Creating Online Courses
Online Course creation is where so many coaches get stuck because course creation can’t be rushed, forced or pushed. Courses that are born organically from genuine client needs are the ones that fly.
Here’s how you can create an online course for your coaching clients in 5 simple, natural steps.
Give yourself permission to take your time. Grow into online course creation while focusing on the important things – experiencing joy in your work, nurturing meaningful connection with your clients and facilitating transformation one person at a time.
No amount of money in the world can justify doing anything less.
Before I get into the steps I thought it would be good to explain some of the terms I’m using.
Online Lesson
An online lesson is a single video or audio that teaches a specific topic to a coaching client. Downloadable exercises are often included within online lessons.
For instance:
- How to determine your values
- How to conduct a SWOT Analysis
Online Course
An online course is a series of lessons on topics that work together within a theme. A pure online course does not include any coaching or mentoring.
For example:
- Building Self Esteem
- Cultivating Self-Love
- Business Planning
Online Coaching Program
An Online Coaching Program is a suite of online products packaged into a single offering to achieve a specific outcome. An Online Coaching Program may contain any of the following components; online coaching calls (one-to-one or group), online video or audio lessons, downloadable exercises, Facebook group/WhatsApp group for chatting in between meetings.
Building Assets
Online lessons add value to your clients’ coaching journey and can be packaged into online courses and programs. Lessons that are in alignment with your coaching approach become assets that keep giving.
But how do you know what lessons to create? What topics will add value to your coaching offer? What do your clients need most?
Here is how my first online training was born…
When I started as a life coach I was working one-on-one with professionals in their 30’s who wanted to be happier in all aspects of their life.
Once I had coached my first 6 clients I took stock of all the topics we’d covered together. I quickly started noticing trends.
For example, I noticed that I’d taught all my clients a tool from my toolkit about ‘Comfort Zones’. For some reason this topic was relevant to the majority of people I was attracting. As I kept looking for trends I realized we’d also covered Values, Beliefs, Support Team, Vision and Goal Setting.
Each one of these topics eventually became an online lesson that clients could access from my online Classroom. As my library of online lessons grew and clients could watch them in their own time, my coaching sessions became less about teaching and more and more focused on helping clients find answers within. #PureCoaching.
I developed a complimentary online course organically, driven by the needs of actual coaching clients. Eventually I was able to also sell the online course as a passive income product for people who weren’t quite ready for coaching yet.
This article shows you how to do the same in 5 natural steps.
Step 1 - Choosing my ideal client
Passion + Experience = Standing Out
One of our new My Coach Office members recently told me that her ideal client is a career woman between the age of 16-65. She was keen to help women get promotions.
Now, that is a good start but it’s still a big age range and covers LOTS of industries. With so many coaches, counselors, and mentors out there, how was she going to stand out?
After digging deeper she eventually refined her scope to 40-50 yr old women working for the Federal Government as managers and non-executives.
This is a perfect fit for her because she loves making a difference and has worked for the Federal Government her whole career. Because of her in the field experience, she can offer mentoring services as well as coaching – all she has to do is let her clients know when she’s switching hats!
Step 2 - Start coaching people!
You can’t fully serve if you don’t fully understand who you’re serving.
Reach out to 5-10 people who match your ideal client profile and offer to coach them for 3 – 6 sessions. This can be paid or pro-bono work.
The important thing is that you experience a deep and meaningful connection with real ideal clients. Follow a pure coaching approach and keep your ego out of the way. Truly get to know them and their needs.
Here’s how I suggest starting each session…ask questions that help your client set their intention for the meeting. For example, “What needs to happen for you in this hour to make the time/money you’ve invested 100% worth it?”.
Once you’ve elicited the session goal, work your coaching magic. Keep track of your client’s intentions with an online coaching system like My Coach Office.
By getting to know your clients you are building your experience and expertise. It’s KEY! Fully ENJOY this special and sacred time of discovery, exploration and creation. Tune into and acknowledge the fulfilling feeling you experience when you do this “work”. Keep following that feeling.
Step 3 - Hunt for Trends
Don’t panic. It’s Organic.
Once you have completed about 36 coaching hours coaching ideal clients it’s time to stop and take stock. Look through your session notes to answer the following questions.
- What resources did you refer several clients to?
- What concepts did you teach over and over?
Your answers to the questions above are the topics for your first lessons!
I highly recommend making one lesson per topic (as opposed to grouping lots of topics into one lesson). This approach will give you a lot of flexibility as you continue to evolve in your coaching.
Step 4 - Create Lessons
Keep it simple and make it FUN!
A lot of coaches get freaked out by the thought of creating a lesson until I tell them how easy it can be.
When I made my first lesson, I created a powerpoint presentation and recorded my screen and my voice while I talked through each slide. Easy!
I still use this approach for my longer lessons where I’m teaching something. The visuals help people connect more to the content.
I record the lesson while sharing my screen on a Zoom call (and sometimes it’s just me on the call!). Make it easy and fun.
What to include in your presentation:
- Pick a topic for your lesson.
- Why is the topic important to your ideal client? Give examples.
- What facts, definitions or stats would your ideal clients love to know about this topic?
- How can your ideal client use this? What are the steps?
- Is there an exercise they can do? Provide clear instructions.
- How will life be better by using this topic in his/her life?
- Weave in stories that paint clear pictures wherever you can.
Step 5 - Get Online
Once you start building up a collection of lessons you’ll need a way to easily share them with all or some of your clients.
This is really easy with an online coaching business management system like My Coach Office. The Classroom feature is specifically designed to help coaches easily design their own online training programs.
You can also sell your training programs in My Coach Office on your website. There is 0% Commission and everything is automated so you can start earning while you sleep.
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Michelle Adams
Benay Dyor
Michelle Adams and Benay Dyor are not just friends, they are also business partners in My Coach Office - a business management system created for Coaches by Coaches. They are passionate about supporting coaches and the impact they can have on the world, especially right now.
Michelle Adams
Benay Dyor
Michelle Adams and Benay Dyor are not just friends, they are also business partners in My Coach Office - a business management system created for Coaches by Coaches. They are passionate about supporting coaches and the impact they can have on the world, especially right now.
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