If you're already a coach, we're not here to teach grandma to suck eggs. We have to assume that you're good at what you do.
That fundamentally, you can get a result for your client. No amount of software or marketing is going to make up for that.
But here is the colossal mistake that we see online coaches make:
They make it all about them.
When you truly understand this error, your client will get a better experience, and you will have an easier life.
Client → Result: The Job-to-be-done
The client signed up with you for the same reason you hire a plumber to fix your burst pipe. There's a job to be done, and they felt that you are the person to solve their problem.
You want your pipe fixed. You don't pay the plumber based on how much blood, sweat and tears he sheds. Actually, you'd prefer that he didn't suffer or take too long - you just want your burst pipe fixed.
Yet we spent years sweating over our clients. Trying to bend over backwards to please and 'add value'. Often with things they didn't even ask for. 24-hour email access, unlimited exhausted phone calls for £100/month. What happens? You end up resenting the client. And it's not even their fault.
We do this because deep down, we aren't 100% confident that our programme is enough to get our client the result. If it was, you wouldn't be fussing over them. You would let them get on with it.
If you personally went round every morning to your clients house to micromanage their breakfast, they would probably just think you're a creep. More isn't always better.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCFYDmboY6o
Flip-reverse it
So before you look at coaching systems, you need to be 100% clear on why the client hired you, and what problem they want you to solve. This is not a coaching problem, it's a market research problem.
Then that becomes your programme.
Reverse engineered.
How much easier is that? You've crowdsourced your programme, rather than blindly building something and hoping it sticks.
Another benefit: A clear product-market-match means you no longer have to hard-sell your programme either. The plumber doesn't need to hard-sell you on fixing your burst pipe.
The plumber doesn't need to hard-sell you on fixing your burst pipe.
How to Price Your Coaching
Now that you're clearer on the job-to-be-done, and you've detached it from the blood/sweat/tears, then look at how much each of these offerings is going to cost you in time per client per month using the £100/hour rule:
Low, Mid and High-tier
To capture most of the market, offer three tiers of solution to the problem at 3 price points: Basic, regular and premium, (Low, mid and high tier).
This becomes:
- 1) A DIY product: eBook, video workout programme, meal planner etc. (Introductory programme for cautious leads)
- 2) Group coaching programme (your main profit-driver)
- 3) One-on-one (The hail-Mary)
Each tier contains everything from the lower tier, plus an additional layer of access to you. We cover structuring your group programme and one-to-one in depth on our channel.
Your level 1 programme is a complete DIY solution. Make it so valuable that it's a no-brainer to upgrade to the coached version.
Do not worry about giving away too much information in your lower tier products. This limits the number of questions you get and makes your life easier. People don't pay for information, they pay for implementation.
People don't pay for information, they pay for implementation.
The job-to-be-done with coached products is:
- Knowledge
- Accountability
- Objectivity
Your lower tier product solves problem 1 only. Make this clear to your client. It is not that your tier-1 product is deficient. It is simply that they would get the result easier and faster with your tier 2 or 3 programmes.
Coaching Systems: The Mechanics
Key principle #1: Weekly check-ins
Open-ended conversation threads are not good for you, and they're not good for the client.
You are accountable to them as they are to you: Respond within 24 hours on their check-in date.
Agree on a reporting date and format with your client (e.g. photos, weight change, week summary, training numbers), and stick to it.
Key principle #2: Never have the same conversation twice.
You will be creating a client dashboard, onboarding materials and email sequence to get new clients up to speed. This will save you a lot of the legwork with manual explanations.
If you're answering the same questions from new clients, it's a sign that your programme isn't solving their problem. This is golden feedback.
Of course when you're building a new programme, you're bound to get questions that you didn't anticipate. Treasure these questions and use them to build the most complete, gold-standard answer, and include it in the materials as a video or email in the automation.
Build as you grow. Use FAQs and programmes to build your index, until you have a library of answers and workouts for every type of client.
Key principle #3: Separate work from play
For God's sake, don't coach over whatsapp. This is the fastest way to go insane. You do not want to be using the same platform that you communicate with your Aunt Louise as your clients.
Use a dedicated coaching app (recommendations here) to communicate with your clients. Check and clear it at a defined cadence.
More on how to maximise your productivity and separate deep from shallow work.
Next steps
There's a lot more to this. We've got you covered:
- The Best Software To Use (And What To Avoid) As An Online Personal Trainer
- 1-on-1 vs Group Coaching
- Mike Israetel on being the best coach you can be
- Best software to use in the rest of your business
- How to be an online coach
- Which PT qualification is best
- A day in the life of an online fitness coach
- Deciding what to sell as an online fitness coach
- Eric Helms on how to be a successful online coach
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