Tips to be the Best Online Coach

Side by side comparison tools allow you to visualize your performance with pinpoint clarity

Many skill-based sports and activities are taught, coached, and performed in person. Whether you're at a studio, the ball-field, arena, court, gym, or course, the typical scenario that plays out is: the athletes just do what the coach says, they get some feedback here and there, and once the session or practice is done, the learning is over. 

But what if you can extend the lesson? What if you can learn from the best coach, not just the closest coach? This is where OnForm comes into play. Coaches and instructors can extend their help to athletes from afar, and athletes can get even more feedback, further refining their skills on their own time.  For example, using the side-by-side comparison tools in OnForm would allow your client to study their practice session well beyond when the lesson was over.

​So how do you become an online coach or instructor? Below we've laid out some helpful tips so coaches and athletes can get the most out of online coaching.

Communication is Key
Whether you see your athletes in person a few times a week or you are a fully online coach, communicating is incredibly important. OnForm makes text communication easy. You can send messages to individuals and the whole team right in the app. Coaches should also consider scheduling periodic calls to check in on their 1:1 clients. 

Make a Plan
As a coach, you'd normally have a plan for each practice or lesson. You'd know what skills to focus on, what drills you'd like to run, or what techniques you want your athletes to refine. The same holds true for online coaching. The only difference is, instead of showing up to practice and giving instructions on what to do, you can now do that remotely on the OnForm app. It is important to establish when you'll communicate to your athlete what you want them to work on. For instance, if you're working with a baseball player, maybe each Monday you give them a plan for the next five days. You communicate that you want 3-4 videos of each assigned drill. Or let's say you're working with a yoga client. You can check in with them a few times during the week and assign different poses to work on that day. 

Pricing Schedule 
Traditional coaches charge athletes and clients per lesson, session, or season. Charging for time spent analyzing videos, talking on the OnForm app or on scheduled calls, is a foreign concept. Whether you are using video analysis as a supplement to your in-person coaching program or you are a fully online coach, forming a comprehensive pricing system is essential to running your business. 

A tiered pricing structure is generally what most online coaches settle on. Each tier increases in price, but also increases the amount of contact the coach and athlete have via email, phone, and app communication. Higher tiers can offer more workout and training schedules, plus even more video analysis. Make sure that your pricing is a reflection of how valuable your time and expertise is, but also fair so your athletes will want to use your online coaching services. 

It's About Access to your Knowledge
People hire you, the coach, to gain access and guidance to your knowledge. With OnForm, you can monetize your knowledge beyond the in-person lesson or practice. You can create new revenue streams, gain back control of your time and provide even better guidance and instruction by being available as needed, and getting paid for your availability too! We've made it easy to share video, to voice-overs and provide messaging feedback, give it a try and grow your coaching business today!

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