Group Coaching Techniques, Models and Tips to Plan it Right

There are various types of courses and coaching, and the main difference is that coaching is highly individual-centric. Doesn’t it make group coaching ineffective? This article will cover everything related to it, including definitions, goals, and benefits. 

We will review some of the most effective techniques, models, and tips to make your team coaching sessions even more productive & organized. 

All these steps are further elaborated on in the article. So, let’s see how we can put them into practice. 

What is group coaching, and what is its aim?

Group coaching is a form of coaching that brings together individuals that share similar goals, or the overall theme of the coaching allows them to do so. The common aim of coaching is transformation, goal achievement, and assistance in the way of self-fulfillment. Team coaching also brings in additional dynamics and develops an additional set of skills, including interaction & communication.     

Its aim usually varies; for coaches, the main aim is better time management. If you have many clients that want similar things, you can work with them in groups. 

The main benefits of group coaching

First, let’s look at how coachees will benefit from group sessions. 

• Team working skills. Doing activities in groups, etc., will positively affect and develop everyone’s team working skills. 
• Develops a sense of support and increases the trust factor. Think of using an internal company blog as a thoughtful way of experience exchange. 
• An incredible opportunity to share experience and general knowledge 
• Higher performance

What benefits, though, are there for the coach? Here they are:    

• Time-saving. Instead of handling 3-4 individuals separately, you can organize a group and spend around 2 hours with them. 
• Higher-income. With group coaching, it is easier to estimate income levels. Plus, because you train multiple people at the same time, you will spend less time and still earn more money. 
• Easier to schedule. You will be positively surprised by how easy it is to schedule and manage groups rather than individuals.    

Top 5 techniques for team coaching

Besides certain skill sets that coaches need to host successful and effective sessions, there are also a variety of techniques they can implement. Here are the Top 5. 

Visual Motivational techniques

Visual Motivation Tecqhues proved extremely efficient, encouraging people to continue moving towards their goals.    

Part of exercises for this technique are vision boards, quotations, and stars. For the vision board, you need to put everything you want to have in there. The stars method is for daily motivation or  any achievement they have.  And quotations that motivate and inspire clients could be printed and put somewhere where they’ll casually see them.  

Exercises for Mindfulness

Another technique that can work well in groups is the implementation of various mindfulness exercises so that individuals can focus on themselves as well throughout the process. A popular example of such exercise is guided meditation.

Exercises for practicing Gratitude 

Also, it is vital to explain gratitude’s effectiveness and importance to coachees. Any life coaching or life-transformation-aimed training suggests a few activities and daily exercises designed toward gratitude. Remember to be grateful for where you are now. Be grateful to yourself and to the people supporting you. 

Sincere Belief 

As a coach, you must leave all your anger and personal issues outside the session. Entering your online/offline session with positivity in your mind is one of the crucial components of a successful session. As a coach, people are going to trust you, so ensure to deliver the promise and provide effective training. One of the techniques to use is to show sincere belief in your coachees. 

Brainstorming

Brainstorming is one of the most amazing techniques you can use in a group coaching session. Ask coachees questions and listen to their ideas, thoughts, etc. 

It is not just about the techniques; you also have to choose the right coaching style for the group. You can read our article “11 Coaching Styles: Detailed Definition, Examples, And More” to find out more about the style and choose the best one for you & your clients. 

Best group coaching models

Various models can be used for every type of coaching to achieve maximum results. Let’s take a look at the best group coaching models. 

Cohort Model 

This is quite a famous coaching method that almost similarly recreates the traditional classroom experience for the coachees. It’s about groups starting together and ending together. Its emphasis is on peer-to-peer development opportunities. Clients get the advantage of gaining direct feedback from you and having an individual development plan. 

Program Model 

This model requires more technical skills and time spent with the coaches, as you won’t have a specific schedule. Usually, program modules include pre-recorded classes and sessions alongside live ones. This method emphasizes the self-paced learning of the students. 

Membership Model

This model is basically a mix of Program and Cohort models. Throughout the year, for each training, you can offer limited spaces and specific dates of registration, so clients will automatically form groups by registering for the ones they like. Many coaches nowadays prefer this method as it is one of the most automatized. 

How to organize group coaching with 5 simple steps?

Let’s review all the essential steps to create a group coaching program.

1. Choose your niche. For example, it can be dating, career, or life coaching. To identify your niche, you need to combine your area of expertise, your interests, and your Unique Selling Point. 
2. Find your target audience.  To know who your target customers are you need to perform market research. Afterward validate the idea to estimate the overall demand on the market for your service/product. 
3. Choose the platform that truly works. For example with Uteach you can get powerful all-in-one automation and an opportunity to host coaching sessions alongside other exciting features. 
4. Add testimonials. As a professional  coach, it will be an amazing idea to collect and display past clients’ testimonials even on a new platform.      
5. Market yourself. Think about  “What differentiates me from the rest” and “Why should people choose me as their online coach?”. 

How to Market Yourself as an Online Coach?

Here are some marketing strategies you can implement in order to market yourself as an online group coach. 

• Blog. Simply open a blog on your website and start posting. This will help you gain organic website traffic and improve visibility.
• Promote your services on social media platforms. Also, open separate social media accounts for your business. 
• Create online communities or join existing online communities. You can share knowledge and gain new insights into the industry trends and methodologies of successful coaching. 
• Email marketing. Choose a platform that allows you to conduct email marketing. This way, you can have control over your campaign from the same platform where you publish and sell courses & other products. 
• Podcasting. As an online coach, it would be amazing to have your own podcast. It’s a proven way to improve visibility.       

6 key tips & activities to make your group coaching more effective

The tips and activities presented below are extremely easy to follow and implement, but their simplicity also brings powerful results. 

#1 Set Clear Expectations 

Make sure that all group members are aware of what to expect. Also, explain mandatory policies such as “what is said in the group stays within the group.” Make sure that clients within the group trust each other and have similar expectations from the session.

#2 Establish Trust and Good Client Relationship 

If you want your coaching sessions to succeed, then you have to establish clear communication between the group members and you as a coach. In their turn good relationships with your clients will also help to build a strong customer base and have many positive reviews.  

#3 Listen

If you want to be able to guide clients in the right direction, you need to listen to them. When you listen to them, you better understand them, their needs & wants. By listening, you will be able to figure out an individualistic approach that will work and push them forward to bring the desired results. 

#4 Ask the Right Questions

Besides asking the guiding questions so clients can figure out how to overcome certain obstacles, you can simply ask them what they need and want. Make sure your questions stimulate thoughts and create engaging discussions.  

#5 Make it engaging 

It is vital to make sure that your coachees are engaged in various group activities. Those activities encourage and motivate them, stimulate their brain processes, and are a vital part of any coaching program. 

#6 Ask for Feedback 

You can grow and get very motivated from good feedback. So, make sure to ask your clients for feedback to have a basis and plan further improvement.

Best online group coaching software

Now, let’s look at the best online group coaching software available on the net. 

Uteach

Uteach is all-in-one potent automation that will help you to expand your online group coaching business easily. It provides you with:     

• Drag & Drop visual website builder
• End-to-end live automation
• Flexible and affordable pricing plans 
• White labeling 
• Opportunity to open a blog and gain organic traffic
• SEO-optimization tools                       
   

Choose Uteach if you want to build a full-featured business and manage everything from one place. If you want to save your time, you can create a website in less than 2 minutes with Uteach. 

Mighty Networks

Another platform that you can consider as an online group coach is Mighty Networks. This platform will give you every functionality needed to build networks and communities, even bringing social media followers. Also, here you can publish online courses that you offer for sale. This platform will work best for you if you already have a customer base.      

Noomii

Noomii is basically a directory of coachees. You can register on this platform so that clients will be able to find you from the database. However, the diversity of features is lacking.  

Thinkific

One more full-featured course creation platform that also will work perfectly fine for online group coaches is Thinkific. It offers features that will allow you to create pre-recorded courses, sell coaching sessions, and host live training sessions as well.      

Kajabi

And the last platform on our list is Kajabi. The main features that Kajabi offers are:       

• Blog creation options
• Website Builder
• Good user interface
• SEO optimization tools
• Custom domains 

FAQs about result-driving group sessions

It is time to look at the frequently asked questions section for group coaching to avoid confusion and get a clearer idea of what it is about. 

What skills do group coaches need?

The main skills a coach needs include: 

• Ability to create shared focus & expectations to make sure that everyone will be satisfied
• Ability to focus on individuals as well.
• Communication 

How long does a group coaching program last?

Group coaching programs usually last from 8 to 12 weeks; it also depends on the coachees’ needs within the group. Plus, the time frame depends on how many participants there are.

How much does the group coaching package cost?

The general rule many coaches use when holding group sessions is that they take 30% less from each individual than if they work one-on-one. For example, for a beginner coach, one-on-one session may cost $80 per hour; in this case, they will take ($56) approximately $60 per individual.       

Of course, if you are not a beginner and equipped with internationally accredited certifications, plus experience, you can charge a lot more. 

How can Uteach help you build a group coaching program?

One of the most amazing platforms that will allow you to start a coaching business is Uteach. It is a full-featured website builder with which you can create a website in less than two minutes. 

As your website is done, you can not only hold online and offline coaching sessions but also create & sell courses, live sessions, and products.      

To start Your Online Coaching Business with Uteach, you will need to   

• register on the platform and choose one of the four pricing plans. 
• Make all the necessary customizations connected with your website
• Add some branding elements, including logo & color choices. 
• Create and start selling coaching sessions. 

Our marketing tools and integrations will ensure your sessions find their target audience. 

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