Developing Your Programs

Developing Your Programs

Your programs (whether it’s a low priced product such as an workbook or video series, a mid-priced live webinar series or online program, your signature program or even a 1:1 coaching package)are your unique way of weaving together the process that you take your clients through to solve their problem. It’s how you deliver on your promise.

Having a program/product is key because you must have something to sell in your business!

Now I’m going to save you tons of time and frustration – you DO NOT need to have every last detail of your program worked out. You need an “MVP” – a minimally viable product. That means you need to have a rough idea of the product’s content and you need to know:

your avatar’s pain points,
be able to articulate how they will benefit from your product,
the price and
how it’s delivered.

Too many of us hold off on launching our programs and products because we want them to be perfect, instead of selling the bones of the program and then fleshing it out AFTER you’ve sold it.

For example, when I launched my mini-class on How to Facilitate a Retreat (which I knew was a popular idea because I had done a survey with my tribe on Facebook), I had written out my 5 advertising bullets points, the date/time and cost. I wrote a 4 email funnel and sold the class. Then in the week before the class, I created the Powerpoint presentation and script. I was actually paid to do the class before it was fully created!

So if you are just starting to work with clients, then I recommend creating a coaching package to work with you folks 1:1 - offer this program “free form.” Have a rough idea of your process (i.e. keep doing whatever you do now, just take good notes!!), be able to writeenough of a description or sales page to sell it, and then find a real live human to work with. Remember: you do not have to have every detail figured out before you sell it!

Working with a client in real-time enables you to get out of your head about what you think works and really listen to what your clients says, see what DOES work, and then create your more formalized program as you work with new clients.

This is a great way to get started immediately and not be hung up on having it perfectly worked out! Working freeform also is a super way to test-your-concept to see if your idea and language is working for your avatar.

If you’ve been working with clients for awhile and are ready to create a group coaching program, then since you now know your process works, nowyou can create a more formalized program – maybe a teleclass, webinar, workshop series, or retreat.

Once you have all the kinks worked out, then you can go for a full-on online program where you invest in filmed videos for example.

For now, we need a rough description/outline of your program’s content in order to create a freebie and web copy that will support this program.

ALL of your content – from your freebie to webinars to monthly emails to your program itself should be on one main topic/promise, each a deeper progression into your teachings/coaching.

So let’s make sure that you are both a littlescared (because it’s making you stretch) and excited about this program and willing to work on it for the next 6-12 months!

How to Get Started Designing Your Program

Use as many of these suggestions that apply to you!

What Your Perfect Position?

Look back at your Envisioning Your Business Questions, Stand Out Online Worksheet and Core Teachings. Remember you are addressing your client’s pain points and solving your promise in your program. You ultimately want your program to be unique and stand out from the crowded online marketplace of programs.

Do A Brain Dump or MindMap

I love to pull out a big sheet of paper and do a brain dump and mind map out all my ideas on a piece of paper or whiteboard. Draw circles, squares, squiggles to connect ideas. It can be quick and messy! As more ideas come to me over time, I simply add to my big sheet of paper over time.

Study Your Best Results

If you’ve worked with clients before, who did you have the best results with? What do you do with them step-by-step? Or look at a batch of recent clients and see if you can see the similarities that you did with them. Although my coaches and healers work by intuition and customize our process for each client, when we take a step back, we actually DO have a basic template that we follow if we take the time to think about it.

Spark Questions

Here are some other spark questions to get you started:

Is there a process you currently use with your clients? Break down what steps and activities you do with them.
Looking back at your own process, what steps/process/activities helped you overcome your challenge, i.e. deliver on your promise?
What are the three main points that you want to your clients to know at the end of the program?
Write down the 3-5 main concepts that you want to cover. What smaller topics/ideas would your clients need to understand for each of these? What activities would support their learning?

Be the Guinea Pig.

The process that you personally went through is often the basis for how you work with your clients. Look back at your four main points for your bio – the challenges you’ve overcome. Then you can use this chart to help you break down how you overcame these challenges bit by bit.

WHAT IDEAS, CONCEPTS, ACTIONS DID YOU TAKE TO HEAL YOURSELF? / WHAT ACTIVITES WOULD SUPPORT TEACHING YOUR CLIENTS HOW TO DO THIS?
Ex: I stopped listening to all the doubts and fears in my head. / Ex. Journal all the doubts and fears. How do they make you feel? Where in your body? Sound healing.
EX. I started nurturing myself through Reiki classes & spending time in nature. / Ex. Guided meditation on what you loved to do as child, what makes you feel joy and pleasure now.

Get Linear

Now get more linear and start transferring your ideas into more organized modules or classes. Then:

BASIC:

Write a description of your program.
Come up with 3-5 advertising bullets points that cover the main concepts/most pressing problems that you solve.
Brainstorm possible titles.
Write up an email funnel and start selling!
Finish creating the content – Powerpoint shows, worksheets, videos.

ADVANCED:

Determine how you are delivering your program/product (Webinars? FB group? Online program? Videos? 1:1?)
Figure out how you are promoting your product/program (Webinar? Email series? Videos? FB ads?)
Come up with title + 5 advertising bullet points for overall program and each module
Determine pricing, payment plan, discounts/coupon code if using
Determine sales goals, bonuses, fast action bonus, upsell (if offering one), cancellation policy
Estimate budget
Schedule promotional emails + webinar (if having one)
Create FB ad image and text; determine ad spend + conversion rate
Write email funnel – drive to register, replays, sales sequence, buyer sequence as needed
Create order forms
Create and test pages as needed: opt-in page, thank you page, replay page, sales page, upsell, program page as needed
Record video (if using)
Post in social media
Create webinar script + Powerpoint presentation (if needed)
Monitor ad spend, open rates, and sales