The Ultimate Guide to Beachbody Challenge Groups

Do your challenge groups sound like crickets? Are you having a hard time even getting people to JOIN your challenge groups?

DON’T GIVE UP! Chances are you just need to make a few small tweaks to get the ball rollin’.

In this guide I’ve put together everything I know about running a Beachbody challenge group. It’s based on my almost 5-years experience as a Beachbody coach, as well as information I’ve gathered from my awesome upline Jenelle Summers and other coaches on our team.

If you’re a NEW coach or a veteran coach looking for a jump-start, my recommendation is to start SMALL to build your confidence, and then work your way up from there! Keep in mind that this is a CONSTANT learning process, so don’t expect to get it perfect on the first try.

Were you able to rock out a pull-up the first time you tried to do one?! Ummmm….no!

I am CONSTANTLY learning and changing things up with each new challenge group that I do!

Don’t ever give up on yourself and the people that need your help!

First of all, what is a challenge group??

A challenge group can be whatever YOU make it out to be.

Basically, you invite people to join you in a private Facebook group (or whatever platform you want to use) where you all work together for a pre-determined length of time and keep each other accountable to accomplish the same goal. If you’ve already participated in a challenge group with your upline sponsor coach that’s GREAT. You have firsthand experience!

If not, you can see if your coach or a teammate/success partner has a challenge group coming up that you can join. Either way, even if you’ve never participated in a challenge group before, don’t let that stop you from taking the first step!! It’s NOT a requirement!

Keep in mind that as coaches we are all familiar with the term “challenge group” but your peeps may have no idea what this means. Also, your target audience or ideal client may be intimidated by the word “challenge” so feel free to change things up so you are speaking THEIR language.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX. This is probably the most important thing!! I know we are trained by corporate ONE specific way to run challenge groups but YOU are the CEO of your own business and are free to do whatever you want (within the limitations of the policies and procedures guide of course)!

Also, if you haven’t done so already I would encourage you to go through the training that is available in your coach online office on challenge groups. You will find this in the Coach Training Academy. Go to NEWS AND TRAINING > COACH TRAINING ACADEMY > BEACHBODY CHALLENGE GROUP TRAINING. You can go through the lessons to get a general idea of what’s recommended and then use that as a baseline/guideline for
creating your first challenge group.

Again, there are no hard and fast rules! We are BEYOND blessed to get so much training from corporate but I want to let you know that you don’t have to do your challenge groups EXACTLY the way they teach how to do them.

Kapeesh?

What are the benefits of running a fitness “challenge” group?

• Gives clear, concise, consistent steps about fitness+nutrition+support that we can share with EVERYONE.
• Groups help to build your network outside your immediate group of family and friends.
• Creates momentum, confidence, and business profits through equipping others for BETTER fitness success!
• Creates an organized and systematic way to get focused on helping clients. Also helps with building your team because they typically end up loving the products and their results and want to help others do the same!
• Gives you a way to collect testimonials since the POWER is in the stories, not the details of workouts, etc.
• Removes the fear of a new coach as they get acquainted with “coaching” others in a group environment.
• Creates immediate income for new coaches.
• You can teach YOUR new coaches how to duplicate your success using the system you developed as a guideline.

What are the Different Types of Challenge Groups?

1. Free 5 or 7-Day Challenge Groups

New coaches who want to practice challenge groups, or veteran coaches who want to change things up or need to kick-start their biz again may want to consider hosting FREE 5 or 7-day challenge groups.

The great thing about free groups is that they can really help to build your network (friends invite their friends, etc.) because seriously…who doesn’t like FREE stuff! Also, when you engage people for at least 5-7 days they typically want to keep the momentum going and then you can invite those people into a longer (paid) challenge group.

The only downside to these free and SHORT challenge groups is that if you’re working with new contacts who don’t know you very well 5-7 days is probably not enough time for them to build trust and a strong relationship with you. However this is something you probably won’t have to worry about until you’ve been a coach for a while.

The possibilities are virtually endless when it comes to these free and short challenges. Make it FUN!!

To help you come up with ideas, simply think of something YOU are struggling with right now.

Clean eating? Sugar? Water? Sleep? Caffeine? Walking the dog?

Chances are if you’re having a hard time with something, someone else is too. Or what about a vegan or plant-based challenge? Or maybe paleo is more your thing? Gluten-free, dairy-free, etc. Like I said, the possibilities are ENDLESS!

For some ideas on short, nutrition related challenges you can do, check out this link:
http://www.challengeloop.com/ideas/topic/nutrition

And of course my favorite…PINTEREST!!

2. Shakeology Challenges

Shakeology challenges are similar to free challenge groups, but participants are required to purchase Shakeology packets from you or the Taste Sampler Kit from TeamBeachbody.com. Since the cost of entry is lower than a challenge pack this is a great option as a transition for people who participated in one of your free challenge groups.

If you’re selling individual packets remember you can’t charge less than retail price ($5 per packet seems to be the standard + whatever you want to charge for shipping). You’ll need to setup a Paypal account if you plan on selling individual packets.

Remember, you don’t have to call it a “Shakeology Challenge” you can come up with a cute and clever name or theme to peak interest.

IMPORTANT TIP: Don’t make Shakeology the main attraction of your challenge…it’s the sideshow! Simply make Shakeology a tool you use to give people what they REALLY want.

3. 21 or 30-day Paid Challenge Groups

Before 21-Day Fix came along 30-day groups were more popular, but 21-days seems like the norm for challenge groups now. I think 21-days is a good time frame, because a lot of people have a hard time mentally committing to anything long term. 21-Days is totally doable in the minds of most people and again…you want to set them up for success. Also, 21-days seems to work a little bit better when you’re trying to juggle other things that might be going on with your business during the month (new coach training, etc.).

For a “paid” challenge group, participants must do a Beachbody workout program and/or drink Shakeology daily for 21 or 30-days. Typically the minimum purchase requirement is Shakeology if they already own a Beachbody program. Again, this is NOT a free group! Invite those unable to make a purchase to participate in a FREE challenge group, sign-up for your free weekly newsletter, stay connected for daily tips on your FB page, offer them a free report you wrote, etc.

You always want to have some type of FREE resource to offer those people who just aren’t ready to make an investment in their health so they don’t lose trust in you. Chances are they WILL come around eventually!

For your paid groups it’s VERY important that you set guidelines and stick with them when you are setting things up. These guidelines include: what are the requirements to join, start/end date, and daily expectations from group participants (how often will they need to report in to the group and what do they need to report on?). You need to stand firm on your guidelines!!

4. A unique idea for a challenge group that YOU just came up with!

If someone hasn’t done it already, chances are it would probably be a good thing to try!

Additional Tips for Paid Challenge Groups

• Everyone in your challenge group does NOT need to be doing the same Beachbody program. Restricting it to one program limits the number of people who will take interest. One person may be interested in the 21-Day Fix and another may be interested in Insanity MAX 30.
• You do NOT have to require that they purchase a challenge pack. Some people may already have a workout program and may just need to “complete their pack” by purchasing Shakeology.
• It’s your call, but I recommend 21 or 30-day challenges start on a Monday and end on a Friday or Saturday morning. It’s a FOCUS and/or kick-start to whatever program or product they’re following. ALWAYS have a deadline date to order what product they need, as well as a start and end date.
• You do not have to give a prize to the winner of your challenge, but I think a fitness/wellness related book is nice, or a gift card. But it’s your decision! Typically the winner is the person who has the best transformation and participation. The transformation can be defined as percentage of body weight, inches, or body fat lost. Personally, I like to base my “winner” on participation in the group, because those who participate the most also get the best results! Also, in a way they are helping you run the group by keeping it active and engaging.
• Some people WILL stop participating at some point. Don’t take it personally, just connect via personal message to see if they’re OK.
• At the end of the challenge period some people may want to continue. Invite them to join your next group and to invite friends/family.
• Empower participants and find leaders within your groups. Once a relationship has been built, if you think someone would make a great coach, make mention of it in a private message “Have you ever considered becoming a coach and hosting your own challenge group? I think you would be AWESOME!”
• Don’t be afraid to do small groups with 2-3 people. Having more than 8-10 people in the group can make it hard to manage and ensure everyone is reporting daily and getting the help that they need. You can also team up with another coach/success partner and both work on the same group together to help lighten the load.
• You have to start somewhere! Each challenge group you run is a valuable learning experience. Have fun and just lift people up! Sometimes that’s what they need more than anything else. Remember, you’re not there to be a personal trainer or nutritionist (unless of course you are) just a support/accountability leader. Either way, my best advice is to KEEP IT SIMPLE. The challenge participants will be watching and wondering if they could do this too!!

BRAINSTORM before you Start:

• What date will you and your participants START the group/challenge?
• What will you call your challenge? “Hot for the Holidays?” “Summer Slimdown”…make it something catchy and appealing! If you need ideas do a search on Google or Pinterest.
• How will someone qualify to be a part of this group? Does any purchase qualify them, or is no purchase necessary?
• What date will you END the challenge group?
• What prize will you offer? A book, a t-shirt, a gift card,…maybe nothing.. you don’t have to give a prize at all! Remember though if you offer a prize the value has to be less than $25 to stay within the Beachbody policies.
• Who will you message and invite right off the bat? Make a list.
• From what date to what date will you promote it. Give yourself at least 2 weeks to promote. If you suspect people MIGHT want to purchase something or if you’re going to require that, allow 4 weeks. Two weeks to promote/invite and get commitments/purchases, and 2 weeks for them to receive their product(s).

TIP: If you’re a new coach it’s typically recommended that you start with something simple like a 5-7 day “clean eating” group to keep things simple and build confidence. Your upline may have a meal plan and shopping list that you can give your peeps to use. Or, you can use one of the many “quick start” guides that comes with Beachbody programs to re-create your own plan or again, do a search on Pinterest. And think to yourself…”Is this a plan that *I* would want to follow?” Remember, you want to set people up for SUCCESS!!

Once you know what kind of group you’re going to do it’s time to start INVITING!

STEP 1: Initial Invite (If you are reaching out to them first vs. them reaching out to you first)

INVITE with a ONE-to-ONE message or a FACEBOOK post. BEST RESULTS = DO BOTH

This is just ME, but I typically find that personal one-on-one invitations work MUCH better than Facebook posts (not all of your friends are going to see those anyway). But you need to experiment and tweak to find what works best for YOU.

SIDE NOTE: No, everyone in your challenge group does NOT need to be doing the same program, they do not all need to buy a Challenge Pack or Shakeology, or anything. YOU decide how people qualify to get your time and support. When you’re new, it’s helpful to do 1 or 2 short challenge groups (maybe a “5-day Cleaner Eating” or call it a “21-day Kickstart to Get Fit” or whatever you want to call it) without requiring a purchase just to get the BUZZ going that you’ve started a business and these challenge groups are your “quiet opening” , i.e. your practice. In these challenge groups, I just require everyone to eat right and exercise daily…so regardless of what they buy or IF they buy anything, they are reporting in on nutrition and exercise. Make sense?

EXAMPLE Email or Facebook Inbox Message (copy and paste to at least 20-30 friends/family members):

Hey Jill! I’m starting a Fitness Challenge on [DATE] and have space for just a few friends/family…I want to keep it small and just us! It’s going to just be a group of us in the “challenge” to support each other and hold each other accountable. It may not be something you need, or not right now and that’s ok! I started a business helping others on their fitness/health journey WHILE I’m on mine 🙂 I’m not an expert and not a personal trainer so I’m not looking to personal train people or become their nutritionist, but now I have more info and tools and can point you in the right direction or find answers for people. Do you want to join the challenge with us?

EXAMPLE Facebook Posts:

• Post with an inspiring picture! Before/After pictures of YOU will get the most traction on Facebook but if you don’t have an “after” picture yet that’s OK! Post a few times per week (choose different times on different days).
• You can use your pics or an inspiring fitness picture from Pinterest: type fitness in the search box.
• Tag your fellow coaches, family or friends in the COMMENTS section beneath it (NOT in the post itself) so that you get some likes on there and get some EYES on this post!
• Tweak the posts below as needed and talk how YOU would talk!
• You can word it as seen here referring to customers making a purchase, OR if you’re doing one or your first couple of these for FREE, just say so!

Just curious…if I hosted a free 7-day healthy habits group here on Facebook and gave you a sample meal plan and workout schedule you could do at home would you be interested?

Hey friends!! Anyone want to lose weight/get fitter with me?!?! I’m starting a fitness challenge, like a BIGGEST LOSTER type of challenge on [DATE] for anyone who invests in something to KICK START SOME SERIOUS RESULTS and FAST! For ___days straight, we’ll be working out, eating clean, and keeping each other ON TRACK for ___ days!! Let’s get our bodies BEACH-READY! Want more details?? Then click LIKE or comment below and I’ll message you!

IMPORTANT: In the “invite” message or post, do not VOMIT info all over them about your challenge and do not post the link for them to order yet. Get interest FIRST then see STEP 2!

STEP 2: ENGAGE WITH A QUESTION (if they reach out to you first or clicked LIKE on a post…start HERE).

Hey Jill, thanks for your interest in my Challenge! I have a few spots left for this one! I will send the details of the “challenge”, but I don’t want you to feel like you HAVE to invest in ANYTHING in order for me to help you.. I’ll help you regardless! So first I have to ask…what are your fitness and/or weight loss goals? I want to make sure I’m giving you good advice even if you don’t end up wanting to be in the challenge group!

TIP: Get to know more about what THEY want. If they decide NOT to purchase something, at least now you know their goals and can suggest OTHER options and keep communications going and building the relationship.

STEP 3: SPECIFIC DETAILS, COMMITMENTS, & EXPECTATIONS

Wow Jill! It sounds like you are completely serious about (REPEAT THEIR WHY FROM STEP 2 AGAIN). I think this challenge group will help you get the absolute BEST results (if you think they DON’T need a new program, or better nutrition, or more accountability, then suggest what you think WILL help them!!).

Typically, based on what they said you should suggest:

1. A couple different programs and why you think they would help them the most, given their situation/wants/needs; maybe a program to hybrid with one they already have!
2. Shakeology to help with 1-2 meals a day AT LEAST until they’re on track OR 21-Day Fix.
3. A challenge pack if they want BOTH Shakeology and a program, to save BIG on both.
4. Suggest some other non-Beachbody option (maybe it’s a walking DVD from Walmart, maybe it’s an app! Whatever!) But make sure they know, you feel they’ll get their best results the fastest with one of 1-3…which would ALSO qualify them for the challenge group. BUT…ASSURE THEM you will still be there to coach them through meeting their goals when they need help!

Example:

You don’t need to buy anything from me in order for me to HELP you…this challenge group/30-day contest is just something I specifically set up to reward my customers with more intimate coaching for better/faster results.

Also, BE SURE to mention: If you already have a coach, do a challenge with THEM, or you can switch to me if you feel they aren’t a good fit. But I don’t want to take you away from another coach if you’re already working with them.

He/She will likely come back with: What’s a Challenge Pack??

It’s 3 things most people need for MAX RESULTS: Fitness + Nutrition + Support.

1) Your choice of a new fitness program (like T25, P90X3, Insanity MAX, 21-Day Fix, etc);
2) A 30-day Team Beachbody Club membership for custom meal planning and Beachbody ON DEMAND workouts starting in Spring 2015.
3) Shakeology on Home Direct. You can cancel later or delay future shipments if you want…no questions asked.

The “challenge pack” price depends on what program you choose.. but they are HUGE savings.

Thanks for your interest! I need this too and am PUMPED to start!!! What do YOU think will help you best?? Do you feel you need a fitness/nutrition KICK or just a little guidance once in awhile? If you’re still thinking, let me know ASAP and I’ll hold your spot for a day or two! 🙂

STEP 4: FOLLOW UP AND GIVE YOUR BEST ADVICE

Personally follow up and let them know you’re just checking back in to see if they want one of the spots you have left. Don’t leave the message without asking a question that is more on a social/personal note. Something like, How was your summer vacation btw?!?

STEP 5: CONNECT THEM TO SOMETHING TO HELP

If they respond back with a “no thanks” be VERY understanding and give them some other NON challenge pack options that you truly think would help like:

1. An accountability group you started on Facebook. All accountability groups should have a start date and end date and a max number who can join. You can’t make yourself available to EVERYONE, ALL THE TIME, EVERY SINGLE DAY, UNTIL THE END OF TIME, FOR FREE if you to run a successful business. 😀
2. Your weekly tips via email.
3. Your tips and motivation on your profile page or your business LIKE page.
4. Keep in touch and help them get what THEY want regardless of a sale.
5. If they already claim to have everything and they seem like a good fit for coaching, then ask if they’ve ever considered becoming a coach!!!

How to Run a Challenge Group

REMEMBER: Keep it simple! The challenge participants will be watching and wondering if THEY could do this!

Again, there are no hard and fast rules here. But this is typically what I do:

1. Create the group, name it and make it a CLOSED group. When you create your group you need to add at least one member. I typically don’t like adding EVERYONE to the group until I have it all set up. So typically what I do is add another coach from my team. Obviously, if you’re co-hosting the group with another coach you’ll want to add them. 🙂 If the start date for the challenge is a Monday, I like to have the group setup by at least the Wednesday or Thursday before.

2. Get things setup in your group: header, description, etc. In the group description I write the 3 things all participants are required to report in with daily so they have it for quick reference…their workout, nutrition, and a fun bonus item that I include in the daily post. You may also want to change the group settings so only admins can post but again this is totally up to you! I typically only do this when I have a LARGE group…like over 15-20 people or so. Otherwise things get too cluttered and confusing and people don’t know where to check-in. You also want to make sure in the settings that you (and any other admins) are the only people who can add and/or approve new members to the group.

In the FILES section I put instructions on how to take before measurements and photos, and I also post my “House Rules and Daily Commitments” which everyone has to agree to before our start date.

3. Get your “welcome” post setup and delete/hide any non-relevant posts like “Amanda just updated the group header” and stuff like that. You want to group to be clean and welcoming when everyone comes in! I usually pick a fun picture that is unique to each challenge or the time of year for the welcome post.

4. Once everything is ready to go you can start adding people to the group. I like to send each person a quick message to let them know I added them and I’ll also send them the direct link to the group. Just copy/paste the URL in your broweser…it will look something like this:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/XXXXXXXXXXXXXX/

5. The Saturday before the group starts is typically when I ask for introductions:

Example:

6. What you decide to share for your daily posts is TOTALLY up to you! What people need more than anything else though is INSPIRATION and SUPPORT not necessarily expertise or knowledge! Typically what I do is share a picture that I found on Pinterest, or something from my personal library of photos and other things that I’ve learned during my journey.

Again, this is just what ‘I’ do. Other coaches may do their groups waaaaay different than me and that’s totally cool too! Your challenge group should reflect YOU and YOUR style. And you don’t have to do it exactly the same way every time. In fact, that’s what can make challenge groups so FUN!!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What should I give away as a prize and how do I determine the winner?

If you give away a prize the value has to be less than $25 to stay within the compliance rules of Beachbody. So as long as the value is less than $25 you’re good to go!

Here are some ideas:

Gift card (Target, Amazon, Dick’s, etc.)
your favorite nutrition/fitness/personal development book
Beachbody Bonus DVD
Shakeololgy cup
gift basket
t-shirt
organizer or planner
something you know YOU would love to get as a prize!

You can also make the prize unique to the person who earned it.

Some coaches determine the winner based on results (percentage of pounds lost, measurements, etc.) while others determine the winner based on participation. I like participation because in most cases the person who participates the most will also get the best results! 🙂

Example:

daily workout check-in: 1 point
after workout sweaty pic: 5 points
healthy meal pic: 3 points
daily Shakeology check-in: 1 point
before photo: 10 points

etc. etc.

Do I have to do the same program as my challengers and be on the same schedule?

No, unless it’s a BRAND new program that’s just coming out it’s practically impossible to coordinate something like that. You could be just starting your second month of Insanity MAX right now. You don’t need to start the whole program over just because you’re starting a new challenge group in a couple of weeks. As long as you are doing some kind of Beachbody workout that’s all the matters. You can still motivate, inspire, and lead by example by doing Insanity MAX even if someone else in the group is doing Turbofire, T25, 21-Day Fix, etc.

I only had one person commit to join my challenge group. Now what?

Don’t be discouraged! This person needs your help and is a success story in the making! This is a great opportunity for you to join forces with another coach or success partner who may also be working with a small group and you can both run the challenge together as a team.

If your upline doesn’t have a support system this is a great group where you can connect with someone:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/TakeTheBBChallenge/

My challenger has a question that I don’t know the answer to. What should I do?

Of course if it’s anything medical related they should ALWAYS check with their doctor. It’s also not our role as coaches to act as nutritionists or personal trainers (unless of course you are) so it’s important to refer our clients to reliable sources if they have questions. More often than not if they have a nutrition-related question they will find the answer in the nutrition guide of their workout program. The TeamBeachbody.com blog is also a GREAT resource that you should encourage people to use: http://www.teambeachbody.com/teambeachbodyblog/

If they have a question about a specific workout or program that you haven’t done yet, your fellow coaches are going to be the best resource for advice. If your team has a group you can ask the question there. If not, refer to the group link I posted above. However, before asking your question to the group I would use the SEARCH feature because most likely someone else has already asked the same question. It will also save you some time vs. waiting for other people from the group to answer your question. Just click on the search box near the little icon that looks like a magnifying glass in the upper right corner.

WOW!! OK, so I know there was A LOT of information, but the WORST thing you can do is let all the options paralyze you into doing NOTHING. Worry less about all the little details and just do SOMETHING. Learn as you go, tweak, and KEEP GOING!

If you need a little pep-talk before you get started, watch this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y86o1snrC-I

Don’t take things *SO* seriously, and most of all just have FUN running your challenge groups!!