But I’m Not A Teacher, Am I?
Do Online Courses Make Sense for All Service Providers?
“I don’t need an online course.”
“Courses are only for coaches, not other service providers.”
“I own a __________ (law office, medical practice, auto body shop, etc. Fill in the blank), there’s no potential for online courses there.”
Because I work with service providers, I see potential for online courses everywhere. In fact, I’m shocked how many __________ (insert field here), assume online courses don’t make sense for their businesses. I’m told, “Well no one else in my industry is doing it…”
The way I see it, just because no one else does something, is no reason you shouldn’t. I’ll take it to the other extreme… Because everyone else is missing out is the exact reason you should.
Obviously, if you are a coach, you should be offering courses, and most coaches understand that.
But today, I want to dispel the myth that other service providers don’t need a course for their businesses as well. And help you decide once and for all if an online course makes sense for your business.
You might hate me for it because I will open your eyes to potential you don’t want to see. But that’s my job. Not to coddle you, but to help you expand your horizons. Whether you follow this advice is up to you, but here’s a few reasons you might want to consider adding online courses to your marketing and revenue mix.
Extra Income Stream
One of the main reason coaches and other service professionals look at online courses is to create an extra stream of revenue. And ultimately, this will prove to be the main one. Courses allow you to make money while you sleep and without any effort once they’re setup.
Many service providers worry if they offer a course, they’ll lose business from clients who might have hired them if they didn’t teach them something. But there are many things you could teach within your expertise that you may not even want to be hired for. For example, in seconds I imagined…
Lawyers – “How to Talk Your Way out of a Traffic Ticket” – I know I’d pay for in a heartbeat.
Doctor – “Sure Fire Ways to Make Sure No One In Your Home Gets a Cold This Year.”
Sure, they won’t sell for thousands of dollars, but they’ll solve problems and make a profit from people who would never hire you for those small problems anyway. Besides…
They Allow You To Help People Who Can’t Afford Your Services
Hopefully you got into your business for more than just the money. You became a service provider because you want to help.
Many people can’t afford to drop thousands of dollars on a lawyer or health coach today.
Especially for something as simple as “Talking their way out of a traffic ticket.”
But by having online courses in your arsenal, you help those people out with problems they have today. Better yet, they may, in the future, need your services, and…
Online Courses Offer a Pathway to Bigger Sales
Imagine that one of your students talked his way out of a ticket, fixed a scratch in his car, or felt better for the first time, thanks to one of your courses. Who do you think he’s going to call when he’s incarcerated, gets into an accident, or wants to work on a bigger health issue?
Because you’ve provided help at this lower “course” level you are the most likely source for bigger help needs when they come up. That happens because…
Online Courses Boost Your Credibility
In today’s competitive landscape, nothing makes a bigger difference to who does or doesn’t buy your services than the KLT Factor (Know, Like and Trust). Can you think of a better way to gain the trust of your prospects than by giving them true value in advance by teaching a valuable skill?
When someone wrecks their car, are they more likely to call some random person out of the yellow pages… Or the auto body mechanic who has a few tutorials including “How to remove rock chips in 15 minutes” on their website?
With online courses, you’re proving your expertise and boosting your credibility upfront.
Do All Service Providers Need Courses?
Of course not, and obviously some services lend themselves more to online courses than others.
And I’m certainly not saying a dry cleaner is likely to sell a $1999 online program (except maybe to other dry cleaners). But why not “5 Ways to Make Your Pants Last Longer,” or “How to Press your shirts Like a Pro”? I want you to think outside the box.
What about your business? Could it benefit from offering an online course, or do you think your service is exempt? I’m interested in hearing your thoughts; please write your ideas in the comment box below.
Online courses boost your credibility, give you a new revenue stream, and can be scaled into bigger projects and consulting gigs. So why not give it a try today?
