If you’re working toward your first six or seven-figures in course sales, I want you to hear me loud and clear:
You do not need more offers.
You do not need a fancy 7-funnel system.
And you definitely don’t need to run yourself into the ground trying to keep up with businesses 5x the size of yours
The fastest way to hit your first $1M is by doing less – not more.
When I was trying to hit my first million in course sales, I thought the answer was more.
More offers.
More funnels.
More content.
More everything.
But instead of speeding things up, all that “more” just slowed me down.
And I see this happen with so many course creators: they’re working harder than ever, yet the results aren’t adding up the way they thought they would.
Here’s what most people don’t realize until much later: the fastest path to your first six or seven-figures in course sales isn’t about doing more at all. In fact, it’s the opposite.
Today I’m going to show you why keeping things simple is the key to building momentum, creating consistent revenue, and getting to that $1M mark faster than you think.
And the best part? It’s about doing less – and doing it with intention.
So if you’ve been running around, juggling multiple offers, and feeling like you’re stuck on a treadmill you need to stop, stay with me. By the end of this episode, you’ll see exactly why doing less is the most powerful thing you can do to grow your course business.
My name is Caitlin Bacher, CEO of Scale With Success®, and I’m on a mission to help course creators all over the world grow their business in a way that is profitable and scalable. I’m sharing revealing insights about what it really takes to scale an online course business to millions of dollars per year. Join me here to discover the tough decisions I’ve had to make, the biggest failures I’ve had to bounce back from, and the learnings that emerged every step of the way. I’m so grateful that I have the chance to tell you everything right here on Scale With Success®: The Podcast. Let’s get started.
Today I’m going to show you why keeping things simple is the key to building momentum, creating consistent revenue, and getting to that $1M mark faster than you think – and the 3 steps you should be taking to keep things simple.
1. Create One Course
The very first step in hitting $1M faster is to create one course and make it your main focus.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen course creators trip themselves up here. They get one course out into the world, then immediately start thinking, “Okay, what else can I add? A membership? A mini-course? A VIP coaching package?”
And before they know it, they’re juggling 3 different offers, none of them are selling particularly well, and they feel like their head is about to explode.
Let me save you some time: focus on one course.
Why? Because when you focus on one course, you can simplify your message.
Your audience doesn’t need to see 5 different offers. They need to see one clear message that’s repeated over and over again until it clicks.
Think about it – when you’re known for one thing, it’s easier to create content. It’s easier for people to refer you to others. It’s easier to build trust, because your audience isn’t wondering, “Wait…is she the Pinterest person? Or the webinar person? Or the mindset coach?”
They just know: She’s the person who helps me solve this specific problem.
And yes, later down the road, once you’ve hit 7-figures and you have more resources, you can diversify. But right now? Simplicity is your best friend.
And I really don’t want to sugar coat things: if you can’t scale one course to $1M, adding more offers won’t solve the problem. It’ll just make the problem bigger.
Focus creates momentum. And momentum is what you’re missing if your revenue feels stop-and-go.
I’ve seen so many course creators get distracted by shiny new ideas. One month they’re working on a membership, the next it’s a high-ticket mastermind, then a mini-course. And guess what happens? None of them sell well, because their attention is divided.
But when you pour all of your energy into one course, a couple of things happen:
- Your message gets sharper. You stop trying to be everything to everyone and start being known for one powerful transformation.
- You get more visible. Instead of bouncing between five different offers, you can show up confidently talking about the one thing you’re the go-to expert for.
- You become a leader in your niche. Not because you’re solving the rarest problem, but because you’re solving a common problem in an uncommon way.
So step one: commit to one course, one message, and one audience.
2. Build One Funnel
Now let’s talk about how you sell that course.
And I’ll be straight with you: I recommend skipping launches entirely and going straight to evergreen.
Yes, I said it. Skip the launch.
I know, I know – every launch coach out there tells you to start live launching first and then repurpose all that content into an evergreen funnel. But let me tell you from experience: that does not work.
When I first went evergreen, I made the exact mistake I just warned you about. I thought, “Well, I’ll just take all my live launch content and turn it into an automated funnel.” That’s what everyone told me to do.
And guess what? It failed. Hard.
The numbers were terrible and I was so frustrated. I started thinking, “Maybe my audience just won’t buy evergreen. Maybe launching really is the only way.”
But the truth was, the problem wasn’t my audience. The problem was the funnel.
A live launch funnel is completely different from an evergreen funnel. The sales cycle is different. The messaging is different. The copy is different. You can’t just copy and paste and expect it to work.
So I scrapped the whole thing. I threw out all my launch content and built an evergreen webinar funnel from scratch. And that’s when things changed.
The evergreen funnel gave me something that launching never could: data.
Instead of waiting 6 months between launches to see what worked, I was getting fresh data every single week. If something wasn’t working, I could make a change right away and see the results almost instantly. That feedback loop allowed me to make tiny tweaks that kept improving my funnel month after month.
And that funnel? It eventually helped me generate my first million-dollar year. Something that never would’ve happened if I had stayed stuck in the launch cycle.
So here’s my advice: build one evergreen funnel.
Don’t build five different funnels for five different avatars. Just build one solid evergreen funnel that sells your course on autopilot.
And once you have it set up, start tracking your data.
We have our clients track their funnel numbers weekly, because the data will show you exactly where to focus. Maybe you need a better subject line on your emails. Maybe you need to increase traffic. Maybe your opt-in page needs different copy.
The point is, you don’t have to guess. The numbers will tell you exactly what to fix and where to fix it. You don’t need to fix everything all at once, be strategic. The data will show you the first thing to fix that will give you the biggest payoff. And then you just go down the list, fixing one thing at a time.
That’s the beauty of evergreen – you can keep making sales while you’re making improvements.
3. Deliver a Consistent Client Experience
Now let’s talk about what happens after someone buys.
The good news is you don’t need to create a massive, complex support structure to give your clients a great experience.
You just need to make things simple and repeatable.
When it comes to creating your course content, don’t obsess over perfection. The beauty of having one course is that you get to refine it over time. Every new client shows you where they have questions, where they get stuck, or where they light up. That information is pure gold. You can use that feedback to make small improvements that create a huge impact.
For support, I’m a big fan of office hours. Set aside a specific time each week or month where people can come ask questions. That way your clients feel cared for and you’re not glued to your inbox 24/7.
Over time, as you notice the same questions coming up, you can add them to an FAQ section or update your lessons. Which means fewer questions and a better experience.
And for onboarding? Leverage automation as much as possible – which provides a consistent experience for every client. To start, a simple four-day email sequence that tells them where to log in, what lesson to start with, and how to get help will save you hours and make your clients feel supported from the start. If you want more information on that, be sure to listen to Episode 154: How to Support Clients Inside Your Evergreen Course Without Burning Out.
Repetition builds trust. Automation delivers repetition. Put those together, and you’ve got a smooth client experience that runs without you micromanaging every step.
So let’s recap. If you want to hit your first $1M faster, you don’t need more offers, more funnels, or more complexity. You need less.
1. Create one course. Focus your efforts on delivering one, clear message. Get known for doing one thing. (You can always diversify later.)
2. Build one evergreen funnel. Track your data. Improve it over time. (You can always get fancy with extra funnel add-ons after you cross the million dollar mark.)
3. Deliver a consistent client experience. Automate what you can, and make small updates as you grow.
That’s it.
I know it’s tempting to look around and think you need to do all the things at once. But the truth is, “focus” is your superpower right now. Simplicity is what will get you to your first $1M faster.
Remember: you can always diversify later. But first, build momentum. Build consistency. Build one system that works.
Because once you do that, scaling gets a whole lot easier.
If you found this episode was helpful, share it with a fellow course creator who’s working toward their first $1M, and make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss next week’s episode.
I appreciate you being here and make sure to join me next week for another episode of Scale With Success® The Podcast.
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