Seven types of people you encounter in group coaching

Feb 13, 2023

I’ve completed lotsa group coaching programs in my business life.

I use the term ‘completed’ loosely. Because making it through 30% of the curriculum is a pass, right?

Which is utterly my own stupid fault.

But that doesn’t stop me from shiny object syndrome.

Me: ooooh look at this group coaching!

Me: GREAT sales page, impressive testimonials, payment plan… me likey.

Me: I’ll be jealous when I see other people completing this. They’ll be very best friends. And I’ll be outside, alone and probably with a toothache.

Me: buys program, gets busy, ignores reminders, feels bad about it.

Until the next program comes along. When I repeat the whole sorry cycle.

So being the group coaching aficionado, I’ve noticed a few commonalities.

There’s definitely a few stereotypes you’re gonna meet.

Let’s check them out.

Group coaching stereotype #1: the joiner

They’re oh-so-keen. The joiner does all their homework diligently. Often, they are the first to comment on posts in the Facebook group, and they NEVER miss a live coaching session.

You’d hate them really. If they weren’t so damn nice. The joiner, probably named Danielle (all Danielles are really lovely) are human beams of sunshine, making the rest of us look bad.

Annoyingly, Danielle makes her money back on their investment before the program ends.

Jealous? Not me, no.

The joiner is the first to sign up for the upsell program. Then, she selfishly makes passive income by becoming an affiliate. There’s likely enough for a fancy monogrammed wallet from The Daily Edited. And dammit, you’re just so happy for Danielle, the little labrador.

Group coaching stereotype #2: the crier

Oh dear. Things aren’t going right for the crier. Her back is to the wall. She’s not making any money. And bursting into tears in group calls. Because she doesn’t know how she’s gonna feed the kids and the dog needs another operation.

And you feel bad, of course. You even coo ‘don’t give up, you can do it hun’ in the group chat alongside everyone else. But a teeny fraction of your mind is wondering: can we get back to the coaching call now? Because we’ve spent 15 minutes of a 60-minute coaching call fussing over Rhonda and her money woes.

While Rhonda weeps into her husband’s hanky, you do a quick cyberstalk. Crikey, she’s in an MLM! No wonder she’s barely earning twenty quid a week. You quickly buy a few things from her shop to assuage your guilt. (For that time you rolled your eyes when the waterworks started in session four).

Next week, Rhonda bravely smiles and thanks everyone for their support. She’s made six hundred bucks from all our purchases. And she’s in your DMs. She’s wondering if you’d like to host a party this month? To take advantage of her amazing special offers? Well played, Rhonda.

Group coaching stereotype #3: the hijacker

The hijacker is here to waste everyone’s time with highly technical questions. And has a mere 137 issues to raise with the coach. You have no choice but to sit politely in the Zoom.

The hijacker doesn’t care who goes first. They are determined to get every last dollarbuck of value out of the group coaching program. So they dominate 87% of the group chat. And you? Well, you just have to like it.

Either you are patiently waiting for your turn, so you sit through it.

Or you’ve already had a turn and feel rude to leave early, so you sit through it.

A strong coach is vital here. If the coach is a people pleaser, forget it. Better off waiting for the recording of the group coaching and watching it back. But we all know no one actually does that right? You might say you are gonna watch that coaching call…

But. You. Are. Not.

Group coaching stereotype #4: the ghost

Where the hell is Lexi? Lexi is in the group, but does not engage. She doesn’t introduce herself in the welcome post. She doesn’t join the group calls. She’s a ghost.

Shame. Because Lexi is someone you’d really like to know. She serves the same audience as you, and you were hoping to collab with her. But she’s a ghost.

When there is a Lexi in the group coaching, I feel sorry for the coach. Because they want so badly for everyone to do the work and be successful. But Lexi gives nothing. There’s gonna be no gushing testimonial or case study from Lexi.

Why did she even sign up? We will never know. And all your plans for Lexi to be your business BFF and run masterclasses together are dashed.

Damn.

Group coaching stereotype #5: the promoter

Louise knows the drill. She’s always skirting on the very edge of the group rules.

She’ll throw in a question about her Instagram, Facebook ad or newsletter. But watch out, it’s a trick. She doesn’t really care what you think of her font. She’s a sneaky seller.

As a promoter, Louise plans to make her money back by selling her offer to everyone else in the group. She’s not above sending a sneaky DM to promote her latest special.

Naturally, she’s already zipped you a Facebook friend request. You ignore it for a few days. Then begrudgingly accept. Jeez, does she really post six times a day? Yes, she does. A few days after that, you quickly unfollow.

Hey, you gotta admire her moxy. But for god’s sake, don’t let her add you to her mailing list. You’ll never be able to get off.

Nothing but complete and utter control from the coach is gonna stop Louise from turning the group into her own promo-tastic content vortex.

Avoid!

Group coaching stereotype #6: the weakling

Poor old Amy. She’s just so pitiful. She’s terrified. Her progress is glacial. We all sail through assignment one. But Amy doesn’t know how to copy a Google doc.

Because she’s the weakling: constantly seeking validation and advice. Bless, she’s so bloody helpless.

She prefaces every question with ‘this is really stupid but.’

You want to shake her. ‘Amy, get some self esteem,’ you rage inwardly. Meanwhile, you smile and reassure her that using frames in Canva IS really tricky. You barefaced liar.

Amy needs continual reassurance. She’s oversharing in the group about her progress. Her posts are ultra long, lack full stops and always end with ‘I hope this okay?’

She’s like a baby bird fallen from her nest. She’s weak and vulnerable, but crikey. She takes a lot of attention.

You’re nice at first, but soon tire of her ‘woe is me’ ways.

Group coaching stereotype #7: the darling

This person makes it all worthwhile, they’re your future work BFF.

You get each other, you connect and you become accountability buddies. You learn from each other. You support them and they support you. You might collab together on a webinar, free challenge or simply share each other’s content.

Meeting this type is a brilliant aspect of group coaching. Nothing beats that group environment where everyone is cheering on everyone else. Oh, the vibe and the feels are just so good. Often the entire group is full of darlings, and it’s utterly magical.

So finally, tell me your thoughts about people in group coaching programs

Over to you. Have you met any of these types?

Met any ghosts, promoters or criers? Do tell me in the comment box.

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