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Actual for You - Part 1: Designing Virtual Classes Your Students Will Rave About!
The RSS promise for end-users is simple:--> a unified one-stop-shop to consume online content, without having to visit dozens of sites every day to see what’s new and without having their online subscriptions interfere with their personal and business e-mail communications;--> complete control over their content consumption, including a quick, easy and reliable mechanism to unsubscribe from content they do not wish to receive;--> the ability to receive breaking news as it becomes available, without having to wait for a monthly, weekly or daily recap sent to their e-mail addresses;--> the certainty of actually receiving the content they want, without the fear of it being stopped by spam filters on the way;--> the ability to receive rich-media content directly to their desktops, including audio and video content;--> t
How do you solve this dilemma and provide the structure y
How do you get testimonials for a new service?Testimonials do not need to be for a specific service, they need to be about the service provided to the client. This means the work ethic, the customer service, addressing customer wants and needs, and providing a service that gives the client return on investment. It does not matter whether the offer is a new service or not, it matters that past clients value what they have been given and they used the expertise to gain in their own knowledge and business profits.Most consultants are reluctant to ask for the referral let alone a testimonial. In reality, the best time to ask for a testimonial is just before the project you are working on is coming to a close. You know the client is happy and really excited about what has been accomplished. It does not mean you cannot ask for one after you are no l
Last January, I was having lunch with my friend/advisor Sherry Essig. We were talking about a virtual course I was taking at the time that I was really enjoying. The subject matter of that course (marketing) was one I was pretty familiar with…as an MBA student, in consulting with clients, and even co-writing an e-book on the subject. So why the heck did I pay several hundred dollars to take a class on a subject I already knew a lot about? And why, when I was finished, did I feel more capable of using that knowledge to improve my business than I might have after reading another book?
As we talked, Sherry started noticing the elements I was raving about: structure, accountability, and community. What I was really paying for wasn’t the knowledge (although I definitely learned). I was paying for:
* a schedule to do the learning (structure);
* a modest work assignment each week, and a place to post my completed assignments (accountability);
* and a rich network of fellow students to share with and learn from (community).
Here is a look at these three elements – and how you can apply them to your own course design.
Structure
I think of structure as the element that gets me to sit down and “do the learning”; usually, in the form of a scheduled appointment, with myself or someone else. For a live class, this is a no-brainer. The scheduled classes provide the structure.
However, the trend toward offering recordings shortly after the live class can undermine the urgency of being on the call live. Recordings are invaluable when there is truly a conflict for the student (and can add value to the course overall)…but it also makes it easy for students to rationalize when they get busy (and when are solo entrepreneurs not busy?) and skip the class, knowing the recording is there whenever they get around to listening. (I’m guilty of this!) And then suddenly there is no structure, no timetable to listen to the recording. (Sometimes this means I never do get around to listening to the class.)
How do you solve this dilemma and provide the structure yo
When it comes to North America, Canada has much to offer. Here is a preview of things to know if you are considering moving to Alberta.With a wide range of culture and living styles, moving to Alberta, one of Canada’s most invigorating and diverse Provinces, can be a positive experience and investment. Jobs are plentiful and modern health care and hospitals are only miles away from most cities. Education is top notch and tax dollar funded. From big city living to suburban bliss, Alberta offers it all.If the beautiful scenery and environment are not enough to get your wheels spinning, knowing that Alberta has the strongest economy in Canada may be successful in lighting your relocation fire. With one of the lowest unemployment rates in all of Canada, Alberta boasts plentiful jobs in hundreds of common markets. Nearly half of the population poss
As we talked, Sherry started noticing the elements I was raving about: structure, accountability, and community. What I was really paying for wasn’t the knowledge (although I definitely learned). I was paying for:
* a schedule to do the learning (structure);
* a modest work assignment each week, and a place to post my completed assignments (accountability);
* and a rich network of fellow students to share with and learn from (community).
Here is a look at these three elements – and how you can apply them to your own course design.
Structure
I think of structure as the element that gets me to sit down and “do the learning”; usually, in the form of a scheduled appointment, with myself or someone else. For a live class, this is a no-brainer. The scheduled classes provide the structure.
However, the trend toward offering recordings shortly after the live class can undermine the urgency of being on the call live. Recordings are invaluable when there is truly a conflict for the student (and can add value to the course overall)…but it also makes it easy for students to rationalize when they get busy (and when are solo entrepreneurs not busy?) and skip the class, knowing the recording is there whenever they get around to listening. (I’m guilty of this!) And then suddenly there is no structure, no timetable to listen to the recording. (Sometimes this means I never do get around to listening to the class.)
How do you solve this dilemma and provide the structure y
There is no set formula on how to make a fortune in the stock market. If there was, there wouldn’t be a need for all the how-to-books and the multitude of websites full of information on how to make a penny stock fortune. Can it be done? Can you make a fortune off just penny stocks?It is possible that buying and selling penny stocks can make you a fortune, if you know the proper way to do it. It takes a lot of experience, mixed with a bit of skill, but it does happen. The biggest mistake people make is not researching and getting a good grasp of what penny stock trading is before they start. Going this route will have you losing money instead of making that penny stock fortune. Nothing good ever happens when your careless.One thing that entices people to try their hand at penny stocks is the high return on their investment. Just
* a schedule to do the learning (structure);
* a modest work assignment each week, and a place to post my completed assignments (accountability);
* and a rich network of fellow students to share with and learn from (community).
Here is a look at these three elements – and how you can apply them to your own course design.
Structure
I think of structure as the element that gets me to sit down and “do the learning”; usually, in the form of a scheduled appointment, with myself or someone else. For a live class, this is a no-brainer. The scheduled classes provide the structure.
However, the trend toward offering recordings shortly after the live class can undermine the urgency of being on the call live. Recordings are invaluable when there is truly a conflict for the student (and can add value to the course overall)…but it also makes it easy for students to rationalize when they get busy (and when are solo entrepreneurs not busy?) and skip the class, knowing the recording is there whenever they get around to listening. (I’m guilty of this!) And then suddenly there is no structure, no timetable to listen to the recording. (Sometimes this means I never do get around to listening to the class.)
How do you solve this dilemma and provide the structure y
SEO is undisputedly the best method for generating traffic and profits. That being said, you need to understand the inherent conflict that can arise with SEO.Conflicting SEO ExpectationsSEO is both the technical effort and art of getting your site ranked highly in search results on Google, Yahoo and MSN. There are two competing factors in the effort, time and volume of traffic, which can lead to clients having unreasonable expectations.The conflict giving rise to misunderstood SEO expectations deal with keywords. Obviously, an optimization program is designed to get you high in the rankings on various keywords. The problem, of course, is the more traffic a keyword produces, the higher the number of sites competing for rankings under the phrase. Inevitably, this translates to a longer period of time required to get top rankings.O
Structure
I think of structure as the element that gets me to sit down and “do the learning”; usually, in the form of a scheduled appointment, with myself or someone else. For a live class, this is a no-brainer. The scheduled classes provide the structure.
However, the trend toward offering recordings shortly after the live class can undermine the urgency of being on the call live. Recordings are invaluable when there is truly a conflict for the student (and can add value to the course overall)…but it also makes it easy for students to rationalize when they get busy (and when are solo entrepreneurs not busy?) and skip the class, knowing the recording is there whenever they get around to listening. (I’m guilty of this!) And then suddenly there is no structure, no timetable to listen to the recording. (Sometimes this means I never do get around to listening to the class.)
How do you solve this dilemma and provide the structure y
Selecting a niche to begin your online business venture should be approached with serious consideration.So often you hear successful people speaking of how they made their fortune. Seldom, if ever will you hear them say they were out to make a lot of money. Not that that wasn’t one of their motivations but it’s never the primary one. More often you will here them say they always loved what they did and the rewards just followed.So it is with selecting an online business. If you pick a niche you love you probably won’t mind the long hours it takes to develop a successful business.What things do you enjoy most? First, think of the things you have done so far in your life. What were some of your greatest periods. Maybe it was your work or an avocation you loved. Think of sports or hobbies you’re interested in and write them down. Try for a
How do you solve this dilemma and provide the structure your students really want? I haven’t seen anyone with a good solution to this yet, but here are some ideas to experiment with:
* Make the recordings available “on-request”. Each week anyone who needs the recording has to contact you. Most students will, I think, shame themselves into not missing more than a couple, just to avoid having to ask each week! If not, you can perhaps challenge them after the second or third request (a great coaching moment!) If the recordings are a valuable part of your offering, upload them to be available to all a week after each class, or at the end of the course.
* Give some incentive for being on the calls live. Something above and beyond what they are paying for (i.e., you can’t penalize them for not showing up!) Free ebooks, audios, CD, etc.
* Give an incentive for attending all the calls – sort of a perfect attendance bonus. Maybe even a modest rebate on the cost of the course!
Accountability
AKA homework. Learning and retention is enhanced when the student does something to practice what they’ve just learned; even better, if they can implement it in their business right away. So how can you encourage students to complete the homework?
* Have students email their homework to you. You could even provide an incentive by offering valuable feedback to your students.
* Provide a space online to post homework. Nothing like peer pressure to get some people moving! This also offers a rich opportunity for the student to ask for help; feedback, etc. (see Community, below). You can implement this with something like Moodle, a bulletin board, etc.
* Ask students to “sign” a statement of intent to do the homework. This can help them make a promise to themselves to work hard to keep up.
* Assign buddies to trade homework. For some, knowing that someone else is waiting can be motivating. This can also backfire if neither student complies – letting them both rationalize away the work. A threesome mi
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