Module 5: Module Creation
Welcome!
Hey there!
Welcome to Module 5 of Low-Ticket Product Creation, a mini-course inside of Low-Ticket Launchpad.
In this module, I’m going to walk you through my Perfect Course Module Framework:
-
The 6 sections you should aim to have (or speak to) in every course module
-
What each section accomplishes for the customer & why it’s important
-
And the order in which you should organize these sections (in each module) to increase the likelihood the customer is successful
This is a very easy, very actionable way of creating digital product course modules.
Let’s dive in!
The Perfect Course Module Framework
Over the past 4+ years, I have:
-
Scaled 2 of the largest writing programs on the Internet (Ship 30 for 30 & Premium Ghostwriting Academy)
-
Driven over $15,000,000 in total revenue from our products & programs
-
And created some of the most widely adopted writing frameworks on the Internet, coaching & mentoring over 12,000 students
I have also written and re-written all of our digital products so many times that, if added up together, I can conservatively say I have written over 4,000,000 words.
So if you’re brand new to creating digital products and/or online courses, then I highly encourage you to use this framework to get started. Because I have tried a lot of different approaches, and I can tell you this one is the easiest to follow and the fastest to execute.
Start here.
The Perfect Course Module
There are 7 sections I’ve found that make for an extremely helpful, actionable, and easy-to-follow course module:
-
✅ Reasons Why (Benefits)
-
✅ Mistakes To Avoid (Problems)
-
✅ Steps How To (Action Steps)
-
✅ Commonly Asked Questions (Objections)
-
✅ Walkthrough Example (Proof)
-
✅ *Bonus Asset (Template)
-
✅ Assignment (Homework)
Let’s walk through each one, in order, so you understand a) what it accomplishes, and b) why it’s important to the customer.
Section #1: Reasons Why (Benefits)
Before you dive right into the Action Step (which should be the core promise & focus of each module), you need to set the frame.
And the way you “set the frame” is you first need to explain:
- Reasons Why: “Before I tell you what to do, let me tell you the REASONS WHY this action step is so important.”
Think of the first section of every module as a mini sales pitch as to why the customer should trust you.
Because if you don’t tell them WHY it’s important, then the Action Step itself doesn’t matter.
They don’t trust you, and they don’t understand how it connects to their broader goal.
And the easiest way to “convince” someone to buy into your approach/action step is to simply tell them:
“Here are all the good things that will happen if you take this approach.”
-
Benefit #1
-
Benefit #2
-
Benefit #3
-
Benefit #4
-
Benefit #5
For example:
If I told you, “Hey, you should hop on a plane and fly 5 hours to Los Angeles,” which is an Action Step, chances are you wouldn’t go.
Because just telling someone “what to do” doesn’t mean they’re going to do it.
But if I started SELLING you on the BENEFITS of that action step, you’d slowly become more and more likely to take action:
-
“Venice Beach is so much fun.”
-
“The weather in LA this time of year is amazing.”
-
“There are so many healthy restaurants.”
-
“The hikes down in Malibu have incredible views.”
-
Etc.
This is very, very important.
You HAVE to “sell” the customer on each Action Step, and the benefits of taking that Action Step, before you dig into “now here’s how you actually do it.”
Section #2: Mistakes To Avoid (Problems)
Now, once you’ve explained the Reasons Why the person should take this particular Action Step, first, what’s the next thing you need to point out to them?
Well… before you do anything, don’t you want to know what NOT to do?
Mistakes To Avoid!
Once the person has bought into each step, you can better prepare them for the journey ahead by saying, “And make sure you don’t make these mistakes.”
-
Mistake #1
-
Mistake #2
-
Mistake #3
-
Mistake #4
-
Mistake #5
-
Etc.
Again, it all comes back to what increases the likelihood they will be successful.
And telling them what mistakes to avoid BEFORE they get started is usually more helpful than letting them get started and making a bunch of mistakes you could have prevented them from experiencing.
For example:
Let’s pretend your low-ticket digital product is about how to start an online tutoring business.
And your first module (first Action Step) is all about Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile.
Then the first 2 sections of that module should look something like this:
-
Reasons Why: “Here’s why you should optimize your LinkedIn profile, FIRST, before starting to promote your online tutoring business and trying to find paying customers.”
-
Mistakes To Avoid: “Now, when optimizing your LinkedIn profile, make sure you don’t make beginner mistakes like spam connecting with anyone and everyone, posting promotional content with links, and leaving your bio blank.”
See how we need to set the frame, first?
Then we can dig into the sub-Action Steps.
Section #3: Steps How To (Action Steps)
Once the frame has been set, NOW you can give the person Steps How To.
This is very straightforward:
-
Take the big Action Step of the module
-
Break that big Action Step down into 3-7 smaller, more digestible action steps
-
And walk through each one, in a logical order, to make sure they get from point A to point B (and don’t get lost along the way).
Your measure for success here should be that someone could follow your 3-7 smaller action steps, successfully accomplish the big Action Step of the module, AND have no lingering questions.
If you can do that, you will have a wildly successful digital product.
Ways to make your Action Steps even easier to follow:
-
✅ Example Screenshots: Whenever possible, I like to add in screenshots of exactly what the person should be doing. This is especially true if you’re trying to explain how to use some sort of digital platform. People are visual learners!
-
✅ Proof Screenshots: Don’t go overboard here, but if you’re explaining how something works, sometimes it helps to add in a “proof” screenshot (something you did yourself, or something another person you helped accomplished) to drive home the point.
-
✅ Graphic Designed Visuals: This is more advanced, and certainly not needed, but if you have the skill and/or want to really elevate the quality of your product, adding in designed visuals for each concept or action step can be very helpful.
Section #4: Commonly Asked Questions (Objections)
Of course, anytime you tell someone “how to do something,” guess what?
The bottleneck to them taking action usually isn’t a hard skill deficit.
Especially if your Action Steps are crystal clear, information no longer becomes the problem. You’ve given them the information. You’ve explained why it’s important (Reasons Why). You’ve made them aware of what NOT to do, from the beginning (Mistakes To Avoid). Which means the only thing that’s left is…
Their own faulty beliefs!!!
In fact, what’s going on in your brain right now, as you read/listen to this?
-
I’m giving you a crystal clear framework.
-
I’m telling you “create these sections, in this order.”
-
I’m being about as prescriptive as I could possibly be.
And yet, I bet somewhere in your head is a little voice screaming all sorts of things:
-
“Well sure! This works for YOU. But I don’t think it’s going to work for ME.”
-
“Ok but what if my niche is different? Does this work for every niche?”
-
“If everybody uses this same framework, won’t every low-ticket digital product feel the same? I want to be different!”
-
Etc. etc. etc.
If you listen close, these aren’t actual questions.
They’re OBJECTIONS disguised as questions.
Which is why the next section in your module needs to be 100% dedicated to “answering these questions” aka overcoming these objections.
Because otherwise, the person is going to talk themselves out of doing exactly what you just told them to do.
Section #5: Walkthrough Example (Proof)
Now, even if you successfully answer all their questions (aka overcome all their objections), does the problem go away?
Of course not!
(Humans are such fickle pickles, aren’t they?)
So you have to help them overcome their own faulty beliefs AGAIN.
How?
Walkthrough Example (Proof)
-
It’s one thing to articulate the Reasons Why something is important
-
It’s another to make the person aware of Mistakes To Avoid (to help them be successful from the beginning)
-
It’s another to give them crystal clear Action Steps to follow
-
And it’s another to proactively answer their questions/help them overcome their own internal objections
But what REALLY pushes them over the edge is proof that it works.
And that proof could either be YOU showing them how to “do the thing,” from scratch, right there in front of them in a recorded video.
Or that proof could be you showing them how SOMEONE ELSE “did the thing,” had the same problem, had the same questions, took action, and was successful on the other side.
Here’s how:
Different Forms of Proof Examples
-
✅ A step-by-step “now watch me do it” video, from you.
-
✅ A step-by-step “now watch someone else do it” video, from another student.
-
✅ A video testimonial, from a successful student, that speaks to this specific Action Step and how they had all the same faulty beliefs/questions, took action, and then accomplished their goal
-
✅ A text-based testimonial (or collection of testimonials) from successful students that speak to this specific Action Step and how they had all the same faulty beliefs/questions, took action, and then accomplished their goal.
I want to emphasize that the key here is NOT having a testimonial.
If you have them, great.
But the real goal of this section is to SHOW (not tell) the person how this Action Step actually gets executed.
Because the more you show, the more likely they are to believe it works (and can work for them).
Walkthrough Example!
To show you EXACTLY how this works, I went ahead and pulled one of my favorite Walkthrough Examples from another one of our Low-Ticket Digital Products (Category Newsletter Creator).
-
First, I explained how to write a newsletter (and broke it apart into action steps).
-
And then, to “show” (and overcome any objections) how I do this, I created this walkthrough example video.
This is what an in-depth Walkthrough Example section looks like.
Section #6: Bonus Asset (Template)
Finally, there’s one more thing you can give people that will make it nearly impossible for them to NOT be successful.
A template!
Now, a template could be a lot of different things:
It could be…
-
A literal “fill in these blank spaces” template
-
A pre-filled Excel spreadsheet or Notion document
-
A saved template inside of a platform (like an email automation that has already been built inside of Kit, or a landing page that has already been designed in Carrd, etc.)
-
A checklist or cheat sheet
-
A calendar, a time-tracking spreadsheet, an invoicing template, etc.
-
An AI Prompt that automates or accelerates the thing you just told them how to do.
It doesn’t really matter “what” you give the person, as long as it increases the likelihood that they are successful with the Action Step of that module.
“But Cole?! I HATE templates!!!”
Fine.
But your customer doesn’t. (And even if they do, that’s why you should frame it as a BONUS asset. You don’t “have” to use it… but it’s there for you if you need it.)
After building a dozen different digital products, courses, and programs over the next 4 years, I can tell you that people need WAY more help than you realize.
-
They need you to slow down.
-
They need you to break things into small, bite-sized pieces.
-
And most importantly, they need you to give them some guardrails.
Like bowling.
If you’re a beginner, the first time you go bowling you want to use the bumpers (otherwise you’re going to have a terrible time).
The same is true when learning any new skill.
So, give your customers some bumpers!
Make it easy for them!
Section #7: Assignment (Homework)
Now the last section, while it’s not “required,” is something we really like to incorporate into our digital products.
Even if your digital product isn’t promising any sort of fulfillment/implementation.
At the end of each module, it’s a good best practice to recap VERY SPECIFICALLY what the customer now needs to go do.
It should go like this:
Assignment
-
We just talked about {Big Action Step}
-
You know a) why it’s important, b) what mistakes to avoid, and c) what smaller action steps you need to take in order to accomplish {Big Action Step}
-
So, what I’d like you to do is {Homework/Exercise}.
-
And don’t forget… use the {Template} I’ve provided you here!
Basically, you want to tell the person to go do the thing you just told them how to do, again.
Perfect Course Module Q&A
Now, every time I present this framework, I get the same handful of questions.
So, let’s tackle them here:
“But Cole?! Do I have to use all of these sections, in every single module, all the time?”
Of course not.
You may find some of your modules need all 7 sections:
-
✅ Reasons Why (Benefits)
-
✅ Mistakes To Avoid (Problems)
-
✅ Steps How To (Action Steps)
-
✅ Commonly Asked Questions (Objections)
-
✅ Walkthrough Example (Proof)
-
✅ *Bonus Asset (Template)
-
✅ Assignment (Homework)
In other cases, some modules might not need a walkthrough example, or a bonus asset, or even a section about “Mistakes To Avoid.”
It’s really up to you.
But if you want to make every single course module as valuable as possible, I would encourage you to at least consider how you could get all 7 of these sections in there—if for no other reason than to just stress-test and make sure you’re doing everything you can to make the person going through your digital product as successful as possible.
“But Cole?! If I use all the sections in your Perfect Course Module Framework, do they have to be in this specific order?”
Of course not.
Generally speaking though, you will find this order to be the most logical and easy to follow. I’ve created a lot of course modules, and a lot of different digital products, and without even meaning to I almost always revert back to these sections in this particular order.
So, I’m just giving you the answer.
But no, you do not need to follow the EXACT order I’m giving you.
What matters is that you give customers exactly what they need in order to be successful—and so however you “get there” is up to you.
“But Cole?! How long should every section be? Do I need pictures and videos and professional graphic design too?”
This is where digital product creation starts to become subjective.
The truth is, all of these are your own decisions.
But, if you want a prescriptive answer, here’s what I would aim for:
-
The top priority is making sure you give the customer what they need to be successful. However you get there is up to you.
-
That said, I would aim for 2,000 words per module minimum. Less than 2,000 words and it probably is going to feel a little thin. However, don’t be surprised if a single module ends up being upwards of 10,000 words. It happens!
-
I like recording 1 Loom per SECTION. Which usually means each Module will consist of anywhere from 3-10+ Looms. (For an example, just look at how this product you’re going through right now is structured.)
-
I like using screenshots whenever possible (for additional proof). But beyond that, adding images/graphic design is completely up to you. If you have the skill and/or just feel strongly about having it, then go for it. Jack Butcher did this exceptionally well. But it’s by no means required.
Module 5 Exercise
That’s it for Module 5 of Low-Ticket Product Creation!
And so… here’s YOUR assignment/exercise! (See how this works?)
You should use this Perfect Course Module Framework (and the 7 pieces outlined here for you) to start assembling the skeleton of your product—and each individual module:
-
✅ Reasons Why (Benefits)
-
✅ Mistakes To Avoid (Problems)
-
✅ Steps How To (Action Steps)
-
✅ Commonly Asked Questions (Objections)
-
✅ Walkthrough Example (Proof)
-
✅ *Bonus Asset (Template)
-
✅ Assignment (Homework)
And again, if you are able to get some (or all) of these sections in each module, you’re going to have an amazing digital product.
Key takeaways
TODO - For Ray