“I love it when people buy my course but don’t finish it.” Said no one ever. 

In fact, as a course or program creator,  I’m sure you didn’t put in all the work only to get a 5% completion rate.  (5 to 10%, by the way,  is the current completion rate for all courses.)

So is it possible to create a program that people will actually want to consume from start to finish? Nicole Lehman certainly thinks so. That’s why I was excited to get a chance to chat with her after coming across one of her social media posts.

Nicole is a teacher-turned-program and course specialist on a mission to help course creators design programs that are not only worth buying but are thoughtfully constructed using the principles of educational design. 

With a master’s degree in education and a wealth of experience, Nicole brings a unique blend of expertise and creativity to the course creation industry you’ll want to hear about. 

Course Status: Incomplete

The chance to share your expertise, reach a wider audience, and generate more income definitely sounds alluring.  Especially now that they’re so many resources and tools available to get it done within a matter of weeks or even days. And with the growing demand for more online learning options, it’s not surprising there’s a massive influx of ho-hum courses and programs.

But with this rush and ease to create courses —many learners are not completing the courses they enroll in. Learners purchase courses only to find themselves overwhelmed or, worse, underwhelmed. 

Like most of us, Nicole has seen it firsthand.

“I run across a lot of people that are like, oh, I took this course, paid $800 for it, and I was super disappointed. I hear that from a lot of people. But it’s hard. Because how do you know until you buy it and get in there? Like, if people aren’t upfront about what the structure looks like… It’s kind of like going in blind a little bit.” 

Going in blind might be okay if you’re spending $27 dollars for a course. But if you’re investing hundreds, even thousands of dollars, to learn something that you hope can change your life, then the lack of transparency in the course structure and content can lead to a dissatisfying learning experience. 

“The quality of what people are building isn’t necessarily as high as it could be… Because if you’re doing a course or program, you’re stepping into the role of a teacher and being a teacher. That’s a whole expertise of its own.” 

An opportunity to stand out 

There is good news, though. As consumers or students get smarter and more selective in what courses and programs they invest in, you can take steps to stand out by investing more time in the educational design of your courses.

That’s where Nicole comes in. With her background in education, Nicole helps course creators create exceptional learning experiences that engage and empower learners to complete their educational journey while helping course creators serve their audience and gain financial and time freedom. 

She shared three ways educational design can help you stand out. 

Go for Quality Over Quantity

When working with new clients, Nicole challenges them to really think beyond just sharing what they know. She tells them, “You are an expert in your field, but let’s look at how you’re going to teach that expertise because that’s kind of a whole separate world that needs to be considered when you’re going to build a program. 

With so many online courses available, it’s tempting to throw something together and put it out there.  This is probably why we have so many “courses” that are basically repositories of videos and PDFs. However, Nicole’s wisdom reminds us of the importance of quality, not quantity. 

The secret ingredient is creating courses that are thoughtfully designed to deliver genuine expertise and actionable knowledge.

Focus on *the How* and not just *the What*

“It’s not about what you’re teaching… It’s how you’re teaching it. What is the strategy going behind building the content itself? 

People learn differently. And depending on what you hope to teach, they also require different delivery methods for them to completely absorb the knowledge you’re sharing. Are videos really the most effective medium? Or will a series of PDFs do the trick? Should they have the information dripped out or would complete access be enough? There’s also the question of the order of the information…what information should go first before you take them to more complicated steps?

So many questions can impact the way you deliver your content. 

This is also a good time to consider how your brand voice will impact your delivery. Brand voice is the seasoning that sets your course apart from the rest. It’s a combination of the words you use, the cadence of your speech, the emotion behind your statements and the stories you tell. All of which can impact how you deliver a course, and more important how someone connects to the information you’re teaching.

Some students are drawn to experts or teachers who teach in a more Socratic method. In contrast, others want to learn from someone who will push them beyond their comfort zone. And then there are others who thrive with drill sergents telling them exactly what to do, when to do it and how much.

Just like a chef’s signature touch, your brand voice can be a selling point for potential students.

Talk About Your Course Design

Your potential students may not know what they don’t know. So take the time to educate them by sharing why you designed your course a certain way.

Nicole says, “You can use that in your marketing if you have taken the time to use education and learning theory in the back end of your course… the content itself will give them action steps that they can take right away.”

Educational design is the backbone of a successful course. Nicole’s expertise highlights and underlines in the importance of crafting a journey that not only imparts knowledge but also guides learners through practical, actionable steps. Integrating educational design principles empowers learners to take immediate action, leading to meaningful growth. 

And isn’t that what you want for your students?

Craft a Course That Students Can’t Wait to Finish!

Want to create a course that delivers the biggest impact with actionable steps from start to finish? If your answer is a big “YES”, I encourage you to start with educational design. 

Reach out to education experts like Nicole to help you design and develop a program that’ll allow you to share your expertise, expand your impact, and of course, increase your income. Nicole is super generous with her experience, and she’s constantly dropping knowledge on Instagram about educational design.

And if you want to see how your brand voice can help you stand out and attract your dream audience to your course or program, I can help! As a graduate of the Brand Voice Strategist, I use a proprietary process backed b y tools, data and math. It’s the same process used to create the brand voice guides for Amy Porterfield (you can hear her gush about it here) and Stu McClaren.

We’ll talk about your ideal audience and the goals of your course and help you develop and document a brand voice that stays consistent with who you are and speaks directly to the ideal students you want to reach. 

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