Why It's Important to Provide Value and Build a Great Team with Greg Smith Co-Founder of Thinkific

Jul 19, 2018

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Today we have Greg Smith co-founder of Thinkific which is a platform that has everything you need to create and launch courses on your own site. Greg is a recovering lawyer and for the past 10 years he has taught thousands of students online with his own course and now with Thinkific has helped many others create their own online courses. He's worked with companies like Intuit and Hootsuite, including service professionals like accountants, lawyers, doctors, and many more.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

[1:15] Jeremy introduces his guest, Greg Smith.
[2:30] What led Greg to create his first online course?
[7:30] How did Greg get the word out about his course?
[9:15] Greg talks about making the switch to working on Thinkific full time.
[14:00] Non-scalable tactics that Greg has used.
[18:00] How has Thinkific changed over the years?
[21:15] What integrations have Greg and his team added?
[23:30] Early challenges faced with building the Thinkific platform.
[27:00] Getting back to the basics.
[29:30] Building a high-quality team.
[34:30] Why does Greg offer a free plan on Thinkific?
[38:30] Greg talks about the gamification features they’ve included.
[41:30] What marketing tactics have been helpful?
[45:00] Why it’s important to add value that the audience wants.
[48:00] Common objections that people have to creating a course.
[51:00] Popular topics on Thinkific.
[54:30] Who should be using Thinkific?
[56:00] The lowest point in business for Greg.
[58:30] The proudest moment in business.
[59:45] Book recommendations from Greg.

In this episode…

As a business leader, you know that one of the best ways to connect with your audience is to provide a valuable product or content that keeps them coming back for more. In what ways is your organization succeeding with this strategy? Do you need to re-evaluate your approach? Would your client and customers say that you offer a good value? On this episode of Inspired Insider, you’ll hear from entrepreneur and innovator, Greg Smith. In his conversation with Jeremy, Greg opens up about what led him to create his first online course, how he ended up creating Thinkific, challenges he’s faced along the way, why he’s focused on building a solid team, and so much more! Don’t miss a minute of this engaging episode featuring Greg!

Did you know that your business could use an online course to educate your customer base? It’s true! Using online courses, your business could position itself as a leader and go-to resource in your industry. It’s actually a lot easier than you might think! Greg Smith and his team at Thinkific have created an amazing platform that can help you create and deliver valuable content to your customers right away! You can learn more about what Thinkific has to offer by checking out the link to their site in the resources section at the end of this post!

While it can be hard to set yourself apart from all the other contenders in your industry there are still ways that leaders like you can think outside of the box and surprise your customers. One of the amazing tactics that Greg Smith used for years included posting his personal cell phone on his company’s website so potential clients could call him anytime to discuss their services. That strategy might sound crazy but Greg’s conversion rates on those calls were through the roof! It’s been said that if you want to get results you’ve never had you’ve got to be willing to do things you’ve never done - that’s true! What ways can you think outside of the box to make your business stand out?

A huge challenge that comes up when you are building a massive platform that is packed full valuable tools and resources is how to engage clients with little to no resources. How do you build something that even businesses on a shoestring budget can use? For Greg Smith and his team at Thinkific, the answer was simple - create a free option. Greg is so confident in the quality of the Thinkific platform that he is willing to give away a ton of value just to help others succeed. This tactic that Greg uses also makes financial sense, as businesses build and expand using the tools provided by Thinkific, they see the value and end up committing to a higher tier of service. What lessons can you draw from Greg’s strategy?

At the end of the day, a healthy business doesn't rest solely on the shoulders of its singular leader. If you have any hope of building a long-lasting and thriving business, you’ve got to start thinking of the team you have around you. According to Thinkific’s co-founder, Greg Smith, having the right people in the right positions has made all the difference in the growth and health of their platform. Greg doesn’t just talk a good game, he pours time and resources into his hiring process, taking it very seriously. Make sure to check out some of the resources that have helped Greg on this vital aspect of his journey by checking out the links provided at the end of this post!

Resources Mentioned on this episode

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