How To Create Course Lessons That Drive Consumption & Action

Your lessons are the core of your course. So, if they aren’t engaging enough…

Or can’t pass on the knowledge your customers need to get to the dream outcome you promised…

You won't have a successful course business.  

This stands even if you really do offer revolutionary information/teachings. 

That’s why today I want to show you how to approach creating lessons that keep your customers engaged…

Along with how to teach in a way that not only transfers knowledge…

But also drives action that skyrockets your students' chances of achieving their dream outcome.

I’ve already written about how you can outline a truly amazing course if you're struggling with that.

But if you've got the right idea and just need to transfer it into lessons your customers will love and act upon…

This article is for you.

Let’s dive into it.

How To Create Slides And Scene Plans

Most creators end up creating slide-based courses.

Yet most such courses fail to get attention and feature boring slides that distract the viewer…

Instead of helping them get into the essence of what you teach.

Here’s the 7-step structure I use to avoid this scenario…

And ensure my slides give viewers just what they need to advance through the course:

1. Keep ONE slide file per lesson. 

Then, follow the structure below for each slide in the file. 

(Sure, you can make some changes based on your unique circumstances. But this is the rough outline you should always reference.

2. Use a title slide.

And make sure it introduces the lesson in a clear way that gets the viewer eager to learn more.

3. Outline what your students will learn

Have a slide that instantly shows the viewer the benefits of going through the lesson…

And how they’ll be better off for it.

4. Get to the CONTENT

This is where most of your slides will be. 

Ensure your content is spread out into easy-to-follow chunks that are completely in sync with your narration.

5. Lesson recap

This isn’t a must, but I’ve found reviews helpful for people to check what they’ve learned…

And get the gist without rewatching the whole lesson.

6. Action Items/exercises/homework

If you have any, make sure they are clearly explained. And inherently useful.

7. Tease the next lesson

Again not a must. 

But do it right, and you’ll create a greased slide that ensures your viewers just can’t stop watching.

Also, don’t provoke “death by PowerPoint” by adding too much text to your slides. (This goes double for your main content slides.)

Instead, create a coherent whole designed to keep attention.

(Quick tip. I use Canva to create my slide files and design the actual slides. It’s really easy to use and master. Plus, it has so many templates — some are bound to fit your brand image.)

On the other hand, if you have to interact with something physical to make your course effective (like me teaching piano)...

It makes sense to prioritize being on camera over slides. 

If this is your case —  you should use what I call “scene plans.” 

In a nutshell, this means preparing something that contains your talking points…

And anything physical you’d need for covering that lesson/scene. 

Sure, you can use slides for those talking points — but you don’t need anything fancy because the students won’t see them. Or you can use some sort of document software. 

The key thing is to not just read from a screen. Allow yourself to be human and even make mistakes.

This actually builds relatability and connection…

While perfection just feels fake.

How To Set A Recording Schedule That’s Right For YOU

Recording your many lessons and doing it well is a key pillar for success. So, if you don’t create a plan you’ll stick to and that suits your preferences…

Your course quality and satisfaction levels will both suffer.

The way I see it, you have two options you can further adapt to your unique needs:

1. Batch Record

This means recording lots and lots of lessons in one sitting. As much as possible.

It’s my favorite approach. For example, when I recorded the last version of my “Piano In 21 Days” course, I set an entire Friday aside. 

So, no meetings, no other obligations. Heck, I didn’t even plan to have lunch.

Instead, I brought plenty of water & coffee and started at 8 a.m. Then, I recorded and recorded until I was completely drained out of energy.

With a few minor breaks, that was about 3:30 p.m. In the end, I finished half of my lessons.

So, I repeated the same thing next Friday.

You don’t have to take this approach, of course. Batch in any way that suits you best. Try and test some options first.

Then, make a plan you know you can stick to.

2. Spread out your recordings

If you’re not a batch person, and this approach overwhelms you…

Try spreading out your lessons across multiple days.

So, define a fixed number of lessons you’ll record each day (or on fixed days, e.g., 3 lessons every Monday) until you’re done…

And stick to that number without fail.

Again, you can first test to see how many lessons a day best suits your preferences. 

In a nutshell, the key thing is to craft a realistic recording plan.

And then execute it through and through. 

How To Master The Art Of Teaching In Online Courses

Look, it’s okay if you don’t have experience with teaching. You can still do it well…

And you’ll get better and better the more you do this.

Here are a couple of tips designed to fast-track that learning:

1. Do your best to pretend you’re teaching this to an actual person

Imagining someone on the other side helps you explain things well, anticipate and respond to potential questions, and close out as many gaps as possible.

2. Be yourself

I know it’s a cliché — but try to actually do it. Your course doesn’t have to be the most professional thing ever created.

And you don’t have to be rigid, uptight, or perfect for people to listen to what you have to say.

In fact, this will provoke a different effect, as I’ve mentioned earlier.

So, don’t be afraid to be human. Let your kid or dog make an appearance.

Answer the phone while you’re recording (I did this once when my wife was calling. Then I talked and joked about it)

Pour a shot of whiskey for you and the viewer. (This happened in a course I took.)

In a nutshell, be casual, natural, and relatable. 

People respect and cling to that.

3. Don’t write scripts — use talking points instead

As I’ve said, this ensures you sound conversational, friendly, and human.

Don’t worry, you can always edit later.

How To Efficiently Record, Edit, And Upload Your Lessons

I created a separate article about recording course lessons that click with your customers.

For editing, I recommend using a tool like Descript to create amazing videos. It works even if editing isn’t your strong suit, and the free version can do a lot.

Finally, uploading depends entirely on the platform you’re using. And it shouldn’t be a problem…

Just make sure to double-check everything works & flows as intended.

You can do all these three things at once. Or one at a time. 

Choose the option that best fits your preferences and deadlines.

Conclusion

If you don’t create lessons that click with your customers, get them the info they need, and incite action…

Your course business won’t even be near to its full potential.

But once you create such lessons, the sky is the limit. 

That’s because it sets the scene for good results and reaching the outcome you promised. Which in turn leads to referrals and new purchases from the same customers.

So, here’s to using my tips from above to create lessons that get results for your customers…

And consequently for your course business.

I’m rooting for you.

-Jacques.