The Power of a Mini Course

Most people never finish the courses they buy

I don't know if you're anything like me, but I've purchased courses that I have never actually started. More than one. And even when I have made recent buying choices, I've struggled to finish the courses I've bought.

Sound familiar?

I know I'm not alone because the data is in – most people don't finish the online courses that they buy. Most!

The reasons are endless, but my favorite explanation relates to how our brains work. When we purchase a course we get the same chemical release that we get when completing a course.

In other words, my brain feels incredibly satisfied simply by my buying decision. But that doesn't help me finish a course.

But there's another reason some people don't finish a course…

Most courses aren't designed to solve a specific problem

The challenge I see with a lot of online courses, is that they're trying to do too much. They want to introduce you to the topic, train you up in the background, instruct you on strategy, empower you to get into the specific details, and then add more material as bonuses.

I'm not against a great course. I love them when they're done right.

But let's be honest. Most of us don't have time for a 20-40 lesson course. Most of us are motivated to buy a massive course, but really need a mini course. We need to learn a specific skill, but sign up for huge courses with tons of skill training.

Most courses aren't narrow enough and scoped down to deliver high value in a short amount of time. That's why I really love and recommend a mini course.

Mini Courses can deliver direct and fast results

So what is a mini course? It's a course that solves a specific challenge.

Think about a course that teaches you to play guitar. It will teach you about guitars, how they work, how they're made, how to string it up, how to play a chord, and all that. That's the normal course.

Now think about a course that teaches you how to play your favorite song. That's a mini course. It's scoped. It's focused. It solves a specific challenge.

A mini course delivers value quickly. The nature of the scope is that it quickly engages someone by helping them solve what they want directly. As a result, they see results far more quickly than other courses.

Here are several mini courses to check out

I've written a lot about how to create and deliver online courses including these posts:

1. Who should build an online course
2. How do come up with an idea for your online course
3. How to structure your online course
4. All the pre-requisites before you launch
5. How do you price your online course
6. The gear for recording your online course
7. Which approach is best for selling courses – evergreen or launch?
8. The onboarding emails for your course

At some point I'll need to write more about how to craft and create a mini course. But until that day, why don't I share with you some mini courses you might dig. Learn from my friend Jennifer who has created a bunch of them.

Estimating Ecommerce Mini Course

From initial inquiry to presenting the proposal, Estimating eCommerce walks you through a simple six-step framework for selling eCommerce websites.

Proactive Productivity Mini Course

Proactive Productivity covers simple productivity strategies to improve time management, increase focus, and improve efficiency.

Decisive Design Mini Course

Decisive Design walks you through a smooth, easy, frustration-free web design process that engages clients in a supportive, interactive experience while protecting your time, energy, and focus.

And my all-time favorite mini course is this one on packaging and pricing:

Packaging + Pricing Mini Course

Packaging + Pricing helps you earn what you deserve so you can easily pay your expenses, pay yourself, and return a healthy profit back to your business.