YOUR GROUP COAHING BUSINESS

5 Popular Group Coaching Models

Note: Most group programs have a start and end date, meaning the entire group goes through the
process at the same time. This serves two purposes: first is for marketing purposes, to encourage
enrollment by a specific date, and the other is to keep the group focused on achieving outcomes or
covering material in a timely manner.

Note: The first 3 Models discussed are the main focus of this program.

MODEL 1: Quick and Easy Group

STRUCTURE: 4-6 weeks. Weekly group sessions for 60-90 minutes. In person or virtual.

CONTENT: Can be an Open Group (focused on individual goals and group support) or a Structured
Program (focused on content delivery and training).

SIZE/ENGAGEMENT: Size depends on level of engagement. A low-engagement group with a structured

program is common in this model and large groups work well. If a highly engaged group is your
preference, a small group of 5-20 is ideal (although a larger can work if it’s structured and/or you break
them into groups).

COST: Low/medium investment. $197-$997 are common price-points. Depends on level of engagement
and access to you. Entry level program. Offers clients a low price way to experience you.

UPSELL: At the end of the program, participants are given the opportunity to take things further by
enrolling in a more advanced program, such as a coaching package, VIP day, or more advanced group
program.

EXAMPLE: “Jump Start Your Job Search” Group Coaching Program. Investment of $297. Juicy bonus—a
1-on-1 session with the coach. Participants watch course videos and work on activities during the week
and then come together for a simple Q&A once a week for an hour. Questions can either be asked live
OR questions previously submitted (through email) can be selected and answered by the coach (and can
even be pre-recorded.) At the end, a discounted career coaching or VIP coaching day are offered.

MODEL 2: Group Bootcamp or Training

STRUCTURE: 8-10 weeks. Weekly group sessions for 60-90 minutes. In person or virtual. The longer
duration gives ample time for you to get to know them, for them to get results, and provides enough
time to tackle a big problem and/or a big goal.

CONTENT: Bootcamps and trainings are almost always offered as a structured program. You are
providing training—a proven, step-by-step system. Can be an Open Group (focused on individual goals
and group support) that is more highly engaged and meets for longer than a Quick and Easy Group
SIZE/ENGAGEMENT: In most cases, these groups are highly interactive. It’s important to encourage
group engagement and participant connection, as the challenge they face is greater and the
commitment longer, so accountability is key. For this reason, they’re often limited to 20 or less
participants, so everyone can get the attention they deserve (although a larger can work if it’s
structured and/or you break them into groups).

COST: Because you’re getting to something BIGGER—it’s worth more. $997-$1997.

UPSELL: At the end of the program, participants are given the opportunity to take things further by
enrolling in the exclusive Mastermind or Signature Program or work 1-on-1 with the coach.

EXAMPLE: “Rock Your Career” Bootcamp. Investment of $1997. Bonuses included the “Discover Your
Purpose” online course, the “Rock the Interview” online course, and a 1-on-1 session with the coach.
Participants watch course videos and work on activities during the week, as well as collaborate in
structured and unstructured collaboration with other group members, including discussions, support
and activities directed by the coach. There is also a component in which everyone comes together
together for a Q&A once a week for 90 minutes. Questions should be asked live or at least the meeting
should be live and answers in-depth (which is why the 90 minute meeting is important). At the end, a
Signature Program, Mastermind, Live Event, or private career coaching is offered.

MODEL 3: Mastermind (Signature Program)

STRUCTURE: 6-12 months. Weekly group sessions for 90 minutes. High level of engagement between
participants (usually fully engaged), sometimes within the sessions and ALWAYS through an online
forum (or even 1-on-1). Retreats, workshops, trainings, or other in-person events are usually included.
Often signature programs also include personalized, private interaction with you and/or other coaches.
They’re paying for ACCESS and customized attention.

CONTENT: Participants are looking for support and progress but also skill development. These programs
are always highly engaged and both structured AND open coaching, meaning the entire group is
following your signature program—the expertise that you are teaching—while at the same time setting
their own individual goals for implementing change in their life (and often business).

SIZE: Group size should always be small, ideally 8-12. Groups can be large, 50+, however with the high
level of engagement involved you will likely need a team coaches to pull off a large group.

COST: You’re a subject matter expert with significant experience and expertise AND participants are
benefiting from the social capital of the masterminding process. Participants are paying for access to you
and others in the group, both of which are highly valuable. Prices can be $5k to $25k or more. Consider
that they are interested in investing this much time and money ONLY because:

 They believe the mentor offers the expertise and experience they need
 They believe the process will guide them to achieving their desired goals
 They know the processes and systems they’’ll learn and receive will shorten their learning curve
and they’ll reach success sooner
  They see the benefits of being part of a community of peers, masterminding with like-minded
people, and having opportunity for high level collaboration (providing motivation, focus,
accountability, coaching, feedback, staying on track, and modeling)

UPSELL: At the end of the program, participants are given the opportunity to take things further by
enrolling in high cost 1-on-1 coaching or an even higher level mastermind, that is even more exclusive.
We’ve seen coaches charge as much as $100,000 per year for their highest level Mastermind.

An important note about RIGHT FIT: it is EXTREMELY important to make sure your participants are the
right fit for the group. There is a reason you take your prospects and clients on a long journey of getting
to know you and trying out your products and services before you invite them to join your mastermind-
level group. They may have arrived here through a series of steps, from a giveaway to a webinar and
then your Model 1 group and then here. During this time, they are learning about you and your program
and by the time they sign up they are SURE it’s what they want. Hopefully you’ve also had time to get to
know them and can determine if they’re truly ready to commit to the process. It’s also important that
for masterminds in which group members will be collaborating that THEY are a good fit for each other!
They need to be coming from a similar place (such as all being managers, all being entrepreneurs, all
being at-home mothers, etc) and they need to each bring something to the table that benefits the
group. If they’re not well matched, the synergy of masterminding and the social capital cannot develop.

EXAMPLE: “Outstanding Women eNtrepreneurs Who OWN It” Mastermind (OWN). Investment of
$9997. 1 year program. Participants watch course videos that train and guide them toward desired
outcomes, including advanced, detailed activities. They participate in online discussions with group
participants, as well as mastermind in small groups (or with the whole group if it’s small), including
working on questions and problem solving, as directed by the coach, developing business relationships
and helping each other with projects. Live weekly calls for 90+ minutes include live Q&A and laser
coaching, in which one participant is coached live and use as an example for other participants.
Participants also receive all marketing templates and business documents needed to set up and market
your business, 3+ 1-on-1 sessions with a coach, and 2 live events with expert speakers providing
additional tools and insights. (Higher cost programs could even include VIP days with the head coach
(you) and a 1 week retreat in a tropical destination.)

MODEL 4: ONGOING or DROP-IN COACHING GROUP:

An alternative to the time-framed group coaching models is to have an ongoing group. It could be an
open group, more like a support group, in which case each individual is working their own goals while
seeking support, or it can be a structured program in which you support clients in implementing long-
term training, business development, or life change.

Methods of operating ongoing groups:

 Monthly group coaching calls in which participants can “drop in” when they wish to.
 A membership program with continued access to materials, tools and community.
 An online course that walks participants through your structured program at their own pace,
using video and worksheets.
In most cases, the down-side is that it is hard to have group synergy when members are coming and
going. Often this model necessitates the need to keep adding new content.

If your ongoing group engages with each other and isn’t following a specific curriculum that you have
set, consider asking the group to come up with its own agenda, giving participants an opportunity to
suggest what they feel would most benefit them and the group.

MODEL 5: TEAM COACHING

Team coaching is for corporate or executive coaches. Often the group participants are enrolled in the
coaching group by a team leader (manager, project lead, executive, etc). Usually the purpose of the
group is to accomplish specific goals. The group may be structured, in which case you are delivering
material that either you or the organization has developed (depending on whether you are being hired
to coach as a consultant or simply a facilitator). However, there may be no training involved and the
group may simply focus on specific outcomes. Examples of team coaching include:

 Sales teams
 Leadership teams
 Global work teams
 Project teams
 Employees in a small business
 Department teams