George Kao Courses

🌠 Launch Your Group Program

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Launch Your Group Program -- Course Info

Welcome! Take the onboarding steps...

✍🏽 Start of Course Assessment
0 When are you ready to launch a group program?
2:25
When is someone ready to launch a group program?
Bonus Q&A Webinars -- Live Support Calls
Group Launch ✍🏽 Work Retreats to give you time to learn & implement the course!

Module 1

1 Warm welcome to Launch Your Group Program
3:52
🤗 Warm welcome to this course!
2 Begin by imagining your ideal 20
3:40
Let's begin imagining your 20...
0:00
I want us to begin by imagining who your ideal twenty people are. If you're a beginner and you charge a $150 a month, 20 people is $3000 a month. So who might those 20 people be? I don't want you to be anxious, try to set aside any anxiety or fear of rejection.
0 law of attraction works for attracting people
1:21
You attract the energy of people you visualize
3 metaphor of soulful hide & seek
5:35
Soulful game of hide & seek 👼🏼✨🌎
0:00
I invite you to play with this metaphor that I'm gonna tell you. I actually believe this literally because I'm kind of crazy, but you don't have to believe it. So what I believe, what I envision, is that before you and I incarnated to this earth when we were still spirits souls in the afterworld.
4:00
The more I pinged, the more people are out there, but doesn't matter. Most of the time, you know, I I start to find some of these so so That's helpful for me. And these so group people are the ones we are inviting. In to be part of our 20 at this time.
4. What skill or service would you love to provide to them?
4:54
What skill or service would you love to provide to them? 💛
0:00
I invite you now to bring to mind and heart your ideal 20. What skill would you imagine just providing so much value for them that you would enjoy providing? What project or projects would you love to help them complete with your support?
3:46
So go ahead and rate your these ideas and then take the top 3 to 5 of the of the ones you've rated and put them at the top. And if you'd like, comment below with your top three to 5, Okay? And and then the rest of your ideas, if you wanna also say these are the other ones at brainstormed.
5. Lessons from Group Programs
3:41
Lessons from Group Programs...
0:00
I want you to comment below with lessons you've learned as a member of such a thing. Whether it's small, tiny, or large, I think we can all learn at least patterns and principles from from our collective experience.
24 What's a group program vs online course?
2:17
What's a "Group Program" vs. an "Online Course"?
6. How would you provide the skills:experiences
2:56
How would you provide the skills/experiences? Gently stepping into program design...
0:00
In this video, we'll look at how to design a group program. We'll start by looking at the top 3 to 5 skills that you'd love to provide. Then we'll see what resources you might share with them. And we'll end with some ideas for how to structure a group.
7. About catering : over-catering to people’s specific needs
4:26
About catering / over-catering to people’s specific needs...
0:00
A lot of times service providers like yourself are maybe used to doing 1 to 1 services. When you start going into group programs, you have to be willing to trust the process more than you do under 1.
3:56
People may sometimes come and go, but you're gonna get smarter and smarter over the years. How to provide something that actually does serve a lot of different types of people. And there that's true sustainability for your business.
8. Length of program?
7:41
What will be the length of your group program?
0:00
Ideally, you would have a group program that just goes on forever for life. One group program was so much easier to launch than the other one. Hitting 80 members of my month long is like has been pulling teeth.
3:34
In the past, I've launched a group program every single year. And now, you know, 2023, it's been maxed out at eighty people with no attrition. In the entire year, out of eighty people, I think, three people left but immediately was filled in with with waiting list people.
9. Invite your few favorites to 1-1 calls to give you feedback on program design
4:42
Invite your few favorites to 1-1 calls to give you feedback on program design...
0:00
Good marketing is always done in collaboration. It's a back and forth conversation, connection, and dance to find that sweet spot between what you love and what the market loves. How do you find that overlap? Through market research conversations.
3:51
So draft the draft the the the letter, simple note that can literally be, hey. Sup. Sup g. Got 15 minutes.

Module 2

1 Sell what they want or what they need?
6:32
The dilemma of "sell what you want vs. what *they* want?"
0 Focus on pain points or yearnings?
6:29
Focus on pain points or yearnings?
Group - how specific does your program topic need to be?
3:07
How specific does your program topic need to be?
2 market research convos
6:59
Market research (feedback) convos -- key questions
2a the art of pivoting -- what if market research says they don't spend money on it?
4:17
The art of pivoting -- what if your market research says they don't spend money on it?
3 the circles of feedback
5:12
Circles of Feedback
0:00
I'm happy to introduce to you a concept called the circles of feedback. To launch a group program well means to do it in partnership with the people who are going to enroll. As you come up with a list of 20 of your favorite people to invite, you break that down into, for example, 3 circles.
3:46
So you are in the center and who are the people closest to you that you feel most comfortable talking to about market research. That are also the people that represent they represent the kind of person you want to enroll in your group program. And you reach out to them first, and hopefully you have the conversation as soon as possible.
4 write your 20 names
3:20
Write your list of favorite people 🥰
5 write your ideal client avatar
4:39
Your ideal client avatar
0:00
Take your notes and and and if you haven't already done so, kind of write it in a bit more organized way. I'm not gonna you know, make you write some kind of a ideal client avatar template. No. The format doesn't matter. What matters is that it's clear to you when you look at it at a glance.
4:11
Oh, yes. These are if I look at this person, then I could start to notice them in the world, notice them within my own network. I'm like, oh, yeah. That's that's. that's that person. You see? So having this kind clear. And, hopefully, it's not super long.
6 talk to your avatar about your program design
2:38
"Speak" with this avatar to refine your topics & program design...
7 do the outreach
3:03
Reach out and get feedback :)
0:00
Now, I'm encouraging you to actually do the outreach for your market research conversations. For your feedback calls with with your favorite people. Reach out to them first, have those few conversations first.
What if desired outcome from client is different from what you feel they should desire?
5:23
What if desired outcome from client is different from what *you* feel they should desire?
0 At end of market research convos ask them if anyone else comes to mind
1:45
At end of market research convos, ask if anyone else comes to mind...
0 What's the timeline for circles of feedback?
2:33
What's the timeline for circles of feedback?

Module 3

2 Want to invite but still unclear what you're offering?
1:50
Want to invite but still unclear what you're offering?
4 Group members at different levels of development?
5:30
What if you have members at different levels of development?
5 Is 20 people too large?
8:30
20 people feels too large of a group?
6 Group meeting format
6:34
Group Meeting Format
0:00
The first thing I always try to do is well, the question of making everyone feel heard is very simply met in the very beginning. It's really easy to to say, Hey. I just wanna thank you for being here, Ali, Alonzo, Angelo, Beth, Christine, Deshaun, Faith, Farrah, Gregory, Kathleen, Kaylee, Kimgroup.
3:23
As soon as possible in the h class session, I have my students raise their hand or say something so that the early on they participate, the more likely you're gonna pay attention throughout the rest of the class. And then you offer the content itself. You don't have to be a brilliant, you know, teacher having the the most revolutionary framework. No. You at least offer some basic ideas from whatever topic that you're bringing the group around.
7 Pricing concerns
10:14
Pricing thoughts... and a qualifying question in your application.
0:00
Soon, I'm gonna share with you a tool for how to price your group program fee. But before I get there, a couple of initial remarks about pricing and mindset. Maybe we're used to doing one to one pricing, but now thinking about, you know, charging people to be part of a group.
3:34
The common concern is, oh, but what if they can't afford it? This is an important one to talk about because I have often known of friends and colleagues who, you know, tell me or who who tell me they can’t afford this or that. And vice versa, some people like drive fancy cars, but they really shouldn't, that kind of thing.
7:28
I've had hundreds of people apply to my program. And I say thank you thank you so much for your interest, but I don't want you to be part of this program if it's gonna be a financial hardship for you. But I really but I hope you'll try something else. Price should be a filtering factor.
9 Pricing tool
6:34
TEMPLATE for Pricing Group Programs
3 Info Sessions to market your group (optional)
4:36
"Info Sessions" to market your group (optional)
8 What if you really want to work with someone who can't afford it?
2:19
What if you really want to work with someone who can't afford it?

Module 4

1 how's it going?
1:36
Status check -- how's it going thus far?
3 Will doing a group program take more energy?
3:33
Will group programs take more or less energy from you? (compared to 1-1?)
1 Too many program ideas, not sure which to launch?
3:09
Too many program ideas, not sure which to launch?
2 When's the best time of year to launch your program?
4:12
What's the best time of year to launch your program?
4 How much pre-recorded material must you have?
3:14
Do you need to offer pre-recorded content?
5 Knowledge is holographic
4:41
Knowledge is holographic / always assume some background knowledge
6 Managing over-expectations
4:25
Managing over-expectations in a group program
7 Include 1-1 meetings as part of group design?
1:38
Include 1-1 as part of your group program?
8 Single pay vs payment plan
11:23
One Pay + Payment Plan
9 Flexible payment arrangements
2:20
Custom prices & flexible payment plans?
10 Contract tie in is a must
3:39
No commited length = no sustainability...
11 Beta program first?
3:50
Run a Beta Group first?
12 Software for groups
3:25
Software for group programs
15 Record your group sessions?
4:45
Record your group sessions?
14 How to find more of the right people for your group?
9:56
Finding more people for your program...

Module 5

1 Sales Page principles
5:11
Sales Page Principles / How to think about writing it
7 When addressing pain be as a caring doctor
1:59
When addressing pain points, be as a caring doctor
2 Who are they?
5:53
Sales Page: Who They Are
3 Vision
1:51
Sales Page: Vision of the Work
5 Example of writing Vision using Ai chatbot
4:18
Example of writing Vision using Ai chatbot
4 How to prevent overstating the promise?
1:36
How to prevent overpromising results?
8 Problems
2:45
Sales Page: Problems they face
9 Diagnosis
4:19
Sales Page: Diagnosis (Optional)
10 Pathway
2:14
Sales Page: The Process / Pathway
11 Each part of your Process could be its own group?
2:51
What if each part of your Process/Pathway could be its own group or course?
12 Passion
1:40
Sales Page: Your Passion
13 Credibility
3:21
Sales Page: Your Credibility
14 Logistics & Pricing
4:10
Sales Page: Logistics & Price
15 Price juxtaposition and education
3:47
Price juxtaposition and education
16 Should you share your price or reveal it in a discovery call?
5:05
Should you publish your price, or only reveal it in a discovery call?
17 FAQ section
3:26
Sales Page: FAQ Section
17 Should you put language about cancelations & refunds on your sales page?
3:12
Should you put language about cancellations & refunds on your sales page?
18 Next step
1:15
Sales Page: Next Step?
18-b How long should your sales page be?
1:08
How long should your sales page be?
19 Program Name
2:18
Coming up with your Program Name...
20 Circles of feedback take 2
2:12
Circles of Feedback (Take 2!) for the Sales Page
21 Should you offer something in exchange for their feedback?
1:57
Should you offer some benefit or gift in exchange for their feedback?

Module 6

2 Be the admissions director
5:22
You are the Admissions Director for your Group Program
3 Cirlcles of Enrollment
2:41
Circles of Enrollment 🌀
4 Inner Circle
5:01
Your Inner Circle 🤗
6 I know you're really busy and it's probably too expensive anyway but here's the invite
3:17
Beware the stance of "I know you're really busy... and it's probably too expensive anyway... but here's the invite"
7 The reality that they will miss a key opportunity if they don't respond
2:01
The reality: they *will* miss a key opportunity if they don't respond...
5 Invitation message should it include the link to the sales page?
1:38
Your invitation message: should it include the link to the sales page?
8 Middle circle
1:47
Your Middle Circle 🙌🏾
9 Outer circle
4:23
Your Outer Circle 🌎
10 Application for the outer circle - what about the other circles?
3:08
Application for the Outer circle... what about the other circles?
Group Launch Is it weird that Inner Circle sees public invitation to the group program?
6:29
Is it weird that Inner Circle sees public invitation to the group program?
13 How to tell someone program isn't the right fit for them?
2:28
How to tell someone program isn't the right fit for them? (Writing your decline or "rejection" letter...)
11 Timeline for Circles of enrollment
5:05
🗓️ Timeline for the Circles of Enrollment
12 Instead of a firm start date what if just wait until you have enough people?
2:42
Instead of a firm start date, what if you just wait until you have enough people?
14 Reminders for a successul launch
4:30
🌠 Reminders for a successful launch
18 The undecideds - give them samples if you can
1:27
The undecideds - give them samples if you can 👍🏽
15 If some great candidates prefer it, consider 1-1 instead 😊
3:30
If some great candidates prefer it, consider 1-1 instead 😊 (tailoring custom 1-1 program)
26 Pricing of 1-1 tailored program vs group program?
1:34
Pricing of 1-1 tailored program vs group program?
16 Dealing with the (rare) cancellation refunds
7:04
Dealing with the (rare) cancellation / refund
19 We're not selling results
3:14
"If we're not selling change/transformation, what exactly do clients pay for?"
20 Avoid the focus group effect re feedback
4:48
Feedback is tricky -- behavior is the best feedback
How many feedback calls must you have, before moving forward?
21 Keep your center as you get feedback
2:52
Keep your center as you get different opinions from feedback?
22 What if potential members feel the group wouldn't be private enough, compared to 1-1 work with you?
2:45
What if potential members feel the group wouldn't be private enough, compared to 1-1 work with you?
23 Allow people to join later?
1:45
Is it a good idea to allow members to start later... after the official start date?

Thank You!

27 Congrats for completing the course!
1:14
You did it! Congrats on finishing the course :)
Post-Course Assessment ✍🏽

Older Q&A videos that might be of interest

First steps to creating a group program?
9:07
First steps to creating a group program?
Small group of prospective clients or students - work with them to design an offer
4:19
Group of interested clients - work with them to design an offer...
Small group program - must members all agree to meeting times?
2:47
Small group program - must members all agree to meeting times?
Launching group program -- preselling with circles of enrollment
21:06
Launching group program -- preselling with circles of enrollment
Pricing your Membership program -- Resist the temptation to do low prices
18:55
Pricing your Membership program -- Resist the temptation to do low prices...
Basic strategies for filling a group program
6:30
Basic strategies for filling a group program
Gentle launch for a small group program
7:10
Gentle launch for a small group program
Brainstorming marketing ideas for group program enrollment
7:51
Brainstorming marketing ideas for group program enrollment
Group program not enough people cancel or delay it?
3:24
Group program not enough people... cancel or delay it?
Trying to streamline curriculum for a group program
11:13
Trying to streamline curriculum for a group program
Zoom meeting creating energy
8:44
Zoom meeting facilitators -- how to get feeling of connection / create energy in the group?
Group teaching equanimity when things aren't flowing like you planned
9:06
Group teaching equanimity when things aren't flowing like you planned...
When are you ready to create group program or course? How long to create content first?
3:38
When are you ready to create group program or course? How long to create content first?
What if your in-person program is difficult to sell as an online program?
3:59
What if your in-person program is difficult to sell as an online program?
0:00
Elise: You've been a piano teacher for years, teaching a particular methods, Suzuki method. And you've had great success and people would love love learning from you in person. Now you're bringing your programs online and you've noticed that it's quite a bit more challenging because people have the objection, oh, I don't wanna learn piano online.
3:43
Try this exercise if you don't mind using that kind of tool because it's gonna think way faster and and have give you ideas that'll give jobs your own thoughts as well from your own perspective.

Additional older videos re: Creating / Launching a Group Program

1 Group Program vs Online Course
3:58
Group Program vs Online Course
2 Small group program - thank about who you want to invite
3:26
Small group program - think about whom you want to invite...
2a Small group, what if few people show up live?
1:59
Small group, what if few people show up live?
3 Decide on logistics first?
2:47
Decide on logistics first?
4 Pricing your group program
6:10
Pricing your group program
5 Group program - should you create a beta program first?
3:14
Group program - should you create a beta program first?
If launching a membership how soon to start social media posting?
6:24
If launching a membership how soon to start social media posting?
A bit about my group mentoring program
3:43
A bit about my group mentoring program