK TIP: The very best way to identify which format your ideal participants want is to ask! Do target market research, conduct some informational interviews. You’ll be blown away but what you discover. #4 – The Size Factor number four is your group size. This is another thing that’s wonderful about group coaching… your group can be as small or as large as you want. In fact, here’s my definition of group coaching:

“Group coaching is when you coach 2 or more people at the same time.”


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I’ve personally run groups as small as 5 and as large as 149 and they have all been amazing in their own way. A commonly held belief is that in order for a group to be successful and effective, the size needs to be limited. And while that’s certainly true for some types of group, that’s not the case across the board. The truth is, when you have the right tools and systems in place… AND you set the proper expectation up front, you can literally have hundreds of people in your group coaching program who will fall in love with you, your program and get great results. QUICK TIP: When determining your ideal group size, I recommend you set a minimum number of participants, your target number and your maximum, mind-blowing, number of participants. #5 – The Duration and Structure The fifth factor you need to determine is the duration and structure of your group. In other words, “How long will your group last and how frequently will you meet?” In the upcoming pages you’ll discover that the duration and structure of a group can really vary. So for now let, me share this with you… QUICK TIP: The shorter your group duration, the more frequently you need to meet. The longer your group duration the less frequently you need to meet. #6 – The Investment The sixth and final critical factor you need to determine is the investment. In the next part of this eBook when I walk you through the 3 most proven and profitable group coaching models I’ll give you some examples of how each group is typically priced. Ultimately, the most important thing you need to know about pricing is that YOU get to determine it! You choose your fees. And obviously how you price your coaching group has a huge impact on your bottom line. QUICK TIP: There are a wide variety of factors that determine pricing, but here’s a good rule of thumb for determining the monthly fee for your coaching group: Set the fee at about 1/3 – 1/2 the fee of your private 1-1 coaching.


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Proven and Profitable Group Coaching Model #1 The Quick and Easy Coaching Group

I love the quick and easy coaching group! It’s a fantastic way to get started with groups. A quick and easy coaching group is typically 4-6 weeks long. In a short duration group like this you’ll definitely want to meet every week. This kind of coaching group can be conducted in person or

by phone and a great size for this group is anywhere from 6-20 people. Of course, it could be much larger if you want! When it comes to pricing your quick and easy coaching group it’s smart to make your pricing attractive…. we’re talking a low to medium investment. Anywhere from $197 to $997 or more is a good price for this type of group. Because this group is typically priced on the lower side, you’re probably not going to make the big bucks from the quick and easy coaching group itself. BUT what you can do is use it as your low priced, entry level way for people to experience you and your coaching… …and then invite your group participants into 1-1 coaching, VIP Days, a more comprehensive premium group program, or anything else you want to offer! Here’s an example of how this looks:

Deborah offers a 4-week “Jumpstart Your Job Search Coaching Group” once per quarter. It’s a virtual group that she runs using Go-To-Meeting. The total investment for her month-long “Jumpstart Your Job Search Coaching Group” is $297. When she markets her group she includes a juicy bonus, a 1-1 coaching session with her. In that session, she invites participants to continue working with her privately and approximately 30% of her group participants sign up for either her 4-month private coaching package priced at $3,500 or her VIP Day priced at $1,950.


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Can you see that even though the quick and easy coaching group is not a huge revenue generator for Deborah on the front end, it’s a great way for her to get folks in the door, reach and serve a lot more people and then upsell her premium offerings? The other benefit of this group coaching model is that the people who participate in Deborah’s “Jumpstart Your Job Search” group become excellent referral sources so she always has new prospects for her 4-week group coaching program.

Does that make sense? Okay, before we move on, I want to share with you the #1 pitfall I see coaches make when implementing this model… …are you ready for it? BIG PITFALL: Not being clear and specific about the outcome of the group. In other words, you want the promise of your quick and easy coaching group to be focused on a specific result or outcome that your ideal clients desperately want.


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Proven and Profitable Group Coaching Model #2 The 8-10 Week Group Coaching Program

This is my personal favorite group coaching model. Here’s why… I love an 8-10 week duration for a group coaching program. It’s plenty of time to get to know your participants and for them to make measurable progress and get real results. It’s long enough so that it can be focused on solving a big problem or achieving an important outcome. When you run a longer group program that tackles a big problem you can command a nice fee for the 8-10 week group coaching program. An excellent point for this model is around $2,000. And depending on how you want to structure your lucrative and leveraged coaching business, one 8-10 week group coaching program could bring in a significant amount of revenue… freeing up a bunch of time for the other important things in your life. I mean think about it… If you wanted to, you could generate $100,000 in revenue from enrolling 50 participants in ONE 8-10 week group coaching program priced at $2,000 per person. The other thing that I love and is so awesome about this model is that as long as you structure it right, you can literally have hundreds and hundreds of participants! Imagine doing one 8-10 week group coaching program with 250 participants who pay you $2,000 each. That’s a half of million dollars in revenue! Even if it took you 3 months to market and fill the group and 3 months to coach that group, you could work for half the year, bring in $500,000 and then take the rest of the year off.


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Now of course, I don’t know you or your situation. Maybe you’re not interested in running a group with that many people, or you’ve got kids in school and it’s just not feasible to take a half year off. You could run two 8-10 week group coaching programs over the course of a year, charge $2,000 and get 25 participants for each and still generate six figures in revenue. The options are truly endless! As you can see, the business objective with this type of group is typically to bring in a significant amount of revenue and work with a potentially unlimited number of clients. Offering this type of coaching group works especially well if you are doing a launch style promotion or working with joint venture partners. When it comes to content, this model often has a medium to high amount of content. Of course there are always exceptions. But in general, there is usually some type of training component… In fact, it’s often what encourages participants to sign up. When you market this group well, you’re promoting not only the value of being coached, but the value and importance of going through a proven, step-by-step system. Many 8-10 week group coaching programs are conducted virtually, using a combination of teleconference or video-conference service and an online member area or content delivery system. Now, please don’t let that freak you out! For example, you don’t need to use video if you don’t want to… but more and more people are because it’s only getting easier, cheaper and it’s an excellent way to make a virtual group a lot more intimate. My goal in this E-Book is to open your eyes to what’s possible, and to get you inspired and excited. Always remember… YOU get to choose. You decide the details. There is not only “one right way to coach groups.” Yes, of course it’s important to know and follow best practices. But ultimately, you get to decide. There are a number of pitfalls you need to be careful of with this group model. And the one that really seems to trip a lot of coaches up is how to get the group to really connect, bond and support each other.


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The first way coaches mess this up is they don’t even realize how important this is to the success of their group, so of course they aren’t successful at doing it. It’s a classic case of you don’t know what you don’t know. Another way things go sideways is not giving participants what they really need so that they can connect and bond and support each other. Let me give you 2 steps to resolve this: #1 – Set the stage and get your participants buy-in for wanting to connect and support each other. This is something you should do in the very first session of your coaching group. #2 – Make it easy for participants to connect with each other. For example, you can use a private Facebook group or an online forum. One of the things I do that works really well, is I encourage the participants in my 10-week group coaching program to form small mastermind groups. And the key thing is, I not only suggest they do it, I teach them what to do to form their mastermind groups and provide specific guidelines and recommendations for running them. It works like a charm and it’s such an easy and powerful way to provide huge value to your participants without taking a lot of your time and effort!


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Proven and Profitable Group Coaching Model #3 The Big Ticket, High Commitment Coaching Group

This group coaching model is perfect for coaches who want to earn top dollar and lock in the majority of their coaching revenue for the year. This type of group typically lasts 6-12 months and often has in-person and virtual components. For example, it might include retreats or workshops, monthly group calls, online training and more. Of course, it can vary, so you can design your big ticket, high commitment coaching

group to include whatever will work best for you, your clients and your business. One of the keys to success for this model is that the coach needs to be seen as Subject Matter Expert who brings significant experience and expertise to the group. In addition to receiving support and accountability for progress on significant goals, participants are typically also looking for skill development, which is why this model usually has some type of training component. Participants sign up and invest considerable time and money to be part of a big ticket, high commitment coaching group based on a variety of reasons, including:

• The mentor’s experience and expertise • The promise and belief that through this process they will achieve their desired outcomes • That the systems and strategies they learn will shorten their learning curve and make

implementation a lot faster and easier • The benefits of being part of a supportive community of peers. It’s why the masterminding

component is often highlighted in this type of group… and for good reason – it works to be part of a dynamic community that is committed to one another’s success

The size for this type of group can be as small as 8-12 or as big as 50-100 participants or more! Often with larger groups, the mentor will have a team of people (other coaches, dedicated client care staff, etc.) to help the mentor run the group program and assist with providing support, coaching and guidance. The business purpose of this type of coaching group is to serve as the main revenue stream of a lucrative and leveraged coaching business, so the investment for this type of group is on the higher side and can range from $5,000 to $10,000 to $25,000 or more.


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In fact one of my colleagues charges $100,000 per year for her big ticket, high commitment year-long program. Can you see how incredibly lucrative this group coaching model can be? Like the other group models, there are a number of key factors you need to consider to be successful with this type of coaching group and the fact is there are some big pitfalls that can happen with this type of group if you don’t set things up right. Would you like me to share the two biggies? And what you can do to avoid these costly mistakes? Mistake #1 – Not prequalifying your participants. This is huge! In a longer group program, you definitely want to prequalify your participants to make sure they are a good fit. An easy way to do this is by having an application or interview process. Mistake #2 – Not preparing in advance for the inevitable “low” period just about every person experiences in a big ticket high commitment group program – especially if it’s a year-long group. The good news is you can totally avoid this pitfall by first, knowing that it happens and it’s normal so you don’t beat yourself up or think you’re a loser if it feels like your group is losing momentum. And second, you can plan for it and put specific strategies in place to counteract the lulls and keep your participants inspired and motivated even if they hit a road block. Let me give you an example of this type of group… Kerri’s Platinum Exchange Women’s Leadership Development Group. It’s a comprehensive, high impact, 6-month leadership development group that includes 4 in-person full-day workshops, a monthly group call, and a monthly one-on-one call. The investment is $5,500 per person and the group size ranges from 20-25 women. She earns between $110,000 - $137,000 per group and since she runs 2 groups at a time her groups bring in $220,000 - $275,00 in a 6-month period. Pretty sweet, huh? So what do you think, is this the type of coaching group you’d like to run in your business? Would you like to lock-in the majority of your coaching revenue for the year by running 1 or 2 coaching groups? If so this is an excellent group coaching model for you!


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Bonus Model - The Ongoing Coaching Group

Now before we move on I actually have a bonus model for you! Did you notice how the 3 models I just shared all run for a set period of time? The Quick and Easy Coaching Group typically runs for 4-6 weeks. The 8-10 Week Group Coaching Program typically runs for 8-10 weeks. And the Big Ticket, High Commitment Coaching

Group usually ranges anywhere from 6–12 months. Well, there’s another kind of group coaching model – the Ongoing Coaching Group. This type of coaching group is often used to support clients and customers in implementing some type of training, program or system. The Ongoing Coaching Group is typically offered as a membership or continuity program, where participants pay a monthly fee to access your materials and receive one or more group coaching calls per month. The PROs of the Ongoing Group Coaching Model #1 – This model can be very lucrative. Imagine having 100 members paying you $97/month, month after month. That one ongoing coaching group could generate a 6-figure income! #2 – Since the ongoing group coaching model is not a “program” with a set start date, participants can sign up at any time, which means you can have continuous, evergreen enrollment. #3 – Offering ongoing group coaching is an excellent way to add value and provide support and guidance if you have clients or students going through your online course or training. The CONs of the Ongoing Group Coaching Model #1 - Because people can join and leave whenever they want, it can be challenging to create group synergy, connection and momentum.


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#2 - When your participants are paying monthly and can discontinue at any time, your cash flow is less predictable. #3 - There’s often the constant pressure to create new content and materials so that people will want to stay in your group.

Which Group Coaching Model Is Best For You?

Okay, so now that we’ve gone through the 3 most profitable and proven group coaching models and the one bonus model, which one is most appealing to you? Are you new to group coaching and like the idea of starting with the quick and easy coaching group? Do you want to run a more comprehensive group and see yourself running an 8-10 week group coaching program? Are you more attracted to offering the big ticket, high commitment coaching group that can run for 6-12 months? Or perhaps you’re excited about the bonus model and want to run a coaching group in conjunction with an online training or membership site. As you think about this, remember there is no right or wrong. It’s about determining what you want, and what will work for you and your clients! And even though we’ve just reviewed the 3 most proven and profitable group coaching models… …I bet you still might have some questions or concerns about moving forward with group coaching. So in the next video and download in this group coaching training series, I’m going to walk you step-by-step through the 4 key areas you need to focus on to be successful with groups, and more importantly, how all those pieces work together. So keep an eye on your email in-box for the details! Because here’s the thing… When you make the decision to have a lucrative and leveraged coaching business, like we talked about in video #1 and you implement one of these proven group coaching models in your business, everything changes.


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You no longer need to be constantly marketing and searching for clients, you can take back control of your time and schedule because you no longer need to spend all of your time on the phone coaching clients, and you can bust through the income ceiling that’s inevitable when you’re stuck with only trading your time for dollars with a traditional 1-1 coaching practice.

What’s Next?

Before we conclude, I want to share 3 important things with you. #1 – I appreciate you for downloading and reading this E-book. It tells me you’re serious and committed to your business and that you want to make a bigger impact and income by coaching groups, which is awesome! #2 - There is no such thing as an overnight success. Everyone starts somewhere. If you love the idea of having a big ticket, high commitment coaching group, but you are brand new, the best thing you can do is to get started. Set the intention and then take inspired action. Don’t let where you are now keep you from where you want to go, okay? #3 - Out of the different group coaching models that I shared with you today, which one feels like the best fit for you and your business right now? And are there any that you envision offering in the future? I’d love to know! Please post a comment on this page and tell me which group coaching model you’re most excited about: www.groupcoachingsuccess.com/ebook-video


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While you’re there, I recommend you watch the training video I made that goes with this E-Book. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of the group coaching models and be able to better choose the best one for your business. Watch the training video here: www.groupcoachingsuccess.com/ebook-video Also, if you have any questions or comments about what I’ve covered in this E-Book or in the training video you can also post them on the above page. Lastly, if you haven’t already, be sure to reserve your seat in my free training class…

“Fill Your Groups With Ease… Avoid The 3 Mega Mistakes Most Coaches Make That Keep Their Group Programs Empty!”

The fact is, the #1 thing that keeps most coaches from being successful with groups is not being able to fill them. So be sure to get in on this training so you can discover the big mistakes to avoid and what you can do differently so that you can fill your groups with ease every time. Reserve your spot here: www.groupcoachingsuccess.com/webinar I look forward to seeing you there. You rock!

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GroupCoachingSuccess - Amazon S3 · own coaching program is by taking a group of people through your system. #3 – The Format The third factor you need to determine is the format