Why You Purchased Another How To Course

Yesterday I cringed when a potential client said, “I just enrolled in another how to course.”  I asked her what made her say “yes” to it.  She said, “It sounded like something I need to know”.  Ugh.  I hear this all of the time.

Entrepreneurs are suckers for that next thing to push us to the top, aren’t we?  That promise to help us make thousands of dollars in a matter of days.  That “easy” button.  When I was just starting out, I purchased many courses. I purchased so many courses that when I wanted to invest in yet another, I was secretly embarrassed to tell anyone for fear they might say, “You are going to buy another program?”

I asked the woman to dig a little deeper to see if there was any other reason that she decided to purchase another how to course.  She became very quiet and then said, “I do not feel as though I know enough yet”.  Bingo!

When entrepreneurs open up shop (and even if we are farther along in our business), we shout to the world what we do and how we help people.

We pretend we have a business by taking yet another how-to course.  We THINK that by learning just one more thing, we will be enough.  That we will know enough and that the clients will come running.

Following is the honest truth.  You:

• Are enough.
• Know enough.
• Have practiced enough.
• Have undercharged enough.

And people need you.

When I have clients who feel in a funk about this–about their worthiness and if they can really pull off this entrepreneurial journey–I give them an exercise or an activity to pivot this thinking.  I am sharing these shifts with you so that you can flip your thoughts around when that crazy little voice starts blabbing.

When Tempted to Purchase Another How To Course:

1.  Ask one of your clients (past or present), “How have I helped you?”  This isn’t the same as asking for a testimonial (more about that later).  This is coming from a place of curiosity where you are really asking them to help you better understand what you do.  I can guarantee that they will be happy to tell you.  Receiving this positive feedback is awesome in being aware of  your impact.

2.  Read through previous testimonials.  You have probably forgotten some of them.  This is a great way to have a little love fest about all that you have done.

3.  Find a peer and take turns bragging to each other about what an awesome person you are and why.  One of my coaches once told me,  “It ain’t bragging if it’s true”  (and she was right).  Give it a try.  While it could seem boastful to do, I bet that your peer will tell you that it totally doesn’t come across that way  at all.

4.  Connect with a small group mastermind.   Having a strong support system is a fabulous way to get a pat on the back when you need it most.  Oftentimes 80 to 90 percent of my mastermind or mentoring group members continue their journey with me because they know the value of our tight group.

5.  Hire a private coach.  Having someone’s eyes on YOU and how you operate your business is so important.  So many how-to courses out there have hundreds of people in the course.  That type of format makes it a little too easy to get lost in the crowd or to suffer from comparisonitis.    You look at someone who seems to be succeeding so much faster or easier than you and  you wonder why.

• Why did she reach six figures already during this course and I didn’t?

• How does she have a booming business only working 25 hours per week when I am working 24/7?

• How was she able to build up her Instagram following page up to 15,000 people and I am still stuck in the hundreds?

This judgmental talk does not feel good.

In my masterminds and mentoring groups, my clients receive two private sessions with me per month (in addition to group and partner time) so that they have a personalized reflection of what is working and what is not.  They have the support to grow and tweak and then get more feedback.  This consistent approach has helped them to step into their businesses (and life) in a whole new way.

Having said all of the above, I personally am a life-long learner. I love finding new tweaks and lessons from books and courses, and that will never change. Upgrading my skills and mindset has COMPLETELY changed my life–not only my bank accounts, but everything.

But I am a huge fan of NOT spending money unless it absolutely makes sense and the tool or service will give you a positive return on investment. I know I have been suckered into the latest AppSumo offering thinking it was a must-have (and then not even opened the product for months).

Following is how I determine if I will purchase software, course or tool:

1. Will it save me at least an hour’s worth of work?
2. Will it speed up my workflow?
3. Will it make my work more effective and allow me to charge more for what I do?
4. Am I going to use it right now or can I wait for the inevitable sale?
5. Are there real reviews of the product (sometimes this means going to the third page of Google or scrolling past a few hundred Amazon reviews to get the real truth about product).
6. What do I lose if I don’t buy it?

My challenge for you:  Try one of the exercises or activities above when Negative Nelly kicks in.  Keep at it and know that you. are. enough.