If you’re like most other coaches, your passion lies in the actual process of helping your clients achieve their goals. The day-to-day tasks of running a business aren’t something that you look forward to, and so you end up putting off important tasks that affect the success of your online business.
Fortunately, there are tools to help you ensure the smooth running of your business without sacrificing time with your clients. One such tool is Coaches Console.
Coaches Console is a web-based coach practice management system designed for coaches, by coaches. It provides you with the tools you need to efficiently run a profitable business and automate day-to-day tasks like scheduling, client management, marketing, billing, and organizing.
Read the rest of this guide to discover more about this powerful platform and how you can leverage it to build and grow your own coaching business.
Who is Coaches Console Good For?
Coaches Console is ideal for start-up coaches in every vertical who want to streamline their day-to-day operations and automate the tedious administrative tasks of their coaching practice.
If you’re an online coach who’s frustrated with toggling multiple programs, this comprehensive coaching management platform is ideal for you.
The platform is ideal for both fledgling and experienced coaches alike, and typical customers include health coaches, life coaches, fitness coaches, executive coaches, business coaches, relationship coaches, and professional fitness coaches.
Whether you offer individual coaching sessions, group coaching, events, or tele-classes, this all-in-one solution will simplify your daily operations and administration. It’s an adaptable tool that facilitates all the necessary tasks to create and run an automated (and profitable) coaching business.
Coaches Console Functionality
Below, we take a look at some of the platform’s features and functionality to make it easier for you to determine if it has the tools you need for your coaching business.
1. Ease of Use
One of the biggest selling points of Coaches Console is that it’s designed to be extremely easy to use, even for non-tech-savvy users.
All you need to do is sign up for one of the plans (or a 30-day trial), and in minutes you’ll be running your business on the Coaches Console platform.
When you log into your system, you’ll be greeted by a simple, clean, and intuitive dashboard. Think of this as your home base that gives you easy access to all the important information you need to start and run your coaching business.
There’s an easy navigation sidebar where you can access all the different features, including the following:
- Contact management
- Interactive online calendar
- Marketing website
- Email marketing
- Invoicing
- Forms and documents
- Reporting
The platform has all the tools you need to easily attract, retain, and impress your clients without having to worry about cobbling together different apps and third-party services.
You get a user-friendly dashboard that allows you to navigate the platform with ease and offers a streamlined process to set up coaching packages, recurring appointments, website pages, and a marketing automation process.
Coaches Console automates all your essential business systems for efficient management. This includes marketing, billing, enrollment, and onboarding – all of which happen with minimal input from you. This way, your business thrives while you get more time to do what you love – coaching clients.
2. All-In-One System to Launch Your Coaching Business
Did you know that according to the ICF (International Coaching Federation), 82% of coaches fail?
They may be some of the best in their field, but if they don’t know how to dial in their processes to efficiently run their coaching business, they don’t make profits, which means they don’t last long.
A platform like Coaches Console is designed to address just such a problem by providing you with ironclad coaching-specific systems to help you leverage your time and serve more clients so you can grow your profits.
It caters specifically to coaches, offering tools relevant to their practice. Contact forms, templates, course builders, autoresponders, flexible payments, and many other tools come pre-uploaded into the system for you to use as is or customize to meet your needs.
Everything is modeled on rock-solid systems that are designed to simplify marketing and sales and make it easy for new and experienced coaches alike.
With this tool, there’s no need to dread the business back-end. All the processes feel simple and streamlined to help you run a successful business.
The bottom line is, that you get all the knowledge, tools, and foundational skills you need to master the best practices of the coaching business.
There’s even a step-by-step guide to walk you through the setup and subsequent running of your Coaches Console system up until you launch your product, and beyond.
3. Calendar and Scheduling
The calendar is one of Coaches Console’s core features. It allows you to segment appointments by type, such as “Free Consultation” so that only clients meeting that criteria can book appointments at the available time slots.
This makes it easy for you to manage your schedule while streamlining the process for your prospects to schedule online sessions with you. It’s almost like having your very own virtual assistant who takes care of all your tedious scheduling tasks.
You can provide different types of clients with a direct calendar link that takes them to your scheduling page and enables them to schedule their own appointments which can be set as one-time or recurring.
Enroll clients quickly with templated online client agreements complete with easy payment integrations and automated onboarding messages.
You can also connect session prep/recap forms to provide your clients with even more support for their growth while maintaining a streamlined experience.
If you have no experience in setting up an online coaching business, you’ll love this platform.
If you don’t like spending time on administrative activities, you’ll appreciate the simplicity of the system.
The software even has a super-helpful feature – automatic time zone conversion – which notifies clients of their bookings in their own time zone. So, for example, if you’re on the East Coast and book someone at 2 pm your time, they will receive an automatic notification about an 11 am appointment.
Confirmations and Reminders
Once your appointment types are set up, you can access confirmations and reminders to keep you on track.
There are pre-made reminder templates for things such as:
- Appointment confirmations;
- Reminders;
- Follow-ups; and
- Cancellations.
The templates are fully customizable to match your brand and designed to help you offer exquisite client support.
You can set multiple reminders for each appointment. For example, you might send the first reminder one day before the appointment, another one a few hours before the session, and a final one an hour before to help ensure that your clients don’t miss their appointment.
Appointment Details
Coaches Console continues to make improvements to its calendar. Unlike the previous version which contained default content, the current one allows you to customize the page however you like.
There is a new function that allows users to add their appointments to Google so they can set a reminder. Users are automatically provided with the date, title, time, and other details of the appointment.
Other standout features of the calendar and scheduling tool include:
- Color Coding: Coaches Console makes it easy for you to make sense of all your appointment details at a glance by allowing you to color-code different appointment types.
- Blocking Feature: If you need breathing room before or after appointments, you can make use of the calendar’s blocking feature to block off time between meetings.
4. Comprehensive Client Management
Coaches Console comes with comprehensive client management tools built right into the platform. This includes a powerful CRM (customer relationship management), document management, and a secure client area.
Robust CRM
The CRM enables you to effortlessly manage your existing clients and add new ones easily. The dedicated client portal keeps your notes and communications organized, secure, and accessible. You’ll be able to manage your clients professionally with all the tools you need right at your fingertips, including:
- Scheduling
- Invoicing
- Contract signing
- Payment processing
Clients can also use the client portal to manage their appointments, payments, contracts, and more.
All in all, Coaches Console has a robust and efficient system for managing your clients without having to integrate a variety of third-party apps (or resort to using Post-its all over your office).
There is no limit to the amount of content you can have in your Coaches Console. This means you can create as many pages, forms, courses, and documents as you want. However, the number of contacts you can have on your list is limited to 10,000.
The Coaches Console CRM automatically organizes your clients by type:
- Active clients/Inactive clients
- Buyers: People who have purchased from you
- Hot leads: These are contacts who are on the brink of signing on as clients
- Prospects: Other contacts, including family, friends, and potential clients
This makes it easy for you to make sense of your contact list and get better insights at a glance so you can better focus your marketing efforts.
You can also send consistent follow-up messages tailored to each client or prospect to keep them engaged and boost interest in your coaching products.
The CRM simplifies the process for you to track conversations, send customized communications, and automate follow-ups to different segments of your audience.
Secure Clients’ Area
You can use the Coaches Console client portal as a standalone platform or connect it to an existing site to serve as a “clients-only area”.
Use permission-based access to ensure that your prospects and clients get access to documents, forms, curriculums, and online scheduling tools for the optimal online coaching experience.
The virtual coaching platform also provides a history timeline of your coaching activity which helps to keep your clients organized, engaged, and motivated.
5. Private Client Website
As a Coaches Console user, you’ll get tools to build out your business systems and internet presence in just a few clicks.
All you have to do is unpack your business in a box and make it yours, and you’ll have your coaching business live and ready to launch in 30 minutes or less.
Here’s an example of some of the professional coaching website templates available to choose from:
You can use your site as a stand-alone website for public marketing, or as a secure private client website where your clients can make payments and access course content, documents, invoices, and forms.
You can even fully integrate your Coaches Console website with your existing one to create a space where you and your clients can interact and bond.
Even your very first clients will have a smooth and professional experience, starting with the branded website, and a fully customized client portal that is designed to express your unique self and highlight what you have to offer.
There are no hosting fees or admin fees since the site functions as a sub-domain. However, if you don’t want to use the given domain, you can set up your own custom domain name, instead.
And the best part? No design experience is necessary.
There are tools and templates to choose from so you don’t have to start from scratch creating your websites and pages.
Simply pick a template, add your logo, and pick branding colors to establish your unique style. Customize the text, images, and other content on the page, and you’re ready to go.
This level of brand-ability allows you to create a distinct identity for your online coaching business and makes for a more professional look that builds trust with your visitors.
In addition to dozens of website templates, you also get pre-made forms, agreements, and articles that you can use to create marketing materials and email campaigns to level up your coaching business.
Free coaching templates include:
- Goals
- Discovery
- Wheel of Life
- Client Agreement
- Credit Card Authorization Form
- Call Strategy and Evaluation Forms
- Post Session Recap form
- Testimonials form
There’s even a done-for-you product that you can sell online, as well as free gifts to use as lead magnets to grow your list.
All these resources are designed to help you provide a valuable client experience and are especially helpful if you’re a new coach who’s just starting out.
6. Email Marketing and Automation
Coaches Console has built-in marketing email tools to help you attract more clients and grow your audience.
You get a pre-built list-building funnel which includes:
- A landing page
- Opt-in form
- Pre-made lead magnet
- Pre-written follow-up emails
- Articles for your newsletter
All of this can be deployed in just a few clicks. The lead magnet, in particular, is a valuable resource that’ll help you attract new sign-ups to your business.
The pre-designed funnel is ideal for beginner coaches who haven’t yet created their own marketing content and materials. However, if you prefer, you can start from scratch and create your own funnel using simple DIY tools.
Either way, the platform makes all the tools and resources available for you to build your email list and enroll more clients into your coaching program.
Marketing Automation
In addition to the sales funnels, you get automated emails to help you build your list on autopilot and boost conversions to bring in more revenue to your business.
Once your business is set up on Coaches Console, use the opt-in forms and autoresponders to put your marketing on autopilot.
Whether you want to attract new leads, grow your list, nurture prospective clients, or increase sales, Coaches Console is one of the best online coaching platforms with automation features that make it possible for you to leverage your time and effort so you can reach more people.
7. Course Creator Feature
Another feature of Coaches Console is the courses and content delivery feature which allows you to create unlimited online courses on the platform.
There’s a step-by-step course wizard that helps you through the entire process of creating, arranging, and organizing your online course, lesson by lesson.
You can include a written curriculum, videos, downloads, interactive forms, and discussion blocks to increase learner interaction. Set it up so that new students get instant access to the private client portal where they can easily navigate through the lessons.
You also have control over how students access your content. For example, if you offer a group program, you can choose a specific date for the class to start. You can also drip content to learners over time, which is a helpful feature if you offer a DIY home study program.
There is even a built-in course that you can use as a lead magnet to help you attract new clients.
8. Billing and Payments
On your dashboard, you can create branded invoices based on different client agreements and customize them as necessary with items such as discounts, taxes, etc.
The platform makes it easy for you to create all your monthly invoices for each client group or product by allowing you to generate multiple invoices at once so you can skip the time-consuming invoicing process.
You can sync client agreements with your online billing system, allowing you to invoice per appointment, per project, or per month.
You can process payments through credit cards, PayPal, checks, cash, or barter and automatically send email receipts to clients. Alternatively, clients can log in to the secure clients’ portal to process payment themselves.
Coaches Console supports international currencies, which means you can receive payment in US dollars, Euros, or any other international currency that is supported by your integrated payment processor.
9. Integrated Shopping Cart
Coaches Console’s shopping cart makes it easy for you to take payment on coaching programs, online courses, and other products. It’s easy to use, and you can integrate it into your website with just a few clicks.
The shopping cart lets you sell your products while you sleep. It provides your new enrollees with immediate and automatic access to the member’s area and allows you to drip content to your new learners – all on autopilot.
Another great thing about using Coaches Console’s shopping cart is that it comes with a done-for-you products and services page which allows you to instantly create a streamlined purchase process for each product you create.
Add a “buy now” button to any website, email, or social media page to sell courses, coaching packages, and other products where your target audience hangs out.
You can also customize “cart open” options to control the dates on which to sell your products. For example, you can set it so that you sell your coaching program only during a specified time/date range.
10. Reporting Tools
Coaches Console lets you track a range of metrics in your business. For example, you get enrollment tracking reports which show you how many participants enrolled in each course.
This allows you to manage your bottom line and focus your marketing efforts on areas that can bring improvement.
You can also track participant course activity which makes it easier for you to coach your clients and hold them accountable. You have direct access to participant feedback and interaction which makes it easy for you to keep track of all your clients, regardless of how many courses or contacts you have.
Other reports include:
- Client reports, Product reports, Group reports
- Client import
- Course tracking data
- Certification report, Form answers report
- Invoice report, Failed payments report
- Income by accounts, Projected income
- Email and newsletter stats, Bounced emails, Autoresponder stats
As you can see, the platform makes it easy for you to organize and track all the information in your business to maximize the effectiveness and profitability of the different types of services you offer.
11. Security and Compliance
Coaches Console’s system offers multiple levels of security for your data and client portal.
With regard to security, you get secure pages (HTTPS), username and password protection, as well as industry-standard 256-bit encryption technology. You get daily backups to ensure that you never lose your data.
In terms of compatibility, Coaches Console is compatible with PCs and Macs, and you can access your business data using popular browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer.
Easily export client data and other information to platforms like QuickBooks. Import information from third-party client databases like Outlook. You can also sync calendar information with tools like Google Calendar and your smartphone, and download reports to Excel.
When it comes to compliance, Coaches Console follows the strict guidelines of the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) to help protect you and your clients’ data and privacy rights.
Coaches Console Pros and Cons
Like any other coaching tool, Coaches Console has its own unique pros and cons. Here, we take a look at some of its most prominent benefits and drawbacks that you must be aware of before you decide if this is the best coaching platform tool for you.
Pros:
- Simple to Use: Coaches Console is an intuitive and user-friendly software ideal for users of all skill levels.
- Feature-Rich Platform: The software is packed with powerful features such as a course builder, email marketing, billing, and reporting tools.
- Exceptional Customer Support: You can get support through a number of ways, including email, live chat, social media, and even Zoom calls.
- Pre-Made Templates: The platform comes with an impressive range of pre-built coaching templates for a wide range of purposes.
- Multiple Levels of Security: Including secure site pages, 256-bit encryption technology, and password protection.
- 30-Day Trial: You can test out Coaches Console risk-free by signing up for a 30-day trial on the website.
Cons:
- Pricey Plans: Although the platform offers immense value, the price may be out of reach for new coaches operating on a tight budget.
- Additional Fee for Shopping Cart Module: If you want to use the platform’s shopping cart to sell your coaching services, you’ll have to pay an additional $50/month.
- Inability to Use Coupons: When billing clients, you can’t apply coupons and discounts, and there are no installment plans for clients.
Coaches Console Alternatives
So far, this guide has shown that Coaches Console has a lot to offer in terms of features and functionality. It’s an all-in-one coaching platform with a website/course builder, email marketing, course delivery, billing, client management, and reporting features.
However, it does have a few shortcomings, such as the lack of installment plans for clients. Also, users can’t apply coupons or discounts when billing clients. Furthermore, the platform charges an additional $50/month fee to add the shopping cart module.
If you’re searching for an alternative to Coaches Console, you can check out some of our other top picks for online coaching platforms. We’ve also included a quick comparison of three alternatives below.
Coaches Console vs Kajabi Coaching
Kajabi Coaching is one of the best alternatives to Coaches Console for course creators. It’s a powerful platform for creating, selling, and delivering your online content. However, it’s not a one-stop shop for coaches, which means you still have to integrate additional third-party platforms if you want to run your entire business from one place.
Coaches Console, on the other hand, offers everything you need in one place, including website/landing pages, email marketing, shopping cart, CRM, and scheduling tools. All the tools work together seamlessly to free up your time and allow you to scale your business faster.
In terms of pricing, Kajabi starts from $149/month, but you are limited to just three products. Coaches Console costs $197/month, but you can create unlimited products.
Coaches Console vs Paperbell
Both Coaches Console and Paperbell are all-in-one coaching platforms with built-in tools to manage the business and marketing side of things. The main difference between the two is in the ease of use of each system.
While Coaches Console was created by coaches for coaches, it does have a steeper learning curve compared to Paperbell, whose focus is more on providing simpler ways to set up and use the tool so you don’t have to spend hours trying to learn complex coaching software platforms.
Another difference between the two platforms is in price. Coaches Console starts from $197/month, which might be inaccessible to coaches who are just starting out. In contrast, Paperbell costs just $57/month for unlimited clients, packages, contracts, and files. You can save up to 20% by paying annually.
Coaches Console vs Upcoach
Upcoach has a modern design that combines all the tools you need for your coaching business, including a course builder, communication tools, client management tools, scheduling apps, and marketing automation – all in one place.
The drag-and-drop builder makes it easy for you to create and customize online coaching programs regardless of your technical skill level.
You can use Upcoach to create various programs suited to the diverse needs of your clients, such as one-on-one programs, group coaching programs, mastermind programs, or cohort programs.
It’s an impressive piece of software for coaches, but compared to Coaches Console, it does lack a few essential features such as a website builder, email marketing, and contract signing. Also, Upcoach only connects to Stripe, which may limit your ability to collect payments from clients.
However, at a price of just $29/month for the basic plan, the coaching software has everything cash-strapped coaches need to offer great client experiences.
Pricing
Coaches Console offers a free 30-day trial that allows you to try the entire system risk-free. There are two premium plans available on the digital coaching platform, and this is what they offer:
- Core Console System: $197/Month: This plan includes a contact list and CRM, an online calendar, public and private website modules, and a marketing/communication module. You also get an autoresponder module and tools for invoicing, client agreements, client data management, and reporting.
- Total Console System: This plan includes all the features in the Core plan, as well as a shopping cart module, product and sales reports, course and content delivery module, enrollment reports, and participant activity tracking to help you manage your clients seamlessly.
Both plans offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you decide that Coaches Console isn’t right for you, then you can request a no-questions-asked refund.
Product Support
Coaches Console offers customer support through a variety of channels. You get unlimited online help desk support where you can ask as many questions as needed.
You also get live chat with knowledgeable support agents to provide instant answers to your questions.
On the website’s knowledge base, you’ll find searchable video tutorials and FAQs with all the answers to the most common questions.
There is even a Zoom support option where you can jump on one-on-one calls with the support team for screen sharing to better address complex topics.
There are live interactive webinars where you can interact with prominent coaches in different niches.
Coaches Console also offers programs and private coaching to guide start-up coaches through video tutorials, how-to guides, and a Facebook group.
Integrations With Other Software
Coaches Console integrates with a range of third-party tools and apps, allowing you to expand the functionality of your coaching business.
Integrations include:
- Landing Pages: LeadPages
- Webinars: Zoom, GoToWebinar
- Blogging Software: WordPress
- Calendar Tools: Google Calendar, iCal, Outlook
- e-Commerce: Paypal, Stripe, Authorize.net Providers
- Accounting Software: Intuit QuickBooks
Coaching Console User Reviews
Coaches Console reviews are high on sites like G2, Capterra, and SaaSworthy. Most users highlight the platform’s ability to eliminate the burdens of running an online coaching business.
Others love the built-in tools that allow them to start coaching sooner and find more clients without having to wait for the money foundation.
The general theme seems to be that users appreciate Coaches Console as a reliable structure that allows them to receive helpful support from a coach on the same journey as them. This is a powerful tactic that helps them move quickly to overcome obstacles, gain clarity, and cultivate the confidence to implement their business ideas.
All in all, most users are happy to benefit from Coaches Console’s ready-made processes for marketing, follow-up, organization, paperwork, and client management which helps them start seeing results from their efforts faster.
Wrapping Up – Is Coaches Console Right For You?
Coaches Console is a complete solution that organizes and automates your coaching practice in a single system. It allows you to handle your content creation, online scheduling, marketing, billing, and client management from one convenient place.
No need to juggle multiple tools, and no need to waste your valuable time on manual scheduling, invoicing, and data tracking.
This coaching software’s powerful automation features can do it all for you while providing a secure area to support your coaching business to grow.
Coaches Console FAQ
How much does Coaches Console cost?
Coaches Console has two plans to help you launch your coaching business right away. The Core Console System costs $197/month, and the Total Console System costs $297/month. The main difference between the two is that the Total Console System comes with a shopping cart module, product and sales reports, and course and content delivery modules. You also get a bonus course of your own that you can sell online or use for lead generation.
Does Coaches Console offer a free trial?
Coaches Console doesn’t offer a free trial in the conventional sense. However, you can sign up for any of the plans and get a 30-day no-questions-asked money-back guarantee. If, for any reason, you’re not happy with the system, simply let the support team know, and you’ll get a 100% refund of your money.
What features does Coaches Console offer?
Coaches Console offers coaching-focused features such as a marketing website builder, private client portal, scheduling tools, client management tools, billing and invoicing tools, shopping cart, course creator, and integrated email marketing tools.
What are the best alternatives to Coaches Console?
Some of the top alternatives to Coaches Console are Kajabi coaching, Paperbell, and Honeybook. These platforms offer many of the same features you’ll find on Coaches Console, and they also have unique features that make them stand out as viable alternatives.
For example, Kajabi has more powerful course creation and marketing tools. Paperbell has a simpler interface and a more user-friendly dashboard. Honeybook is much less costly, making it the ideal option for coaches on a tight budget.
Is Coaches Console a CRM?
Coaches Console has a powerful built-in CRM (customer relationship management) system that simplifies client management by allowing you to track client conversations, follow up seamlessly, and nurture the leads automatically. You can automate most of your interactions to help you support your clients, schedule new sessions, and attract new leads on autopilot.
Is Coaches Console GDPR-compliant?
Yes. Coaches Console has implemented all the requirements for your system to be GDPR-compliant. Users are provided with detailed instructions on what they are required to do in their own system.
Jeff Cobb, Founder of Learning Revolution
Jeff Cobb is an expert in online education and the business of adult lifelong learning. Over the past 20+ years he has built a thriving career based on that expertise – as an entrepreneur, a consultant, an author, and a speaker. Learning Revolution is a place where Jeff curates tips, insights, and resources to help you build a thriving expertise-based business. Learn more about Jeff Cobb here.
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