🗣️ Transcript
Hello and welcome to this lesson, which is called: The Only 4 Results that Matter. And I’m going to give you some powerful distinctions to help you define your course destination.
So here’s what you’ll learn:
- Why some results are harder to pin down than others
- The four types of end result your course can deliver
Let’s get started.
Over the years I’ve learned that while some topic areas lend themselves to clear, tangible and easily-articulated results, others are more challenging.
For instance, a course about making your own furniture from recovered timber has a more tangible result than one designed to give you a greater sense of purpose and well-being.
And there are a couple of different factors at work here.
The first is whether the result your course delivers is external or internal.
Some journeys produce external results.
Like building a shed, publishing a book, or getting beach abs. The end result is plain for people to see.
However, other journeys produce results that are more internal.
Like growing your confidence, learning a new language, or reducing negative self-talk. The end result is beneath the surface.
Sometimes there are external signs of success too, but the result itself is internal.
As it turns out, destinations with external results are easier for people to visualise and “step into” than more internal ones.
The other “tangibility factor” is whether the result is relatively stable or potentially more fluid.
Some journeys, like building a website, or gaining a certification, or landing an exciting new job, produce relatively stable results. Once you’ve achieved them, they tend to stick around.
Other results are more fluid, for instance, being more productive, eating more healthily or having better-behaved kids. They don’t stay at a constant level all the time; they can ebb and flow. They can even disappear altogether.
As you might guess, destinations with stable results are usually more appealing than ones with more fluid ones. I guess they just feel more lasting.
Digging into these distinctions led me to identify four fundamental result types your online course can deliver.
And peering into your students’ future using these different result types as a lens, will help you to design the most desirable destination for your course.
So let’s learn what the four types are.
The first type of result your course can deliver is a new asset.
An asset is something you can create, own or control.
It could be a physical thing like a flourishing garden or a hand-made engagement ring.
Or an organisational thing like a thriving business or a productive team.
Or a purely digital thing like a kick-ass website or a strategic marketing plan.
But since a new asset is usually external and stable, it’s one of the easiest results for people to visualise and project themselves into.
When looking through the Asset lens, you’ll want to peer into the future and ask:
“What will my students have after completing my course that they don’t have now?”
The second type of result is a new ability.
An ability is a new physical or mental skill.
It could be the ability to speak conversational Italian or write compelling sales copy or manage a team effectively.
Whatever it is, once you’ve mastered it, you can apply that skill whenever and however you choose.
A new ability is an internal result, but its effects can be external. So for instance learning Italian versus actually speaking Italian.
So when describing your destination you’ll want to emphasise the external aspects of that internal change.
And when looking at your course result through the Ability lens, you’ll want to ask:
“What will my students be able to do after completing my course that they can’t do now?”
The third type of result is a new status. It’s a valuable label you earn or a respected position you hold.
A status can be a new job with a fancy title. It can be a specific achievement like a technical certification. It can be a desirable label like “6-figure copywriter” or “best-selling author”.
Sometimes status is bestowed upon you by someone else. Sometimes you claim it for yourself based on a level of achievement you’ve reached.
A new status is external but it’s not always obvious so you have to work harder to bring it to life. (That’s why some courses issue certificates to successful students – it helps externalise the change in status.)
When looking at your course result through the Status lens, you’ll want to ask:
“What new position or label will students have earned that they haven’t earned yet?”
The final type of result is a new reality. That’s a shift in the student’s daily experiences.
So it might mean a more harmonious family life. It might mean greater productivity at work. It might mean more health, energy and vitality. Or a completely transformed attitude to wealth and money.
This is perhaps the most powerful result type, but it’s also the hardest to make tangible, because it’s more fluid and often has a strong internal dimension.
When looking at your course result through the Reality lens, you’ll want to ask:
“What will my students’ daily experience be like (see, hear, feel) after completing my course compared to now?”
So those are the four results that really matter: creating a new asset, gaining a new ability, earning a new status and experiencing a new reality.
By looking into your student’s future through each of those “lenses” you’ll be able to design a destination they’ll be excited to visit.
And by the way. Sometimes one result type will obviously be the right one for your situation. Sometimes it’s a combination of several.
But considering all the different perspectives will help you make your destination as appealing as possible.
We’re going to dig deeper into choosing the right result in the next lesson.
See you there!