When you think about a learning management system (LMS), you probably think of boring training modules for new employees created by boring HR reps in a boring multinational corporation.

Or, if we’re being honest, you probably don’t think about an LMS at all. On the surface, it’s not a particularly riveting topic, and it may not seem relevant to your business.

But an LMS could be a powerful tool for your coaching business if you wield it to create online courses that expand your client base and offer a hands-off revenue stream. 

Ah-ha! I have your attention now.

Yep, creating online courses is a fantastic way to diversify (and monetize!) your digital content portfolio, and a learning management system is the software that helps you do it. Here’s how:

Advantages of online courses for your coaching business

Building online courses that display your coaching prowess helps you grab the attention of new potential clients. Much of your business probably comes from the original marketing tactic: solid word-of-mouth reference. But even the most well-connected business professional has a limit to their network, and eventually, mining your network for new clients dwindles.

A good LMS not only allows you to create courses easily, it offers the ability to market your courses and reach new audiences. Your name and business consulting acumen are displayed to new potential clients, so you’re never stuck in a word-of-mouth network rut.

Creating courses also allows you to scale your business far beyond the scope of 1:1 counseling. A working day’s business hours are finite, and scheduling 1:1 consultations with busy clients sometimes requires manic scheduling skills. 

But when you offer your expertise through an online course, you allow clients to access your business coaching wisdom 24 hours a day, no matter their location or time zone. You can reach more clients, sell more content, and scale your business far beyond the bounds of the appointment scheduler.

My favorite advantage of creating an online course for your coaching business? The opportunity to turn all that business knowledge you’ve built up into a profitable asset.

Think about it: you have years of business coaching expertise to share with clients. Much of it is already distilled into an online format in the form of blogs, PowerPoint presentations, etc. 

When you create an online course, you commit to an initial time investment of turning those blogs and presentations into course material. But once the course is designed, it can increase your revenue again and again without you lifting a finger.

Getting started creating your course content

As I said, much of the content you’d use to create an online course probably already exists as blogs and presentations. The trick is turning that content into a course that resonates with the right audience.

Speak to your clients’ pain points

To reach the right audience, you need to know the right audience. That means knowing the business problems that scare them, the pain points that keep them awake at night.

You want to create a course that speaks to those pain points and offers solutions to those problems. Listen to your clients. They have already told you their biggest pain points. If you create an online course that addresses those, you’ll get the ear of the potential clients who are the right fit for your business.

Establish learning goals and draft an outline

Before you put pen to paper (or, erm, fingers to keyboard) writing your outline, take some time to establish learning goals for your learners. These are the things you want your clients to have learned by the time they finish your course, and they’re useful because they help you stay focused when you’re writing your material.

With those learning goals in mind, draft a course outline. Use your previous research and reading to give your material meat, and break your lessons into easy-to-digest learning bites. Remember to repeat important points, but don’t just list the facts. 

Use language that fits your brand

Did you think we’d get through an article without mentioning the importance of brand? Ha! Not a chance.

As with all of your content, your online course should say, “Your Brand!” from the first letter to the last period. Not only is an online course a way to monetize your expertise and reach new customers, it’s a chance to promote your business and further establish your brand in the marketplace. So whatever you have to say, say it with your unique brand personality.

That may mean that the whole world doesn’t love your online course. Guess what – that’s ok! You aren’t creating an online course for the whole world. You’re making it for your clients with their specific set of problems. Present your solutions with knowledge, professionalism, charisma, and fun, and you’ll totally fail to attract the whole world, but you’ll attract the right audience, and that’s the goal.

The top 3 platforms for creating a coaching course

There are many sound learning management systems out there. Here are our picks for the top 3 learning management systems for creating an online course for your coaching business:

1. LearnRight

One of the significant advantages of LearnRight is its ability to scale, so this is an LMS that can meet the needs of your coaching business no matter how many clients you add to your roster or how many online courses you sell.

It’s a great LMS choice for helping you expand your client base and improve client engagement. Some stand-out features include:

• Quick setup with a designated onboarding specialist
• Customized branding options
• User role management and directory
• Private messages
• Quizzes and assignments
• Webinars and video conferencing
• Reporting and analytics
• Custom domain and email marketing

2. LearnWorlds

LearnWorlds really leans into using video to create your courses, and their platform offers the ability to do this even if you know nothing about video editing. Video is a great way to capture audience attention and increase engagement, so it’s a helpful feature in an LMS.

They also feature easy course navigation for your learners and drip feeds for scheduling course delivery, so as you create new content, your clients can find it. LearnWorld prioritizes engaging training sessions by including:

• Quizzes, tests, and assignments
• Learner evaluation and success tracking
• Branded digital certificates
• Market and sell courses in the LMS

3. Tovuti

Tovuti is one of the fastest and easiest ways to offer your clients an engaging online learning experience. You can build as many courses and training programs as you like and easily track and monitor learners’ progress.

You can even take your courses live in a virtual classroom, and make learning fun with gamification. Highlights include:

• eLearning
• Integrations
• Branding
• Notifications
• Content
• Gamification
• eCommerce
• Virtual Classroom

When you’re ready to build an online course

You can’t go wrong with any of the three options above, but we really like LearnRight. It offers a designated onboarding specialist who makes the setup process easy, and its email marketing and customization features are robust. Contact them today for a demo.

We hope we’ve helped you start thinking about online courses as a way to make the most of your digital assets. 

If you’d like to talk more about how to make your digital presence work harder for your coaching business, give us a shout! We’d love to hear from you.

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