3 MUST KNOW Principles to Sell Online Courses

If you want to learn how to sell online courses successfully, you're in the right place. In this article, we'll delve into three essential principles that are the foundation of a profitable online course business.

These principles have been honed through my personal experiences, including the times when I found myself staring at a pint of Haagen-Dazs with a big fat $0 in my online course sales account.

But fear not, because I eventually cracked the code, made my first $200, and then watched my passive income grow without ever meeting my course buyers in person.

Today, I'm sharing these three crucial principles with you to help you achieve the same success.

1. People Pay for Transformation

Nobody wakes up in the morning thinking, "I think I want to buy an online course today!" Instead, they are seeking a tangible result, outcome, or transformation in their lives.

Whether it's mastering a new skill, solving a problem, or improving their lives in some way, your potential customers want something they can achieve through your course.

It doesn't matter if you're offering books, courses, workshops, or any other educational content; if you can't clearly communicate the outcome your course provides, potential customers won't buy.

In your sales pages and marketing materials, focus on showcasing the benefits of your course over its features. Ask yourself, "So What? Why should I care?" when presenting a feature.

For example, "This online course includes done-for-you action steps (feature) so you know exactly what to do first, second, and third. I've done the thinking for you so you can relax and shortcut your success! (benefit)"

Focus more on explaining that specific outcome they want and set up your offer in a way where they would feel foolish to say No.

Now, even if you've created a course that you know is valuable and speaks to the specific outcome they want, but you're still not making sales, it's mostly likely due to this next piece...

2. Building Belief

Building trust and belief in you as the right person to teach and guide your audience toward their desired outcomes is paramount. Belief is the number one factor influencing people's buying decisions. If your potential customers don't believe that you can help them achieve their goals, they won't invest in your course.

To build trust and belief, create consistent and valuable free content, such as blog posts, videos, or podcasts. Host webinars or free training sessions that showcase your expertise and teaching style.

By teaching similar content to what's in your course for free, you demonstrate your knowledge and competence.

Address your audience's concerns and doubts proactively in your content, emails, and sales copy.

For example, if I tell you, "You can create passive income with digital products!" you're naturally going to have some skepticism even if that's an outcome you want.

I hear things all the time from my audience like:

•  “I don’t want to put a ton of time and energy into building something that doesn’t sell.”

• "I have 100’s of product ideas but don’t know which one to start with"
• "I feel like a dinosaur when it come to the tech and business side of things" 

The list goes on.

It's my job to address these concerns before they ever hear about my product, then to rewrite those old stories with new, more empowering stories.

I do this by sharing strategies, success stories of myself and others, and social proof to reinforce credibility.

3. Free vs. Paid Information

A common concern among course creators is, "Why would anyone buy my course when there's so much free information online?"

The truth is that most of the knowledge needed to succeed has already been shared in some form.

However, there's a crucial difference between free and paid information...

Free content is scattered across various platforms, such as blog posts, YouTube videos, and books, making it challenging for individuals to piece together a comprehensive solution. Learning from multiple sources with varying viewpoints and teaching styles can be overwhelming and time-consuming.

This is where your online course comes in.

Your course offers a curated, step-by-step system for achieving a specific transformation. People are willing to pay for the convenience and efficiency of having everything they need in one place, especially when they trust and believe in you as the guide.

In summary, selling online courses successfully requires mastering these three principles. Remember, people pay for transformation, so clearly communicate the outcomes your course provides. Build belief by demonstrating your expertise and addressing concerns and understand that offering a well-structured course can save your customers time and effort compared to piecing together free information from various sources. Your online course is the laser beam that guides them efficiently toward their goals in a world of scattered flashlight beams.