Hello, hello, hello!

I hope you’ve had a fabulous weekend and that you’re ready to start the week strong. Here in Portland, Oregon, we’ve been having some beautiful, sunny fall days, and I’m soaking them all in. 🍂🍂🍂

But hey, October is here, which means we’re in the last quarter of 2023. And guess what, it’s now Online Courses Season (yeah, I just made that up)(I think…). In fact, we’re about a month in.

So, today, I want to talk to you about online courses and how to make sure you're investing your time and money only when you need to. 👀 If you don’t need my “TED Talk” right now, that’s OK (😭😭😭)(😜). But you may still want to scroll down and check out today’s Unrelated section, which includes a ChatGPT prompt and a list of special days for Q4 and 2024.

Do you really need this online course / workshop / masterclass / whatever they’re selling you right now, last chance, best price ever, all bonuses included, with the cherry on top? 🍒

I've been contemplating writing this for a bit, and after reading someone’s post the other day, I decided that I have to. Don’t get me wrong, I am part of the bandwagon. I created my first online course back in 2013 and I LOVE online courses. This isn’t a diss to online courses email, it’s a let’s talk about you email.

⚖️ Consider These Two Things First: (1) What’s the Best Tool to Solve Your Problem—Is It a Course or a Service? (2) Are You Actually Saving Money by Choosing a Course Over a Service Or Is Your Calculation Off? ⚖️

These two are especially important for signature courses that take a long time to complete and that achieve a major transformation. They’re also strongly connected, so let’s talk about them together.

Let’s start with the advantages of an online course. Courses usually offer a community that can elevate you and make the whole online business feel real—SUPER important for kicking you into action. Plus, courses often lead to gradual transformation that comes from you, making the change feel more authentic and lasting.

BUT if you need results yesterday and if you’re not going to use the skill you’re learning often, then you’re likely better off getting a done for you or a 1 on 1 service, if you can afford it.

Now, if you're leaning towards a course because of the lower cost, don't forget to include the opportunity cost of your time. Could you earn more if you got quicker or better results with a service? Say the course takes three months; think about what you could earn if you achieved your goal in just a few weeks. And even if you get results at the same speed, consider the value of the time invested in coursework and group interactions. Plus, is the end result guaranteed to be up to snuff?

⌚ Another Thing to Consider: Is It the Right Time for You to Take This Course ⌚

Last week in a course group I’m in, a new student realized they needed more clients to make the course work for them. They figured this out two weeks in and after finishing two modules. Sure, they could still get a refund, but they've already invested time and effort into the course and community.

It made me think. This is not a dumb person, nor are they inexperienced (they had another career before starting their online business). Why did they sign up?

My theory is that we’ve gotten used to consuming content for people who are more advanced than us, we easily see ourselves in the future. To be honest, we’re encouraged to do so as entrepreneurs. I think it's even worse for people coming out of big corporate and university. Add to that sales pages hyping up shortcuts and show us the transformation focusing on the After image, it’s quite easy to overlook our current stage and what is realistic.

So, next time you’re faced with a course sales page or webinar sales pitch, pause to think if you fit the before image in the before and after snapshot of this course. Put aside the problem description and the “imagine life with the problem solved” part. Instead, look at the modules, look at the “this is for you if” part, look at the FAQs. And if you’re still not sure, ask.

While an online community of like-minded people is usually a selling point, it’s a major risk if you’re buying a course too early. Online groups can give you a false sense of progress in your business and you can’t afford false in your online business. They also contribute to your imposter syndrome. You know why? Because by definition you’ll kinda by impostering (not a word).

🏖️ And, You Might be Saying I Can Buy It Early Because I Have Lifetime Access to It 🏖️

If you’ve already bought the course, then yeah, lifetime access softens the blow. But maybe put it on the back burner and focus on the here and now till you’re ready.

If you haven’t bought the course, I want you to consider why you’re buying a course early to use it later. Is it an overspending/hoarding tendency? If so, don’t. Is it a shiny bonus that you just cannot not have? Don’t worry about it. There’ll be other opportunities or the instructor may offer it for a lower fee separately. In fact if the bonus is the big attraction, I’m pretty sure you’re not ready for the course.

I can say more, but I’ll leave it for next week and switch to the Unrelated part of the email.

Unrelated….

A ChatGPT Prompt for Your Content Planning

This is a simple prompt, but useful, nonetheless. As you’re setting up your content for Q4 and planning content for 2024, use this prompt to come up with days you need to mark on your content calendar so you can recognize them, prepare for them, and use them to spark content ideas. Tweak the prompts to make them your own or use them as is, then mark the special days and plan away!

💡 Prompt for Q4 of 2023:

What holidays and special days are celebrated in the US in Oct-Dec? Give the dates for 2023. I'm looking for things that are celebrated nationally in the US (and possibly beyond). Also include days that will be relevant to US business owners, like Black Friday, as well as days that are relevant to some ethnic groups and other religions, like Diwali. Please list the dates in one chronological list.

💡 Prompt for 2024:

What holidays and special days are celebrated in the US? Give the dates for 2024. I'm looking for things that are celebrated nationally in the US (and possibly beyond). Also include days/times that will be relevant to US business owners, like black Friday. as well as days that are relevant to some ethnic groups and other religions, like Diwali. I need one chronological list, broken down into 4 quarters.

Want the bottom line without using ChatGPT? Here’s what ChatGPT gave me for both these prompts: Q4, 2023 Special Days & 2024 Special Days (these are direct links, no opt-in required or anything).

And that's it for today. Thanks again for hanging with me. I appreciate you reading though these emails. If you have any questions or if there's anything you need help with your online business, let me know. Maybe I can help.

Have a great week,
Orit