
This is
My 8-Step Framework for Building Courses That Support Your Best Life
Don’t let the simplicity of this fool you. I’ve used this framework to build course after course for myself and clients. It works extremely well, and if you follow the format and structure, you too can build a successful course business from anywhere in the world.
1. Identify Your Passions, Hobbies and Talents
Examples and Ideas:
- I know how to build online courses
- I know how to grow gardens quickly
- I know how to flip houses
- I know how to raise chickens in my backyard
- I know how to get tennis clients
- I know how to make incredible meals in a cast-iron skillet
- I know how to train ferrets
- I know how to move and live abroad
- I like deep sea fishing
- I'd like to learn how to play the guitar
- I enjoy swimming
- I enjoy meeting new people
- I know how to learn new languages with ease
- I know how to make nutritious meals that make you lose weight
2. Pick 1 Thing You Can Teach to Establish Your Authority
People like working with experts, and the fastest way to position yourself as an expert is to teach something. You can do this quickly by making short videos or you can write out a simple primer on how to do a specific thing.
This should be easy and fun … Whatever it is you love to do, choose one thing you can teach and teach it. I enjoy going to antique auctions where I buy stuff for cheap, flip it, and sell it for profit.
In this example, I can make a short video (or write a simple report showing people where to find auctions in their town). Another alternative is to actually go to an auction and record a short clip where people can see stuff selling for super cheap (and then make a video or write a report showing how much those items sell for in the marketplace).
If you’re a skateboarder, teach how to do a trick (like an Ollie).
If you make delicious and nutritious smoothies, make a quick video showing how YOU make one of your smoothies.
Don’t overthink this … The people that are searching the Internet to learn how to do these things don’t know how to do it. Whatever you teach them instantly moves you to ‘expert status’.
Once you’re done with this video or report, you’re going to use it as a tool to generate leads (we call this a lead magnet). It’s a bribe that you’ll give away on your website. In order for them to get it, they must leave their name and email address to get it (the same way you got this checklist).
3. Outline What You're Going to Teach
Research the competition to see what their course syllabus is like. I like to go to amazon and search for books on my topics and then I look at the table of contents at the front of the book (most of the table of contents section of books on amazon will be viewable without having to buy the book). I get ideas for which topics I’d like to teach on. Make sure to look at multiple books because each author may present different information.
Another thing I do is go to course directories like Udemy and look for similar courses like the one I want to create. I look at their syllabus too.
I also read comments from students (as well as reviews in Amazon) to see what those people are saying about the course/book. You’ll often see comments where people indicate they wished the author talked more about this or that; this is the priceless stuff you’re looking for and could be incorporated into your program.
4. Determine How to Package Your Course
Now that you have your outline, decide how you wish to package your content … I’m a video guy and video has a higher perceived value than an ebook. A video course would allow me to easily charge more money.
I realize some of you may not like to get in front of a camera; and I understand that too… So writing an ebook might be your preferred method.
I have a buddy who created an entire real estate program completely around audio. His students loved it because they could listen and learn while jogging or driving to work.
Choose the method you’re most comfortable with. You don’t have to do this the same way everyone else does it.
Others take a group coaching format whereby they create the course outline and they cover 1-topic each week via a live ZOOM video conference. They teach and at the end of the training they open up the lines for live questions and feedback. This group coaching format is of high value and you can charge a lot of money for it.
Another thing I do is high-end consulting. I charge $777 bucks and get on the phone for a 1-2 hour deep dive call. I ask a million questions about your goals or business to find weak links in the biz model and after the call I write up a detailed brief/action plan for the client to follow.
Again … Do what you’re most comfortable with. There are many ways to teach and format your training program. Just choose one and go with it!
5. Price Your Course
Lots of folks get caught up on price. Oftentimes they sell their program too low. I’d suggest you look and see what other competitors are charging for their program and come up with your pricing (in most cases, I’d suggest you double or triple whatever you come up with because it’s often too low).
Another method is to determine how much you wish to earn each year. If that number is $100,000, decide how many customers you want to work with that year to come up with that number.
Selling your course at $50 would require you to get 2,000 customers. I’m of the mindset that it’ll take the same amount of effort to get 2,000 customers as it would to get 200 customers. To get $100,000 would require you to only get 200 customers at $500 bucks each.
Is 200 customers over the course of a year very realistic on the Internet? It absolutely is… 400 customers at $250/ea would also get you the $100,000.
6. Build a Website That Sells Like Krazy 24/7
Statistics show that most websites on the Internet never earn a dime. I’ve been building websites for over 20+ years now and know this to be true. Most people hire me to make their bad and broken websites sell.
For most of you, you’re not going to need a full-blown website. For what you’re doing (selling courses/trainings), you’re going to keep your website simple. The primary thing you’ll be doing is giving away free reports/tutorials.
You’ll also lock up your website content on the backend of your website.
There are a variety of scripts you can use to password protect your content so that the only people who can access it are those who paid for it.
My favorite tool is a script by WishList Member. In order to use this, your website must be powered by WordPress. When someone purchases your program, this software automatically generates a username/password and sends it to the new member. No high monthly fees … This script is simple and very affordable. I’ve been using it for over 12+ years.
Freelancer.com is a great place to find someone to set up the website piece.
7. Capture Emails (Lead Generation)
You’re in the business of capturing leads (prospects interested in learning more about what you’re teaching). The best way to get their attention is to give them a bribe (starting with the teaching piece you created in step number 2). To get this training, they’ll need to give you their name and email address.
We use an autoresponder software to help automate this process. You’ll write a series of e-mail in this process that continues to educate your prospects while making soft offers of your course.
8. Drive Traffic
The first place to start is with the eyeballs you already have following you. If you have a fan-base on platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok or LinkedIn, then start there. These are people who already like you … So give them something of value (like the FREE report/training you created in step-2).
Everything you do online needs to have some sort of call-to-action at the end. You should be directing those viewers to a particular place on your website to get specific information that educates or empowers them.
Another way to get a consistent and steady flow of traffic is to buy it. When you buy traffic you control how much or little you want. Your customers are all over the web. You just need to position yourself to be in front of them when they come looking for you.
Platforms like Google Ads is a great start. It’s my favorite method for getting instant and highly targeted traffic going to your website.
If someone is searching for “how to start a t-shirt business with a heat press’, I can bid to show up at the top of Google's search engine when someone types that phrase (once they see that listing, they can choose to click it and get directed immediately to my website).
Other advertising options to look into are Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, BING, YouTube, Google and more! Each of these are great sources for advertising. My favorites are Google Ads and YouTube advertising!
Get Started Now - Don't Procrastinate
*I hope you found value in this information. It’s only good if you use it. I’d encourage you to go lock yourself in a bedroom, office, or even Starbucks, and put the time and work in to get this done.
Start with mapping out your outline … That is the hardest part in my opinion; but once that is done you’ll simply follow that outline for building your course.
So decide now that you’ll commit to getting this done in a day or two so you can start profiting and earning from your very own courses.
Wanna take the next step? Fill out the form below:
I'm still crafting out this program and hope to be finished in a day or two. Let me know which option you're interested in most and I'l send you the details via e-mail.