Part 1

What Is Value?• Each of us has a different way of assigning

value to things

• To value/evaluate something is to compare it to other things, including the cost, and then to decide whether or not it’s “worth it”

• By understanding what your customer values, you can create more valuable content

Making Information Valuable• What makes information more or less

valuable?

• One aspect of value is the result it provides if followed by your student-customer

• Another aspect is the perception of the value of the information

Increase The Value Of Your Information• If you identify the most valuable information

you have for your customers and build your product around it, you can sell more products, for more money

• If you just “teach what you know” you’re unlikely to focus on what’s most valuable to your customer, and unlikely to create a product that “sells itself”

Mindset 1: Take Responsibility• Most people who create information products

only take responsibility for the “teaching”

• By going further, and taking on the mindset that you’re responsible for helping your student get a result, it changes how you teach

• This mindset keeps you focused on helping people take action (instead of just memorizing)

Mindset 2: People Pay More For Tangibles• When someone is spending money, it’s easier

for them if they can imagine getting something specific, tangible, measurable

• Focus on helping people achieve specific results and outcomes in your product

• Fit in the “softer” stuff around the tangibles

Mindset 3: Validate Their Reality• A person who is going to buy information

from you is most likely in a situation where they are feeling some level of pressure

• When we get into situations where we have strong needs, we often feel fear, shame, etc.

• As you teach in your product, validate the reality of your customer

Mindset 4: “I See You”• The next step after validating someone’s

reality is to teach in a way that makes it easy to accept and implement

• Consider the situation that your student is in, and make what you’re teaching them easy to learn, and easy to implement

• Say things in their language, as well

Mindset 5: Look For Need Patterns• If possible, talk to prospective customers, and ask

them about their motives and motivations • As you listen, take special note of the patterns of

things that they say that are most motivating to them

• It’s these patterns that act as the clues to discover what will be most valuable to include in your product

Mindset 6: Talk To Irrational Needs• Motivation is about emotion, which reminds

us that what people think they need is actually irrational, in most cases

• Even though motivation is usually irrational, that doesn’t mean it’s unimportant

• By talking to irrational needs first, you build rapport and enter the reality of your student

Start With Fears & Desires• What is your biggest fear or frustration?

• What is your want or aspiration?

• How would things turn out, if they went perfectly?

• How do you know when you’re getting the result that you want?

Product Exercise #1: What Is Value?• What are your customer’s biggest fears and desires?

• What are the highest value results that your customer would like to achieve?

• Why are each of these things valuable?

• What is the value of each, in terms of time saved, money saved, convenience, emotional benefit, etc.?

Hot Seat: Polina Solda +Q&A

Part 2

Organizing Your Information• The general rule in communication is that

whatever you say will be misunderstood

• For this reason, we use “frameworks” in order to make our information easy to understand - and to minimize misunderstanding

• As a general rule, you need to say something at least three different ways to make sure it’s understood

Start With Mindset Shifts• I like to start by teaching any key mindsets or

“mindset shifts” that need to be made internally - before someone can be effective with content

• This is where you address misconceptions, point out distinctions, and help your student understand the values they need to internalize

• By presenting “mindsets” you also avoid coming across as authoritarian, fundamentalist, etc.

The Learning “Supermodel”• WHY: Motivate to learn

• WHAT: Explain the theory or model

• HOW: Give them a step by step procedure

• WHAT IF: Take action and learn from experience

Ways Of Saying “Why”

Get Avoid

Do

Don’t Do

If you do this,you get this

If you do this, you avoid this

If you don’t do this, you get this

If you don’t do this, you avoid this

Ways Of Saying “What”• The theory or model

• Concepts

• Definitions

• Stories about how you learned it

• Metaphors

• Diagrams, mind maps, etc.

Ways Of Saying “How”• Procedures

• Action steps in sequence (3-7 or so)

• Recipes

• Exercises

Ways Of Saying “What If”• Commit to taking an action

• Get accountability

• Set up feedback systems

• How to adjust when moving closer to or further from the result

Product Exercise #2: Outline A Section• List 3 mindsets that your student must take on • Use WHY > WHAT > HOW > WHAT IF… • List reasons why someone should learn • Tell story and explain a model • List steps and give an exercise • Get into action, set up feedback

Hot Seat: Steve (Rockstar Mind)+Q&A

Part 3

Name Your Concepts• Increases the perceived value by 10x-100x

• Use value-enhancing words like technique, system, method, test, etc. “The Kiss Test”

• When you name an idea or technique, you turn it from “information” into “intellectual property” - you legitimize it

Write Your Marketing First• Mel Martin from Boardroom’s secret weapon

• If you begin by imagining the marketing piece you’re going to write to sell your digital product, it reminds you of what to include in the product itself

• As you do this, challenge yourself to make the product sound as valuable as possible

Begin A Section With An Exercise• As you build your product outline, start each

section by creating the exercise that you’ll do at the end - start with the ACTION

• By beginning with the end in mind, it makes it much easier to choose and organize content

• The exercise also reminds you what your student will need to know in order to do it

Start With An Audio Product• My favorite format for a digital product is a

simple audio course that’s 6-10 sessions

• Book a live webinar in advance, then record the sessions to use as your product content

• Bonus: PowerPoint or Keynote slides act as your guides, and keep you on track

Capture Your Inspirations• Once you decide to create a product, you’ll

notice that ideas start coming to you constantly

• It’s important to capture these ideas somewhere, so you can refer to them later

• I use Simplenote & Evernote, because they sync across my devices, and are “always on”

Put It On The Calendar!• My key “productivity secret” when it comes to

creating digital products is to “put it on the calendar” - and start inviting people

• Something happens when I know that others will be there waiting to learn from me

• Choose a date now, and put it on the calendar

Product Exercise #3: Product Outline• Introduction & Orientation, Mindsets • Need 1 + Exercise • Need 2 + Exercise • Need 3 + Exercise • Need 4 + Exercise • Need 5 + Exercise

Hot Seat: Rachel Bolton +Q&A