One of the topics we explore in the Coaching Business Builder is the topic of program design. As I wrote a few weeks ago, since I became more intentional around noticing where I was spending my time by using my monthly tracker in the Coaching Business Builder, I have been amazed at just how much time I spend every week in program design.
Program design is a core focus in the Group Coaching Essentials program I run as well as the Virtual Facilitation Essentials program (link to both programs at the Group Coaching Essentials sites).
 I go into a little more depth in Coaching Business Builder (pages 71 – 73) but go into a huge amount of detail in my other books (see links below). You can also pick up with the on-demand program – Tips and Tools for your Group or Team Programs which I host over at Teachable.  
Here are 8 specific steps you can take in designing your next program:

1. Consider what focus your clients are looking for right now. What are the things that are keeping them up at night? What have they been asking for more of? What are the common themes that are showing up in conversations  across clients either as an opportunity or a challenge? Make a list of all of these topics.
2. Get more granular about these topics. Make a list of 8 – 10 theme areas that are under each of these topic areas. Putting these in a mind map is a great starting point.
3. What’s the best vehicle for a program with these topics? Is it in-person? Virtual? Live? On-demand? A video-based course?
4. What exercises or elements would you include? For each of the themes you have, map out what would be included or explored at a high level. You could do this in a more detailed MindMap or use the Design Matrices I include in my books.
5. What would the top 3 takeaways or exploration areas be for each of the theme?
6. Is there any pre-work or post-work related to each of the weeks? Any reading or focus?
7. Start writing out the materials or designing slide by slide
8. As you start working on this, notice how you could market it. The bullet points from each session’s focus can frame some of the messaging.  Start drafting out the program description, and/or how you want to position this. Check out similar programs which may exist to get a sense of the price range, and also consider where this fits in your funnel of different products and services.

 
There’s a lot on this list, however, think about chunking it down to focus on each one in a separate sitting. Program design is not a race to the finish, it’s a journey. Great program design is rarely completed in one sitting. It marinates and grows in creative spurts.  
What are the steps you want to take in moving your program ideas forward?

Best wishes,
Jennifer

​As we start rolling into the end of the year our work cycle can be filled with planning, and likely a number of celebrations, closures and connecting with clients. Over the last few months I have been enjoying facilitating the Plan.Do.Track™ series of virtual retreats. These four hour programs are aimed to support professionals in quick sound bytes around their own planning for projects (or year end), as well as getting into action and starting to get data around what’s working and what’s not.
In that spirit, I wanted to plant two seeds. One, what upcoming opportunities do you have to say thanks? When was the last time you reached out to your community to thank them for their support, or to take the time to reminisce about a 2018 project?Taking time to pause is critical in today’ work space, and we don’t always do it. What is one meeting or celebration with a past client you’d like to add before the end of the year? Schedule that now!
Second, I’d like to plant the seed around building in time to take stock before we get to year end. Perhaps you’ll join me for an upcoming Plan.Do.Track Virtual Retreat Thursday November 28 - 1 - 5 pm ET, December 5 - 1 - 5 pm ET, December 20 (1-5 pm ET) OR simply, maybe you’ll use some of these questions to support you in reflecting and taking action:

1. As you look back to your initial goals for 2018, what have you achieved?
2. As you look back to your initial goals for 2018, what has shifted? What was important about those shifts? Why did they happen?
3. What is still left to do this year?
4. What is it going to take to complete these projects?
5. What is important about getting these projects done?
6. Can any undone tasks be deferred to 2019? Delegated to someone else?
7. Build in time to get it done! While you may not have huge chunks of time, what are the regular steps you can take on a daily or multiple days a week process?
8. What do you want to do to invest in getting these projects completed?

I also wanted to take a moment to thank you for your support. I continue to enjoy receiving emails about how you are using the planner, and what impact it is having in your work. I’ve also LOVED seeing the impact of the PlanDoTrack Virtual Retreats in the past few months and am really looking forward to facilitating more! I hope you will join me for an upcoming session to see just what you can get done in a 4 hour window. 
Enjoy moving these forward!
Jennifer

As part of my giving thanks for your support, I'm offering a number of specials this week, which will run up to CyberMonday - November 26 2018. It also includes 40% off my annual membership groups which run throughout the year - The Learning Lab and Design Studio (Fridays 845 - 930 am ET: 1st and 3rd weeks of the month), and The Coaching Biz Growth Lab (Fridays 3 -4 pm ET: 1st and 3rd weeks of the month). Savings end 11/26/18.

​One area coaches may find themselves spending a lot of time around, especially if they work with groups or teams, is the area of program design. Whether it’s designing a webinar, delivering a workshop or facilitating a group coaching program, the elements of program design are all similar.
Design is a critical skill set to have, and since I’ve stated tracking this as part of my own work cycle using the monthly tracker in the Coaching Business Builder, I’ve been surprised in noticing how many days of each month has some level of design effort.
In the next month here at the blog,  I’ll be looking at different layers of the program design process, given that this is one time of the year where many of us are looking to launch a new initiative for the 2019.

For those interested in taking a deeper dive into these topics, I go more into it all of my books – refer to:
Chapter 5 – Designing Your Group Coaching -  in Effective Group Coaching (link on amazon)
Chapter 4 – Design Principles and Practices - in From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching.
Chapter 5: Creating the Container in Effective Virtual Conversations where I share the PEBBLLES model for considerations for virtual program design

You will also want to check out the November 2018 article I wrote for the Coaching Tools Company on Signature Programs. You can read it here.
Question to Consider:
What are your 2019 program design plans? 
Use the trackers and monthly planners in the Coaching Business Builder to schedule in time to work on your designs.

Best,
Jennifer

​Jennifer Britton
Author of the Coaching Business Builder Workbook and Planner
Potentials Realized
Phone: 416-996-8326
Check out the  November 2018 CBB Book Club Call entitled "2019 Planning. Already?". You can view it here.

The funnel is a marketing term which visually helps us consider what we are offering. It's also an important tool to see how we are engaging with our clients/customers in different ways and at different price points.
Imagine an inverted funnel in which the top is wide, scaling down to the bottom. If you have a copy of the Coaching Business Builder you can work through your own funnel on page 8.  I've also included one here at the blog.
Let’s look at it first from the perspective of what you are offering in terms of your products or services. Then we’ll look at it in terms of how you are building relationships.
At the top of the funnel we have those items which are free or no fee. This is the widest part of the funnel and it is geared to attract the most amount of people. At this level we might include things like

• A downloadable template to support our clients 
• A daily challenge (5 days, 7 days, 30 days) to support clients in taking action towards their goals
• Blog posts
• Facebook Live Community Calls where we bring discuss some of the more common questions received.

 
At the next level of the funnel, you will have low priced offerings. Again, the purpose may be to strengthen relationships and also generate money. These might include:

• A short e-book bringing together some of your blog posts in a compendium
• A short video based course highlighting some of the tips or latest research around the topic

 
At the next layer, we have mid priced programming. This is perhaps where your live offerings of retreats or group coaching might reside.

Finally, at the top end of the funnel (the smallest part) you may have individual one-on-one coaching, OR Intensive work with you through a Weekend Program OR a VIP Day.

As you consider your programming for the next year, what would you put in each of these layers. Which programs could benefit from some attention and/or need to be developed?
​
Over the next month we will be focusing on the topic of Program Development, one of my favorites, here at the Coaching Business Builder blog. I’ll be taking you through some posts which include a step by step look at program design, as well as what’s important to consider from science as you go to develop your own programming.

Best wishes,
Jennifer

Be
In my planning virtual retreats over the years, as well as at the Coaching Business Growth Lab, I speak regularly about the importance of taking regular action on our businesses. Whether we focus full time on coaching, or have it as a side gig, spending time to Plan, Get Things Done, and Track is critical.

This has led me this fall to launch the Plan.Do.Track(TM) series of programming (next Virtual Retreat coming up today at 1 pm ET!), and also to be releasing an adaptation of the Coaching Business Builder Workbook and Planner as the Plan.Do.Track Workbook and Planner for Remote and Virtual Professionals (coming out in December).
Taking consistent action is key, and allows us to manageably, and sustainably, build business. 

As we step into the month of November, what are your top 3-5 goals?
What are the regular steps that will take you towards achieving these goals?

For the last six months I've been walking around with a hand-written note in my planning journal. I finally was able to get it professionally laid out a few weeks ago but a trusted designer I use regularly. Even with all the design work I do as an author and instructional designer, I LOVE seeing my scrawls come to life. A big thank you to Jennifer of SecretaryZone in bringing this to life for me!

I'm pleased to offer up a free resource you can use to support you in  your work - The Weekly Booster For Your Business. You can download it here and try it out.

I'd love to see how you use it in action, so take a photo and tag it with #90DaysPlanDoTrack, the current Instagram series I have running over at my CoachingBizBuilder feed. 

If you enjoy this resource, perhaps you'll join me for an upcoming Plan.Do.Track Virtual Retreat. These are 4 hour virtual planning sessions to support you in taking action on your business. For the next 2 months I'll also be offering a special year-end planning focus during these blocks. Reserve your spot now in one of the upcoming Plan.Do.Track Virtual Retreats:
Today - November 1 - 1-5 pm ET
Saturday November 17 - 10 - 2 pm ET (yes - that's right - a Saturday program!)
Thursday November 28 - 1 - 5 pm ET
Wednesday December 5 - 1-5 pm ET
Thursday December 20 - 1- 5 pm ET
​Learn more and sign up now

Download a brochure on the Plan.Do.Track VRs.

Best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Author of Coaching Business Builder
Potentials Realized
Phone: 416-996-8326
Don't forget the November 2018 CBB Book Club Call is on Monday November 5 from 11 -11:30 am ET entitled "2019 Planning. Already?". Hope you'll join me in my main zoom room (zoom room #270-302-0415 - no that is not a phone # but a zoom room #).