1. Successful Online Course Creators do the work now, reap the rewards later

Here’s where online courses differ from other business models: Up front hard work.

When you are a service provider, for example, you win the client and then you do the work – over, and over, and over.

The “up front” part isn’t as “hard”, but the work isn’t leveraged either.

You need to find the client, and then do the work forever.

Online courses differ in that there is more upfront work. You need to create the course, and then the selling system… and it’s no walk in the park.

But once it’s done, it’s DONE. Your ongoing job becomes marketing and optimisation, but the “grunt” work is over.

What that means, though, is that the gratification isn’t instant. And in a society that thrives on instant gratification (“I want it NOW”), it requires discipline.

You need to commit to doing the work, and setting the thing up. And one thing I have realised is that this stops a lot of people before they’ve even reached the starting line.

2. Successful Online Course Creators enjoy marketing

All businesses require leads, and leads require marketing.

This isn’t unique to an online course business, but it is ESPECIALLY true for an online course business.

Creating an online course is just one piece of the course business puzzle, and contrary to popular belief – if you build it, they won’t necessarily come. A successful course creator knows that their course requires leads to sell, and ENJOYS the process of marketing.

3. Successful Online Course Creators don’t have Shiny Object Syndrome

One thing I know for sure: Mo’ Courses equal Mo’ Work and Mo’ Problems.

The simplest path to success as a course creator is with ONE course, ONE funnel and ONE single focus on optimising the shi-nizzle out of it forevermore.

It’s really easy to get shiny object syndrome in the course creation industry and to either:

1) Experience a “perceived” flop and throw in the towel altogether (more on why that ISN’T a great strategy here); or
2) Experience a “win” with a successful online course and think that the secret to MORE success is to create another one.

Anyone who has ever created an online course knows that they take serious work.

And then, that the first launch is no walk in the park, either.

And so, creating MULTIPLE courses and MULTIPLE selling systems is really just giving yourself a job that doesn’t sound like much more fun than being an overworked service provider.

The secret to success is to scale ONE COURSE and ONE funnel to the moon. Period.

4. Successful Online Course Creators live by the motto “Always Be Optimising”

This one is a continuation of number 3.

The biggest benefit of focus on one flagship course offer and funnel is that it gives you the ability to make it freakin’ amazing.

Rather than always creating something new and leaving a trail of “okay” digital courses in your wake (fuelled by abandoned funnels that aren’t being given the attention they need to thrive), there is SO MUCH value in optimising one thing over and over and over again.

This is literally how all of the big course gurus have gotten to where they are.

They launch a thing, they look at the data from the launch of that thing, they improve based on the data, and they do it all again. This is true for the inside of their programs too. They launch, watch their clients and the results they are achieving, ask for feedback and iterate to make the experience and their results better.

Trying to do this with multiple offers and multiple funnel is stressful and silly. Successful course creators know this, and they stick with simple.

5. The actions of successful Online Course Creators are in alignment with their dreams

A successful course creator knows that their results flow to where their energy goes.

Too often, I hear the following:

“Online Courses don’t seem to be working for me.” And so, I ask why… and the answer is, “I’m booked out with service work,” “I’m so busy with clients,” or “I haven’t had a chance to X, Y, Z”.

And, you know what? THAT’S OKAY. But you also need to realise that if you aren’t giving energy to something, you can’t expect it to flourish. The reason why you are booked out with clients is because you focused on being booked out with clients. The reason why your courses not are selling is because you are booked out with clients, and you have made a DECISION not to allocate space and energy to doing what is required to grow this new business model of yours.

What you focus on, expands.

If your course business isn’t flourishing, you need to ask yourself: Are your actions in alignment with your goals and dreams? Because if they aren’t, you either need to change your actions or revise your dreams.

Are you ready to create, launch and scale your flagship digital course? Head to thecoursecartel.com/launchpad to apply for our 12 month, high touch group coaching program.

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