How to Create Coaching Programs Faster
Are you struggling to get your new program finished? In this article, I’ll share with you three strategies I use to get programs and projects finished faster and “out the door.”
You already know that offering programs (rather than weekly coaching) will help you attract more clients and earn more income. This is because people love proven, step-by-step systems to help them transform their health and lives. They also prefer to make a fixed investment, instead of working indefinitely with a coach on a week-to-week basis.
Many health coaches already have a proven system for getting results for their clients. It’s one of the reasons you became a holistic practitioner – so you could help people transform their health. But documenting what that system looks like – and putting all the many pieces together into a comprehensive program – can be daunting. At some point, you will probably get stuck and the program will remain unfinished.
I recently had student at IIN tell me, “I would love to offer a cleanse or detox but am having a hard time developing a meal plan!” She’s not alone. I can remember the challenges of creating (and finishing) my own programs and wondering to myself, “Is it this hard for everyone else?”
We all get stuck at some point in creating our programs and growing our coaching business. This is true whether you’re just getting started as a health coach or growing your business into multiple six-figures.
The strategies below will help you create your programs faster so you can get them launched and start transforming people’s lives.
#1 – Identify the ONE PIECE that is keeping you stuck
Don’t try to work on more than one problem at a time, or you’ll soon become overwhelmed. Instead, identify just one thing in your program that you are having trouble getting done right now.
In the example I used above, the IIN student was struggling with creating a meal plan. So let’s use that as an illustration. What is it about the meal plan that has you stuck? What is it that is so hard? Is it creating an outline of what meals to eat on which days? Is it coming up with original recipes? Maybe you have the recipes and the outline but you don’t know how to lay it out in a handout so it’s easy for clients to use.
Whatever the problem, try to identify it as clearly and specifically as you can. This will make finding a solution in the next steps much easier.
#2 – Is It Necessary?
This may seem like a silly question, at first. If it wasn’t a necessary piece of the program, you would have finished creating the program, right?
However, I have found that many of the coaches I work with (myself included) are very generous, a little perfectionistic, and lean toward being over-achievers. Translation: that means we may want to put more into our programs that is needed or even helpful.
The drawback is that when you put too much into a program, it becomes overwhelming for the client. And then they either can’t complete it or don’t get the transformational results they were expecting.
This is one of those times when you’ll need to set aside your ego, and ask yourself if you could still offer your program without that piece. Would the program still deliver results if it were left out? Could you launch your program now without that piece but later offer it as an upsell or extra service. Or perhaps you could accomplish what you need in a different way.
Here’s an example. Let’s say the piece that has you stuck is trying to create a membership site. Maybe you’re stuck because of the time it takes to learn the technology, or perhaps you don’t have the money to hire someone to do it for you.
While a membership site would be great, it may not be a necessary component to your program. Instead, you could offer a private Facebook group for clients to interact with you. Or you could hold group Q&A calls where you could give further training and coaching with clients and answer their questions.
Assuming that the piece of the program is necessary, go to the next step.
#3 – Do You Have to Do It Yourself?
When it comes to creating content, some of us are creators, some of us are editors, and some of us are teachers.
· Inventors LOVE to “reinvent the wheel” each and every time they create content. They sit down to write and ideas flow out of them. They have an idea for a recipe and start pulling ingredients together in the kitchen. An inventor could draft a 2 week meal plan in one afternoon and have fun doing it.
· Editors look at a blank piece of paper and their mind goes blank, like the page. They need something to start with and work with. But give them a meal plan that someone else has created, and they’ll pick it apart, move things around, add a little here and there, and ta-da! They’ve created the perfect meal plan.
· Teachers excel at delivering information, but not necessarily creating it. They may sit down to create content and… crickets chirp. Nothing. Or at least, nothing productive is done. It may even be psychologically painful for them. They need content that is done for them. Then they tweak it as needed and do a brilliant job at delivering it to their clients and customers.
There is certainly overlap between the three types, and you may find yourself an inventor in some areas and a teacher in others. So ask yourself, “When it comes to creating that piece of my program, which type am I?”
Next, ask yourself, “Do I have to be the one to create it?” You see, unless you are an inventor type and want to start from scratch, you probably don’t need to “reinvent the wheel.” For example, if you need to create a meal plan, look for one that someone else has created and make significant changes to make it your own. (And remember, don’t steal copyrighted material.)
Another option is to buy a prepared, customizable, done-for-you program sold specifically for health coaches to use. Many of these programs even let you put your own name and branding on the programs when you market them to your tribe. If you’re interested in such a program, here are a couple of resources from other expert authors here at Health Coach Weekly:
· Amy Lippmann, one of my former clients, has created several programs, including a Cleanse and Detox Program for Health Coaches. You can read more about it here: http://cleanseprogramforhealthcoaches.com.
· Lori Kennedy, also offers a done-for-you program for health coaches called Holistic Weight Management System. You can learn more about it here: http://www.lorikennedyinc.com/hwms/
If you do need (or want) to create original content but feel stuck getting it done, try to identify what is holding you back and get the help you need. You may need better time management skills, a virtual assistant, life coaching, or a step-by-step blueprint for getting it done.
Summary
Don’t make the fatal mistake of trying to do it all on your own. If you’re
struggling to get your new program completed, it’s most likely because you need help getting that piece of the program done. After all, if that piece is essential and you could do it yourself, you would most likely have finished it by now.
Ask yourself, do you need someone else to create it for you? Do you need a copywriter or marketing coach to help you create it? Do you need help with time management so you can find time to get it done? Do you need life coaching to help breakthrough limited beliefs that are holding you back?
Think about the program or project you are working on right now and go through the three steps above.
1. Try to clearly identify what is keeping you from completing the program.
2. Set aside your ego for a moment, and ask yourself if the missing piece is really necessary before you can offer the program. Is there another piece you could use in its place? Or could you alter the program so the piece is no longer needed?
3. If it is necessary, do you need to create it yourself? Where do you need help to get the program finished faster?
Which of the above steps or suggestions has been the biggest help or insight to help you with your current program or project? Let me know in the comments section below this post. Or ask a question below; I’d love to hear from you.
For more tips, strategies, and articles on how to get more clients and create irresistible offers, programs, and websites, visit http://www.KarenBrunet.com. From Karen Brunet, The Irresistible Marketing Coach, where “It’s not just a website…It’s the Mother Lode!”
