10 Steps to Creating a Course that POPS. Turn your knowledge into a learning experience that works using brain based science. Create fun, unique and effective online courses that people will love learning from.

1. .
10StepstoCreatingaCoursethat
POPS!
Turning your Knowledge into a Learning Experience that Works!

2. WhatdoImeanbyasuccessfulcourse?
The measure of a successful course should primarily be based on
the results that your participants are getting from participating and
implementing the knowledge you are teaching in the course.
If your clients are experiencing results you are training them
towards, then you’ll be making ongoing revenue, you’ll consistently
experience a higher rate of intake for each launch, you’ll have more
referrals and fans each round and you’ll receive positive feedback
from the participants.

3. Step1-Overview
Giving your clients a clear idea of what your topic looks like as an overview and in
completion is really vital to how to we learn. We need to know what we are aiming for and
yet so often this is not revealed until the end of a course, and sometimes its never
revealed at all.
1. Make sure you create an overview at the beginning of your course.
2. Throughout the delivery of the course make sure you consistently refer back to this
overview. (This is vital to the success of your clients so they can start thinking how
every strategy and action they are implementing is connected to the bigger
picture.)
3. At the end of the course its important you bring all the elements of the course
back in line with this overview.
What does an overview look like?
It could be sharing a story, a template, a strategic plan, a video, visual diagram, action
plan, photographs, workbook etc depending on the type of course you are creating.

4. Step2-TheBigWhy
This step has two areas that you need to get clear on so you can incorporate both into
your course.
YOUR Goals
1. Why are YOU creating this course?
2. What do YOU hope to get out of it?
3. What specifically do YOU want to achieve?
Your PARTICIPANTS Goals
4. What results do your PARTICIPANTS expect from doing this course?
5. What will your PARTICIPANTS be able to do after the course?
6. How will your PARTICIPANTS thinking change after completing the course?
7. How do you want your PARTICIPANTS to feel doing your course?

5. Step3-PointofView
This step is another really common mistake that most online courses are making (not the
successful ones however). The creator often asks themselves ‘how do I boil down all the
information and knowledge that I know into something that I could teach or train others
in’?
Change the point of view from YOU to YOUR CLIENT.
You are not teaching or training your client in EVERYTHING that you know. That is not
the point of most courses – you need to work out what information and knowledge is going
to have the biggest impact on the results they are after.
Knowing your target market and where they are at right now. Knowing their challenges
and what the best solutions are for them, will help you work out the best way to approach
giving the right kind and the right amount of knowledge.

6. Step4-OverDelivering
One of the most common phrases my clients say is ‘I want to over deliver and provide
really amazing value’. I love that so many people (and so many of my awesome clients)
have such good intentions of wanting to go above and beyond what is expected and blow
their clients away with fantastic value…
However, what generally happens is we provide more and more information, knowledge
and content to the point of overwhelm, and we all know overwhelm has a best friend
called NO ACTION. It’s such a shame that such good intentions often leads to a lack of
action, that costs your clients real results.
Simplify your knowledge and how you deliver it
to your participants.

7. Step5-StylesofleaningvsLifeStyle
We often hear about different learning styles such as a visual, kinesthetic, auditory,
linguistic etc, however I think that there is some misunderstanding around this concept.
Our brains are far more complex than such a simple model and putting people into one
type of learning style box is only half the story.
The reality is that our brains are all different and we learn and remember information in a
variety of ways – it’s a mixed bag of learning styles that help us to understand information
and concepts. Most people learn through multiple learning styles and catering to that is a
more realistic way to creating results.
The other reality that comes into play here is our environment and our life style. I enjoy
learning visually however I am quite time poor and listening to podcasts these days may
not be my first choice but it fits in with my busy, on the go lifestyle. Don’t underestimate
how important Life Style is when it comes to how we choose to learn and digest
information.

8. Step6-Implementation
This is the biggie when it comes to learning online and in a group environment. We all
want our participants to implement what we teach or train them, as that is how they are
going to get the results they are looking for in taking our course. How do you make sure
that all your participants are implementing the knowledge that you are sharing? The
answer is you can’t and the reality of group learning especially online is you will have
participants who don’t complete or even try to do the work.
But how do we at least set up an environment for action and implementation?
1. Set clear actions with timeframes.
2. Break down the larger projects or tasks into more manageable tasks.
3. Include accountability within the action phase (accountability partner,
accountability to the group etc).
4. Set up the actions for success rather than failure.
5. Provide different approaches for different skill levels on your course.
6. Cultivate a community where your participants feel supported and encouraged to
learning from each other and to be held accountable to the group.
7. Offer incentives or bonuses along the way to keep momentum going.

9. Step7-TheRealWaytoAddValue
These three areas are not commonly used terms for online courses, but coming from a TV
Commercial background where we have pre production/production/post production, I like
to apply the process to all the projects I work on. This is how it works. How can you create
or provide more VALUE at each stage of your course?
Pre Course During Course Post Course
How and what do you want your participants to think, to feel and to do at each
of these three stages?
Creating an exceptional client experience which is the best way to add value, starts way
before the course commences and ends well after the last session.

10. Step8-BrainBasedTips
I love to bring into focus the neuroscience or brain based techniques that we know
enhance and engage our learning experience, make learning more memorable as well as
the likely hood of your participants implementing your knowledge and results being seen.
o Break down your content into smaller chunks and visually make it more
interesting with block colours, boxes, tables etc.
o Stories and anecdotes really engage the brain and can explain complex ideas
easily.
o Create insights – ask powerful questions and ask them often.
o Although we like certainty don’t make your course all the same – it becomes
o boring and tedious – mix it up how you deliver your content.
o Make sure the next steps are clear and not ambiguous for your participants.
o How do you want to make people think, feel and do at each stage.
o Highlight key words that are important, use more engaging words or phrases
o to call your topics and use a simple image to connect to a topic.

11. Step9-ContentvsContext
This is the age of CONTENT – we are drowning in more and more information and it
doesn’t create results it creates overwhelm! Overwhelm creates anxiety which creates
inaction. Putting your content into context of your participants business and situation is
what successful courses do well. Everyone will use your knowledge and learning slightly
differently as not only do we think differently but we have different needs within our lives
and business.
1. The main way to bring context to content is to ask high level, big picture thinking
questions around the learning or lessons of that piece of information and how it could
be applied or implemented in their life or their business.
2. Ask reflective questions that allow the participants to think about what they could do
differently or how it might look for them.
3. Thinking from a different perspective can be a great way to create insights as to how it
might look within your particular business. We can think more creatively about actions
and solutions.

12. Step10-TheSoundofSuccess
LISTEN to what your participants are saying.
Be adaptable and flexible during the course to change or adapt what isn’t
working.
• Are they finding it overwhelming?
• Are they finding it hard to grasp the concepts?
• Do they need additional time to complete the tasks?
• Do they keep asking the same questions over and over again?
Keep listening, responding and refining your content, the actions you set and
see what is getting results for your clients.

13. Hi. I’mJo.
As you can tell I’m really passionate about creating great learning and client experiences.
The reality is that so many people are putting so much time and energy into creating courses only for them to be a disappointment.
I’m here to get your ideas made into a real success.
If you want to know more about me, or would like me to help create your successful course – and yes I will do some of the work for
you! - please get in touch at www.popwithjo.com | hello@popwithjo.com | www.facebook.com/popwithjo