51 | How to create an online course or group program quickly

Speaker: 00:00:00

Hello and welcome to Women in

the Coaching Arena podcast.

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I'm so glad you are here.

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I'm Jo Lott, a business mentor

and ICF accredited coach

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Microphone (Samson Q2U Microphone):

and I help coaches to

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build brilliant businesses.

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I know that when you prepare to enter

the arena, there is fear, self doubt,

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comparison, anxiety, uncertainty.

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You can tend to armor up and

protect yourself from vulnerability.

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In this podcast, I'll be sharing

honest, not hype, practical and

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emotional tools to support you to make

the difference that you are here for.

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Dare greatly.

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You belong in this arena.

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Hello, welcome to the 51st episode

women in the coaching arena.

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I am so glad you are here.

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Today, I'm excited to share about creating

an online course or group program quickly.

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Because I am on the Sunday where my

five day challenge begins, where I

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will be helping people with this.

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So it was the perfect topic for today.

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So I'm going to break this

episode up into four phases.

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So firstly idea creation.

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So, what do you want to

create a course or program on?

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Really think about your

skills, your know how.

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Also what problem you

want to solve because.

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We don't want to create

a nice to have program.

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We need to create a must have

program that people are eager to buy.

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You'd really want to think about

that ideal client and build

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something perfectly for them.

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If it's not too strange, literally print

out a photo of someone who has this

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problem, who is your ideal client and in

everything you do, just create for them.

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Next up in this idea creation mode,

I would create your own model.

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So think about.

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What are the core fundamental

things that you want to teach?

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And how can you break that down in a

way that is your signature framework?

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You want to make it unique, make

it yours, bring in intellectual

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property where you can.

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So if you think about rice Krispies,

they became famous because they

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coined the term snap, crackle and pop.

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So they made a generic idea of a rice pop.

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Into an exciting concept.

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So you would want to think

about ways of doing that in your

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program so it's truly unique.

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So in mine, for example, I have the

Lott Last Minute launch formula which

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is kind of how I get things done

because I could easily say to myself,

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I'm not ready for this challenge.

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I need to put it off another few months

and many times have I wanted to do that?

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But I won't do that because I know that

sometimes you need some sort of pressure

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to actually make the thing happen.

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And I see in people I've had discovery

calls within the past, how long

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they allow themselves to go round

in circles on something that could

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just be a split-second decision.

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So really be brave and bring in your

unique strengths into your program.

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You also want to think about

your transformation statement.

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So a really clear statement that helps

people understand why they are buying

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your course, where they are going from

and where they are wanting to go to.

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Next up, you will want to think

of an amazing course name.

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This is something I find super tricky,

but it makes a big difference because it

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helps people to feel something and to buy

something we want to evoke those emotions.

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So people feel clear about what they're

buying or want to be involved in some way.

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Then comes the question of price.

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How much are you on Singh

to charge for your program?

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That was obviously depend on whether

there is any support or whether it

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is a pure online program without

support, which are usually less cost.

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And you also want to

test it with the market.

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I'm helping a pricing coach at the

moment, create his online course.

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And the other day I was saying to him

that he could charge for his first round.

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And he said to me that he doesn't

want to charge because he wants to

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be able to do a pricing analogy.

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So you ask people at the beginning.

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What are they wanting to pay and

you'd ask them at the end, what

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would they pay for that program?

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And he has a specific way of doing

it to really gauge an idea about

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what he should price that program at.

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So that was a super interesting

concept for me to learn about.

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You'd want to think about

your course creation strategy.

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So are you going to sell it

first and then create it?

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Are you going to deliver live

each week, or are you going to

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record your content straight up?

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There's no right answer.

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And there are several different

ways of doing it and the right way

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you will be the right way for you.

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Now for the most powerful moves that you

will ever make, which is choosing your

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launch date and scheduling backwards.

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So this is day one of my five

day challenge that I'm starting

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tomorrow is choosing those

dates and setting your goal.

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If you don't choose a date, I can

almost guarantee you that in a year's

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time we will meet and your course will

still not be out there in the world.

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So I just love this one and I cannot

wait to see the results for the

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people who have joined the challenge.

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Finishing up this phase, one idea

creation, you'll want to draw

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up a document with the details

and logistics of your program.

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That may be literally a word document,

or you may want to create a sales page,

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which usually takes longer and sales

pages is an entire training in itself.

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So it's not something I'm going to

go into today but a lot of sales

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psychology will go into this document

to really help people to see that

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this is the right next move for them.

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Okay.

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Now you've got an idea.

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You've got a document, you've

got a price, you've got a name.

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You've chosen your days.

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Next up, you need to validate that

this is something that people want.

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And this is a step that people often miss

because they are excited about creating

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and they don't want to get into speaking

to people and slowing down their progress.

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But the problem is you may then

spend a lot of time creating

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something that no one ever wants and

we'll never see the light of day.

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I spent a long time creating a lot of

programs when I first started my business.

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On general stuff like confidence

and sadly, no, one's really

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interested in general confidence.

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They are interested in a real

specific confidence for speaking up

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in meetings, confidence for asserting

themselves with their partner.

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We need to really think about that

end goal and if I had of known what

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I know now, I would have validated

my idea and then I may have learnt

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what people are willing to pay for.

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So moving onto phase three now

is the exciting creation phase.

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You will want to create an exciting,

welcome video that makes people step into

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what they're about to join, to help them

get excited to actually take those steps.

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When you are creating your content,

you'll need to make sure it's really

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short and formatted in a specific way.

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So people take action and get results

because there is nothing more depressing

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than a program where you can see that

no, one's actually logging in and

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no one's contacting you, if you have

support in your program with the outcome

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of that task, asking for feedback.

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That's something I do in my program.

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So people worked with the modules in

their own time, and then they send me

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their niche statement or whatever it

may be, and we chat it back and forth.

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So at each stage they make progress.

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They can tick that off their list.

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And then they're excited to move to module

two because it builds on module one.

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At this creation phase, you may be

deciding whether you are going to create

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it all in one hit or whether you are going

to drip out the content week on week.

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And that will enable you to create

each week that first time, because

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it is going to take a really

long time to create this content.

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So, if you don't drip feed it, you

could be there six months in still not

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selling the program because you won't

have that strong deadline of people

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waiting for that thing to be released.

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So I find the week on week drip feeding

helps me to create the content cause

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then I know people are waiting for

it, so I need to get on and create it.

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Yes, I would absolutely love to

do it all in one go, but usually

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it doesn't quite work out.

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Although I am very excited that I

have booked a four night break away by

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myself in Brighton the week after my

challenge, where I am going to put my

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head down and create as much as I can.

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So even though the program will release

week on week because I've done research

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and that's what people actually

want so they don't feel overwhelmed.

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And so they feel like they

are up to date with that task.

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Okay.

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We are in phase four.

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So this is the phase I am in with my

program Elevate at the moment, which

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is going to help people to master

online courses and group programs.

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There is so much involved

in this launch phase.

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I have been working super hard for

weeks on my launch for this program.

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You will really want to

ramp up your visibility.

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You'll want to know your numbers.

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It's really good to know that online

course creation and group creation is

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not usually something for beginners

because you need a audience to

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sell to several people at once.

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A 5% conversion rate is the average.

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Say, for example, in my challenge,

I have 200 people currently

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as part of my Facebook group.

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And that may mean that 10 people buy

my upsell at the end of the week,

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which is the step-by-step guide

to every single aspect that they

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will need to grow their program.

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So you will want to know this

when you are launching to.

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And therefore, if you can't get 50 to a

hundred people on a webinar for example,

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it might be hard to fill that program.

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But I do teach easy starter methods as

well, because often you wouldn't want

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to go to the first big launch if you

haven't got that type of audience yet.

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So there are other ways that you can

start getting that first program out

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there and over the line before you

start building up to bigger launches.

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I'm doing a five day challenge for this

particular launch, but usually I run a one

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hour workshop and it really helps people

to take that step towards you, learn

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from you, gain an insight and then decide

if they want to work with you further.

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Filling a workshop also

takes time and a lot of work.

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So you will want to promote

it for two weeks, ideally.

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Daily, maybe even several times a day.

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For example, when I was promoting

my challenge my mentor said that I

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needed to promote it six times a day.

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I must admit I did not promote it

six times a day, but I did go all in.

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I promoted it every single day,

including weekends and often twice a day.

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I also did some guest expert spots

where I spoke in groups that have

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my ideal clients so those people

might want to attend my challenge.

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So there's quite a bit involved

in filling your workshop, which at

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the end of the workshop is when you

actually sell and launch your program.

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If you're wondering whether

you definitely need to launch.

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You don't always, depending on,

if you have a few warm people

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in your audience already.

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You may also want to sell to

organizations which wouldn't

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need this launch phase at all.

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You would be more so directly

contacting organizations rather than

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doing a workshop or webinar online.

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There is a lot of admin

involved in this launch phase.

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So you would want to

set up a sign up page.

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Thank you page.

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You'd want to have lots of emails

scheduled to help people to gain

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the details of the workshop and then

follow up afterwards to see if they are

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interested in working with you further.

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I feel very excited that I have all

of these emails scheduled for change.

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Normally I am creating after the

workshop, but this is a huge launch

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with me going live seven days

a week, starting from tonight.

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So I really do need to have those things

scheduled or it just wouldn't be possible.

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The benefit of doing a five day challenge

is that people get to know like, and

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trust you even more than a workshop.

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But this is not for the faint hearted.

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This has taken a huge process.

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A lot of step-by-step instructions,

a system I'm following.

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So much tech that it's

actually mind blowing.

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And I'm very proud that I have

somehow managed to get all

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this tech flying out there.

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But this is definitely a more advanced

strategy and not something I would be

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recommending if you are just starting out.

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So huge.

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Congratulations.

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If you are at this stage, you

may have launched your program.

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And congratulate yourself now because

you are starting your program.

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So now you can create an amazing

onboarding experience for your

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clients depending on how you decided

to create your content you may

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still be creating week on week.

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If you are drip feeding your content.

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But just know that say at the end of

that 12 weeks, you will have created

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an asset in your business, which will

work hard for you time and time again.

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That makes me realize I

haven't talked much about the

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tech of hosting your course.

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It doesn't need to be as

complicated as everybody thinks.

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Yes, you might want a portal but there

are also other ways and I'm going to be

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covering those in the challenge this week.

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And they're suitable

for one-on-one as well.

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So I love some simple systems

that I use to collaborate with

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clients and move them through an.

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A to B transformation

really, really easily.

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So, as long as you set your date,

creating an online course or

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group, doesn't ,have to take years.

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Understand your audience outline

that program, set your day, create

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engaging content, leverage your

existing resources and network

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and launched that course quickly.

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Your goal is to share your

knowledge more widely in less time.

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So it is so worth your time.

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As long as you have your

priority set and your business.

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And if you are starting out, for example,

this would not be your first step usually.

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I would be focusing on one-to-one

clients, which is higher ticket usually

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than a group or a course and therefore

you will be able to bring in the income

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that you need when you're starting.

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So it all depends on you and

your goals as to whether this

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is the right next step for you.

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So, let me summarize today's episode.

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We covered four phases.

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So phase one was idea creation,

phase two, was validating your offer.

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Phase three was creation of your

program and phase four was launch.

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And then we congratulated you

for starting your program.

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So I hope it was helpful to get a quick

overview of the phases involved in

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creating your course or online program.

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If you want to join Elevate, where I

take you by the hand and share all of

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the resources, and all of the, know how

the canvas templates, the tech stuff,

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all of the things that you will need

to think about then do join elevate.

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It closes on Friday.

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the 8th of March.

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This isn't an evergreen program.

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So this isn't running all the time.

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So join now as it won't be running again

until at least the end of this year.

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So, like I say, at the end of every

episode, trust yourself, believe

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in yourself and be the wise Gardner

who keeps on watering the seed.

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Microphone (Samson Q2U Microphone):

Thank you so much for listening to this

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episode of Women in the Coaching Arena.

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I have a mess of free resources on

my website joannalottcoaching.com.

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That's Joanna with an A

and Lott with two T's.

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joannalottcoaching.com.

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And I'll also put links in the show notes.

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Let me know if you found

this episode useful.

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Share it with a friend and

leave me a review, and I will

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personally thank you for that.

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Remember to trust yourself, believe

in yourself and be the wise Gardner

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who keeps on watering the seed.

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Get into the arena dare, greatly and try.