How to create winning course ideas (and avoid building a dud)
And another build in public update too
Hello,
Welcome to this Thursday’s Friday's edition of Course Builder’s Corner.
I have 3 things to share with you this week.
I. Update on my current build in public project.
II. Article: How to create winning course ideas (and avoid building a dud)
III. Two ways I can help you
I'm a day late delivering this week's newsletter. I had a project from my day job that took me way too many hours to complete by deadline.
Now that it's over, I can go back to my regular schedule.
Lets get started.
I. Build In Public Update
How do you get back on track when one project takes over your life?
One step at a time.
II had to slow down the development of my email course to take care of a work project.
But now I'm back and not trying to play catch up. Instead, I'm going to just do one thing a day until the course is completed.
Below is what I shared most recently on Twitter.
It's a screenshot of a broad outline of the course.
I've since written a more detailed outlines for Day 2 and Day 3. I'll share more as I progress.
Next, is this week's article - a way to create course ideas that delight customers.
II. How to create winning course ideas (and avoid building a dud)
Most courses don't sell more than a few copies, even if they are very good. How do you avoid putting in months of work only to get nothing out of it?
By using the Winning Courses Framework for determining if your course idea is a winner.
1. Real Problem
Find a real problem your course idea solves for your customers. Ideally it's something they complain about or a dilemma they face that keeps them from moving forward.
2. Clear Result
Define a clear result your course produces. Put a number on it if possible. Kevon Cheung's Make Twitter Friends shows you how to make 10 friends on Twitter who will engage with your content. Sean D'Souza's copywriting course shows you how to write an entire long form sales page in 3 days.
3. Actual Person
How do you know the problem matters to your customers and that your solution makes sense? You talk to a real person. Describe the problem and the result, then shut up and listen to their response. You'll discover if you're on target or get a better idea.
4. Persistent Obstacles
Your course must address the obstacles that make it difficult to get the result. If there were no obstacles, the result would be easy to achieve. Label the hurdles and then in the next step create a ...
5. Branded Framework
Determine the steps that overcome the obstacles and get your customer from Point A to Point B. Give that system a name. This makes your approach memorable as well as marketable. Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus became an international best seller in the 90s, not because the ideas were so unique but because John Gray created unique and interesting ways to describe each concept.
The next time you have a course idea, run it through this framework to determine if your idea is a winner or if it needs to be adjusted. You could save yourself months of effort moving in the wrong direction.
I thank you for getting this far. 🙏🏽
And before you go, you may want to check out any of the following:
The Atomic Course Blueprint- Want to create a course without the usual overwhelm? Try creating a tiny course. Find out more here.
iPARA: How to organize your digital life for action- Is digital disorganization keeping you from reaching your goals? What if just four folders could let you not just stay organized but actually get things done. See for yourself here.
That’s it for this week. I’ll see you next Thursday with another issue.