Most entrepreneurs are looking for ways to grow their business. Yet, simply growth for the purpose of growth is not very satisfying, particularly not for Service Professionals. Many turn to the possibility to offer Online Programs.
Growth serves the purpose of achieving a life-style that we aspire to. Many Service Professionals target more revenue, engaging with our ideal clients leading to a more satisfying business and a great life-style.
If you are a Service Professional who is predominantly providing one-on-one services, growth often comes to the detriment of achieving work-life-balance. Offering Online Courses and Group Programs can help you achieve the growth and at the same time provide you with more time in your business.
In this article I will explore how:
Offering Online Courses or Group Programs can have three major benefits.
Lead Generation
A lead is a new contact for your business, usually a person that would be a good fit with your ideal client persona description. Ongoing creation of leads is important as we meet people who are at different stages of the buying process. (Read my article on the Buyer Journey.)
Some new prospects might start following us when they are still researching a solution to an issue they are only just identifying. While others are ready to put down their credit card.
As leads are added to our database, we can start offering value to them, without having to start the selling process, until they are in a place where they are ready to purchase.
How can Online Courses or Group Programs support the process of generating new leads and growing your list?
By offering a no-cost or low-cost information product or mini-course that is fully automated, you can provide value to your prospects without spending a lot of your time on the process.
Think about it this way: You can offer free consultations or strategy sessions to your prospects or you can provide a self study program that they can easily do at their own time. Here are some pros and cons:
| Pros | Cons |
| Perceived lower risk: More prospects are going to take advantage of the offer | Standardized content – no customization to the needs of the client |
| Time Flexibility for you and your client | Possible lack of follow-through on behalf of your client |
| Time efficiency due to reduction in free consultations | Time consuming creation of the program |
| Online and pre-recorded delivery | Lack of personal interaction, which could reduce the likelihood of up-sales |
| Option to re-purpose the content | |
| Client gets to know you and your services |
Revenue Generation With Online Programs
Revenue Generation is the primary reason why Service Professionals create and offer Online Courses and Group Programs. Mostly they will think about the benefit that they can achieve by selling the course itself.
Courses are available at any possible price. Very often they start around $197 and they might be as high as $19,997 and more. One of the main distinguishing factors with regards to pricing is the level of personal involvement you include in the program.
One often overlooked benefit is the fact that offering automated online programs can positively impact the price you can charge for your VIP or one-on-one services. By having programs in your service offering, you are recognized as an expert in your area. You demonstrate that have your own system and you will be able to provide your clients with highly valuable services for which they are willing to pay a higher price.
Your one-on-one services are going to be more focussed on the area where you can create true transformation.
The increase in revenue will come from three areas:
- The sale of the program itself
- Higher prices achieved for your one-on-one services
- Up-selling opportunities from one level of service to the next.
Value Creation
The third benefit that you can achieve by offering Online Programs is value. Value for your clients and value for yourself.
Value for your clients:
The type of program offered will depend on the amount of pre-recorded content and how much interaction you include. Your recorded content is providing your clients with great flexibility. They can engage with your content at the time convenient for them. They can watch videos, download documents and complete surveys, assessments or questionnaires from the comfort of their home. They can view the content repeatedly and over a time span that is helping them to learn and implement.
Many clients will be very grateful for this level of flexibility.
Your program can be an addition to other services, complementing In-Person events or seminars or Group Programs and providing learning on different levels. You might even package it up with your coaching services.
Particularly clients who are introverts will be thankful for the availability of your training material in a recorded way.
Value for yourself:
Of course, you also benefit from this level of flexibility. Your clients can interact with your material when you are doing other things. This way you can focus on providing great one-on-one or group services in your live interaction and your automated services will complement those with the material that is repeatable.
Having online programs also provides you with the ability to customize packages for your clients easily. And you have a lot of material to draw from for your free services and your VIP services.
I have seen in my business and the business of my clients that offering Online Programs has a profound impact on the overall business model and the type of services offered and have resulted in great flexibility and freedom.
How To Know If You’re Ready
I have come across many entrepreneurs who display great hesitation to offer Online Programs, which is very understandable as they don’t know what is really involved in this project.
If you are ready to take this strategy to the next level, I invite you to follow up with my Online Breakthrough Session.
