There I was, standing in the corner of the cooldown cafe.
Imagine a tiny bar.
A crowded dancefloor and a lot of smoke machines.
(We Dutchies love smoke)
People are dancing to cheesy tunes.
You know, the once only old people seem to know.
Beautiful people behind the bar with cut-off jeans. (That’s a cooldown trademark.)
That’s the place where me and my friends went every Saturday.
I didn’t had the courage to talk to a woman.
I needed half a bottle of tequila. I knew I had a 30-minute window before the tequila reached my head.
And you know the feeling that you’re talking to someone thinking you’re having an epic conversation.
But you’ll talk shit like a drunk trying to be cool. I’m sure my party peeps know the feeling.
My friend Davide was different; he was a modern-day Casanova.
The one that would make the original guy look like a total amateur.
He could talk to anyone in any room, and they would hang on his lips.
And the best thing. He didn’t need a drop of alcohol to do so.
Many years later, while running a 7 figure business, I thought a lot about Davide and his methods.
Because they were simple and easy to use in a course business.
Do you want to know his secrets?
Show your true colours.
First of all, Davide was always dressed as a gentleman. He looked great. But above all, he was himself.
He shared stories of all his adventures in Amsterdam. People love to be entertained.
Don’t be a lecturer; be an entertainer. Like Ben Settle said once in his emails:
Show me one rich teacher. The entertainer gets paid the most.
So, how do you apply this in your content strategy?
To sell a course, you first must build a community of raving fans.
I can make a long, boring list about telling stories, becoming a better writer or that the story, lesson, CTA is the best way to create content.
But you already know these things.
That’s why today we fly from a different angle. Here we go.
Have a strong opinion.
One evening, I was overhearing Davide say to a girl:
“I love your outfit. But those shoes are so not you.”
I thought, Davide, you’re in for a serious ass whooping. But the girl praised him for his honesty.
If there is one thing I have learned over the years about building brands, it’s this:
When people love you. Great, you have touched an emotional string.
When people hate you. Great, you have hit a painful point.
When people are indifferent, you’re in trouble.
Building audiences and selling courses is all about human emotion.
Always make an offer.
“What do you like to drink, Melissa?” Davide asked confidently.
After the drink, another offer was made.
“Shall we go for a dance? I love this song.”
Davide is just warming up with his offer stack.
“You know what I’m hungry. You like to get some patat met mayonnaise?” ( Famous Dutch fries with a white sauce.)
This concept is known as offer bouncing.
The more offers you make. The bigger the chance that people will buy.
Do you know what annoys me the most?
People who say: I only deliver free value. That’s how I build trust.
Uhm… No, you not.
All you do is train your audience that everything you offer is for free.
When you make an offer, this will happen:
You will be chased down the village. Branded as a witch, they chuck you in the river with a stone around your neck to see if you float.
Always be selling.
Do it low-key with no strings attached. And I promise you nobody will have a problem.
Now, it’s your turn to apply Davide’s lessons in your business. You will sell more digital products.
We talk soon.
Virgil” Not A Casanova” Brewster.