VTA logoWhile I have the privilege of  serving all kinds of entrepreneurs through my coaching and training programs, one group I truly resonate with is made up of speakers, authors and trainers. I resonate with them because I am one of them. So I speak from experience when I say… How we are delivering our content to our clients when we are not face to face or belly to belly has to change!  The illusion that we can change a life through a CD, a PDF or a standalone webminar is an illusion. No, the next generation of delivering our content is an interactive, multi-media training platform that creates connection, inspires action and keeps students wanting more.
To get a free report entitled Turn Your Content Into Cash, visit the Virtual Training Academy.

I have taken over 3000 students through 12 life-changing courses using this innovative online training platform. So, in the interest of passing on to you the insider secrets I’ve gained along the way – here are some “must-haves” that you’ll want to have in your next online course in order to create change in your clients and profits for you.

1. Give Them A Starting Point To Measure From – One important way to keep participants engaged in your e-course is to help them recognize and measure their progress along the way.  I recommend you start with a series of pre-course assessment questions that provide a numerical representation of where they are with regard to your topic. This assessment provides motivation to keep taking the steps you suggest and provides evidence of their progress. Clients who can measure progress are more likely to stay in the game and tell others about their experience.

2. Find the Natural Rhythm of Your Material – When dividing your content into modules, it’s important to find the natural milestones or shifts your participant needs to make in order to experience personal transformation. Perhaps there is a foundation that needs to be laid around beliefs or mindset. If so, weave that process into your first module so they have a strong foundation to build on. Then, continue to look for the natural progression of growth that can be revealed throughout each subsequent module.

3. Give Them Your Best – Your first E-Learning Platform should be based on your most popular program – your signature content upon which your brand is built. By transforming your content into an ongoing, step-by-step experience we allow participants to settle into our message and gradually weave our strategies and the principles into their lives.

4. Begin With the End In Mind – As the saying goes, you can’t hit a target you can’t see.  So no matter what your topic, begin the program with a pre-course exercise that helps participants create a clear vision of where they want to end up after experiencing your course. From hitting a financial goal, defining their ideal weight, or identifying a personal dream they truly desire, you want participants to see and feel the results before they begin.  This keeps them focused on the end willing to do the action steps you outline for them.

5. Include the Secret Sauce of ACTION – One of the biggest benefits of a sequential learning program is your ability to give participants small baby steps as they apply what they are learning. It’s the “inch-by-inch” theory at its best. Each module includes a series of action steps participants will take before moving to the next module.  When participants take and apply what they learn to their life, they experience the true power of transformation.

6. Provide Additional Support – Whether your content addresses personal, physical, financial or professional change, participants will encounter the same barriers – themselves! Inaction on the strategies you provide is caused by the doubts, fears and perfectionist mindset that keep people from moving forward. Rather than ignore this very real issue, build support into your online course that helps participants ease the doubts, fears and procrastination. This is best done by incorporating coaching calls conducted by a skilled professional coach who is a master at helping people move past their blocks and into action.

7. Invest Now For Long-term Residual Income – Sure, turning your existing content into an online, modular-based E-Learning platform requires a small investment of time and money.  You can however, make the process quite profitable by “selling seats” in your initial e-course which is delivered live via tele-seminar or webinar live.  Then, once complete, you can put the course on auto-pilot by selling seats in the course as a self-study program.

There you have it – seven tips for turning your existing content into a revenue-producing e-learning program that your clients will love.  These tips have helped me generate substantial income from the comfort of my home office and I hope they do the same for you.