How to Ensure You’re Using the Right Business Strategy With Every Launch
Feb 07, 2022
Do you ever wonder what strategies are right for you and which ones aren’t? Then this is the post for you! Today, I’m talking about when to use pilot and beta strategies for creating a program. I get asked this a lot, so I thought it was the perfect thing to talk about today.
In most instances, these strategies aren’t great for a lot of programs. I want to break them down, the purposes behind them, and allow you to decipher what’s best for you.
I’ve been really vocal about my perspective on pre-selling courses. Business coaches commonly say that pre-selling a course is a good way to validate an idea. I don’t believe that to be true. This is because if you’re doing the course creation the right way, you’ll have done an upfront analysis that provides the information you need for validation.
Many business coaches that are sharing this advice have never created a course before or have created a course that didn’t turn out the way they intended.
I’m here to tell you that for most people, pre-sells don’t make sense. It leads to people freaking out in the course creation stage. Then, they end up with an end-product that they want to change.
When you’re making promises to people about things you haven’t been doing - well, let’s just say that a lot can happen. When we work with agency clients, most courses change five to ten percent of the time. That’s pretty normal. We’re building a strong curriculum and sometimes things need to shift.
DIYers who have never built a course usually end up shifting in a negative way. Their programs end up out of scope and - to be honest - a mess.
Without further ado, here’s my perspective on pilot and beta programs.
What are Pilot and Beta Programs?
A pilot program, in my personal definition, is a program where you’re looking to test a product. It’s all about testing.
Beta programs are the first-round trial of a product. It’s not the test of the framework, but a chance to work out the logistics.
Who Are Pilot Programs Right For?
Pilot programs are great if you’re looking to test a framework. If you’re developing a course or program and want to test the framework, this is a good way to do it. It’s a way of experimenting to ensure that it’s something you can scale.
Pilot something that you’re not sure about. It’s better to do this early on before you make promises and sales to people!
A pilot should be with a small group. It should be either free or at a really low cost. Make sure you’re honest with the group about why they’re there, what you’re trying to achieve, and how they can help you.
Make sure your participants agree to provide you feedback. To prepare for your pilot, prepare your hypothesis around the framework you want to test. Run with a minimum viable product to ensure that your methods work.
Pilot programs are great for anyone who doesn't feel confident in selling their framework and want to gather data and feedback first.
Who Are Beta Programs Right For?
Beta programs are great for people who have a solid framework but want to experiment with how they run their program. This is great to do when you’re looking to test the way you’re sharing your content.
It’s perfect if you’re selling something solid but you’re still working out the logistics - how many calls do you want to include, how do you want the team to help administer the program, and so on.
My hesitation with a beta program is that maybe you should just put more time into the bones and foundation of your program upfront instead of running something as a beta in the first place.
These Programs Aren’t for Everyone: The Bottom Line
These programs can be great, but they also can cause extra work for people that are really confident in what they’re selling. So, really weigh whether these are right for you and your business before you take them on in your programming!
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See you next week!
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