Today I’m going to be talking about one of the most important things you can be doing in your marketing to majorly increase your course or program sales.
Just by implementing this one strategy, you can really turn around a course that has had lacklustre sales.
It’s a strategy that’s used by big and small brands ALL the time — from shops like Target to airlines to coffee chains to hipster gift shops.
It’s simple, but often missed.
Tune in for the full scoop on this strategy!
So what’s the strategy? It’s urgency. Like it or not, it’s human nature to put off a decision when nothing forces us to make it. We sit in limbo. Buying an online course is no different. If you give people no reason to buy now, they’ll put it off, and “later” usually means never.
Let me show you what I mean, then I’ll give you three ways to build urgency into your own promotions.
The everyday version of urgency
Picture walking into Target and finding the perfect pair of jeans. There are 10 pairs in your size, full price, no sale. You shrug and think maybe you’ll come back next week. No reason to buy today.
Now picture the same jeans, but it’s the last pair in your size and they’re marked down from $49.99 to $29.99. Suddenly you’re taking those straight to the register. Same jeans. The scarcity and the deal changed everything.
It works everywhere. Concert tickets when the map still shows a wide-open arena? You’ll wait. When the front and middle are sold out and only 10% of seats are left? You’re checking out fast. The two-for-one sign on a pair of gold hoops? You buy both today. That’s urgency doing the work.
3 ways to create urgency in your course promotions
1. Price. A limited-time discount. Your course is normally $997, but for a set window it’s $799. Saving $200 with a ticking clock makes people act. Early-bird pricing works the same way.
2. A bonus. Instead of dropping the price, add something valuable for anyone who buys in the window. Buy the $997 course now and get a second course free. It’s the two-for-one effect, the value jumps and people rush to check out. Don’t skimp on the bonus. The better it is, the faster the “start the car” moment hits.
3. Closing doors. Limited seats or a closing cart. The cart opens Monday and shuts Friday, and that’s it. Some creators only open once a year. This drives serious scarcity, and you’ll almost always see a flood of buyers in the final hours, because people love to decide right before the door shuts.
You don’t have to pick just one. You can stack two, or use all three in a single launch.
One rule: keep it genuine
Your urgency has to be real. I’m not a fan of the fake kind, where the price is “50% off for two more days” and it’s still 50% off next week. That feels gross, and people notice. Same with closing doors: if you run an evergreen funnel where the cart opens and closes per person, it actually has to close for that person when the timer ends. That’s why I love pairing an evergreen funnel with live launches. If someone didn’t buy during the funnel, they get a real second chance when you open the doors live.
Pick the type of urgency that fits your next promotion and build it in. It’s the single fastest way I know to turn a course with lackluster sales around.
Want to run these promotions faster and smarter? I’ll show you how I use AI to plan launches and write the promo copy in my free workshop. Grab your spot here.
For more, check out my episode on the 5 elements of a high-converting sales page, and browse my programs when you’re ready to go deeper.
For the complete approach, see my full guide on how to sell an online course.
Click ‘play’ to listen:
Ep56: The #1 thing you can do to double (or triple!) your online course sales
