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Hello and welcome to this week's episode of the UCAN podcast. Today we're going to be talking around why your course is not selling. Okay, so you've put together some sort of course. So it's a, some sort of journey program that a customer will go through to take them from one point to another. And this may take all sorts of different formats. It may be that they go off and they listen to resources and information on their own, it might be that they do that, but they also spend some time with you. It might be that you are working through with them and helping them to come out with an outcome, but based purely on bespoke and one to one working. The point is, is that a course is a set program, a set approach that you are using that somebody on boards onto and goes through that process to get that outcome. That is the point of a course. It's a systematized process. But there are so many people out there with courses that collecting digital dust, they're not doing what they hoped they would. They're not getting them out there as they hope they would, either because they're not being marketed or a number of reasons we're going to go into on this podcast. So where do I start? Well, I have sold thousands of copies of my course, literally thousands of copies of my course across the globe. Okay. I know what it takes to make a course successful, okay? And that does not happen without having my own highs and lows. Let's say, you know, I've had a few total flops from time to time. I put things out and they just haven't gone. I put things out and they've flown. You can learn a lot from both. But actually what gives you the time to learn are those which don't go so well because you have that time, because you are not then implementing, you're not then onboarding people, you have the opportunity to reflect during the time where you hoped you would be doing those things. So here are nine reasons why your course isn't selling. First up, the market doesn't want what you are offering. Now, this is always, obviously a bit of a bitter pill to swallow. But as simple as it sounds, if your target audience doesn't want or they're not prioritizing what it is that your course is offering, the outcome that your course is offering. For example, you know, it's very easy, you know, straight to mind comes weight loss, okay? If your audience doesn't want weight loss, which it'd be unsurprising, would be surprising, but you never Know then they are not going to want to buy it and therefore you are. They are sat there, your resources are sat there, your course is sat there doing nothing. Okay, next up, your course gives them what they need, but not what they want. And this is always a bit of an aha moment for some people. Okay? It's similar to the fact the market doesn't want it, but with a swipe, slight twist that you're selling people what they need, but that's not always what they want. That's not always they are willing to pay for. Okay, going back to the weight loss idea. You know, lose 36 pounds in six weeks by tracking your food and eating like a rabbit and not having any coffee or alcohol. That might get results, but that's not what people want. And so that then would be a case of looking at your messaging. Okay, how am I positioning this? Where is it going wrong? Because the communication of what your course provide isn't hitting home. It's not attractive. They do want that an outcome. They do want to lose weight in this example, but they're probably not very enthusiastic about the route that you take to get there. Okay, the next up is around the same sort of theme with the messaging, but it's around not having a big promise. I talk to people on a weekly basis who have said to me, I say, you know, what will people get from this course? And they start saying, well, you know, they'll get a check in a week, they'll get a resource area, they'll get a workbook to work through, but they are all features, okay? And it's really, really important to be clear on this is a feature, this is not an outcome. Okay? So if you are able to say at the end of whatever you describe what that means is, okay, then delve that bit deeper. What does that mean? So having those resources, having that information means that you've got all the information to hand to help you get that result. What that means is, is that you are much more likely to get the result, which means you are. This is your best bet to getting again, we're going to stick with weight loss. Why don't we, you know that out hitting that 36 pounds. So you've got all the resources that you need to achieve that goal of losing weight losing specifically, ideally. And that's the thing is, does that promise have specificity to it? That is another element. It's like a three a point. Okay? So it's having that big promise, but having the specificity so it can really bring it to Life for somebody. Now people get really hung up sometimes and a little bit agitated by the need for specificity. But for example, I work with people a lot who are doing happiness, they're doing confidence, they're selling all those kind of softer things. It's like, how do I put a value on that, Sarah? Well, that is very, very achievable. And the thing is is that I've then got clients saying rather than I help you be more happy or I help you be more confident, it's like after taking my course, people went had an increase of happiness by up to 80%. Okay. Now that is a lot more hard hitting. It's a lot more compelling. It's going to encourage you to part with your money more because you're able to understand, okay, that's how much more. So 80% more. I'm going to feel 80% more happy. Is that worth whatever it is that the person's charging for it versus your competitor who's still going, yeah, I help you be more happy. Can you see another one is like direction, fulfillment, all those things. And so it's about measuring them and measuring them in a way that you can then talk to people about that outcome. But anyway, I have kind of gone a little bit off piste back to my list. Number four. Okay, Number four is price. It can either be too high or it can be too low. I know how annoying. It's like Goldilocks, isn't it? And a porridge. But it's true. I've seen both. I've seen it been too high, I've seen it been too low. Often it's too high when it's the only offer you have. And that's a major hint there on actually, you know, having courses and having resources at different price points. It's also on a regular basis too low. Then customers don't value it enough. They don't see the value in it. They're not convinced that you can provide the outcome that you are promising at that price point that you were promising it at. Okay, up next, number five is you aren't shouting about it enough. Okay. How often do you promote your course if you're not shouting about it on a regular basis, no one's going to know about it and therefore no one's going to buy it. That whole idea of I've created and then people will come. They don't because they don't know it's there. And there are so many opportunities out there in the market for them just to listen to somebody and take Action that they know they're not going to go searching around for your offer in the hope that there is one. So make sure that you're shouting about it and you're getting it out there, okay? That's why I get my clients to run social series. So like a launch on social to help buyers buy right now to help people understand what's available. Next up, number six, you don't have enough proof, okay? So that's either results, testimonials or the volume of people through the course. Now this can be a tough one because it's very chicken and eggy, isn't it? It's like, well, how am I supposed to do one without the other? And I need clients to get clients and that's just so frustrating. But there are ways to overcome it, like getting one or two key case studies, for example. So there are ways to work around it. You don't have to have millions of testimonials. Obviously they're really helpful. But if you don't have them, you don't have them. Whatever you do though, don't make them up, okay? Because that is, first of all, it's not going to sit right. You're going to feel bad, you're going to feel like a fraud because you are being a fraud. But also you know that only leads to you getting found out. So don't do that. Next up is number seven is the sales process isn't right. Okay? What I mean by that is that you are sending people to a sales page, for example, so a checkout page for a high cost course when actually they need more convincing than what a page will do, especially if it's one you've written yourself and you're not a copyright writer, then you probably haven't done a particularly good job at convincing that person that this is the right thing to part with their money on or you're avoiding speaking to that customer. So, well, basically sending to a landing page probably because you are trying to avoid talking to that customer. So, you know, get into the DMs at the very least. Ideally, get on a call if you need to, particularly in the early days so that you can feel confident around your wording. And then you can take that step back and you can start with just, you can do with just the dms. We recently ran a course offer and that was for 750. Was it pounds or dollars? Pounds. Pounds. And that we closed everybody in the DMS. So there was an early bird at 500. The after early bird was 750 and all those people were closed in the DMs. There was no sales calls on that whatsoever. But that's because we knew the product, we knew the market, we've got reputation there. And that's where listening to someone like me who's a little bit more established and going, oh yeah, well I'll do that then probably isn't the best move because I'm in a different place. Okay. And so my advice to you would be to start off with get them onto calls, then from calls, then look to do DMs and then from DMs, maybe you could even look to do a landing page on something like that. I do like to do a bit of a sense check. That's the biggest challenge with this. Again, I've gone off pista bit. But the biggest challenge with the landing page is that you're not speaking to that person until potentially they turn up on a call with you. For me, I'm just not that comfortable with that. I would rather make sure and send check that person is the right fit for me and that it's going to work with us working together. Okay, but that's number seven for lower priced courses. Oh, yes. So the other part of that is that for lower price courses, you might need to send them to a landing page and you're actually putting too many steps in the way for them to do anything different. Are you making it as easy as possible for that person to get the information they need and then to purchase? And that's what you want to be asking yourself about your sales process in a nutshell. So next on number eight is you aren't shouting about it to the right people. So going back to shouting about your course, are you talking to the right people? Okay, it might well be life changing, but it won't be right for everybody. And so are you definitely getting in front of the right people and sharing your message and how good it is with those people? Finally, number nine is your messaging spot on, but you're just shouting in the wrong place. So what I mean by that is you know who you want to be talking to, but you're actually not where they hang out. So for example, I've got a client and she was saying to me, you know what? I want people who really value what I do, who see the value in using it in their business. And so, but I'm just not getting traction. I care more than my audience do on Facebook. And I was going, well, if you want people to value your professional service and all the experience that you've got behind you then you should be on LinkedIn. And that's the thing is, is her audience on Facebook. They're not there to take this kind of thing seriously. They're not there to take her credentials as seriously as she would like. So get on to the right platform where you do where you are valued, where people do see the value in what you do. It's a bit like that violinist who was playing a concert in London. I believe he went into the underground to play there and he basically made like it was a very minimal amount because people didn't see the value because he wasn't there in front of the right people. But actually people were paying thousands for a ticket to be in the same room as him and hear him play. Total madness. But a very, very good example of where people see the value in you and therefore where you want to be. So if you're struggling to get your course sales in and get that course really, really running as it should and getting it in front of the right people so people can actually get the benefit of it, to help you make your course as successful as possible, I have created a 42 page guide in depth guide on how to guarantee Your course sells 100 copies. Right now you can get that for free. All you need to do is drop me an email at Sarah sarahcan Online and put in the subject title free guide and I will get that sent over to you. So just a quick recap for you guys. There are a number of reasons why your course isn't selling the way you hoped it would be. It could be. The market doesn't want it. Your course gives them what they need and not what they want. There's not a big enough promise. There's not a strong enough promise there. The price isn't right. You weren't shouting about it enough. You aren't shouting about it to the right people or in the right place. You don't have enough proof or the sales process just isn't right. It would be one of those things that is standing in your way of your course really taking off and getting in front of the right people. If you would like more help with that, then do get that guide sarahcan Online or alternatively drop me an email with help and we can chat over how I can help you to get your course back up and running. And in a good so that's it for me this week guys. I look forward to speaking to you again next week where we're going to be talking around beta testers and why betas are so very, very important. Well, I'm actually slightly obsessed with it. In the meantime, please do. If you've enjoyed this podcast episode, please do give feedback on it, and please do follow and support the podcast. It really does mean a lot. That's it for me, guys, this week. Bye for now.
Podcast Summary: You Can! Inspiring Women In Business
Episode: 9 Reasons Why Your Course Isn't Selling
Host: Sarah Jolley-Jarvis
Release Date: November 15, 2024
In Episode 9 of "You Can! Inspiring Women In Business," host Sarah Jolley-Jarvis delves into the common pitfalls that prevent online courses from achieving desired sales. Drawing from her extensive experience of selling thousands of courses globally, Sarah provides actionable insights to help women entrepreneurs overcome challenges and successfully market their courses to achieve consistent five-figure monthly incomes while working part-time.
Timestamp: [00:05]
Sarah begins by addressing a fundamental issue: the possibility that the market simply isn't interested in what you're offering. She emphasizes the importance of ensuring that your target audience prioritizes the outcome your course promises. For instance, if your course focuses on weight loss but your audience isn't seeking weight loss solutions, sales will inevitably suffer.
Notable Quote:
"If your target audience doesn't want or they're not prioritizing what it is that your course is offering, the outcome that your course is offering... they are sat there, your resources are sat there, your course is sat there doing nothing."
— Sarah Jolley-Jarvis [00:05]
Timestamp: Around [04:00]
Sarah explains that delivering what your audience needs versus what they want can create a disconnect. While your course might offer valuable solutions, it may not align with the desires or motivations of your potential customers. Using the weight loss example, a course that mandates strict dietary restrictions might achieve results but fail to engage those who desire a more enjoyable or flexible approach.
Notable Quote:
"They do want that outcome. They do want to lose weight in this example, but they're probably not very enthusiastic about the route that you take to get there."
— Sarah Jolley-Jarvis [04:30]
Timestamp: Around [06:30]
Sarah highlights the necessity of crafting a compelling and specific promise for your course. Instead of vague benefits like "increase happiness," quantifying the outcome (e.g., "increase happiness by up to 80%") makes the promise more tangible and persuasive, thereby compelling potential buyers to take action.
Notable Quote:
"After taking my course, people went had an increase of happiness by up to 80%. Now that is a lot more hard hitting. It's a lot more compelling."
— Sarah Jolley-Jarvis [06:30]
Timestamp: Around [09:00]
Pricing can either undermine or enhance the perceived value of your course. If the price is too high, especially as the sole offering, potential customers may be deterred. Conversely, pricing too low can lead to undervaluation, where customers don't believe in the course's efficacy.
Notable Quote:
"Often it's too high when it's the only offer you have... customers don't value it enough. They don't see the value in it."
— Sarah Jolley-Jarvis [09:00]
Timestamp: Around [11:00]
Without consistent and proactive promotion, even the best courses remain unnoticed. Sarah underscores the importance of actively marketing your course rather than assuming that potential customers will discover it on their own.
Notable Quote:
"I've created and then people will come. They don't because they don't know it's there."
— Sarah Jolley-Jarvis [11:15]
Timestamp: Around [13:30]
Social proof is crucial in establishing credibility. Without testimonials or demonstrable results, potential buyers may hesitate to invest. Sarah advises obtaining key case studies or initial testimonials to build trust, cautioning against fabricating testimonials, which can damage your reputation.
Notable Quote:
"Whatever you do though, don't make them up, okay? Because that is, first of all, it's not going to sit right. You're going to feel bad, you're going to feel like a fraud because you are being a fraud."
— Sarah Jolley-Jarvis [14:00]
Timestamp: Around [16:00]
The sales funnel you employ plays a pivotal role in conversions. Relying solely on sales pages may not suffice, especially if they lack persuasive copy or fail to engage personally with potential customers. Sarah advocates for direct interactions, such as engaging through direct messages (DMs) or calls, to better understand and address customer needs.
Notable Quote:
"Sending to a landing page probably because you are trying to avoid talking to that customer. So, you know, get into the DMs at the very least."
— Sarah Jolley-Jarvis [17:00]
Timestamp: Around [19:30]
Even if your promotion efforts are robust, reaching the wrong audience can impede sales. Sarah emphasizes the importance of ensuring that your marketing messages are directed towards individuals who can truly benefit from and value your course.
Notable Quote:
"It might well be life changing, but it won't be right for everybody. And so are you definitely getting in front of the right people?"
— Sarah Jolley-Jarvis [20:00]
Timestamp: Around [21:45]
Finally, the platforms you use to promote your course must align with where your target audience spends their time. Sarah illustrates this with an example of a client whose audience resided on Facebook, a platform not ideal for her professional services, suggesting that LinkedIn might have been a better choice.
Notable Quote:
"If you want people to value your professional service and all the experience that you've got behind you then you should be on LinkedIn."
— Sarah Jolley-Jarvis [22:30]
Sarah wraps up the episode by reiterating the nine key reasons why a course might not be selling and offers a free 42-page guide to help listeners overcome these challenges. She encourages entrepreneurs to evaluate their market fit, refine their messaging, adjust pricing strategies, enhance promotional efforts, gather social proof, optimize their sales processes, target the right audience, and choose appropriate marketing channels to ensure their courses achieve the success they deserve.
Notable Quote:
"There are a number of reasons why your course isn't selling the way you hoped it would be... make sure that you're shouting about it and you're getting it out there."
— Sarah Jolley-Jarvis [End]
By addressing these areas, women entrepreneurs can enhance their course offerings' appeal and effectiveness, driving sales and achieving their business goals while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.