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Have you ever taken an online course you've never finished?

My coaching group talked about it this morning.

We’re each aiming to hit $10k with our course launches.

Here are our learnings…

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1. Having a problem isn’t enough

“I felt like I didn’t deserve to learn.”

Many students feel this way after not completing a course.

They feel like they’re a failure - like their problem wasn’t a big enough motivator for them to take action.

As educators, we don’t want people to feel this way…

So we need to design reward systems with external motivation

(So students don’t only rely on internal motivation).

Examples:

• Points

• Leaderboard

• A group challenge with rewards

• Community (so you can share work you’re proud of)

• Custom feedback they can look forward to and feel a sense of satisfaction from

2. Don’t make promises that attract the wrong people

You might feel pressured to lead with a strong offer:

• Get sponsors from your content

• Make $10k (I’m guilty of making this offer, that’s the coaching program I’m hosting rn lol) (but to be fair I don’t collect payment until everyone makes $10k)

Especially with Hormozi’s offers.

Tbh on one hand I get it - it’s clear ROI. If you pay $3k to get $10k it’s a no brainer.

But consider who you’re attracting…here are some insights from real students / buyers:

• “There’s no guarantee, it depends on my (the student’s) effort as well so it kinda feels scammy?”

• “This feels a bit techbro / like I’m just someone to get money from”

Take this with a grain of salt though - creators who built up lots of trust and respect with their audience probably won’t get these comments.

3. Stop worrying about the niche

“Should I focus on freelancers or content creators? Business owners or beginner creators? Productivity enthusiasts or startup founders?”

I get this question SO MANY TIMES.

I myself have been stuck on this question for months.

But it’s not always about the identity…

It’s about the problem.

Example:

Both freelancers and content creators can struggle with invoicing workflows and automations.

So focus on the problem of making invoicing easier.

4. Don’t create a course by yourself

Do a draft/MVP test run.

Examples:

• Masterclass teaching something small that’s a quick win for your students

• Conducting user interviews (DMing/emailing/calling people to ask questions to understand their motivations, problems, dreams)

• Consulting (seeing what people actually need help with and what questions they have)

Then you can use the specific problems and questions people bring up as marketing material (emails/landing pages).

5. Do not put everything in 1 course

“There was so much content, I didn’t finish the course. It was too overwhelming.”

Your students want quick wins.

Think of it like a hike -

You work hard and get a beautiful view at the summit.

Now imagine a years-long hike…

A lot of people might give up.

You need to add more summit-like moments throughout their learning journey.

You do that by having 1 course, then moving your students through more advanced levels of the course later on.

Each course gives the student a great view of the summit

(It feels satisfying and rewarding),

Which motivates them to keep going.

Plus, you can bundle the different course levels later to make a more compelling offer.

Summary

Here are your mistakes to avoid:

1. Don’t expect your students to just be motivated (add reward systems to improve retention)

2. Don’t make promises that attract the wrong people

3. Stop worrying about the niche - it’s about the problem

4. Don’t create a course by yourself - ask your audience for feedback

5. Don’t overwhelm students by putting everything in 1 course

(Does this poll work lol no one votes 🥺😭)

Til next week,

Jennifer