Course sales, revenue, and conversions are down→ A good thing?

What’s the hardest part about building a course business?

(pop me a reply… I’d love to know what you think!)

Well, I can tell you that picking pricing is usually one of them.

So in this email I’m going to show you:

• How your emotions dictate more than you think
• Why pricing is way more than what you charge
• Why the long game is the best game

Let’s get into it…

Emotions are in the driver’s seat

I’ve seen it time and again.

Emotions play a bigger part in your pricing than you might think.

If you consider a higher price you start to fear, “what if no one buys?”

And if you entertain a lower price, you begin to think, “I will hate every minute of this selling that low!”

So you either get to be in fear, or live with self-loathing.

What a joy, right?😬

Now of course I am speaking in extremes, but they’re not rare.

So before you begin to pick a price, consider an increase, or promote a price drop - make sure you are in touch with the emotions you have surrounding your next move.

For me and my clients, I much prefer fear over self loathing.

I remember the first time I submitted options to a prospective client that fit squarely in the high ticket space.

I was terrified.

Seriously.

But not only did he buy the most expensive option, but walked way incredibly satisfied.

So, be realistic but…

Face your fears!

It’s more than what you charge

l love the phrase, “pricing is positioning”.

What is positioning?

The best explanation I’ve ever heard of positioning is from my friend Pedro. His description goes something like this…

Sports teams have players, and each player has a position.

If you look at any given player on the field, and you observe where they are in relation to the goal, and where they are in relation to each other… then you know exactly what their purpose is on the team.

You can determine their position.

So for you positioning is where you exist in the market in relation to your customers and competition.

And one of the easiest ways to quantify a comparison among other people is in pricing.

But what does that mean?

Consider for a moment my world: business coaches who specialize in course-based businesses.

Say coach A charges $100 an hour, and coach B charges $5k a month.

Just based on this information alone, who do you think is the more competent coach?

Could the higher priced coach be over-charging?

Absolutely.

But people aren’t stupid and markets are often unforgiving, so if you’re not worth what you charge - the truth comes out.But here’s the thing…

Competition is ravenous.

You need to be “worth it” to survive.

Play to win

One of my clients wrapped up a launch of a new course this last week.

He’s heart pounded when he opened cart for this course.

See, in the past he had put himself in an impossible position.

After releasing a few courses…

His pricing model was holding him back.

Not just from the revenue numbers he wants to achieve, but from enjoying his business to the fullest.

He wanted to expand his offerings and sell access to workshops, build a community, and leave the door open for some higher-ticket options in the future.

But it’s tough to sell a $100 workshop when your flagship course sells for $147.

So for for this new course he almost doubled his price.

Once the launch was over, I asked him about how he felt.

Here’s what he said…

"So overall, I’m pleased with the results and raising the price wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be. Though the beginning was a bit concerning! But I think that’s because there was just very little traffic going to the sales page as it was a waitlist-only launch."

Here’s the concrete numbers (shared with permission):

‍January 2025

• Revenue: $21,873
• Sales Volume: 75
• Sales Page Conversion Rate: 5.7

October 2024

• Revenue: $27,179
• Sales Volume: 183
• Sales Page Conversion Rate: 15.25

So… sales volume is down by over half, and the sales page is converting at nearly a third from his last launch.

But…

Revenue is only down by roughly $5k.

There are many factors at play here:

• It’s a new course
• A higher than normal price point
• Different time of the year

…but this won’t be his only launch for this new course and now he’s re-establishing his position in the market and training his audience that his time and expertise is worth it.

He’s not gunning for the quick buck.

He’s playing the long game.

I hope you do the same.

And as always… be intentional.