Should You Run Short-Term or Long-Term Coaching Programs? Kathleen LeGrys has the answer for you

Why you’re going to love this episode…

We’re huge fans of Kathleen here at Meal Garden and we’re sure you are too.

Known for being the founder of Health Coach Solutions, co-host of the Wellness Business Podcast, and for her extraordinary support in helping health coaches and nutritionists to streamline and grow their business online.

She has a wealth of coaching programs and resources and is speaking to Kiki to share her thoughts on whether a short or long-term coaching program is right for you and your clients.

It feels like everyone and their mother is running some sort of coaching program, so how do you run one that is right for you and your clients?

Length can obviously be a huge deciding factor for people and the associated time and budget they have to give to it. So it can be difficult for clients to decide which is best and therefore hard for you to create the right program.

Kathleen’s recommendation...offer both short and long programs. Both formats are important for a couple of reasons...

Number 1: For profitability

It's 15 times easier to get a repeat customer than it is to get that initial customer. So, if you have more than one way that people can work with you, you're going to be able to help more people and make more money.

Let’s say you’re on a discovery call with a potential client and you’re offering a 6-month program. You discover that they either can’t commit because of the time or money and your only option is to wish them well and maybe reach out to you when they’re ready. Or you could be on the call with two options where one is better suited and you make the sale. “ — Kathleen LeGrys

Number 2: To help your clients

Maybe your potential client can only really commit to 30 days or maybe they're worried that they’re not going to succeed and need to be eased in. By offering that 30 days or 21 days shorter program, sets them up for success because they get to build their confidence, build momentum, and then it sets them up for taking the next step with you in the longer-term program.

If you are new to the world of offering programs and are struggling to know whether to choose 30 days or 3 months, here’s Kathleen’s advice...

Test, test, test. Test what works for you and for your clients. What are you hearing from them? What are they asking for?

Having a shorter-term program around 30 days is a great start. Learn from it, then test a 90-day program. Think about it from your client’s perspective, build some trust with them. If they have a great experience on a shorter program, they may be more willing and interested to then buy your larger programs.

It also depends on your niche. For example, if you focus on hormone rebalancing then developing a longer program is ideal for you and your clients.

As Kathleen says,

“I love seeing all the different options that coaches are offering. And that's the beauty that there isn't one set cookie cutter way to do it. So one example would be a 30 day program that leads to a 90 day program. And then another program that's 90 days. So you're kind of leading people down to a more advanced option.”

But, can you ever have too many programs?

Yes!!

If you have too many it becomes confusing and saturated and it’s likely that people will turn off and not buy. For Kathleen, three is the maximum.

But again, we are all different with different clients so listening to them is key. It’s about knowing the benefits of each program and how to properly market these to your clients. For instance, a 30-day program would really cover foundational, step-by-step work, a 90-day program would run a lot deeper. It’s about what your clients feel they need from you and then they can decide.

Kathleen’s super easy tip to upsell your clients onto your longer programs...

Drip feed the benefits throughout the shorter program, whether it’s a 1-1 or group program. During a call or presentation bring up the larger program. For example, ‘you guys are doing so great, I know this is something I will go into way more detail about in my next program’. Plant the seeds of the benefits of a longer program and what your client will get out of it, to the point where they are excited and asking you about it.

As heart-centered, giving, loving health and wellness professionals we do feel just intimidated sometimes to ‘sell’, but when you reframe that to I’m inviting someone to get the help that they need right it’s no judgment on you if they say no it’s just you’re inviting them to get a transformation to get a result or reach a goal.

— Kathleen LeGrys

Seriously how good is this episode? Listen to uncover more on:

• What should you be including in your short or long term programs to make a successful impact
• How to price your programs and Kathleen's thoughts on bonuses and incentives rather than discounts.

Click here to listen now!

We have to tell you Kathleen's top 2 mistakes that she sees when developing programs.

1. Only having one offering. Make sure you have more than one program and no more than three so you can offer something for all your clients.
2. Not starting because you don’t feel ready. Just start knowing it doesn’t have to be perfect. You're gonna learn so much by getting started

And her #1 tip...

Figure out what you want to be providing as part of your programs and how it fits in with your business and what you enjoy doing.

Once this is done, figure out what you can outsource, like social media management or admin. That way you can delegate and focus on getting in front of your ideal client and grow your business.  It’s a mistake we all make at the beginning because we think we should be doing it all. Just because we can be doesn't mean we should.

Wise words there, so how can you connect with Kathleen

She loves hanging out on Instagram, or why not join her Facebook group? With over 10,000 members there is so much business support from a great group of people.

You can also visit her website.

Whichever way you choose to get in touch she would love to hear from you. Please send any questions you might have her way.

Enjoy the episode!

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