As I wrote in Two-Brain Business 2.0, an online coaching business is a scalable asset with little investment. There’s a great big world out there, and the coaches who enter the market first will benefit most.
In the past, virtual coaching was limited by feedback: the coach couldn’t see the athlete, and had to live primarily by notes or the athlete’s memory later. I remember collaborating with another coach in 2005: he wrote her endurance program, and I wrote her strengthening program. Every week, he’d get on a call with her to ask how the training was going. It invariably led to an hour-long talk about her feelings with very little objective feedback. By contrast, I could see her perform in the gym and say, “You did that six seconds faster than last week.”
Now that’s all changed. Self-photo and self-video is commonplace. Storage is cheap. Kevin Kelley believes that, in five years, virtual reality will be as commonplace as cell phones are now. And with a tiered approach, a good coach can earn more income in less time online than in person.
What do you need for online coaching?
- A tiered pricing system. This will allow for a high-volume low price option, a custom option, and a custom-plus option.
- A great (but simple) website extolling the benefits (not features) of your programming
- A delivery mechanism as simple as Google Sheets or a more complex system
- An audience. As I wrote in “Help First,” you’ll have to establish your expertise before anyone will value your service.
- A system for receiving payment, tracking tiered memberships, collecting interest and sending email, storing video uploads and offering services. Here are the WordPress Plugins I use on TwoBrainCoaching.com:
- Subscriptio – allows you to sell different service levels, and automagically controls access for subscribers.
- Memberships for WooCommerce – allows for autodialing every month, and links with Subscriptio
- Out-of-the-Box – allows users to upload videos to your DropBox folder, and automatically gives them their own private folder. In the case of TwoBrainCoaching.com, gyms upload videos of their coaches for evaluation; for coaches, this would be for athletes.
- LearnDash – An online Learning Management System. TwoBrainCoaching.com sells courses to coaches and gym owners, handing internship programs and continuing education remotely. I also use LearnDash WooCommerce Integration and LearnDash CourseGrid.
- MailChimp for WP – allows me to build forms to collect email addresses. For example, you can get a free copy of Two-Brain Business 1.0 in exchange for your email address here.
- GCal Events – Allows me to post my schedule online so clients can book appointments. For example, on this site gym owners can book a free consultation here.
How do you get started?
Start with the programming you already have. What makes it valuable to other gyms? Brian Costello’s online program includes full warmups, lesson plans, detailed explanation of the “Why?”, key areas of focus, cues, skill work, WOD and cool down. That’s very valuable.
Another option is specialty programming. Deacon Andrews programs for snowboarders, BMX and motocross racers, and a bunch of other action sports through SISU Strong. You probably don’t program for those groups (at least I don’t.) But access to that programming means you can add a specialty group to your gym; it’s a very solid investment. If you have a niche market, your knowledge and program is potentially valuable to others.
Next, share the programming – or valuable pieces – with your target audiences. For example, there are several Facebook groups built around WOD Design (here’s one.) You can also build your own, as I’ve done with the Two-Brain Coaching Facebook page.
Finally, build your platform and start selling using a “Launch” sequence. Or simply head to twobrainprogramming.com, where we provide tailor-made programming for your clients, available in two tiers.
