Six Truths Nobody Tells You About Selling Courses
After making $5000+ I can say they’re NOT a cash cow.
A video-based course is a one-time effort. Sell it to 100 people for $100 and that's an easy $10,000.
Many writers or creators want to conduct online courses because it’s a ‘cash cow’.
Passive income and the dream life of making money while you sleep will come true. Right?
Wrong.
And while I’m grateful that my cohort-based course has been sold out thrice (don’t worry, I won’t mention the link to sell it to you), here’s something that people get wrong.
If you’re one of those people dreaming about this cash cow, let me help you with some realities so you can plan better.
1. They’re NOT a cash cow
Somebody I know is selling their freebie so they can make a course. A course on a topic in which many courses exist already. I’ve personally bought guides around it.
But they’re not getting traction on their freebie.
If they don’t want your free stuff, why will they want to pay for your stuff?
Think about it.
To do
Give for free for a lot of time before your freebie.
Build an audience. And then put out a freebie and build your audience further.
Your course should be when you know people want to learn what you’re teaching. And that happens not by rushing things or following a trend, but by understanding pain points and solving them.
2. You need to… Sell
And I don’t like it. I don’t even enjoy cold emails and stopped Upwork proposals long back. But that's just my area of discomfort. Doesn’t need to be yours.
So I do this one thing to sell.
And apparently, I’m good at it. Because I’ve had $500 weekends and recently made 220 sales in 24 h. Proof:
I wing it.
I talk about it on Twitter; I add value as well, and I just try new things. Here are a few things worked:
- A launch price of $99 before for my cohort, which then became $129 after 15 days
- Discounts for the first few folks only (you can limit promo codes)
To do
If you’re into sales, great. If not, learn about it or wing it as I do.
3. Stress 101
My biggest mistake was having only two weeks gap between Cohort 2 and 3.
I thought I’d promote my course during the cohort, but I was too busy for it.
Still, in two weeks of promotions, 17 people enrolled. That’s not so bad considering cohort 3 was also priced at $145 instead of $129.
In those two weeks, my self-doubt went up to another level. Think about it — you’re so ‘out there’. People will watch you fail with only 3 (or zero) enrolments.
It’s demoralising.
To do
Yes, it’s substantial money with courses (if done well). But don’t be in a rush because it can take a toll on your mental health.
Try to have alternate sources of income to fill up the gaps.
My next cohort has a three-month gap so I can focus on creating more value than I have so far.
4. Money Won’t Be Your Motivation
Try launching something only because you want to make money and see where that takes you.
Also, why would somebody pay for you to earn money?
People pay for experiences and solutions to their problems.
Be directed to a higher purpose. When you deliver value with that, money flows in.
To do
Solve for something, use that as your motivation.
5. It’s an incredibly gratifying experience
I never knew how happy teaching will make me. It’s gratifying in a way thats hard to explain.
One woman in my consistent writing course actually went from full-time to part-time, so she can write part-time.
There are moms and dads with toddlers who make time to write along with their 9–5s. They inspire me.
And when people tell you you’ve helped them get closer to your goals… that feels so wholesome in my heart. Like I’m doing something right.
To do
- Track progress in numbers
- Spend time understanding people’s goals
- Build relationships
These three will pay you back with contentment.
6. Building a Course May Not Be the Best Goal
I never wanted to build a course. It just happened via a tweet, and then it kept going up.
Maybe it was meant to be? Only time will tell.
Building a course requires:
- time
- PROVEN results
- the stress of selling
It isn’t easy at all.
To do
I’m not saying don’t build a course at all, but don’t have it as a goal just yet. Instead, build:
- a portfolio of your work: so you’re credible.
- your voice on a platform: so you build an audience.
- relationships with people: to understand pain points, learn, and make friends.
- an income stream: to reduce financial stress.
And once you succeed in that, it’ll become much easier to build a course.
Lastly
When you go online, you see people do big things and talk about it like it's easy.
Something like “to make $100k a month, you need 1000 customers who pay $100 only”.
But nobody tells you it takes years to build the audience that gives you 1000 customers, or even ten. It’s not impossible, but it’s not easy either.
My last advice for you will be to go slow and have fun.
Enjoy the process, celebrate the wins. And ultimately, the world has a way of taking you where you’re meant to be after you put in the work.
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