Rodney Daut

Creating a great course isn’t about having the best ideas—it’s about making them easy to grasp.

Here are 3 questions that simplify any complex topic.

First, "What is the concept?"

• You've got to define it. This question ensures you do it.

• Nothing is worse than a lesson in which students are left in the dark about the meaning of a key idea.

Second, "Why is the concept important?

• Let us know how valuable the idea is. Don't assume people know.

• Even if they do know, they may have forgotten.

• Keeping the value of the idea in minds helps them stay motivated to learn.

Third, "How do you use the concept?"

• Every valuable idea has an application.

• There's something we can do with it.

• Spell this out. Give specific steps. Don't make them figure it out.

But won't spelling out what to do stop clients from using ideas in unique ways?

Fortunately, the opposite is true.

One reason the Italian Renaissance was so productive is the workshop system.

• Art students worked in a master's workshop and took specific instruction. They even spent time directly copying the master's work, literally mimicking every brush stroke.

• Only after they mastered the basics, could they produce original art of high quality but not before.

• Be the Italian master and give your clients specific steps to follow so they can produce something amazing.

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A great idea without a name is easily forgotten.

But concepts with great titles are remembered for years. The name becomes a hook that helps people recall the idea and share it.

And the most powerful type of name for your ideas is the branded framework.

What is a branded framework?

A branded framework is a system of ideas or practices with a name, attributed to a person or organization.

Many popular ideas are branded frameworks

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, The Five Love Languages, OKRs (Objectives and Key Results), SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats).

Branded frameworks is the secret behind the most successful ideas in history

Ever heard of the Ten Commandments, The Four Noble Truths or the Five Pillars of Islam? You guessed it, they are branded frameworks. And as such have helped ideas spread to billions of people over thousands of years.

The Unique Advantages of a Branded Framework

• A branded framework signals that you've done the hard work of distilling your work to its essence.

• It says you have a system created through trial, error and effort.

• It says the system is valuable enough to have its own name.

Want to know how to create branded frameworks?

In my next newsletter, I'll give you the four-step branded framework process.

See the link in my bio to get it.

Most courses don't sell more than a few copies, even if they are very good. How do you avoid putting in months of work only to get nothing out of it?

By using the Winning Courses Framework for determining if your course idea is a winner.

1. Real Problem

Find a real problem your course idea solves for your customers. Ideally it's something they complain about or a dilemma they face that keeps them from moving forward.

2. Clear Result

Define a clear result your course produces. Put a number on it if possible. Kevon Cheung's Make Twitter Friends shows you how to make 10 friends on Twitter who will engage with your content. Sean D'Souza's copywriting course shows you how to write an entire long form sales page in 3 days.

3. Actual Person

How do you know the problem matters to your customers and that your solution makes sense? You talk to a real person. Describe the problem and the result, then shut up and listen to their response. You'll discover if you're on target or get a better idea.

4. Persistent Obstacles

Your course must address the obstacles that make it difficult to get the result. If there were no obstacles, the result would be easy to achieve. Label the hurdles and then in the next step create a ...

5. Branded Framework

Determine the steps that overcome the obstacles and get your customer from Point A to Point B. Give that system a name.  This makes your approach memorable as well as marketable. Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus became an international best seller in the 90s, not because the ideas were so unique but because John Gray created unique and interesting ways to describe each concept.

The next time you have a course idea, run it through this framework to determine if your idea is a winner or if it needs to be adjusted. You could save yourself months of effort moving in the wrong direction.

Creators spend too much time building something and not enough time shipping the goods.

As a result, we lose out on revenue. Each day we don't ship, is like money dripping through our fingers and into the sewer.

Why do we spend so much time building despite the cost? To get it just right, of course.

So how do we get past this persistent problem?

With the versioning mindset.

The versioning mindset assumes that any creative work can be improved endlessly.

There's no definitive resting place. There's only version 1.0, 2.0, etc.  There's no perfect. Only good enough for now.

But we have to ship to have a 1.0 or 2.0. We must stop and deliver.

The versioning mindset gets us past perfectionism.

That way we can ship, get feedback, learn, and ship again.  We get things to a good-enough stage of completion to bring in revenue as well as feedback to improve the next version.

But how do we ensure we produce the first (or next) version?

Create a deadline and ship to that deadline. Let your mind create excuses and reasons not to move forward. Then continue shipping anyway.

But won't we ship crappy work that way?

Yes and no. Yes, your work will be imperfect but it would have been anyway. Look at anything you've produced 10 years ago and you'll see flaws now you didn't see then. I'm even embarrassed by articles I wrote just a few months ago.

Anyone who is honing their craft will find that they're a moving target.  And looking back on the past is as liable to make you proud as it is to make you cringe.

So you may as well ship, get feedback fast and improve more quickly.

Want to know how to apply this versioning mindset to growing your business?

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Since 2020, I've marketed and filled five cohort-based courses a year.

In that time, I've discovered three questions that can tell you whether a course idea will succeed or fail before you even begin.

Question 1: Who are you trying to help?

Know who your course is for. Is it muscle-building for 20-somethings? Or is it fitness for the over-forty crowd? If you're selling a copywriting course, is it for the solo creator or someone who wants to make a living selling copywriting? The focus of your course will be different depending on whom you serve.

Question 2: What problem are you solving for them?

The over-forty man is facing a different set of obstacles than a 21-year-old. He may have a ton of work and home responsibilities that make it hard to find time and energy for exercise. Since his problems are different, so are the solutions offered by your course.

Question 3: Is my solution too obvious?

If yes, find out why, despite using the obvious solutions, they aren't getting results. Is it that they lack motivation? Then you'll need a solution for that. Is it that the other methods have a key flaw? Your course will have to fix it. Whatever you offer, it can't be for them just to follow run-of-the-mill advice. You need to diagnose the deeper problem and solve it.

Want to know more about building courses?

Join my newsletter.

See the link in my bio.

Bonuses have been proven to get customers to pay up to 25% more for a product.

That's what a major study in 𝘑𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘙𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 found. But why?

When we see a bonus, our attention becomes focused on the extra value.  We don't want to miss out.

So if you don't have a bonus package, you are leaving money on the table.

But how do you create a high value bonus without a lot of extra work?

The easiest way is to use the unbundling strategy.

Separate a feature from the product and make it a bonus.

Example

My course program "The Atomic Course Blueprint."

Components

• Outlining process

• Writing process

• Creating introductions and conclusions

• Storytelling

Anyone who wants to write a course will want to tell great stories, so the storytelling piece was removed from the main course and is now a bonus.  Customers can only get it when they purchase the premium option for just a little more money.

And notice this, I didn't have to do any extra work to create this bonus. I was already including it in the course itself.

I just unbundled it.

There's no reason you can't do the same with your upcoming products.

Want to be paid well for your creative work?

Join my newsletter Course Builder's Corner and learn how.

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Failure can stop us cold.

Or motivate us to try again.

Anytime you feel like giving up, turn back to these 5 simple quotes to reframe failure as a source of motivation, not a reason to give up.

“I never lose. I either win or I learn.” -Nelson Mandela

Don't just persist when you fail, learn, then try again. This philosophy helped free a nation.

"Life is ful of typos. Don't be afraid to make a few of your own." - Nick Milo

The only way to avoid a typo is not to type. The only way to avoid failure is not to try. Don't achieve a perfect blank screen.

"You will face many defeats in life, but never let yourself be defeated." -Maya Angelou

Assume some bad stuff will happen on the way to your goal, but don't let it turn you against yourself.

"Success is never final; failure is never fatal. It's courage that counts." -Sir Winston Churchill

Said the man who led his nation to defeat an invasion force with more men, money and resources than his island nation could muster. Courage indeed.

Most course ideas are born and die in the mind.

Someone thinks of an idea. They mull it over. Then abandon it. That's because they don't have a process to develop it.

Here are four steps that move you from intention to action.

Step 1: Find valuable course ideas

• Look to the last five years for problems you solved

• Notice what colleagues ask you for help with

• Be aware of what you love to learn

Step 2: Validate course ideas

• Write about each idea in a small form (tweets or short posts)

• See which ones get the most attention

• Each time an idea lands, up the ante to something slightly bigger

Step 3: Create the course

• List all your ideas

• Choose three

• Outline

• Write

Step 4: Offer it to the world

• Create an offer page

• Post it on social media

Want to know how to build tiny courses that pack a punch?

Join my newsletter. Link in my bio.

People hate uncertainty.

That's why they procrastinate on creating a course. They aren't sure it will work. Will people like it? Will anyone want it?

How do we resolve this uncertainty?

Teach your idea to one person.

Why does teaching one person work?

If you can't find one person who wants to learn, then your messaging needs to change

If you can't get one person to understand what you teach, then your teaching strategy needs updating.

You can spend months spinning your wheels, or you can teach one person and get traction.

Want to build your own tiny courses?

Join my newsletter.

Link in my bio.

When I was 31, the revenue of the coaching company I worked for dried up.

The 2008 financial crisis caused many of our clients to get laid off, and potential clients were afraid to spend money.

But when my boss asked if he could delay my paychecks for a little while, I knew we were really in trouble.

Would we ever recover? Would we get our clients back? During this time, my girlfriend who lived with me, also lost her job. Double whammy.

I had money saved so I knew I could make it long enough to find another job if need be, but I really didn't want another job. I worked from home.

I loved the freedom my job gave me.

And losing a work from home job in 2008 would probably mean a nasty commute would be in my future.

But, my boss had the idea of turning his coaching process into a self-help program.

He even borrowed $30k to do it.

The day we launched that product, I knew we'd turned a corner.

Hundreds of orders came in. My boss was able to give me my back pay. And we were able to continue selling this product for years.

Little did I know but the owner's friends had told him to lay me off. Without my salary this tiny company would have been breaking even. But instead, I helped him build a course that changed the lives of thousands of people.

What can we take away from this experience?

Work creatively to solve problems on your own terms. Don't compromise your values, instead find creative solutions. When you're faced with a difficult either/or choice find a third way that gives the best of both options. And above all, don't give up no matter what others say you should do.

I write about building atomic courses -- tiny courses that grow your influence and income.

Join my newsletter to learn more.

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Assertiveness for accountants
Self control for coders
Empathy for engineers
Sensitivity for doctors

These are all examples of "soft" skills being taught to people in "hard" jobs.

And they are examples of courses that struggled to get an audience.

Why?

The topics are important. But the person who needs them often isn't that interested. They don't see a problem that the course will solve and so they take a hard pass.

So how can we get them enrolled?

We find a problem they complain about which the course addresses.

For example, many software coders develop unhealthy eating habits. They may intend to eat healthier but when they walk past the vending machine for the 10th time they just have to grab a bag of Fritos or a Snickers.

Your course on self control can then address their desire to eat more apples and bananas and fewer empty calories.

To get accountants interested in assertiveness ...

we may tap into the issue of being passed over for promotion due to not showing "leadership potential."

Higher ups won't promote someone who doesn't take initiative and ask for what they want directly. So offer to help them become the leader they know they can be and they'll enroll in your assertiveness course.

As you can see, you can sell even "soft" skills once you tap into a real problem those skills will solve.

Want to know more about building and marketing courses?

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Workshop leaders teach too much.

This gives participants the joy of collecting great information (yay!) but with only the intention of applying it (booh!). In 7 years of leading online workshops, I learned how to reverse this trend with the 1/3 formula. It gets participants to apply what you teach.

Here's how to use it:

Present frameworks for 1/3 of the time

Present your framework, why it's important and show how to use it.  This gives participants the information they need but to keep that knowledge from being tucked away in their hard drive, we need to give them further steps such as ...

Guide group practice for 1/3

People don't understand something until they've had a chance to use it.  But instead of throwing them into the deep end of solo practice, we'll next have them work on an example together and discuss.  Working through ideas as group lowers the fear barrier while building skill. Then they are ready for you to ...

Inspire individual practice for 1/3

Now you have participants practice during the workshop. They feel more ready because the previous steps have prepared them to apply your frameworks.  You often get participants who are chomping at the bit to get started.  Their confidence plus your teaching propels them to new levels of performance.

One caveat: You'll have to teach far less information using this formula BUT your testimonials will be on another level. Application is greater than information.

Want to know how to build courses and workshops to grow your business?

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Writing a course can be excruciating.

But it doesn't have to be. Most people try to create a course from the top of their outline to the bottom. But there's an easier way.

I show you three methods I use to make course creation both faster and easier.

1) Create a three-level outline

Level 1: A simple list of three topics you'll cover.

Level 2: A series of questions about each topic such as "What is the concept?" "Why is it important" "How do you use it?"

Level 3: Answer the questions with bullet points.

2) Write the easy parts of the outline

While writing the bullets for my next course, I noticed I could answer the what, why how questions in my sleep such as "What is the top-level outline?" and "Why is the top-level outline so valuable?"

3) Prep the hard parts

We can't put off the hard parts forever. So I prepare for them in advance.  As I scan my outline there's one part that I know is hard from experience. Writing the examples.  How will I make this easier? I'll assemble the examples ahead of time.

That's it. Just these three strategies can speed up course creation. 1) Create three-level outline. 2) Start with the easy stuff. 3) Prep to make the hard parts easier.

I shared what I wrote today following this advice with my newsletter subscribers. 

To see it and the other more detailed updates, click the link in my bio.

Since 2011, I've created and marketed 15 courses.

In that time, I've discovered three questions that can tell you whether a course idea will succeed or fail before you even begin.

Question 1: Who are you trying to help?

Know who your course is for. Is it muscle-building for 20-somethings? Or is it fitness for the over-forty crowd? If you're selling a copywriting course, is it for the solo creator or someone who wants to make a living selling copywriting? The focus of your course will be different depending on whom you serve.

Question 2: What problem are you solving for them?

The over-forty man is facing a different set of obstacles than a 21-year-old. He may have a ton of work and home responsibilities that make it hard to find time and energy for exercise. Since his problems are different, so are the solutions offered by your course.

Question 3: Is my solution too obvious?

If yes, find out why, despite using the obvious solutions, they aren't getting results. Is it that they lack motivation? Then you'll need a solution for that. Is it that the other methods have a key flaw? Your course will have to fix it. Whatever you offer, it can't be for them just to follow run-of-the-mill advice. You need to diagnose the deeper problem and solve it.

Want to watch me build my next course?

I share the exact steps I take to diagnose and solve problems for my readers in my newsletter, Course Builder's Corner.

See the link in my bio to join.

Everyone who aspires to build an online business struggles with doubt.

Will what I create really help someone?

Will anyone want to buy what I have to offer?

Personally, I have for years.

The first time I tried to create a course, I just couldn't do it.

The doubts were too much.

But what changed for me was being told "You have to teach this group what you've learned." So I did.

Seeing the participants make progress over several sessions gave me confidence that what I was doing made a difference.

What I realized is you don't overcome doubt with more thinking.

You only overcome doubt with action.

Since then when I've been unsure, I've figured out some actions I can take to help me know what works and what doesn't.

It's a waste of time trying to figure it all out in advance.

Action is our best teacher.

Want to know about building atom-sized courses quickly?

Find the subscribe link in my bio.

There's a reason courses fail that few people are aware of.

Since 2011, I've built 15 online courses. And I've discovered that courses fail when a program does not address the hidden stuck points of participants.

They try your course, run into an obstacle, blame themselves and give up.

How can your course avoid this fate?

Four Simple Strategies To Uncover Hidden Stuck Points

Strategy 1: Dig into the past

Find stuck points by remembering where you got stuck. What obstacles did you have to overcome? Why was it hard for you to learn what you're teaching now?

Strategy 2: Observations from the wild

What errors have you seen others make?  Where have you observed others getting stuck or giving up?

Strategy 3: Student slip-ups

Maybe you've tried teaching people already and seen where they go off track.  What did you have to show them to help them overcome those obstacles?

Strategy 4: Beta Testing

If you haven't had a chance to teach or observe errors, then get a few people to test your course for you. Have them report on where they got confused or stuck.

With these four strategies, you'll create a course people finish. And that means they'll come back for more.

Want to know more about building great courses?

Join my newsletter Course Builder's Corner.

Link in my bio.

In 2018, I helped create the four most popular presentations for a major health summit.

Our speaker was unknown and up against some heavy hitters vying for attention. But when our gal spoke, everyone put down their phones. One strategy we used to get attention was the number hook.

What is the number hook?

A numerical fact that meets two conditions:

1) People find it meaningful

2) People find it memorable

That means you can only shine a spotlight on a single number.  If you share two or three, they wash over your audience. This number needs stand alone.

Why does a single number work?

People love to learn something of value and a single number gets them to feel in the know.  You'll show them that this one fact is crucial.  That's what gets and keeps attention.

How do you show them the number is so valuable?

• Say the number

• Say what it means + credibility

• Repeat it + tell why it matters

Example From Our Most Popular Presentation

Ninety-two percent.

That's the percentage of people who will try to change their behavior and fail this year according to the journal Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy.

Ninety-two percent.  That number seems high and it is. But what can you do to be part of the small sliver of people who succeed at change this year?

Has your attention right?

The power of using a number is all about creating curiosity. We could easily say it's hard to change or mention that most people fail. But sharing a number gives your explanation much-needed weight.

Want to learn more writing tips like this one?

Join my newsletter where I share specific frameworks for creating courses each week.

Link in my bio.

Most course ideas are born and die in the mind.

They think of an idea. They mull it over. Then abandon it. That's because they don't have a process to develop it.

Here are four steps that move you from intention to action.

Step 1: Find valuable course ideas

• Look to the last five years for problems you solved

• Notice what colleagues ask you for help with

• Be aware of what you love to learn

Step 2: Validate course ideas

• Write about each idea in a small form (tweets or short posts)

• See which ones get the most attention

• Each time an idea lands, up the ante to something slightly bigger

Step 3: Create the course

• List all your ideas

• Choose three

• Outline

• Write

Step 4: Offer it to the world

• Create an offer page

• Post it on social media

Want to build your own course?

Join my newsletter. Link in my bio.

Are you a creator with nothing to sell yet?

I've been creating online products and services since 2005. And what I can tell you (from experience) is that one of the fastest ways of bringing cash into a business is to create a course.

But there's one problem.

Most courses don't sell well. And most people spend far too long creating them.

The solution:

Make A Tiny Course

1. If you make a small course, you can build it in days. Then you can see if it really sells. No need to spend months creating something that others don't want.

2. You can build a library of tiny courses so those hungry for more can keep giving you money.

3. You'll feel really good, knowing you got something so important done.

So find a tiny idea, build a course around it and then sell it. Rinse and repeat. Before you know it you'll have a profitable business on your hands.

Want to know more?

Join my newsletter. Link in my bio.

Why should you create a tiny course?

Why not just go big and make a giant $2,000 digital program?

There are 3 big benefits to creating little courses that pack a punch.

Benefit 1: Fast finishing

Which means you'll ACTUALLY finish it. No more working for months before you have something to show. Be ready in weeks, if not days.

Benefit 2: Rapid feedback loops

Want to know if your course really helps people? If you send it to beta testers, they can get back to you in a day or two instead of weeks. This let's you make quick changes.

Benefit 3: Speedy sales

So you get paid for your work with much less lead time.  Once that first dollar rolls in, you know you're in business for real.

These three benefits are why creating atom-sized courses are so valuable.

Want to know more about building online courses?

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