The ABC’s Of Group Coaching

Group coaching is a powerful component to any coaching program. It is an affordable option for clients and an efficient use of time for coaches. Become familiar with the fundamentals, benefits, and structure of this important modality.

What are the benefits of group coaching?

Group coaching can allow you to:

• Help more clients and make more money in less time. This creates more space in your life by maximizing time.
• Make your coaching more accessible. For clients who can’t afford private sessions, group coaching makes it easier to say yes!
• Create an offer that’s easier to promote and sell. Coaching implies “feedback and support”. Many clients prefer this to taking a self-paced course.
• Attract more 1-on-1 clients. After experiencing your group programs, people get to know, like, and trust you at a whole different level. This makes converting them into private clients easier.
• Create an easy-to-scale business model. You can offer multiple groups, groups of different sizes, and rolling enrollment groups. These endless opportunities allow revenue to grow and multiply quickly.

 

How do you structure a group coaching program?

Coaching programs should be between eight to 12 weeks and include:

• weekly group calls
• some type of structured content like lessons, modules or videos
• homework assignments to stay engaged between coaching calls

You might consider using a rolling enrollment membership model so clients can join anytime. It’s basically a coaching program with continuous intake. New members receive the initial materials that every new member would get, then simply join the live coaching calls and participate with the rest of the group.

Some coaches offer group sessions without any kind of curriculum. This is coaching done in a group environment rather than group coaching.

[bctt tweet=”A group coaching program has some kind of identifiable structure, curriculum, or step-by-step content that prevents you from having to reinvent the wheel with each group.”]

 

What happens in group coaching?

Depending on your individual coaching personality, your calls will be a combination of 3 activities:

• teaching
• coaching
• facilitation

There is no right or wrong program model combination. If you enjoy teaching, you’ll probably do more teaching than coaching. If you enjoy pure coaching where you ask questions to challenge your clients, then you’ll probably do less teaching.

I focus mainly on teaching and facilitation because my groups are bigger. My programs are about 20% coaching, 60% teaching and 20% facilitation. This emphasis is because of my background and natural love for teaching. It’s part of the attraction for many of my clients as well.

 

How much is a group coaching session?

I don’t recommend selling a coaching session separately. It’s better to sell memberships or programs as a package. Given that, a private session might be $100 to $250 or more, depending on what topic you’re addressing or the audience you serve. Using your private coaching fees as a consideration, you might then charge $50 to $75 for group coaching sessions.

 

Is there a difference between team and group coaching? Are they two terms for the same thing?

Team coaching is a type of coaching where group members are on the same team, same companies, or same organizations. A group of people is working on the same project or same common goal.

 

How can the collective wisdom of group members accelerate or aid someone’s progress?

Many coaches feel results can only happen in a 1-on-1 coaching relationship. But that’s not true. Here’s how group coaching can accelerate client results:

Collaboration-driven growth: Programs may offer less private access to you, but your clients get the chance to collaborate with like-minded members of the group. They also get access to the ideas and insights that may take longer to uncover in a 1-on-1 coaching setting. In a group program, you aren’t the only one listening. Other people in the group will also offer their wisdom, ideas, encouragement, and accountability. Coaching Genie can help you with this.

Witnessed transformation: A group environment has a unique impact on the coaching process. When your clients share their progress in a group program, their successes and struggles are being witnessed by the other members. This feeling helps them feel seen, heard, acknowledged, and accepted, making their transformation much more powerful and long-lasting. And it inspires other group members to take more action.

Competition Drives Progress: Many group participants will push themselves just a little more as they watch others complete assignments and report their wins. A little friendly competition can push your clients to work harder, take bolder actions, and get better results.

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