Episode 063 | Creating Your Signature Coaching Program for Maximum Impact

Welcome to the final episode of our six-part Clinician to Coach Series! 

In this podcast series, I'm sharing resources and strategies to help you start and grow your coaching business to consistent $5K and even $10K months without overwhelm or burnout.

On today's episode, we're focusing on creating a transformative signature coaching program designed to solve your clients' specific problems and deliver tangible results. 

We'll break down the essential components such as motivating clients, accountability strategies, and fostering a supportive community. We'll also guide you through the four critical stages of program development, from identifying your clients' needs to crafting a compelling title. 

Whether you're just starting out or looking to scale your business, this episode has all the insights, tips, and strategies to help you create a powerful and scalable coaching program. 

And remember, it's my mission to get this series into the ears of as many OTs as possible! Meaning if you enjoyed today's episode, please tell a therapy friend and help me to spread the word.

If you want to connect with me directly, you can reach out via DM on Instagram @otsgonerogue or by email at rogueconsulting.co/contactus.

For the latest show notes and full episodes, make sure you head over to otsgonerogue.com/podcast. 

If you don't want to miss any future episodes including the upcoming episodes in the series, make sure you're subscribed to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever else you listen to podcasts. 

Transcript

Melissa LaPointe [00:00:06]:
You're listening to the OTs on Rogue podcast where we inspire therapists to think outside the box and do things differently. I'm your host, Melissa Lapointe. My passion is in helping OT entrepreneurs have a bigger impact on the world while building a life they love and doing transformative work that lights them up. On each episode of the show, I'm gonna share tools and tricks to help you flex your entrepreneurial muscles and grow your business from the inside out. I wanna see more OTs step up as visionary leaders, change makers, and influential CEOs. So let's get started. Welcome back, everyone, to the final episode of our clinician to coach series. This is the 6 part series where I am sharing my best strategies to help you, the therapist, grow your coaching business to the point of having consistent 5,000 to $10,000 a month coming in in revenue or more.

Melissa LaPointe [00:01:13]:
And I want this revenue coming in without overwhelm and without burnout. In the first five episodes of this series, we have covered a lot of content on everything that it takes to start and grow a coaching business as a therapist. So this includes the trends and opportunities in the coaching industry. We have talked about the concerns around industry regulation and some of the potential issues with coaching certification programs. We looked at what coaching is and what coaching is not. More specifically, we unpackaged how coaching is different from therapy and how consulting is different from coaching. In the 3rd episode of this series, we talked about navigating the startup phase of a coaching business. In the 4th episode, we talked about the benefits of working with 1 on 1 clients as a coach before jumping into group programs or leveraged offers.

Melissa LaPointe [00:02:17]:
And in the 5th episode, we leaned into strategic planning and long term growth as it relates to sales and marketing, or more specifically, your client growth engine. In today's episode, the final episode in our series, we're going to break down how you can create your signature coaching program. So this episode is, I would say, well, this is a masterclass in a podcast episode, so get ready to take some notes. But first, let's talk about what exactly I mean by a signature coaching program and why you should even be considering 1. A signature coaching program is not a randomly put together list of self care methods, parenting hacks, exercises or lifestyle changes. So whatever your background, whichever direction you're going with coaching, it is not a randomly put together list that's simply designed to improve your client's health or enhance their energy or help them to feel more balanced or help them to be a better parent. A signature group program is a step by step methodology that's a combination of learning and taking action, where you as the coach are providing a transformational result to a painful problem that your ideal client wants to get rid of. So the keyword is wants.

Melissa LaPointe [00:03:51]:
What does your ideal client want? So I hope you're picking up some words that I have been using repeatedly. So in other words, your signature group coaching program or your signature I shouldn't say group coaching program. Let me back up. Your signature coaching program. This could be 1 on 1, this could be in a small group, but it is a well thought out and well planned out methodology that delivers a specific outcome that you can then rinse and repeat for other clients, a specific outcome that you become known for. It is your methodology that is then going to help to give you that expert level status that is going to help position you as an authority. It doesn't matter if you want to work 1 on 1 with clients, you should still have a signature program. It doesn't matter if you plan on running small groups, you should still have a signature program.

Melissa LaPointe [00:04:57]:
So let's back up for a minute and talk about this methodology. So I really wanna drive this home. I want you to really be able to wrap your head around this. So in order to create a methodology that delivers results, you first have to know the specific transformation that you want to achieve for your clients. We are going to flesh this out a little bit more. So you can only know the specific transformation that you want to achieve for your clients when first and foremost you have a clearly defined ideal client. So this is one of the first things that I take any of my coaches through. So when I am working with coaches and I am helping them to build out their coaching program, you know, to build out that methodology, to build out their business, we first start with a clearly defined ideal client.

Melissa LaPointe [00:05:55]:
And part of really knowing that ideal client is understanding the problem that they want solved the most. Now as therapists, we have to be careful with this because we often go much deeper than our clients. Meaning, they may have a problem that they want solved and how they articulate that problem we jump right to the root cause. You know, oh, you want to lose weight? Well, it's actually your hormones that we need to address and we jump. Boom. This is where we need to go. And your clients aren't there yet. They're like, okay.

Melissa LaPointe [00:06:34]:
It's really important that I get my hormones sorted. Okay. I kind of understand that, but, you know, right now, I just need to lose £10, and then I'll think about that. Right? Like, it's it's this ongoing dance because we often forget how much we know. We forget how much knowledge, how much expertise we have. So what are the problems that our clients want solved the most in their language? And then once we know these things, then we can start to brainstorm the steps that they have to go through, the things they need to learn, the things they need to do in order to get this transformation. So it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if you are offering a 6 week 1 on 1 package or if you're offering a 12 week group coaching program or a 6 week group coaching program, all at different price points.

Melissa LaPointe [00:07:25]:
I want you to start simplifying your life, and all of your clients should be going through this methodology because this is the transformation that they are buying into. So you're not going to have a certain methodology for your 1 on 1 clients and then a different one for your group coaching clients. I want you to create the same methodology and the only thing that's going to change are the features of that program. So depending on what program package they've invested in there may be some different features different levels of support but it is the same methodology. So in order to get your clients the success that they are wanting, the success that they desire, the success that you are promising, there are a set of sequential things that they need to learn and that they need to do in order to get to this transformation, whether they're working with you privately or in a group. So if they skip steps or if they miss a couple or if they do the metaphor order, there is a very good chance that they may not be any better off. Sometimes they may be worse off. And this is what makes you the expert.

Melissa LaPointe [00:08:41]:
This is what makes you, you know, positions you in that position of authority. You can help them to understand that and you are there as their guide. So if you don't have a methodology that you're putting your clients through, then I want you to ask yourself, what are you doing with them? How can you track what's working and what's not working if everyone is doing different things? How can you train someone else to support your clients so that you can actually take some time away from your business? You can have a 2 week vacation. How can you do that if every time you're working with a client, you are producing a different program? How can you eventually train other coaches to support your clients so that you don't have to be there all the time if each of your clients are doing a different program? Okay. So we're gonna flush out what it takes to actually create that program, but first, I want to touch on the components of a signature coaching program that are going to help you to sell it. Because a big mistake I see therapists doing as they transition into this coaching role is trying to sell PDFs with exercise and self care tips and nutrition and recipes and, you know, follow along videos and a Facebook group and then these one off coaching calls. These things are the ingredients that fall under the components you want to include. Yes.

Melissa LaPointe [00:10:18]:
You need education. You need action steps. Often, you need a community, but those things, those components, that's not what's going to sell your program for you. So I'm going to break down the exact steps for creating the signature program in a sec. We're going to get there. But first, let's just talk about the 4 components of a signature program that sells. So your first component is education. This is where you're helping them to understand the root cause and this means peeling back the layers gradually, making sure they're staying with you, and helping them to understand the individual steps that they're needing to take.

Melissa LaPointe [00:11:03]:
The second component in a coaching program, in a signature coaching program, is motivating them to take action, eliminate the overwhelm, give them concrete action steps to take. And of course, with this comes the 3rd component, which is accountability, so specific strategies that you're going to build in to keep them on track and to keep them taking action. Last but not least, the 4th component you're going to consider including in your signature coaching program is community. So intentionally creating and nurturing a community. This can be a huge asset to any program. Alright. So now we're at the good part. This is where we're really going to lean in and create the content for your signature group program.

Melissa LaPointe [00:11:58]:
This is where I'm gonna help you to understand how to break it down and where you're gonna learn what exactly to include in terms of education and action steps. So what you're giving your clients to do and in what order. Right? So full disclosure, this is based off of a master class that I have taken people through in both my rogue scholars and my visionaries on fire programs. This is something so in the masterclass, we have visuals. We go into breakout sessions. We have our sticky notes. So I'm gonna do my best to convey this information to you in a podcast episode format. You may wanna write some things down depending on your learning style.

Melissa LaPointe [00:12:49]:
You may just wanna listen. You can come back. You can even snag the transcript, and that will make your lives easier. We're gonna start with 4 stages. So we're going to break this down into 4 stages so that it's bite sized chunks, which is actually very much what you're going to be doing for your coaching clients. So the 4 stages, the first one, we're going to determine the outcome. The second stage is mapping out the journey. The 3rd stage is developing and expanding each step.

Melissa LaPointe [00:13:18]:
And then the 4th stage is naming your program. And then there is actually a 5th stage, which is getting out and doing the work and serving your clients. But that one will be fairly obvious by the end. So stage 1, determining the outcome. So this is where we are starting with the end in mind. This is where you have your ideal client, you know the psychographics, you you know all about them, who they are and what is the problem that they experience. This is where you've already interviewed 10 potential clients and you've listened to them talk about their pain points, their struggles. You've made notes on the wording, the language that they are using.

Melissa LaPointe [00:14:05]:
This is where you also have a better idea. You're writing things down in terms of what is the outcome that they want instead. So this is the problem they're experiencing, but what is the outcome that they are wanting? In this stage, you are also going to flush out what is the cost of not solving this problem. So if things don't change 30 days from now, 60 days from now, 5 years from now, what are the repercussions? Whether it's individually, whether it's in terms of their relationships, their health, their kids, What is the cost of not solving this problem? You can pause this recording and jot these things down, you can come back to this later. In stage 1, I also want you to get clear on what your signature program is promising. So this is the core reason why someone will want to sign up as your client versus the specific program components or the features that you'll include. They're not signing up because of the Facebook group, you guys. They're not signing up because of the PDFs or the exercises that you're including.

Melissa LaPointe [00:15:32]:
They're signing up because of the core reason, the promise. So this promise solves a specific tangible problem that your ideal client knows that they have and that they are willing to invest in to solve. So this is where I have a sentence with fill in the blanks that I get my students to complete. So my program's promise is to help my clients blank so solve the problem of blank, so they can blank, the outcome or the why. So my program promise is to help my clients solve the problem of what? So to help my clients blank so they can, and then you're putting in the outcome or the why. That was stage 1: determining the outcome. We have to start there. Then we go into stage 2.

Melissa LaPointe [00:16:31]:
This is where we are mapping out the journey. So at this point, this is where I love to get my sticky notes out, love a good whiteboard, all my colored pens. This is where you're ready to begin structuring your package into phases. So this is where I want you thinking in milestones, in lessons, in steps. You're crafting your package, your program, to achieve the stated outcome through your promise. So what you're going to do is you're going to chunk your whole program into bite sized pieces. This is where you are designing your coaching curriculum and you are using your expertise to move your client from start to finish. What are the steps to your process for getting this result? Don't forget the key pieces of advice and the smaller results that you're going to achieve along the way.

Melissa LaPointe [00:17:31]:
Again, sticky notes are your friend. Now, 2 things. So first, some questions to consider while mapping out the journey. So I want you to think about what skills need to be acquired and what knowledge needs to be gained for your client to get the promised result. I want you to also think about the logical order for your client to achieve these skills, this knowledge or insights? So these are some questions you're going to be asking yourself while mapping out the journey. Now what often happens for a lot of people is they realize that they have 5,000,000 sticky notes because they have 17,000 steps, meaning you're not being specific enough with the problem you are helping them to solve. You're not being specific enough with your ideal client. You're trying to do too many things.

Melissa LaPointe [00:18:36]:
If your signature coaching program is going to take 12 months or longer to achieve, even 6 months, that can be a lot. Not necessarily if you have baby steps leading into it, but people want to results. We wanna be able to give them results. We wanna be able to give them those quick wins. So I want you to consider what kind of a journey you are taking them on. Can you hone in a little bit more? Instead of taking them from Australia to New York, maybe you can take them from Maine to New York. If you don't know the US, that's a much smaller distance than Australia to New York. Alright, so we've honed in, we're specific, we've mapped out bite sized chunks.

Melissa LaPointe [00:19:34]:
Once you're clear on the big picture steps so that's where we're starting the big picture steps. And once you're clear on their order, now it's time to flush out the overview. I personally, you know, 5 4 to 8 steps no more than 8 steps. I'm more of a 4 to 6 steps. Like, if you're looking at those milestones, 4 to 5 would be nice because for each of these milestones for each of these bigger steps we're then going to flush them out a little bit more. What is the focus of the steps? So what topic or issue are you going to focus on? What is the goal of this step? What needs to be achieved by your client for this step to be complete and to be able to move forward to the next step? What is the homework of this step? So what exercises or assignments can your client do on their own to crystallize this milestone? So we have mapping out the journey, we have these milestones, these bigger steps, no more than 8, 4 to 5, 4 to 6 is a nice happy medium. And then for each of these steps, you're gonna flush it out. I wanna reiterate that it's easier to do a huge brain dump, get it all out, and then you can start to pull back.

Melissa LaPointe [00:20:54]:
So that's my approach. Get it all out, make an exhaustive list, and then you can start to pull back. What can you eliminate so that it's not this overwhelming program, both in terms of you, the coach, how you're delivering, but also in terms of the client in how they are receiving. Alright. We're then going on to stage 3. So in stage 3, we are going to develop and expand each step. So once you are completely clear on the overview of your steps and their order, now we're going to develop and expand a little bit more. So we started this in the so we have the basic outline in stage 2.

Melissa LaPointe [00:21:36]:
We did the basic outline of the steps. We did our preliminary notes. Now we're going deeper. So some things I want you to think about. What knowledge needs to be imparted? What skills need to be acquired? What mindset work needs to be addressed? What habits, goals, or action steps need to be established as a result of this step? Then I want you to take a step back and I want you to think about how you're going to deliver the content for this step. Is it going to be through coaching calls, through group conversation, through video lessons, written tutorials, audio lessons. So how are you going to deliver the content? The next part of stage 3, so again, we're developing and we're expanding. The next part is we're going to add value, so adding value with bonus features and with supplementary materials.

Melissa LaPointe [00:22:49]:
So this is where you may consider workbooks or checklists, resources or reading lists, could be recipe collections if there's a nutrition component, it could be assessments or questionnaires or specific exercises or audio recordings. So how can you add value with bonus features and supplementary materials? Then I want you to think about features that may create a VIP experience. So this could be a private strategy call or a kickoff consultation, could be a bonus 1 on 1 coaching call if it's in a group setting, It could be a VIP day, so in person or virtual. It could be individual feedback or individual evaluations, reviews. It may be email support or emergency check-in calls. So what features can create that VIP experience? And then the last part of stage 3, so you're going to think about features that create or enhance community and support. So it could be a private group, so that could be on Circle or Mighty Networks or Facebook. It may be a group class or a training group.

Melissa LaPointe [00:24:19]:
There may be now is there a way you can include a chat or a forum? You may consider including a retreat. So again, this could be in person, this could be virtual. You could have bonus group Q and A sessions, or there may be accountability partners, or small groups. So this is all part of stage 3, where we are developing and expanding each step. And then the final stage, before we roll it out to your people is stage 4 where we are naming your program. So when you are naming your program, I want you to first of all do a brain dump a nice exhaustive brain dump. You're going to be thinking about a compelling title. It's going to be clear and laser focused on the client's results.

Melissa LaPointe [00:25:14]:
It may include a specific time or a number with measurable results. I want you to think about a title that reflects the journey. And remember, you can have a title and then you can have a subtitle, so you don't have to cram it all in in one title. There can be the title and then the subheading or the subtitle. And I want you to avoid cute and clever. Get to the point. So you've got your program, you've determined the outcome, you've mapped out the journey, you've then developed and expanded each step, then you've named your program, and then we're on to stage 5, getting out and serving your people. The bottom line is if you want to gain traction as a coach and become profitable as a service based business owner, then you must systematize and automate how you work with your clients and how you get them results.

Melissa LaPointe [00:26:28]:
This is how a scalable business is set up. There is one signature program. There is one methodology offered in a variety of ways. It's not multiple programs with multiple offers. If you don't have a signature coaching program that all of your clients are running through, then you're building this business around yourself and your direct time, which means that in order to grow the business, you have to continue finding more hours in your day. This is a pretty big glass ceiling. This is a pretty big revenue cap that we are putting on ourselves, and that's how we build our business. So believe it or not, having a signature coaching program will give you the ability to grow your business faster and to have a deeper impact without feeling like you're trapped inside your business.

Melissa LaPointe [00:27:28]:
So your takeaways: you're going to keep it simple, less is more, so we're not doing a ton of programs here, Keep it to one methodology that you're going to use throughout different packages, different ways of serving your clients. You're gonna stay consistent and you're going to stick to the plan. And as we start to see results, we're going to lean into these systems. We're going to rinse and repeat. Remember, a sustainable business doesn't have to be a complicated business. Okay my friends, this is an official wrap on our 6 part clinician to coach series. This has been quite the journey together in many, many ways. We've covered a ton of content during this series, including resources for the aspirational entrepreneur, the startup stage of coaching, growing your coaching business with a client growth engine, and finally scaling your business with a signature program.

Melissa LaPointe [00:28:35]:
I hope you had some moments and I can't wait to see how some of you are putting the information I shared into action. Speaking of taking action, if you're wanting more support and guidance in growing and scaling your business, whether that's as a coach, a consultant, or a content creator, I'm going to encourage you to use the contact us form in the show notes or go to www dotrogueconsulting.co/contact us. And if you enjoyed this series, I would love for you to help us out by going to Apple or Spotify and leaving us a review. This really helps to get in front of more thought leaders and visionary OTs who need hear this information and know that they're not alone on this journey of going rogue. Okay. So starting next week, we are switching gears for a little bit. We're gonna be rolling out some episodes that I recorded with the most amazing rock star special guests and I cannot wait for you to tune in. Take care everyone and we'll see you soon.