Are you a fixed or flexible provider?
When it comes to designing a course or any form of online training product there's some debate between the relative merits of Fixed or Flexible access. But which is best and is one option better than the other?
Read on to hear my view which after decades of putting together training course of all shapes and sizes is based on my focus on looking at things from the customers viewpoint .
Fixed Access
Fixed access are those courses that are released over a set period of time with all the enrolled students getting the materials at the same time each week or so. Live events and Q&A sessions are part of the fixed time period and students are either fully part of the process or miss out. Once the fixed time period is over the course ends usually with no further ongoing support. Some but not many providers offer ongoing support at no extra charge. Most charge a big fee.
Flexible Access
Flexible access on the other hand are those courses where all the materials are available at once. There may also be live events and Q&A sessions for a fixed period of time and students can progress at any speed they want to or are able to. Once the course time period is over there may or may not be ongoing student support.
So which is best - Fixed of Flexible?
Well, if you look at things purely as a course provider then offering a fixed course is the only option to consider. Everything has a neat time period around it so you can more easily do pre-launch and launch events and the fixed time period apparently gives every student a sense of urgency and belonging to be part of the cohort and succeed.
Now that's a popular view put forward by guess who? - Those who sell fixed duration courses about selling courses!
In my opinion this is complete and utter nonsense.
If you want a business that relies on endlessly finding new customers who buy one thing then are never seen again then this approach is ideal.
But I would argue (and the evidence of countless successful long running businesses demonstrates this) that this isn't a good approach if you actually bother about your customers and the results they're going to get from your products. An even worse approach if you're looking to secure more than one sale.
If, on the other hand, you actually walk in the shoes of your customers then offering a flexible access approach makes a lot of sense and here's why:
1) Life
Whatever the price and whatever the reason why someone bought a course, the simple fact is that life and the global nature of the internet gets in the way. Plus, there are 24 time zones so ‘live’ or miss out only works for a few.
An easy way to make students feel excluded if they’re not in the right time zone or have elderly parents or a sick child or a big deadline at work that ‘week’. Once a student falls behind due to life getting in the way they're then under pressure to catch up, feel stressed and their likelihood of giving up and seeking a refund rises dramatically.
'Post purchase dissonance' aka buyers regret is easy enough to occur in customers who've paid out a lump of money without fuelling it.
2) Motivation
If someone lacks the self motivation to complete a course they’re unlikely to ever use the information so timing is irrelevant.
Sadly a lot of people think they're making progress by collecting yet more courses on their computer. The reality is that only a tiny percentage of people will start a course and even less finish it, even if they've paid. This is borne out by my own stats from 'bundle' customers who accessed my courses for free. Over 95% have never accessed the course they chose.
3) Normality
Standard distribution of results means that some students will go way faster than the progress a specific timed course allows so will end up annoyed, frustrated and complain about being held back.
Others will go slower and want to re-watch modules a couple of times. They feel left behind and their self confidence takes a hit if they’re can’t keep up with a timed program.
What to do?
So if you DO offer a fixed course duration DO provide the students that have already paid you with a means of ongoing support and encouragement without having to pay yet more money. Your long term sales will do so much better from lifetime customers rather than a stream of buy once and be disappointed customers.
It’s all about thinking what is best and what is needed by your customer. Compare and contrast these two real life examples.
Course Provider A - launched his Course over 20 years ago and updates it every year. I bought it when it first was released on CD in 2002. Any time he completely re-writes and updates his 'Formula' program his existing students can access the wholly new material for just $97. His community is open ended for every student. Within his free to students community, he provides templates and other resources and courses to boost the core program.
Course Provider B - Compare that to another provider whose 'Academy' is launched every September and lasts fixed eight weeks and then the support community is stopped and students are cut off with no support unless they pay $97 a month to be part of a new group. Every template and extra has to be paid for.
You can imagine which of these providers has much higher customer ratings and a lot less customers left feeling like they made a mistake.
