Why Your Course Isn't Getting Results (And It's Not What You Think)

Here's a question I get almost daily: "Rodney, my course has great content, but students aren't getting results. What am I doing wrong?"

The answer usually surprises them.

It's not that your content is bad. It's not that you need more examples or better videos. The problem is simpler, and more fundamental, than that.

You're giving frameworks when you should be giving processes.

Let's get started.

The framework trap that's killing your course sales

Most course creators fall into what I call the "framework trap." They teach students WHAT the elements of a solution are, but never teach them HOW to actually implement it.

For example, I can give you a framework for writing a short social media post:

• Start with a powerful headline

• Write an engaging first line

• Add context with 3-5 main points and explanations

• Wrap up with a strong conclusion

That's a perfectly good framework. It tells you the elements you need.

But here's the problem: that framework doesn't teach you how to write a post.

It doesn't tell you how to come up with compelling headlines, how to craft that engaging first line, how to develop your main points, or how to create a conclusion that sticks.

Are you seeing the problem?

Why frameworks alone leave students frustrated

When you only give frameworks, you're essentially handing someone a blueprint for a house and saying "build it" without teaching them how to use a hammer.

Your students walk away thinking: "That makes sense" but feeling completely lost when they try to implement it.

I see this constantly. Students buy courses, consume all the content, understand the concepts... and then nothing happens. They can't turn the framework into action.

What's worse? They blame themselves. They think they're not smart enough, not creative enough, or that they "just don't get it."

But the truth is, you haven't actually taught them yet.

The real difference between frameworks and processes

Here's what most course creators don't understand:

A framework tells you WHAT the solution looks like. A process tells you HOW to create that solution.

Let me give you a real example. In the book "Good Strategy Bad Strategy," Richard Rumelt presents a brilliant framework called "the kernel" for business strategy:

1. Diagnosis - Identify the problem or opportunity

2. Guiding Policy - Choose your approach

3. Action - Execute specific steps

That's the framework. He explains it beautifully and relates it to fantastic examples that make it clear why this simple set of ideas is so valuable.

But after reading the book, I couldn't figure out how to apply this insight until I created a step-by-step process.

Here's how I did it:

For the Diagnosis:

• Step 1: List everything that's not working in the business

• Step 2: Organize that list into categories

• Step 3: Look for cause-and-effect relationships

• Step 4: Synthesize your findings into a clear diagnosis

For the Guiding Policy:

• Step 1: List possible approaches to address your diagnosis

• Step 2: Organize and evaluate each option

• Step 3: Choose the policy that best addresses your core problem

For Action:

• Step 1: List specific actions that support your guiding policy

• Step 2: Organize them by priority and feasibility

• Step 3: Create your implementation plan

Now I have a process I can actually follow. And consequently, I came up with some major ideas I'll be implementing soon. I'll discuss those more in future issues of this newsletter.

But what about creativity and critical thinking?

I hear this objection all the time: "If I give them step-by-step processes, they won't think creatively."

Here's the thing: if your students are beginners, they NEED the process.

If they already knew how to do what you're teaching, they wouldn't need your course. And if they're not succeeding with your current approach, how is that serving their creativity?

The process gives them a foundation. Once they master the basics, THEN they can get creative and adapt it to their style.

Why this matters for your business

When you sell courses that leave people frustrated and unable to implement what you've taught, they don't come back for more.

They don't refer friends. They don't leave glowing testimonials. They don't become raving fans who buy everything you create.

Instead, they quietly disappear, feeling like they wasted their money.

But when you give people processes that actually work? When they get real results they can point to?

That's when you build the kind of business that grows through word-of-mouth and repeat customers.

How to turn your frameworks into processes

Here's exactly what I want you to do:

Step 1: Pick one thing you want to teach people—something you do well and get results with.

Step 2: Use your own framework or method to complete a project, but this time, document every single step you take. Write down exactly what you do, in what order, and how you make decisions along the way.

Step 3: Test your process by following it yourself for a new project. Does it actually work? Are there missing steps? Refine as needed.

Step 4: Give your process to one other person and watch them try to follow it. Where do they get stuck? What questions do they ask? Those are the gaps you need to fill.

When someone can follow your process and get results, you've created something valuable. You've actually taught.

The bottom line

Never give a framework without a process for implementing that framework.

Your job as a course creator isn't just to share what you know—it's to create a bridge that helps your students get from where they are to where they want to be.

Frameworks show the destination. Processes build the bridge.

This process-driven approach is exactly what I use in The Atomic Course Blueprint. I don't just tell you what makes a good course—I give you the step-by-step process to create one, from initial idea to finished product.

Because at the end of the day, your students don't need more information. They need transformation. And transformation only happens when they can take action.

Still here?

You rock! One thing you can do for me is reply to this email and tell me: What's one thing you teach that you could break down into a clearer step-by-step process? I read every response.