Curiosity, calamity, or cure?

Yesterday, I had an inspection done by a man with a tiny camera on a long, flexible rod.

Fortunately, it wasn’t a medical examination, but a CCTV drains survey for the house.

(Sorry, I couldn’t resist the misdirect.)

I’d delayed this particular “operation” for months. I was in no particular hurry. I just wanted to make sure there weren’t any nasty surprises hidden underground. Cracked pipes, tree roots, blockages, that kind of thing.

Contrast this with another recent situation…

A storm damaged our TV aerial. The result - no live TV anywhere in the house. I don’t know about yours, but in my family, that’s a big issue.

In this case, we had someone on the roof fitting a new aerial within four hours. (I didn’t even ask how much it was until the job was finished.)

That’s the difference between a specific problem and a general concern.

The more intense and immediate the pain, the more urgently you’ll look for a cure. (And the less you’ll care about the cost.)

Likewise, if your online course solves a specific, current problem for your audience, it will almost always be easier to sell. In fact, people will come and find you.

Now that’s not to say you shouldn’t build a course around a longer term fear or concern. But your marketing will need to work harder to make it feel more urgent.

So try tracing your course idea to a problem, even if it’s one in the future.

(After all, a fear or concern is just a problem that hasn’t happened yet.)

Even courses that simply indulge a casual interest can be linked to a future problem - the painful regret of roads not travelled.

Thinking about your course then, does it satisfy curiosity, prevent calamity or provide a cure?

All of them can work, but it’s valuable to know which type you’re creating, and also the problem that lurks in the background

See you soon,

Glen