This one small (secret) thing could be holding back soooo many students from enrolling in your course!

Ever wondered why your students hesitate to invest in premium courses? In this episode of the Teaching Mastery Academy podcast, Francesca Hudson uncovers the often-unspoken fear holding students back.

Dive deep into the psychology behind self-doubt, fixed mindsets, and fear of failure. Through relatable examples like Sarah and James, Francesca explores how past failures, societal conditioning, and perfectionism fuel these objections, preventing potential students from pursuing personal growth.

Francesca also shares actionable strategies to help course creators address these hidden fears, shift their students from a fixed to a growth mindset, and transform hesitation into confidence. Learn how to create compelling courses that connect with your audience, break down mental barriers, and inspire students to take action.

Whether you're an experienced educator or just starting your journey, this episode provides practical tools to elevate your offerings, attract the right audience, and ensure your students embark on a transformative learning experience.

Think of your course (or your course idea,) like a luxury car. People won’t pay top dollar unless it’s high quality, delivers an incredible experience, and meets their needs perfectly. Teaching Mastery Academy teaches course creators like you how to ‘build’ that luxury-level course—one that students trust, complete, and rave about, justifying premium pricing every time. Ready to take your expertise and ensure your digital course stands out from the crowd? Premium courses (and premium returns) start with the core teaching fundamentals that all the best course creators instinctively do, but now I'm showing you how! Join the VIP waitlist for Teaching Mastery Academy now! Click here to learn more.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 1:42

Hey there, fabulous educators and entrepreneurs in other words, my favorite podcast community. Welcome back to another episode of the Teaching Mastery Academy podcast, your one-stop shop for all things course creation, teaching strategies and creating life-changing transformations for your students. In other words, we're talking premium courses. I'm Francesca, and today we are going to be looking at one of the most critical yet least talked about objections your potential students have when considering your premium course. And trust me, this is not your run-of-the-mill, it's too expensive or I don't have time kind of objection. Nope, today we are peeling back the layers of a fear that's so deeply personal many people won't even say it out loud. Do you think you know what it is? Okay, here it is. I'm afraid this won't work for me. Now, this objection isn't about you as the course creator. It's about your students. It's about them and the inner world, your students' fears, insecurities and doubts. So today we're going to unpack the psychology behind the subjection. We're going to do a real, thorough analysis of it, why it's so common and, most importantly, how you can address it head-on to make your course irresistible. Sound good, okay? So grab your coffee, a notebook and let's get started. Okay, all right, let's start by breaking down this fear of it won't work for me.

Speaker 1: 3:18

On the surface it might sound like self-doubt, and it is, but what's fascinating is how this fear is tied to something psychologists call the fixed mindset. Now, if you're not familiar, a fixed mindset is the belief that your abilities are static. You're either naturally good at something or you're not. Contrast that with a growth mindset which I love, by the way where people believe they can improve with effort and practice. When someone says this won't work for me, what they're often saying is I'm not the kind of person who can succeed in this. It's self-sabotage before they even start. But here's the kicker Most of your potential students don't consciously realize that they're thinking this way. They'll tell themselves it's about the price or the time or the fact that they've failed at something similar in the past. Underneath it all, they're scared of investing in themselves because they don't believe in their own ability to succeed.

Speaker 1: 4:16

Now, this fear stems from a combination of past experiences, societal conditioning and even perfectionism. Let me explain so. When you look at past experiences, for example and that's if someone's tried and failed to achieve a similar goal before, then they're more likely to believe that they'll fail again. Let me give you an example of a friend of mine, sarah, who enrolled in a DIY photography course a year ago but she never finished it. Now she's considering an advanced photography course, but she's hesitating because she believes she'll fall short again. Does that sound familiar? Do you know someone in your life who's like that? Or are you recognising that in yourself? Perhaps let's look at societal conditioning.

Speaker 1: 5:00

So we live in a world where failure is often stigmatised instead of celebrated as a learning experience. For example, another friend of mine, james, has been told by his family to play it safe his whole life and then he was looking at a premium business coaching course recently. But his inner voice was telling him what if you fail? And everyone says I told you so. And it's really holding him back. And that's because he's had that societal conditioning, that conditioning from his family to never take a risk, to play it safe. And all of a sudden, when he starts thinking about these entrepreneurial ways, behavioral ways of approaching the world, he's.

Speaker 1: 5:45

And the other thing that can be holding you back, or could be holding someone that you know back, is perfectionism, if you can't guarantee a perfect outcome sometimes. Sometimes it's easy for us to tell ourselves that if we can't guarantee a perfect outcome. We'd rather not try at all, but here's the truth. This fear doesn't just hold people back from buying your course. It holds them back from growing into the person that they want to be. If we just remove our course for a minute, put it on the shelf and just look at the people that we're trying to serve, the people that we want to help, these fears are holding them back from growing into the people they want to be and getting those transformations that you know is possible for them. But let's take our courses back off the shelf and look at them. Let's examine our own courses under this microscope of concern that our potential students might have and let's talk about how this fear manifests during the buying process. So potential students who are grappling with this won't work for me will exhibit certain behaviors, and recognizing these signs is key to addressing their concerns. So there are three behaviors to look out for.

Speaker 1: 7:00

If you think you have got a potential student who's grappling with this fear, this won't work for me. And the first clue is they hover on the sales page. They'll read your sales page multiple times, maybe even bookmark it, but they won't hit buy now. They're searching for reassurance. They're looking for proof that someone like them can succeed. It could be somebody that is spending an hour scrolling through your course testimonials but they won't check out because they haven't seen someone with their unique challenges A single mum juggling two jobs, for example. They haven't seen that specific testimonial mention that goes oh, someone exactly like me. So that's one sign to recognize.

Speaker 1: 7:48

The second sign to recognize is they ask hesitant questions. You'll get questions like what if I'm no good at a certain skill yet? Or do you offer a refund if this doesn't work for me? These aren't just practical concerns they're asking. They're actually cries for validation. You know you might get a DM asking I'm not tech savvy at all, will I be able to follow along with your online course? And so you'll know that they are interested and they're wavering. But then they're almost, you know, looking for any sort of question to ask to get validation from you.

Speaker 1: 8:25

And the third sign is that your potential students could focus on edge cases. They'll say things like I've tried other courses before and failed. How is this different? Or what if my situation is too unique for your strategies to apply? You might get an email saying Hi, I'm Chloe. I'm a painter specialising in abstract arts. Most courses are focused on realism. Will this even work for me? So you will find that there's almost a degree of scepticism in their email to you. So when you notice these behaviours, don't write them off as just another tyre kicker. These are actually golden opportunities to connect, to empathise and reassure your potential students that they can succeed with your course. So how do we do this? Well, here comes the good stuff how to tackle the subjection head-on and build rock-solid confidence in your students before they even enroll in your course.

Speaker 1: 9:30

So most of us include testimonials on our sales page right. But here's the thing People need to see themselves in the success stories you share. If all your testimonials are from people who already had an edge, like they were naturally gifted, they had prior experience or were in ideal circumstances, you're reinforcing the very belief that this won't work for me. So look at your testimonials and make sure that you've got some in there that are from students who maybe started as complete beginners or overcame significant hurdles. Example off the top of my head Jessica, a 55 year old nurse, had never touched a camera before. Today she's taking professional level photographs. I don't know something like that. So something you've got a range of testimonials where you've got students in there who were absolute complete beginners and then overcame significant hurdles.

Speaker 1: 10:29

The other thing that you can do is paint a relatable transformation arc. So when you're describing the transformation your course offers, don't just focus on the after picture. Spend time talking about the before state in a way that resonates with your audience. And here is what the arc looks like Something similar to this you might feel overwhelmed right now, like you've tried everything and nothing's worked. Maybe you're worried you're just not cut out for this. I get it, because so many of my students felt that way too. But here's what happened when they gave themselves a chance dot, dot, dot. And then you would share a specific student story that mirrors this arc. So you're meeting your potential students where they're at. You might feel overwhelmed right now, like you've tried everything and nothing's worked. You've given them some suggestions of what they might have tried already. Maybe you're worried you're just not cut out for this. And then you relate to them I get it, because so many of my students felt that way too and then you give them the hope. But here's what happened when they gave themselves a chance. So it's like an arc you meet them where they're at and you bring them over to your side.

Speaker 1: 11:44

Now also think about quick win guarantees. Let's just pause with the future students for a moment and look at our already enrolled students that have just enrolled and address their fear of failure as well, because not everybody that's signing up to your course will be confident and ready to go. You will still have a certain level of fear of failure within your cohort for your course. So we need to build their confidence early on and we need to be able to give them small quick wins very early on in your course, because this will build their confidence and reinforce the idea that they can succeed. So, for example, if you're teaching a writing course, you could have students complete a short but powerful exercise in, say, module one that leaves them with a polished paragraph that they're proud of. So make sure that within your course, within that very first module, you have got some quick wins. But back to your future students that have got this fear of failure Just be really really, really clear with your sales copy that it should feel like a warm conversation, not a hard sell.

Speaker 1: 12:49

So speak directly to their fears and counter them with compassion and logic. So, for example, you might have a line in there, something like you might be thinking what if I fail? And my answer to that is what if you don't? What if this is the moment where everything changes for you? You don't have. What if this is the moment where everything changes for you? You don't have to do this perfectly, you just have to start. And that's taken directly from my own page for Teaching Mastery Academy. So it's looking at the language that we're using and making sure that it's like a warm conversation. We're compassionate, we're empathetic, we're logical.

Speaker 1: 13:23

Now I know some of you listening are thinking Francesca, this is great, but I'm nervous about pricing my course as a premium offer in the first place. What if I don't believe my course is worth it? Well, here's the thing, my friend you can't sell what you don't believe in. Confidence in your pricing starts with confidence in your course's value. Let's do a really quick reality check. I've got four questions for you. Question number one what is the transformation worth? If your course helps someone land a better job, grow their business or achieve personal growth, what is it worth to them? Think beyond dollars. Consider time saved, stress avoided and opportunities gained. Imagine if you had priced your course at, say, $500 and you had a student that went through your course that landed a $10,000 contract within three months of completing your course. That's 20 times the investment they made in your program. So think about it like that. Think about the lifetime value that your students will gain from completing your course.

Speaker 1: 14:28

The second question you can ask yourself to do a really quick reality check if you are worried that your course is not worth it. Are you over delivering? Now, most course creators underestimate how much value they're already providing. Do an audit of your course content. If you're offering actionable strategies, expert insights and community support, you're already leagues ahead of most course creators. So think about maybe breaking down the hours of content, templates and bonuses you're already including. Quantify the value. Okay, think about it. Think about how much your time and energy is worth. How much have you already created that has a value? The third question to ask yourself is are you anchoring your price with results? So premium pricing is justified when the results are premium. So use specific, measurable outcomes as anchors. For example, this course helps Sarah double her revenue in three months. So whatever it is that you are creating, think about how it's going to help your future students in their own lives. Down the track. Now.

Speaker 1: 15:45

Premium courses aren't just for a one-off high-ticket priced course. You might have a monthly membership of, say, $99, which over the course of the year adds up to nearly $1,200. That's still premium. That's still a really good premium course. But you're giving it in more manageable, bite-sized pieces throughout the year. And so think about, month by month, what are your students gaining that is that becomes invaluable in their lifetime? What would they value the skills that they're learning from you at if they're using them every day in their own lives or they're applying it to their own businesses, or it's helping them get ahead in life? How do you value it? And so, when you're justifying your own pricing, view your course through those lens.

Speaker 1: 16:36

And my fourth reality checkpoint is practice saying your price. Now, this might sound silly, but practice saying your price out loud until it feels natural. The more comfortable you are with your pricing, the more confident you'll be when talking about it. So, for example, you stand in front of a mirror and say my course is $997 because it delivers $10,000 worth of value. Or write it on post-it notes and stick them around the house worth of value. Or write it on post-it notes and stick them around the house, really start to let that settle into your subconscious, because your course deserves it. Your course is so worth it.

Speaker 1: 17:13

To wrap things up, remember this the fear of this won't work for me is powerful, but it's not insurmountable. By addressing this very, very subconscious objection with empathy, psychology and strategy, you're not just selling a course. You're selling belief in your students' ability to transform their lives. That's powerful stuff. So here's my action plan for you, my friends. Step one is to audit your testimonials and make sure they reflect a diverse range of success stories. Step two is to update your sales page to address the before state with empathy. Step three is to build quick wins into your course structure. And step four is to practice pricing confidence until it's second nature to you. If you can cover those four steps, you are well on the way to ensuring that this fear of this won't work for me is well and truly a thing of the past. Thanks so much for tuning in today and, as always, keep creating, keep teaching and keep transforming lives Until next time. I'm Francesca Hudson signing off.