George Kao Courses

🌠 Launch Your Group Program

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    Module 2
    • The dilemma of "sell what you want vs. what *they* want?"
      6:32
      1 Sell what they want or what they need?
    • Focus on pain points or yearnings?
      6:29
      0 Focus on pain points or yearnings?
    • How specific does your program topic need to be?
      3:07
      Group - how specific does your program topic need to be?
    • Market research (feedback) convos -- key questions
      6:59
      2 market research convos
    • The art of pivoting -- what if your market research says they don't spend money on it?
      4:17
      2a the art of pivoting -- what if market research says they don't spend money on it?
    • Circles of Feedback
      5:12
      3 the circles of feedback
    • Write your list of favorite people 🥰
      3:20
      4 write your 20 names
    • Your ideal client avatar
      4:39
      5 write your ideal client avatar
    • "Speak" with this avatar to refine your topics & program design...
      2:38
      6 talk to your avatar about your program design
    • Reach out and get feedback :)
      3:03
      7 do the outreach
    • 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?
    • At end of market research convos, ask if anyone else comes to mind...
      1:45
      0 At end of market research convos ask them if anyone else comes to mind
    • What's the timeline for circles of feedback?
      2:33
      0 What's the timeline for circles of feedback?
    • Status check -- how's it going thus far?
      1:36
      1 how's it going?
    • Will group programs take more or less energy from you? (compared to 1-1?)
      3:33
      3 Will doing a group program take more energy?
    • Too many program ideas, not sure which to launch?
      3:09
      1 Too many program ideas, not sure which to launch?
    • What's the best time of year to launch your program?
      4:12
      2 When's the best time of year to launch your program?
    • Do you need to offer pre-recorded content?
      3:14
      4 How much pre-recorded material must you have?
    • Knowledge is holographic / always assume some background knowledge
      4:41
      5 Knowledge is holographic
    • Managing over-expectations in a group program
      4:25
      6 Managing over-expectations
    • Include 1-1 as part of your group program?
      1:38
      7 Include 1-1 meetings as part of group design?
    • One Pay + Payment Plan
      11:23
      8 Single pay vs payment plan
    • Custom prices & flexible payment plans?
      2:20
      9 Flexible payment arrangements
    • No commited length = no sustainability...
      3:39
      10 Contract tie in is a must
    • Run a Beta Group first?
      3:50
      11 Beta program first?
    • Software for group programs
      3:25
      12 Software for groups
    • Record your group sessions?
      4:45
      15 Record your group sessions?
    • Finding more people for your program...
      9:56
      14 How to find more of the right people for your group?
    • Sales Page Principles / How to think about writing it
      5:11
      1 Sales Page principles
    • When addressing pain points, be as a caring doctor
      1:59
      7 When addressing pain be as a caring doctor
    • Sales Page: Who They Are
      5:53
      2 Who are they?
    • Sales Page: Vision of the Work
      1:51
      3 Vision
    • Example of writing Vision using Ai chatbot
      4:18
      5 Example of writing Vision using Ai chatbot
    • How to prevent overpromising results?
      1:36
      4 How to prevent overstating the promise?
    • Sales Page: Problems they face
      2:45
      8 Problems
    • Sales Page: Diagnosis (Optional)
      4:19
      9 Diagnosis
    • Sales Page: The Process / Pathway
      2:14
      10 Pathway
    • What if each part of your Process/Pathway could be its own group or course?
      2:51
      11 Each part of your Process could be its own group?
    • Sales Page: Your Passion
      1:40
      12 Passion
    • Sales Page: Your Credibility
      3:21
      13 Credibility
    • Sales Page: Logistics & Price
      4:10
      14 Logistics & Pricing
    • Price juxtaposition and education
      3:47
      15 Price juxtaposition and education
    • Should you publish your price, or only reveal it in a discovery call?
      5:05
      16 Should you share your price or reveal it in a discovery call?
    • Sales Page: FAQ Section
      3:26
      17 FAQ section
    • Should you put language about cancellations & refunds on your sales page?
      3:12
      17 Should you put language about cancelations & refunds on your sales page?
    • Sales Page: Next Step?
      1:15
      18 Next step
    • How long should your sales page be?
      1:08
      18-b How long should your sales page be?
    • Coming up with your Program Name...
      2:18
      19 Program Name
    • Circles of Feedback (Take 2!) for the Sales Page
      2:12
      20 Circles of feedback take 2
    • Should you offer some benefit or gift in exchange for their feedback?
      1:57
      21 Should you offer something in exchange for their feedback?
    • You are the Admissions Director for your Group Program
      5:22
      2 Be the admissions director
    • Circles of Enrollment 🌀
      2:41
      3 Cirlcles of Enrollment
    • Your Inner Circle 🤗
      5:01
      4 Inner Circle
    • Beware the stance of "I know you're really busy... and it's probably too expensive anyway... but here's the invite"
      3:17
      6 I know you're really busy and it's probably too expensive anyway but here's the invite
    • The reality: they *will* miss a key opportunity if they don't respond...
      2:01
      7 The reality that they will miss a key opportunity if they don't respond
    • Your invitation message: should it include the link to the sales page?
      1:38
      5 Invitation message should it include the link to the sales page?
    • Your Middle Circle 🙌🏾
      1:47
      8 Middle circle
    • Your Outer Circle 🌎
      4:23
      9 Outer circle
    • Application for the Outer circle... what about the other circles?
      3:08
      10 Application for the outer circle - what about the other circles?
    • Is it weird that Inner Circle sees public invitation to the group program?
      6:29
      Group Launch Is it weird that Inner Circle sees public invitation to the group program?
    • How to tell someone program isn't the right fit for them? (Writing your decline or "rejection" letter...)
      2:28
      13 How to tell someone program isn't the right fit for them?
    • 🗓️ Timeline for the Circles of Enrollment
      5:05
      11 Timeline for Circles of enrollment
    • Instead of a firm start date, what if you just wait until you have enough people?
      2:42
      12 Instead of a firm start date what if just wait until you have enough people?
    • 🌠 Reminders for a successful launch
      4:30
      14 Reminders for a successul launch
    • The undecideds - give them samples if you can 👍🏽
      1:27
      18 The undecideds - give them samples if you can
    • If some great candidates prefer it, consider 1-1 instead 😊 (tailoring custom 1-1 program)
      3:30
      15 If some great candidates prefer it, consider 1-1 instead 😊
    • Pricing of 1-1 tailored program vs group program?
      1:34
      26 Pricing of 1-1 tailored program vs group program?
    • Dealing with the (rare) cancellation / refund
      7:04
      16 Dealing with the (rare) cancellation refunds
    • "If we're not selling change/transformation, what exactly do clients pay for?"
      3:14
      19 We're not selling results
    • Feedback is tricky -- behavior is the best feedback
      4:48
      20 Avoid the focus group effect re feedback
    • How many feedback calls must you have, before moving forward?
    • Keep your center as you get different opinions from feedback?
      2:52
      21 Keep your center as you get feedback
    • What if potential members feel the group wouldn't be private enough, compared to 1-1 work with you?
      2:45
      22 What if potential members feel the group wouldn't be private enough, compared to 1-1 work with you?
    • Is it a good idea to allow members to start later... after the official start date?
      1:45
      23 Allow people to join later?
    • You did it! Congrats on finishing the course :)
      1:14
      27 Congrats for completing the course!
    • Post-Course Assessment ✍🏽
    • First steps to creating a group program?
      9:07
      First steps to creating a group program?
    • Group of interested clients - work with them to design an offer...
      4:19
      Small group of prospective clients or students - 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 facilitators -- how to get feeling of connection / create energy in the group?
      8:44
      Zoom meeting creating energy
    • 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?
    • Group Program vs Online Course
      3:58
      1 Group Program vs Online Course
    • Small group program - think about whom you want to invite...
      3:26
      2 Small group program - thank about who you want to invite
    • Small group, what if few people show up live?
      1:59
      2a Small group, what if few people show up live?
    • Decide on logistics first?
      2:47
      3 Decide on logistics first?
    • Pricing your group program
      6:10
      4 Pricing your group program
    • Group program - should you create a beta program first?
      3:14
      5 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

Focus on pain points or yearnings?

6:29 Video (38 MB) HD Video (148 MB) Audio (6 MB)
In your sales page and in your invitation, should you focus more on pain points or the problems that your group program aims to solve the frustrations you aim to overcome. The the negative parts of life that you aim to help transform Or should you focus on the positive potential, the yearnings that they have, the goals that they wanna help them reach, the dream that they have. It's an age old question that was brought up first by Buddha and and and and and Buddha decided to focus on pain points. Right? Buddha said, I'll go for the pain points.
Life is suffering. And here is the eightfold path that helps you relieve that pain point of life being suffering. I think Buddha was quite wise about that actually. Could could have gone the other way. I mean, what did Jesus do?
I think Jesus maybe had talked a little bit about that. Hell, the gnashing of teeth. Right? Pain points. But Jesus also focused a lot on heaven.
Right? It's like, King of God. So I'm gonna say this. Well, here are 22 Simplero sample data points. Buddha and Jesus.
I'm sure you have more and more data points. The 2 of them both focused on some pain points. Jesus focused on on the kingdom of heaven. I actually Buddha focused on Nirvana as well. Right?
Okay. So making hopefully, this is helpful. But but what I what I think is that, basically, Solving problems, overcoming negativity tends to sell a lot better. Then focused on yearnings and basically focusing on prevention. Actually, no.
Let me let me back up. Prevent pain pills sell way more than supplements. Okay? This is very important. Please take that as as as as you would.
Because if you had the choice of selling pain pills versus, you know, pain pain relief pills versus supplements for preventing cancer 10 years down the road, please sell pain relief pills for the sake of your business because you're gonna do a lot better business that way. Take that analogy for your own business. Yeah. The more bigger the bigger your audience is or the more they trust you and just are eager to spend time with you, the more you can sell supplements. The more you can sell prevention, the more you can sell the yearning, the dream that we're all going towards.
The less of people could but okay. I'll give you an example. Right now, at the state of my business, I'm grateful to have a large enough audience and a warm enough audience where people are like, oh, I just love to spend time. And GeorgeKao presents is whatever he's selling, I'm in. Like, when you get to that kind of true fan base, then I'm selling the dream.
I'm selling the yearning because that's just more pleasurable to sell that. It's just more inspirational. It's more aspirational. I don't wanna talk about pain and suffering and negativity. Right?
But the more beginner you are in the beginning of my business when People didn't really know who I am. They don't know my work. They don't I'm not as credible to them. This is why copywriters focus on pain points. Because they understand that most people coming to them don't have a large, warm audience so that they have to sell on pain points.
And that's true. The people right now, we're launching the 1st program. If or you if you if you're having maybe you go through the 1st circles on enrollment selling the dream and you still don't have the minimum viable audience or group members, then this next circle enrollment, you focus on pain relief. Not to remember the caring doctor. We're not doing the pain relief to re traumatize them.
That's something that's real and we need to be aware of that. We're we're addressing the pain relief just like Tylenol says, this is helpful for this and this and this is they're not gonna say, while I hope hopefully the commercials maybe the commercials Midjourney traumatize people too much, but we they're they're just saying this is what it's good for. And if you have these things, then the program is good for you. I hope this is helpful. Thanks.
And I want to welcome those of you who have some other thoughts about this please comment below because you you will add to this discussion, especially based on your experience and your, you know, your the the niche of your offer it might be different. You know, people might be learning for an experience. Right? That's not a pain point and experiences. You might say there's like 3 things you could sell.
Pain relief, goal achievement and experience. But still, pain relief sells way better than the other 2. And the warmer your the I I would say I would say, actually, that's an interesting circle because the warmer your audience, the more you can selling experience. Because an experience with you. They wanna spend time with you.
Some people hire life coaches because they just like that person's energy signature so much. I don't care what you saw. I don't even know what I don't even know what life coaching is. I don't even know what drumming is. I don't know what Shamanic journeying is.
I don't know what this is, but I like you. And I want to spend time with you. I trust you. And so whatever you're selling, the experience, let's do it. The goal is a little bit easier to sell than than experience because the goal is like, oh, I understand.
I'm gonna have a great relationship. I'm gonna make make more money. I'm going to heal my healing could be pain relief, but I'm gonna have better health. Now those are goals. Right?
So it's like the more you go on on the cycle, the more you need to be credible and and energy signature, is what they're resonating with. Right? But, yeah, for some of us, it's true. The energy signature is so resonant with our people. We can sell an experience, hey.
Don't know what I'm selling, but you get to spend time with me. It's just GeorgeKao Calvary Tree. How many of you are interested in the George Calvary Tree? I have no idea what we're gonna do. Raise your hands, actually.
Right now, anyone interested in George Calvary Tree? Come meet with me. A few of you, right, and being being very courteous and raising your hand, even though you but but that's true. I mean, I I've had I've had clients asked me for years. GeorgeKao, why don't you do an in person retreat?
It'd be great to meet you and meet each other. They don't even care what we talk about in retreat. That's called selling an experience, but that's because It's that warm. It's that resonant. Right?
So it's true for some of you and just have to understand this where along the cycle are you. So hope this helps.
Last updated 1 Nov 2023.