If you’re a passionate coach looking to expand your reach and amplify your impact, starting a group coaching program could be the perfect avenue for you.

Not only does it allow you to leverage the power of group dynamics, but it also offers a unique opportunity to guide and inspire a community of like-minded individuals toward their goals.

In this article, we will discuss the best models for structuring a group coaching program and the factors you need to consider before creating and launching a coaching program.

Whether you’re a seasoned coach seeking to diversify your offerings or a newcomer eager to make a difference, this article will equip you with the insights and knowledge you need to confidently begin your group coaching journey.

But first, let’s start with the basics.

What is a Group Coaching Program?

A group coaching program is a learning/teaching model that involves a group of people coming together with a shared objective or desire for personal or professional growth.

The focus of a group coaching program can vary depending on the needs and goals of the participants. It can cover various areas of life, such as career development, personal relationships, health and wellness, leadership skills, or specific challenges individuals may face.

The program may include activities, exercises, and assignments designed to deepen understanding, promote self-reflection, and encourage action.

Clients in a group coaching program may go through the program simultaneously or at their own pace. They typically meet regularly over a defined period, such as weeks or months, either in person or virtually.

Many coaches like to offer one-on-one coaching services. But in the long run, it becomes unsustainable. There are only a few hours per day and how long can you really offer one-on-one sessions for?

That’s what makes group coaching important.

Think of it as the after-school lesson you had to get with a couple of students to help you ace your exams.

Remember the teacher?

Doing that helps him serve more students and reduce the time spent on each student.

In a coaching program, the structure and format of the program are carefully crafted to create a space where participants can engage and learn.

How to Structure a Group Coaching Program: Models to Use

There are various models for structuring a group coaching program. However, it’s best to choose a model that works for you and your audience.

Most group coaching programs follow any of these coaching models;

• The cohort-based model
• The program model
• The membership model

All three models provide an easy way to coach your clients. However, they all come with their required level of time and attention. Let’s look at each model in detail.

1. The cohort-based model

Cohort learning is a learning format where students learn in groups and go through the course curriculum together.

For example, think back to all the times you were in the university, you learned the same thing with your other classmates. You all worked on the same assignment, carried out the same practicals, and took the same tests and assignments. Now, that’s how cohort learning works.

It is similar to traditional learning in high schools and colleges, but the difference is that it happens online and with a smaller group of people. Everyone has the same start and end date.

Implementing cohort learning as a course creator means launching your course in batches so you can have a specific number of students to easily manage.

The good side to this is that it provides a more intimate teacher and student environment, where you can easily monitor your student’s progress in real-time and they can provide support to each other.

In the cohort-based model, you do not need a lot of clients to pull it off. One of the reasons for success in this model is the small group of clients you have to work with. The smaller, the easier it is to manage them and drive engagement.

So, even though you don’t need a large number of clients to pull this off, you still need to deliver a ton of value and personalized attention during the program. This gives your clients a better experience, making it easier for them to tell their friends and family about your program.

How to succeed with the cohort-based model

• Be clear on what you want to teach during the program. Map out your curriculum and write your topics in an appealing way. People need to see how your coaching program makes their life better.
• Plan ahead. Know when you want to launch the program, how many students you want to coach, and the duration of each session. Before the promotion starts, make sure you’ve planned it all.
• Don’t focus on getting a large number of clients. The most successful cohort-based coaching programs have about 6 to 15 clients. Focus on giving value rather than numbers.
• Give adequate time to pre-launch, launch, and post-launch strategies. Don’t rush anything.

2. The program model

The program model is a non-cohort-based method of learning that involves setting a definite duration for the program with no general starting date.

This means the clients can sign up to start at anytime as long as the program is open for enrollment.

A typical example is online courses. In this case, the tutor has recorded all the sessions and has put them up for enrollment. So all you have to do is select a course of your interest and enroll in it. Anytime you finish, you’ll be awarded your certificate of completion. Which is one of the many things you can easily do with Selar.

Here, the clients decide when to go through the program and the pace. So each client is not taking the same content each day.

Just like the cohort-based model, numbers are not a primary factor. Focus on sharing valuable content. and promoting it to the right audience. People will always be attracted to value.

Another angle to the program model is the use of drip content. That is, clients can sign up at any time but you drip the content to them based on a pre-determined schedule.

It starts when the client signs up and ends when the last training is delivered. Typically this program is anywhere from 8 to 12 weeks long and may have a limited enrollment period.

If you’re not sure how to plan the delivery of your coaching content, Selar’s drip content feature can be of help. With this feature, you can create a schedule and only give access to your clients

How to succeed with the program-based model

• Start with a cohort-based model to help you get the hang of it, especially if it’s your first time creating an online course.
• Ensure your online courses are of high quality. There are lots of easy course creation tools to use without breaking the bank.
• Use dedicated platforms that make it easy to upload your content and allow asynchronous training. Because your users will take your content at various times, you want to make sure the platform you use makes it easy to manage your students.

3. The membership model

Probably the best model for structuring a group coaching program, the membership model is an evergreen model with no start or end dates.

Clients can decide to start at any time and still gets access to your coaching and training materials at the same time. This model is structured in a way that it is recurring. Hence, it’s a blend of both a cohort-based model and the program model. Clients get access to the same content at the same time but can sign up at any time.

Typically, it’s a subscription-based arrangement where individuals pay a recurring fee to access ongoing coaching services and resources. Rather than enrolling in a specific program with a set duration, participants become members and have continuous access to a range of coaching benefits.

One of the most common use cases of this model is offering a maintenance or check-in program to people who have completed your cohort-based coaching or program models. As it is easier to sell to existing customers than to acquire a new customer from scratch.

How to succeed with the membership model

• Have the right platform to automate processes and the schedule of your program.
• Create a community so members feel they are getting exclusive treatment or being a part of an exclusive community.
• Offer extra perks to members of your coaching program. It could be by offering first-class access to new offerings or products or giving out additional perks to members.
• Create, automate, and schedule as much as you can so you can spend time on giving your customers the best experience.

LEARN: How to Get More Coaching Clients Online (Get 10 New Clients in 60 Days)

Tips for Structuring a Group Coaching Program

The only thing keeping your group coaching program from succeeding is your execution. We’ve explained the various models to structure a group coaching program but how do you put your content together, promote your program and give out value?

Keep these tips in mind.

1. Define the program objectives

Start by clearly defining the objectives of your group coaching program. What specific outcomes or transformations do you want participants to achieve? A clear program objective will serve as the guiding compass for structuring the program.

They help you determine the content, activities, and overall direction of the coaching journey.

For example, if the objective is to help participants develop effective leadership skills, you can structure the program around topics such as self-awareness, communication, and decision-making.

2. Identify your target audience and needs

Understanding the needs and preferences of your target audience is essential for designing an effective program structure.

Conduct research or surveys to identify the specific challenges, goals, or aspirations your target audience has that your coaching program can address.

This information will guide you in tailoring the structure and content of the program to meet their specific requirements. For instance, if your target audience consists of entrepreneurs seeking business growth, the program structure may include modules on marketing strategies, financial management, and scaling operations.

3. Determine the program duration

Decide on the duration of your program based on several factors. Consider the complexity of the topics you’ll cover, the depth of learning required, and the time commitment expected from participants.

A short-term program of a few weeks may be suitable for introducing foundational concepts and quick skill development. While a longer program spanning several months may be necessary for comprehensive growth and behavior change.

Assess the time participants can dedicate to the program and strike a balance between providing ample learning opportunities and avoiding overwhelming your clients.

4. Create a cohesive curriculum

Develop a curriculum that provides a logical progression of topics and activities throughout the program.

Ensure that each session or module flows smoothly, connecting previous lessons with new material. Start with foundational concepts and gradually build upon them, introducing more complex or advanced topics as the program progresses.

A well-structured curriculum enhances the participants’ learning experience by creating a cohesive framework and avoiding information overload.

Consider creating a program roadmap or syllabus to outline the topics covered, learning objectives, and the sequence of sessions.

One thing to keep in mind when creating your program curriculum is to keep it simple. Make it as easy as possible for people to find what they need in your program and easily get it. This reduces the time you have to spend explaining each concept and helps your members stay engaged.

5. Balance group and individual focus

While group coaching emphasizes collaboration and shared learning, it’s important to provide opportunities for participants to receive individual attention and support.

Incorporate elements such as one-on-one coaching sessions, personalized feedback, or breakout sessions where participants can explore their unique challenges or goals.

These individual-focused components enhance the personalization and customization of the coaching experience within the group setting.

6. Leverage Selar’s coaching feature

Selar makes it easy for you to set up a group coaching program using either of the three major models. For example, you can create and host an online course or set a recurring fee for members of your coaching program.

You can also attach various learning materials to your online courses such as assignments, worksheets, quizzes, etc. You can also award certificates at the end of the program. Selar totally makes this easy.

You can also create other forms of digital products for a different audience to complement your coaching programs. There are lots of options available for you.

7. Incorporate various learning modalities

Consider different learning styles and incorporate a variety of modalities to cater to your members’ different learning preferences.

Not everyone learns best through lectures or presentations alone. Include a mix of interactive activities, discussions, experiential exercises, case studies, reflective exercises, group exercises, and real-life applications.

This variety keeps participants engaged and facilitates deeper understanding and application of the concepts being taught. Provide opportunities for participants to share their insights, ask questions, and learn from each other’s experiences. The more engaging each session is, the easier it is to get new clients.

8. Avoid information overload

In coaching, focus on quality over quantity. Rather than giving off lots of information, videos, and resources, focus on the core topics your audience is interested in.

Instead of theory and book-themed lessons, share practical life experiences to help your audience connect more to your story.

Remember, less information helps them to really understand what you teach and seek avenues to implement the lessons in their lives.

How to Set Up a Group Coaching Program on Selar

Selar makes it easy for you to set up a group coaching program. You can create three products: Subscription, Membership Course, and Flexible subscription.

Setting up the coaching program

To set up a coaching program on Selar;

Log in to the dashboard and click the “Add a product” button on the right side of your dashboard.

Here you’ll find product options for a variety of digital products. You can select either the subscription, membership course or flexible subscription options.

The subscription option allows you to create and sell recurring payment subscriptions for your product or service to your customers.

With the membership course option, you can sell a subscription where you upload files to a member area for your users to access. On subscription cancellation, they lose access to the files.

The flexible subscription options allow you to sell very flexible payment plans for your high-ticket products. This option allows customers to enter the amount of their first installment while splitting the balance in subsequent installments.

Once set, members will be able to access your training and content and engage with you.

Promoting your membership program

Creating a group coaching program is the first step. The next most important step? promoting it.

Because if you don’t announce your offer, how will people see it?

And the best part is Selar has you sorted out.

To begin, create a sales page. A sales page is literally where you sell your program offer.

Sales pages are very important to creators looking to sell their digital products. Every word, sentence, and image leads to one action – influencing your client’s buying decision.

With Selar, you can easily create sales pages to help you sell your offer. Zero coding skills required.

You can also offer a freebie or lead magnet. A lead magnet is a free tool you share with your audience to get them interested in your offers.

Run online ads and push your offer to interested individuals. Set up email automation to further convince your audience to join your coaching program.

With all these options on Selar, you do not need to pay for or try to integrate many tools or plug-ins. All the tools you need to start and grow your online business as a coach are provided to you by Selar. So you can truly focus on creating valuable content.

LEARN: How to Promote a Lead Magnet to Generate More Leads

How to Charge for a Group Coaching Program

When it comes to pricing, lots of coaches and digital creators run away from it. This is why we have lots of burnt-out creators, with little or no money to show for being a knowledgepreneur.

The truth is, pricing your coaching program depends on the amount you want to make, the time/effort involved in the program, and your target audience.

To set your price, determine the number of clients you want to have, promotion expenses, and every other business expense.

Then you check the duration of the program. That is, if the program will be for 8 to 12 weeks. Then ask yourself how much you want to earn in 3 months that’s also payable by your target audience.

If your answer is $5,000, and you intend to have 20 students, $5,000 divided by 20 is $400. So the price for your coaching program is $400 per client.

You may also include the other business expenses including promotions, Selar subscriptions, etc. But remember, whatever price you set, has to be realistic for your audience. That’s why it’s important to know who you serve.

LEARN: How to Price Your Digital Products + Tips to Avoid Underpricing Yourself

Structure your group coaching program with Selar

Structuring a group coaching program requires careful planning and consideration to ensure its effectiveness and impact. With the knowledge of the various models, you can structure your coaching program in a suitable way.

Excitingly, Selar was designed to help you succeed. Not only can you create a successful coaching program but you can also launch various digital products to increase your revenue.

With Selar, you also get access to a comprehensive suite of tools to empower you to build and scale a successful business. Selar equips you with powerful features to host and sell your products, engage your clients through email marketing automation and enhance your digital product experience.

You have all the tools you need at your fingertips. So it’s time to get started.