Have you ever had a conversation like this?

Client:  Hey, what would you recommend that I do about _______?

You:  Well, obviously, the best thing to do would be _______. You could also explore _______ and _______. And I’d love to see you try _______.

Client:  {exploding into ecstasy, mind completely blown} THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

You:  Um, no sweat! {thinking: geez, all I did was state the obvious!}

At some point in your career — if it hasn’t happened already — I guarantee, you’ll have that conversation. Like, verbatim.

That’s because what feels like “stating the obvious” for you is a full-on mindsplosion of brilliance for somebody who doesn’t have your particular swirl of skills + experiences.

And when it comes to designing offerings for your clients, the answers that you assume “everybody already knows” are a complete goldmine.

Turning your knowledge into a juicy, info-packed class is an amazing way to serve a bigger audience — while refining your own methodologies, and rakin’ in some extra cash.

So: want to design your first class? (Or your first really GREAT class?)

Here’s how to get started:

Be A Super Spy Girl

There’s a difference between stuff that people *might* want to learn, and stuff that people are DYING to learn, now-now-now.

The best way to discover the now-now-now gems? Do some undercover spy work in your own community.

Comb through your old emails, your Facebook wall, your Twitter feed and your blog archives to uncover the questions you’re asked most often.

Or, do an unofficial social media poll. Say something like:

“I’m getting ready to design a new class on {insert your area of expertise here}.

What do you struggle with most, when it comes to {insert a key problem-o for your clients, here}?”

… and track what people say, like a super-spy with a heart of gold!

Get Laser Focused

After super-sleuthing around like La Femme Nikita, you’ll probably wind up with seventeen billion ideas for seventeen billion different classes.

Choose the top three most popular questions from the mix, and for each one, ask yourself:

“Would creating a class around {insert topic here} feel like a total guilty pleasure? Or a total drag?” 

Choose ONE topic for your first class — whichever feels like the most fun! — knowing that you can always create additional classes later down the line … or even combine a series of mini-classes into one super-deluxe program. Ooh la la!

Design Your “Um, duh!” Curriculum

Now that you have an amazing idea for your first class, it’s time to get your curriculum down on paper.

I always start by writing down my personal approach to the problem at hand — even if it seems painfully obvious + simple.

For example, when I was designing one of my classes I started by jotting down all the different things that I’ve done over the years to create media buzz for my business.

Most of it felt like “um, duh!” material to me, but to somebody who doesn’t have a background in PR? Platinum nuggets of wisdom.

Take an element of your work and walk through your own routine, step by step, no matter how “elementary” it seems.

Then, break each step into bite-sized lessons with actionable items that your customers can use right away. Curriculum = complete!

Deliver The Goods

Now that you know what you want to teach — and the order you want to teach it in — it’s time to figure out HOW to deliver the goods.

You could …

:: Compile your brilliance into a beautifully-designed eBook with space for notes + fill-in-the-blank forms

:: Pour your lessons into a series of emails that blast out one after another — an old-school eCourse that’s simple to create, and even simpler to use!

:: Star in your own video lessons so people can see your gorgeous face

:: Record audio lessons, making it easy for people to listen on long drives, at the gym, or sneak on their headphones when they’re supposed to be paying attention to something else 🙂

:: Host a live workshop in a conference space, your living room, a local yoga studio, an abandoned castle … or any place that inspires you!

:: Invite people to a webinar or teleseminar — a virtual party that allows folks to join in from anywhere in the world!

Make The Announcement

Aw, yeah! Your class is spic ‘n span + ready to roll … it’s time to tell the world!

Create a glorious announcement that tells your dream client why it’s the PERFECT class for them.

You can echo back their own words, pulling directly from all of your email-Facebook-Twitter sleuthing, to show how closely you’ve been paying attention to what they’ve TOLD you they need.

My advice? Open enrollment for your class by sending a personalized “love letter” to the folks who inspired the class, to begin with. (Need a hot template? My girl Alexandra has a sweet step-by-step script.)

After that, you can open enrollment to the whole world. Share the info with your email list, on your social media profiles, and ask your business BFFs and raving fans to help share it, too.

To sum it all up:

When you design a class that feels like an “Um, duh!” for you, rest assured:

it’s a “sweet mother of Christmas! Bless you + thank you” for somebody else.