In the group programs we run, group sits around $7K and one-to-one sits in the premium tier. Most coaches build it the other way round.
They start with one-to-one at a middle price, then add group as the cheap option. That fills the coach's calendar at the base price. The upgrade works when one-to-one is the exclusive step up, priced far higher than the group program.
Should group coaching clients be offered one-to-one?
Yes, as a paid tier. After a while people in a group program want one-to-one anyway. They know the method, they have done the group calls, and their questions get specific. It is easier to sell than a new program, because the client already trusts the coach.
Which format keeps clients longer matters less than people think. What keeps clients is a defined goal, a time per stage and someone checking in when they slip.
Group is for the lower high-ticket offers, around $7K. One-to-one is for the very premium offer. Most coaches do the opposite, which is not smart: you can charge far more for one-to-one and it should be exclusive. After a while people want one-to-one anyway, so it is a good premium upsell.
Who should you offer the one-to-one upgrade to?
The clients who take action. They get the most out of one-to-one, and they are the ones who will book the calls. Five signs on the client board and in the chat point to them.
- On track on their current stage, not overdue.
- Just hit a milestone, or the program's goal.
- On most group calls, and in the hot seats.
- Asking questions in chat that need a coach, not a link.
- Saying in the survey that they want more personal help.
Clients who are behind are not the market for this. One-to-one does not fix a client who stopped doing the work. A same-day check-in from the client success manager does that.
How do you price and package the one-to-one tier?
Far higher than the group program, with calls the client books themselves. Not everyone books every call, so a big offer needs far fewer calls than seats sold. The people who take action book the most and get the most from it.
Keep the tier simple. A booking link, a call note the coach fills in before every call, and the same video training and community as the group. A premium tier does not need much new to deliver. At Acquisition Ace, a premium version of the main offer at almost double the price cost nothing extra to fulfil. It sold over 1,000 times in a little under a year.
Result from a named client with written permission. Typical clients of this cohort saw a range of outcomes; nothing here is a guarantee. How we handle claims.
When and how do you make the offer?
At a milestone, or at the latest 60 days before the group program ends. The client success manager spots the client on the board and books the conversation. Where you have a closer who only sells to existing clients, they run it.
The pitch is the client's own next problem. Ask what they want next and what is in the way. If the answer needs a coach looking at their work every week, the one-to-one tier is the answer. Then give the price, the start date and one clear question.
Example pitch. You have the basics working, and your questions are about your own numbers now. That is what the one-to-one tier is for: [coach] on your work, on calls you book. It is [price], starting [date]. Do you want in?
What breaks when you add one-to-one?
The coaches' calendars. A full-time coach with one-to-one calls and chat support carries maybe 200 to 300 clients, and those two things are what break that number. Count the seats your coaches can cover before you open the tier. Stop selling when they are full.
Watch out. Do not move anything from the group tier into the paid tier. Any change that takes something away from what clients bought causes chaos, even a small one. Add the tier on top, and leave the group program as it was sold.
Further reading: One-to-one, group or hybrid coaching: what each does to delivery · How many clients can one coach handle?
Diego Miescher
