by MarkOne of the members of The Business Oasis was having trouble filling a course and had listed a number of bonuses and other types of things she tried at the last minute to bring up the numbers, without much success.
Here’s my reply to her, outlining the seven necessary parts to filling a course. I’ve written about each of these in much more depth, but an overview is worthwhile having for those of you who are trying to fill your courses and offers.
We now have a multi-year (as in 4-5 year) track record of selling out most of our courses. And when we’ve failed to do so, it’s because we missed one or more of these pieces.
1. Needs and Desires, Not Process
Have an offer that absolutely hits on the head both a need and a desire of your audience. One that speaks really clearly to something they are struggling with.
It’s painful to tell you, because you love what you do so much, as I love what I do, but no one really wants to learn about “The X Technique.” The only ones who might, are people who want to run a business like yours. But not your potential clients.
I had a miserable time filling our marketing course, until a friend mentioned that I should rename it. So “Focus on Marketing” (X Technique, ugh!) became “Opening the Moneyflow” (need and desire.) Sell out. It also helped to shift the intention of the course, so that participants would actually see results, like a participant in the current Moneyflow course telling me that her practice has between doubled and tripled in the last four months.
2. Allowing More Time Than You Think
Often, it takes more time than one imagines to make a significant decision. For instance, Holly and I have been thinking about signing up for a baby sign-language class since before the boys were born. We finally signed up a week ago, because they were old enough, and because we mused about it for months, years even, while trying to learn from books.
If this is the first time you are launching your course, in many ways it’s actually marketing for next year’s or next season’s course.
We’ve failed to sell out our Path to Profitability Retreat, although we’ve had some very healthy numbers (18+ people the last two years), because of this factor. It just takes a good long while for people to make space in their schedule to come to a five-day retreat.
And, please note, it’s mid-May, and I’m beginning to mention the retreat right now, and it happens in November. And I still think I’m late on the lead time. We’ll see what happens.
3. Repetition in the Campaign
People need to be reminded multiple times–often more times than we’re comfortable with as the business owner. You don’t want to be pushy, so you just mention it once or twice to your readers. You shyly mention it here or there.
Meanwhile, your best clients see it, and say, “Wow, that sounds great. I have to think about that!” And then, no more notices from you. They forget about it only to begin wondering months later, “Did that course ever happen? I really wanted to do that.”
You want to be telling your email list or blog readers, in various ways, 12-15 times over a couple of months at least. It seems like a lot, and it is, but it can be done in ways that aren’t too invasive, and yet still effective.
I once had someone complain to me that I didn’t send out a reminder email. Because I didn’t want to bother people, I didn’t remind folks of the early-bird deadline. “You let me miss the early-bird deadline!” Chagrin.
There are exceptions–you can have built up a huge, rabid following that is ready to leap on what you’re offering as soon as the doors are open. And you’ll notice that the folks who experience that are actually doing the things on this list.
4. Answering All the Questions in the Sales Copy
This often leads to longer sales pages than you might be comfortable writing, but it needs to be complete enough to work. Your followers have all kinds of both obvious and crazy questions about your offer. If you don’t answer them, they don’t feel safe enough, and they don’t sign up.
I was teaching Heart-Centered Copywriting, which I haven’t taught in a few years except within the Moneyflow Course, and we were working on one student’s offer. He told us about a retreat he likes to lead in the desert. I then asked the class, “Okay, what questions do you have?”
All kinds of normal questions popped up, over twenty of them, easily. And then someone asked, “Is it safe?” Huh? “Wild animals? Are there wild animals that will attack me?”
He was dumbfounded. He’s been going to the desert for years, and it’s very safe when you know what to do. He never considered that a potential participant might be afraid of wild animals. He had to answer that fear in his sales copy, along with the other 20+ questions.
Rather than getting caught in the “long” versus “short” copy debate, consider whether it is complete or incomplete. Does it answer the questions, or doesn’t it?
5. Really Easy Registration Process
Meaning that there is a clear “buy” button and a clear flow through the purchasing process. Don’t make people pick up the phone to register. If someone has a question, give them a web form right on the sales page that they can fill out.
This is where paying for a good shopping cart service is worth the money. They make it easy and smooth.
6. Urgency
There needs to be internal (to the client) urgency, where the person feels an active need and desire for the results your offer produces.
But you also need to help people wake up from the autopilot flying their life. Humans have an almost infinite capacity to tolerate pain and suffering, thank goodness. This is why Zen masters thwack their students with bamboo cane while meditating–to wake them up. My shaykh yells out at 3 a.m. during prayer retreats for the same reason.
External urgency such as an early-bird price, limited quantity, or other defined limits really help people pay attention now and reassess their priorities. It also helps you fill courses. Of course, you don’t need to hit people over the head repeatedly–that leads to hype.
But a little bit of urgency can get folks to wake up and make a decision before they miss the opportunity.
7. Numbers
If you are trying to fill 12 slots in a course, and you only have 100 people to offer it to, then I’m doubting that you’ll fill it, period, no matter how hard you work. A 12% conversion rate is HUGE, and not a fair expectation of yourself or the folks who are listening.
The numbers are important because people have lives. 
They have other commitments and priorities, they are in various stages of the decision-making process, and timing just isn’t right for many of them.
If your reach is smaller, you will get smaller numbers. That’s okay, you aren’t doing anything wrong. Unless you aren’t trying to expand your reach.
Of course, you need to be reaching people who actually want what you’re selling. Numbers alone won’t do it, which is one reason why our list outperforms, in revenue, the lists of two other people I know whose lists are ten times the size of ours.
But without numbers it ain’t going to happen. A round, no-hard-data-only-anecdotal-evidence-to-support-it observation:, if you want a professional-level income or higher in your business, then you’ll probably need to be reaching, minimum, around 400 to 700 people.
The Checklist
If you hit all of these points, you’ll probably have a decent chance at filling your class. I know each of these points deserves an article if not an entire course, but you can still start to apply these pieces in imperfect but effective ways, and notice what’s happening.
Let me know if you have anything to add to the list, disagreements, or questions.
p.s. The Eighth Necessary Thing
Sometimes the seven necessaries don’t work as well as you think they should. What’s missing? It might be the Eighth Necessary Thing.
What I’m calling the Eighth Necessary Thing is a healthy relationship with money and finances. Are you open to really letting it in? Are you centered enough that you can make an offer without falling into piranha “eat the client because you need the money” mindset?
Underlying all the activities and strategies that make your business work is the heart. When the heart is at peace, everything works more smoothly, insights and wisdom come easily, miracles are noticed instead of ignored.
When your heart is in struggle, everything is harder. And there is nothing like issues with money, provision, and security to put your heart into struggle.
If you’re ready to heal your heart and have a healthy relationship with your finances, please join me.
The Heart of Money Transformational Journey
Begins June 16. Early-bird deadline June 1.
Subscribe to the free Business Heart ezine
27 Comments... Care To Join Us?
I love the new newsletter format. Makes it even more readable, yet still simple and easy to skim (not that I skim, of course
).
Thanks for laying out all the aspects to work on for filling a workshop. I know I’m going to find these helpful with my next program, which is a two-day Enneagram workshop in September for therapists and social workers (offering 14 CEUs)!
Rachel Whalley´s last blog post..Yes, You Can! How Spirit Helps You Let Go of the “No”
This is just so very helpful, lovely Mark. Thank you so so so deeply. I’m in the middle of planning my next course launch and I want to do it in a way that is perfect, abundant & in soul-alignment with me and my right people.
Goddess Leonie´s last blog post..Goddess Journey Checkin : Leonie Loves Video
Mark,
Great article. I can see when I haven’t filled courses I’ve definitely missed at least 2 of these! Thank you! Karen
Oh, I see. Clarity. What my customers are asking of me is clarity in my message, clarity in why I am talking to them specifically, clarity in process, clarity in understanding that my clients’ expectations are not my own, clarity in the value of what I am offering.
Mark, again, your timing is impeccable. As I struggle to fill a class that seems so obvious in fulfilling a need for my target audience, I see that I am not clear in all 7 Necessaries for Filling a Course. Thank you for helping me refocus my energies.
- Chris
Mark,
I love this outline. Thank you for helping me bring awareness and insight to the “numbers game.” I think there is a tendency to think “If I build it, they will come” and it just doesn’t work like that. Acknowledging the number of Yes participants based on a percentage of the total number on our list is a great perspective and allows me to be more compassionate which leads to the next piece that touched my heart…
Working on the allowance. You and other teachers are helping me to shift into seeing what is already available instead of holding out in “hope” that they will come.
Excellent post and I’m so looking forward to the call tomorrow.
~Mynde
Mynde´s last blog post..Life Log Meets The Law Of Attraction
This format is so much easier to read – thank you. And thank you for the generous offer of information. I am going to be having a couple of workshops starting and this really helps. Thank you, Judith Auslander – Wise Heart Coaching
This is an amazing post, Mark!
I’m not at a point of offering courses, yet, but I’ve bookmarked it and will be coming back to it soon.
Thank you for being so generous witht he information you share here!
Victoria Brouhard´s last blog post..What’s Happening, Hot Stuff?
@Rachel- Are you skimming my newsletters?
And I hope your course totally fills up- the enneagram kicks butt! Tweet me and I’ll RT for sure.
@Goddess- Hey there! I’m so glad that this lands for you, and with good timing! Make sure you let me know about your course so I can tweet it.
@Karen- I know… I’ve missed more than two at times, even when I know better. And then I wonder… I’m glad this pulls it together for you.
@Chris- Clarity indeed! Now go ye and fill your course! Isn’t so mind-numbingly-goggly how we can slip off clarity with our own stuff?
@Mynde- Yay! The build-it-and-they-will-then-mill-around-uncertainly-and-drift-off-in-small-groups-to-do-something-else is such a painful dynamic in marketing. And people really need to be in your courses.
@Judith- The new newsletter is definitely easier to read, eh? I was having conniptions with that text-only format. It took a long time to transition… thank you for cheering us on!
@Victoria- the unknown obvious is amazing when it comes out through the fog, isn’t it? I was so struck myself when I learned these things, I’m glad to share them.
And I can’t wait until it’s time for you to teach courses!
Hi Mark,
Thanks for the great checklist. You explained all the steps so clearly.
Trisha Cupra´s last blog post..The end of Free Content as we know it?
One additional necessary thing I’d like to mention is passion for teaching, which is passion for sharing. Over time, your success as a teacher is all about your honest-hearted generosity.
Many courses advertised online do not seem to feature teachers who are doing it for the joy of teaching. Rather, offering courses has become a career step, a necessary move for personal branding, like publishing a book.
IMO, if you want to teach more than once, get in touch with the reward it intrinsically offers, and forget about how much money it’s making.
Mary H Ruth´s last blog post..Do you move?
Love the new ezine format Mark. Clean, clear and easy to read.
I agree with Mary – passion & love for what you are sharing needs to be a foundation for the process of attracting people to your workshop/seminar.
The other part is to let people know about your workshop through multiple channels. Choosing just to email your list is great if you have a large list, but you may need to supplement that with traditional print media, press releases, links on other websites and other places.
The more willing you are to be visible about what you wish to share (assuming the other 8 bits are in place), the more likely it will be that you attract the clients you need to your workshop.
Ingrid Cliff´s last blog post..Twittering up a storm
This is an excellent post and so relevant for me at the moment – launching into the seminar/workshop arena. Thanks so much for your helpful tips and thanks Ingrid for retweeting this otherwise I wouldn’t have found it!!
Dear Mark,
This was just a fabulous post. You are just so darn competent and obviously good at what you do and you communicate your hard won wisdom in such a clear and practical way.
Thank you!
I have been running workshops and filling groups for a while now but I learned a couple of things from reading this list that I am really excited to implement! Particularly the suggestion to email people 12 -15 times before a workshop!! That will be a risky challenge for me but one that I think I am ready to try!!
Big hugs and tons of gratitude!
Chris
chris zydel´s last blog post..Creative Miracle Grow: The Crazy Wonderfulness That Can Happen When Someone Believes In YOU!
Thanks, Mark, for the encouragement. I certainly will be tweeting about it! I love the enneagram.
Rachel Whalley´s last blog post..Yes, You Can! How Spirit Helps You Let Go of the “No”
@Trisha- You’re welcome! It’s so nice when I can boil down years of trial, error, and study into something as compact as this.
@Mary- Yes! Passion is good and care and service are all critical ingredients. The problem comes in when they are the *only* ingredients.
But, without them, the recipe is flavorless, and the other Necessaries don’t really work very well. Not more than once.
@Ingrid- Yes- multiple channels! Your clients and customers are in different places, and use different ways of accessing information, so meeting them where they are. We’re seeing this with the current Heart of Money promotion, and we’re having an unprecedented outcome.
And, I’m glad you like the new ezine format. It’s been a looooong time coming. We finally got off the stick.
@Helen- Glad it was so helpful and the timing was on for you. And yes, Ingrid, thank you for the retweet.
@Chris- Great! You’ve been doing this a long time, too, and so I’m honored that I had something to contribute to you.
The 12-15 times- make sure those aren’t 12-15 direct promo emails. Some of those are embedded in newsletters and content, and mentioned on the side in different places. This helps keep people aware of it. And then a few direct promo emails will help bring the decision to the forefront.
@Rachel- You’re welcome. The Enneagram totally saves my butt.
Mark, loving the new format – it feels luxurious! I really basked in the reading of it today.
I have a question… What’s your preferred way of addressing the ‘urgency’ point? I don’t like scarcity marketing tactics so I’d love to hear thoughts on how to balance that.
My most recently marketed workshop has sold out over a month in advance which is new for me and I know the difference is the ‘multiple reminders’. I learnt a lot about this from how you handle this naturally, through integrating promo into the content of your articles.
Thanks for your continual modelling of business brilliance!
Corrina
Corrina Gordon-Barnes´s last blog post..#78 – Press My Button
@Corrina- Thank you! I am so relieved to finally have the html newsletter in action. Whew! And congrats on filling your class so quickly! Isn’t that exciting?
The issue around urgency is where it’s legitimate, or a gimmick?
For instance, in our current promotion of Heart of Money there is definite scarcity urgency- as the number of remaining seats gets smaller and smaller (10 gone yesterday evening, another 2 gone this morning when I checked email), people I’ve spoken with definitely report that the urgency is having an effect on them. “Oh my God, it might sell out soon- I need to sign up now!”
Here’s the real question- Why are there only 80 seats?
Here’s the real answer: there are only 80 seats because it’s the largest class we’ve ever offered, and we didn’t know administratively if we could make sure that everyone got the support they needed.
If you have a digital downloadable product, and you limit the number of sales- there needs to be a good reason for it, and not just “I want to pump people up into a frothy excitement over it.”
If you’ve read my article about productivity and capacity, you know my perspective is that the world is a limited place- there is real scarcity, and it’s not wrong for a business to respect it’s natural limits in ability to provide products or services. Depending on the demand, that could create urgency in your audience.
Does that help?
Well, I admit to skimming your articles frequently, but not this one! Thank you so much for laying this all out so concisely. I had all this information of course after taking Opening the Money Flow I and II, but this is so clear.
Thanks Mark!
@Karen- Sometimes it’s nice just to have the Cliff Notes, eh?
Nice to see you here!
I came over here from a link in one of Havi’s post this past week. Good stuff and most definitely something to keep in mind. I really do need to get better at giving some more advanced notice – thanks for that reminder.
~Katy
@kat_taf
Katy Tafoya´s last blog ..Have You Registered for the Blogging Strategies for Your Business Teleseminar on 7/15?
@Katy- Hey, any friend of Havi’s! Thanks for coming over, and I’m glad it resonated for you. That old advanced notice can be such a hurdle- especially since as self-employed folks many of us tend to “shoot from the hip”- which means we didn’t plan things six months in advance. So long to advance notice!
Since I brought it up here, I’m happy to publicize it here: Introducing The Systemic Enneagram Model workshop!
It’ll be held in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood on September 25-27. We’re offering 14 CEUs to counselors, social workers, and psychotherapists.
Mark, I’d LOVE it if you’d give us a tweet. Your word is so highly respected…and you know my devotion to the enneagram.
Rachel Whalley´s last blog ..Loving the Enneagram!
@Rachel- fantastic! I’m happy to give it a tweet. If you can dm me the tweet with the link, under 120 characters in length, and I’ll RT it for sure.
I keep coming back to this article again and again.
We’re still refining our way of talking about our workshop, even though it’s only two weeks away now!
It’s never too late to learn to do it better, right?
I keep saying to myself and my biz partner, “Needs and desires, not method!”
Here’s our newest write-up and we’d love to hear anyone’s feedback: From Grrr to Purr: Exploring a New Path to Loving Yourself and the Ones You’re With
We’d also love to have any of you reading this join us. I think we share goals of more open-heartedness, clarity in life and communication, and deeper joy in all things.
I feel blessed to be able to share my work among you all!
Rachel Whalley´s last blog ..The First Secret to Happy Relationships
It’s so true, Rachel- I’m glad you keep coming back. And, let me point you at something. Your sales page only has about seven paragraphs or so worth of content, and you’re asking them to commit to an entire weekend and spending $400. I think you need to say a lot more on the page.
Try this article: Hey, Why Such Long Sales Pages? And tell me what you think.
[...] this year in my article, “7 Necessaries for Filling a Course“, under the subhead “Allowing More Time Than You Think,” I [...]
I think you’re totally right, Mark.
And for this iteration, I ran out of steam. Our registration closes on Friday.
But now I know for the repeat in March that I need to answer many more questions in the sales page!
I sent out a few requests to friends for what their questions might be, but if anyone here would like to offer me that feedback, I would greatly welcome it, as well!
Rachel Whalley´s last blog ..Reader Questions Answered: Organizing and Impulse Control
@Rachel- I get it. If you’re wanting feedback, you may think about joining The Business Oasis. But give it a few weeks- we’re close to relaunching.
I’m also curious how many people you were reaching on your lists.
It’s all a learning process, eh?
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