Is Pre Selling a Course a Good Idea?

There is lots of advice out there for aspiring creators. Just remember, the best advice doesn’t always come from entrepreneurs with millions of followers and millions in the bank. In fact, the most valuable advice can sometimes stem from the products, platforms, and ideas that never reached the masses.

No stranger to The Future Belongs to Creators podcast, Support Operations Lead at ConvertKit and former full-time creator Ben Schoeffler wouldn’t exactly consider himself a “success story”. Selling courses, memberships, and everything in between, Ben never quite cracked the product code. But if you’re still toying with the idea of selling online, take Ben’s experience and learn from what worked, what didn’t, and what slipped through the digital cracks. 

In this episode, Miguel and Ben discuss the options creators have when it comes to selling online, the failed products that surprised Ben, the product success stories Ben learned from, and why the content creator business model isn’t the only path (or the best path) toward building a livelihood online. 

Key Takeaways

• [00:45] - Have you heard? 
  • [00:57] - Vimeo is telling creators they need to pay up or leave the platform.
• [03:55] - Today’s main topic: Selling products online 101. 
  • [04:02] - What we mean by “selling products” online. You can sell a lot of things online including both physical goods and digital products. Digital products are great options for mass-producing while avoiding the mess and stress of the supply chain. 
  • [04:33] - Ben has sold courses, a membership website offering exclusive podcast episodes, and his time coaching clients individually. 
  • [06:55] - The mistakes Ben made selling products online.
    • [07:09] - The risks and upside to pre-selling products.  
    • [11:46] - Why you’re (probably) not charging enough. 
    • [17:18] - How to build the right product. 
    • [21:20] - If you’re a new creator, selling products without having an audience that knows, likes, and trusts you is incredibly hard. 
    • [25:20] - On the flip side, having an audience doesn’t always translate to sales. 
    • [27:32] - Don’t quit your day job too early. 
    • [31:39] - Be aware that there are other business models outside of the creator business model. While it’s trending, it may not be right for you.
  • [36:28] - Submit yourself for a listener shoutout! 
  • [36:55] - A sneak peek at next week’s episode.  

Quotes

[17:04] - “Price is a signal to certain things and higher prices oftentimes signal quality. So if you’re confident in your product you should not be scared about charging that higher price.” ~ @BenSchoeffler

[18:08] - “You should build what individuals are asking for. Because you might be saying, ‘Ok, how do I know which product to build?’ Build what a specific individual is asking for, not what everyone or the people are asking for. That’s where I’ve had my most success.” ~ @BenSchoeffler

[23:18] - “If you have someone that knows you, likes you, and trusts you, they’re going to be much more willing to spend money with you.” ~ @BenSchoeffler

[33:27] - “There are lots of other business models out there and some of them are a lot more beneficial than just being on the content creation treadmill. So I highly, highly encourage you to think outside the box when it comes to what products you might be wanting to make or how you want to make income because there are things that require a lot less work or a lot more enjoyable work than just creating content.” ~ @BenSchoeffler

Links

• Ben Schoeffler
• Vimeo
• YouTube
• Patreon
• Vimeo is telling creators to suddenly pay thousands of dollars – or leave the platform
• Shut Up, Brain Podcast 
• Udemy, Inc.
• Influence: Science and Practice by Robert Cialdini 
• Ben’s YouTube channel 
• Facebook Advertising
• Etsy
• Instagram
• TikTok
• Vidalia Onions
• Submit a listener shoutout! 
• Dani Stewart

Connect with our hosts

• Charli Prangley
• Miguel Pou
• Haley Janicek

Stay in touch

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram

Every week we celebrate a win from a listener.

Tell us about a recent launch, milestone or success (big or small!) right here and we might just shout you out in the next episode: https://convertk.it/listenershoutout. 

Start building your audience for free

With ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.