Time and time again, I consult with coaches who have decided to launch a group coaching or training program. And, they are ready to get started. Ready to create all of the content and the program in its entirety before they put it out there for others to see. They are shocked when I tell them to sell the program first, then create it.

“Why would I sell something I haven’t created?”, they ask.

Good question…

Selling your program or product before you create it saves you time, money and effort.

For example, if you’re using the preview call model to launch your coaching group, I recommend promoting the call first to see who’s interested before you create the group program in its entirety. If few people sign up for the call, then you know you’ve got to do some more market research and tweaking to ensure you are in tune with the pain points of your audience.

In my upcoming FREE teleseminar  “5 Simple Ways to Inspire Your Ideal Coaching Clients to Say ‘YES!’ and Immediately Enroll in Your Programs and Services”, we are going to talk more about getting at the pain of your ideal client. I will give you a few simple exercises you can use to ensure you are always writing sales copy that connects with and motivates your ideal client to take action. Click here to learn more.

As it relates to putting the cart before the horse, let’s say you want to launch a home study program. Don’t disappear for months creating all of this great content and then re-appear and say “Here it is! Now buy it!” Consider creating a teleseminar or webinar series to bring awareness to your new program. See how much interest it generates and get feedback from your ideal clients first.

It may be that your new program is completely off the mark and you don’t know your ideal clients as well as you think you do. It could be the content is perfect and is exactly what they need; however, the messaging needs a little work. Perhaps your audience doesn’t see the value because the benefits are not clear. You won’t know this unless you test the market first.

What are some ways that you test the market before you expend tremendous amounts of time, money and energy creating something you’re not sure that anyone wants?

Congratulations! You have decided to launch a coaching program online so that you can extend your reach and impact more lives.

Are you certain you’re giving your audience what they truly want? Have you worked out all the potential snags in your program before going public?

Before you dive in and aimlessly launch your program, it’s best to do your homework, first. Otherwise, you may fall into the trap of launching prematurely.

Do the research, so you know what your audience wants.

One of the biggest mistakes I see is coaches launching their group programs without truly understanding what their audience wants.

Get feedback from a trusted source. It may seem simple, but when we’re so close to our service, we may not recognize what others notice as gaps. Involve others who you respect and who are involved in your industry. Get their feedback on your program so you’re sure your program is hitting that sweet spot for your audience.

Prospective clients aren’t going to spend money on what they need. They are going to put their dollars on what they want. People buy from a place of pain, so give your audience what they want according to what their emotions are based on. They will realize once they’ve made the purchase that the bonus you’re giving them is what they actually need.

Use social media to your advantage. OK, lurking online seems kind of creepy, right? Well, sometimes it’s necessary in order to get the answers you’re looking for in order to please your audience. Jump on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and observe the conversations of people who are in your target market. Why just observe? People are more candid and transparent in their daily conversations, than if approached with a survey or if asked to participate in a focus group.

Test, test and test! Pilot your program before going public.

If you remove the bugs from your program before launching it, you’ll sail into it with confidence while positioning yourself as professional with your audience.

Test the technical details of your program. Again, you know your service so well, that perhaps you’ve overlooked certain technical details in setting up your program. You may want to ask the same person who offered you feedback on your program material to go through the technical, step-by-step process you created. This allows you to make the necessary tweaks that could otherwise cause you to lose sales if not set up clearly and properly.

Features versus benefits – emotionally connect with your audience. People want answers to their problems. They want to buy what will solve their issues and they want to know that you have that answer. Prior to your program launch, enlist your trusted source to test the clarity of your marketing message. This ensures that you’re reaching out to your audience by tapping into their emotions, rather than focusing first on the features of your program.

Taking the time and essential steps to prepare for a program launch is crucial in order to convert prospects to clients. What are some other ways you prepare for your online coaching program launches?

One of the most important things you can do as you’re writing the copy for your sales page is to write as if you’re speaking directly to one person. All too often, we try to target any and everyone and as a result, we’re not able to connect with any one person.

Mary, John and Shaniqua all have different backgrounds and experiences. They have different desires, needs and pain points. They also have different motivations. What appeals to one may not appeal to the others. As your ideal client is reading your sales copy, they must think to themselves “Yes! She knows exactly what I’m going through. She understands my problem.”

So when we talk about positioning our audience for maximum sales page conversion, we must first know our audience. Focus in one single person. Then, immediately let that person know that you are talking to them.

On our sales pages, we use a pre-headline to position the audience. This is the headline right above the main headline on your page and is typically in a much smaller font and different color than the main headline. Below are some examples of pre-headlines my clients and I have used in recent campaigns:

“Attention small business owners, entrepreneurs and online marketers who want to know once and for all how to attract clients and make more money using social media”

“A message to business, life and health coaches who desire to effortlessly get more coaching clients online”

“Attention business, life and health coaches who want to write profit-generating copy that wins the hearts and minds of your ideal clients”

Immediately, your ideal client knows that you’re speaking to them and what they can expect to learn, discover and/or obtain if they keep reading. And to maximize sales conversions, every single piece of copy you write thereafter should affirm that they are in the right place.

These positioning headlines should also be frequently used in your social media marketing, along with a link to your squeeze or sales page. The more visitors that come to your page that are not qualified and do not match the profile of your ideal client, the lower your conversion rate will sink. Be clear about whom you serve and explicitly call out to them to get their attention.

One of the first decisions to make in planning your lucrative launch is how you are going to create buzz online.

How are you going to get the word out about your new program, product or service and create a hungry market of prospects who are anxious to buy?

A very popular and effective strategy to use these days is to invite your prospects to a free teleseminar or preview call. This is typically facilitated using a bridge or conference line and lasts for 60 to 90 minutes.  During this call, you deliver high-value content related to your new program, product or service that entices your prospects to want to learn more. You then make a strong call-to-action for those interested in digging deeper to invest or register for your program.

This strategy works great for many reasons. Not only are you giving your potential customers a taste of what they will get once they invest, but you are also giving them an opportunity to experience you. There’s an opportunity for them to connect with you personally and emotionally. This is very important when asking those who know very little about you to invest in your products and services.

In addition to teleseminars, you may decide to use the following to create buzz online:

• Special reports
• Audio trainings
• Video trainings
• Challenges/contests
• Webinars
• Q&A calls
• Expert interviews
• Surveys

For each event or activity you choose to employ, give yourself at least 7 to 10 days to promote it online. You may want to allow a little more time if you are working with joint venture partners, strategic alliances and/or affiliate marketers to spread the word. This extra time will be used to coordinate and make sure your launch partners have everything they need to successfully promote your program.

What other ways can you create buzz and bring awareness to your services online?

As I coach and consult with solo-preneurs and small business owners on a daily basis, I find that one of the most misunderstood and under-utilized marketing strategies is affiliate marketing. It is mind-boggling how many are overlooking and/or ignoring this opportunity to generate thousands in additional income and grow their business by leaps and bounds.

Affiliate marketing, also known as performance marketing, is a method by which you monetarily reward and incentivize others for spreading the word about your programs and services. In essence, you (the merchant) pay the person sending you referrals (the affiliate). In some models, you pay an affiliate for clicks and/or leads. Through my 5-step lucrative launch blueprint for coaches, I teach my clients to create a model in which you pay the affiliate only if an actual sale is made.

With affiliate marketing, you pay only if a sale is generated by the affiliate.

Imagine what having 10, 20, 50 or even 100+ affiliates can do for your business. Your own self-motivated sales force sending you new coaching clients on a regular basis. And, you don’t have to pay them out of your pocket until after they’ve put something in there first.

You might be asking yourself how do you keep track of referrals coming from so many different affiliates?

There are several affiliate program service providers and shopping cart services (i.e. e-junkie.com, 1ShoppingCart, Premium Web Cart, etc.) that provide the tools needed to do this very easily. Each affiliate that signs up for your program is assigned a unique link. They may then share this link in emails to their list and on social media. Wherever they like. As prospects click the affiliate’s link that leads them to your website, the affiliate management software tracks this. If the prospect then makes a purchase within a certain number of days, the software calculates the commission the affiliate made so that you can pay them.

Merchants typically pay their affiliates between 25% to 35% commission on each sale. Could be more or less. I recommend including other bonuses and prizes in your program to distinguish yourself and make your program really attractive. Not sure what will motivate your potential affiliates to spread the word? Just ask them.

Use surveys and informational interviews to determine what will motivate your affiliates to share your programs and services.

While it does take some effort and time to establish an effective affiliate marketing program, the return on investment in the long run significantly outweighs the upfront investment. Make sure that you at least consider this strategy and how it can greatly increase your income.

Many coaches, consultants and service-based entrepreneurs don’t fully realize the power of testimonials and social proof. Just take a look at their websites and sales pages. You’ll see very few, if any at all. I’ve even been guilty of not using these sales tools to the fullest extent possible.

When you think about it, it makes perfect sense why good, effective testimonials could easily make you more money and get you more coaching clients. Without you having to do much of anything to inspire your prospects to take action! Let’s take a look at 3 reasons why using testimonials is a must if you want to build a profitable and sustainable business.

1. Testimonials add to your credibility.

As marketers, we can say what we want about the results and outcomes we can create for our prospective clients. And, it very well may be completely true. But, what is your prospect most likely going to say?

“Yeah, yeah. They’ll say anything to get my money.”

You know you’ve had those same thoughts about others selling their products and services. But, to hear your peers and colleagues ranting and raving about the results they received and how much money they made, changes the game doesn’t it? Now, you believe that person can do what it is they are claiming to do.

2. Testimonials inspire your prospects to take action.

As your potential clients are reading all of the great things everyone has to say about you and what a difference you’ve made in their life, do you know what they’re thinking?

“I want some of that.”

They figure if other people can get those kind of results by using your services or investing in your programs, so can they!

3. Testimonials build your confidence.

Doesn’t it feel great when your clients shower you with praises and love? You feel on top of the world, don’t you? You’re like

“I’m all that and then some!”

Confidence in your ability to produce the desired outcomes for your clients and charge what you’re worth, as a result, is critical to a successful coaching business. After all, if you don’t have confidence in yourself, why should anyone else?

What are some other reasons to use testimonials and what are your tips for doing so?

I work with coaches from many different backgrounds who want to adopt the group coaching model for various reasons.

Some want to maximize their time. Work less, but make more money.

Others struggle to get private coaching clients and feel it is because their target market cannot afford their fees. They desire to offer a more affordable option.

And, some are just tired of or bored with the 1-on-1 coaching model.

As you plan your lucrative launch, know that your private coaching clients can have a huge positive impact on the success of your group coaching program. Here’s how:

1. You can get effective, results-oriented testimonials.

Once you decide to launch your new group program, start thinking about the testimonials you’ll need to put on your sales page to increase your conversions. You’ll want to choose ones that are relevant to your new program and are results or benefits-oriented. Remember, your prospects only care about what’s in it for them.

If you don’t already have several testimonials that will work, then make sure you coach your existing clients around those topics that will be addressed in the group program. Then, ask that they provide you with a testimonial or success story.

2. You can get valuable feedback on what needs to be tweaked or changed in your group program.

When I first started developing my 5-step lucrative launch program for coaches and consultants, I’ll admit I was off just a tad. Okay, maybe a little more than that. The point is, it wasn’t until I started getting feedback from my private coaching clients that I was able to tweak and change the program in a way that made it very compelling and irresistible.

3. You can quickly generate the marketing dollars needed to have a successful and profitable launch.

I teach my clients that the quickest path to cash in your business is through 1-on-1 coaching and consulting. You can literally pick up the phone right now, call a prospect or existing client and have new business within 30 minutes. Without planning this big campaign and creating sales pages and all of that good stuff.

As both myself and my clients have done, you can use 1-on-1 coaching to generate cash quickly and fund the launch of your group coaching program.

What say you? What are some other ways that your 1-on-1 coaching can help you to have a lucrative group program launch?

Fill Your Group Coaching Program Fast! Even if you have a small list or no list at all!

FREE Teleseminar series starts Tuesday, October 18, 2011 at 9:00 pm EST.

Register here!

You may have been told “Don’t care what others think. Forget the naysayers. Go after your dreams and goals.” I agree with this wholeheartedly EXCEPT in one small instance. And, that’s when those “naysayers” happen to be your target audience or potential buyers. Who better to tell you whether your great idea for a new product or service will work or not? YOU might think it’s a good idea, but I’m pretty sure you’re hoping to get buyers other than yourself.

If you’re going to successfully sell your products and services online, surveying must be a frequently used strategy in your toolkit. I used to think surveys were too formal and ineffective. I preferred to speak with members of my target audience one-on-one to get a sense of their wants and desires.

For me, the problem with this method was these conversations were very unpredictable and all over the place. Half the time, I didn’t get the answers to the questions I needed. Not to mention, you can only talk to so many people in a certain amount of time.

The structure of a survey keeps your audience focused on providing the important and relevant information that will allow you to make key decisions on how/whether or not to take this product to market. If done correctly, this feedback could be used to tweak your product, program, messaging, etc. so that your offer is more compelling to your target. We want to be sure we are creating something that people will actually buy.

Some questions to consider asking your target market are:

1. What are the two most pressing questions or concerns that you would like to have addressed regarding <product>?
2. What issues will <product> resolve for you?
3. How important to you is it to have those issues resolved? (as soon as possible, in the next few months, in the next year, no urgency at this time)

Remember to keep your surveys short (preferably no more than 5 questions) to increase your response rates. You may even consider offering something to those who respond. Perhaps they get a FREE gift or their names get put into a drawing for a special prize.

You also want to survey your audience ahead of time. Do this at least a couple of months before your proposed launch date. You’ll want time to test and validate your assumptions before investing too many resources into a project that was doomed to fail from the start.

So, while we shouldn’t allow others to crush our dreams and tell us what we can and can’t do, we most definitely want to ensure we are in tune with what our target audience values, wants and will pay for.

While there is no clear cut answer to this question, I can tell you that you’re going to need more than just a couple of weeks to successfully pull this off. Unless of course, you have a huge, responsive list and/or social networking community full of qualified prospects. In that case, you may be able to send out a couple of emails, post a few times on social media and get your program filled up. If, however, you’re like most selling their products and services online, you don’t have that luxury.

The free preview call model is very popular these days. I’m sure you’ve been on these calls where the presenter gives a lot of great, high-value content all in an effort to upsell you into their new program that starts in a couple of weeks. If done right, this can be a very effective strategy.

So, you figure a couple of weeks to promote the free preview call. Then, another couple of weeks to follow up with those sitting on the fence and perhaps even gain new leads before your program actually starts.

For each marketing activity or content offer you use to generate leads for your program, give yourself about two weeks to promote it.

So, whether it’s a free preview call, video series, special report, survey, contest, etc., give yourself ample time to promote it before moving onto the next thing. If you’re going to use a survey and preview call, I would set up a schedule similar to the following:

Promote survey – 2 weeks

Promote preview call – 2 weeks

Host call and launch sales page

Follow up after call – 2 to 4 weeks

Start program

Immediately after launch and during the follow up period, this would be a great time to assess where you are in meeting your goals (you really should be doing this throughout the entire launch). This will help you determine if you need to do something during the follow up period that will get you closer to hitting your numbers.

The very first step my clients and I take in launching their group coaching programs online is to set their launch up for success. And, part of that involves giving yourself enough time to create buzz and get the word out about your new program.