If you run a group program (or honestly any coaching container), you already know this: getting engagement can be difficult. People join, they watch, they lurk, they stay quiet, and then they say they didn’t get as much out of it as they wanted.

So we were spitballing ideas, and one of the women in the mastermind dropped a tip that made me go, oh my gosh, that is so simple and so good, I have to share it.

The Real Fix: Teach Clients How to Get the Most Out of You

She said one of the things she does inside her program that works really, really well is she educates her clients on how to get the most out of her. It is part of her onboarding.

Not “here’s the portal.” Not “here are the calls.” Not “here’s where to post.”

More like: Here’s how I best serve you, and here’s how you can use me.

Because your clients cannot guess what you are thinking. They do not know what information you want from them. They do not know how you want them to show up unless you tell them.

“Give Me Something to Respond To”

I love questions. I love when people send me their thoughts. That is how I can best serve. I cannot guess what you are thinking. I do not know what you are looking for. But if you give me something to respond to, you will get the most out of the coaching program.

And then she takes it one step further: do not feel like you are bothering me. Reach out. Ask questions. Give me something to respond to.

That is such a simple expectation to set, and it changes everything.

This Works for Any Service, Not Just Coaching

This is not only for group programs.

You can do this as a coach, consultant, web designer, copywriter, strategist, any service provider.

Tell people how you work best. Tell them how to communicate with you. Tell them what makes the relationship successful.

You can literally say:

Here is how you can best utilize me.
Here is what I want you to do.
Here is how you will get the most out of this.

Because if you do not set that expectation, they will default to whatever they have done in other programs. Or they will stay quiet and hope you magically read their mind.

How Do You Get Better Engagement Without Doing More Work?

• Add one onboarding message that says “Here’s how to get the most out of me.” Make it direct. Make it clear.
  
• Tell them exactly what to send you. Questions, thoughts, worksheets, check-ins, whatever you want to respond to.
  
• Tell them how to reach you. Voxer, email, text, voice memo, inside the community. Pick your lane and name it.
  
• Remove the “I don’t want to bother you” story. Say it plainly: do not feel like you are bothering me. Reach out. Ask.
  
• Make it part of the program culture. If questions are how your clients get results, say that out loud from day one.
  

The Teaching Moment

Engagement is not a personality trait your clients either have or do not have.

A lot of the time, it is a leadership issue. If you want clients to participate, ask questions, and use you well, you have to show them how. You have to educate them on how to get the most out of you.

It is simple. It is easy. And it can make a huge difference.