The Top 5 Program Mistakes Even the Pro’s Make

I have been in conversation for months with people on Twitter, Facebook and through surveys with my clients and colleagues on a subject near and dear to my heart.

The question I posed was, “What are the big deal-breakers that cause you to disengage from a program you’ve excitedly invested in?”

Here’s what I heard.

Mistake 1: Too Much Information, Too Little Application

Information is a dime a dozen. Your information is only as good as how it’s presented and how ‘usable’ it is for your ideal clients. Clients who sign up for your program want to learn your system, process, approach or philosophy. But they also want to be taken care of in the process. And they want to APPLY it.

A program is about more than the information being delivered. It’s about creating an experience that moves people toward something they really want. The most successful programs are designed to manage the journey you’re leading people on from beginning to end. You have to know exactly where you’re starting, where you are taking the client, what issues might come up along the way and once they’re through with the program.

Managing the client experience every step of the way can dramatically increase your client satisfaction. It certainly can increase how effectively they’re able to apply and use what you’ve put together for them. And, when done well, it creates raving fans that return and refer often!

Mistake 2: Firehose Brigade

Information overload is everywhere. Your program needs content, but you have to know when enough is enough! One of the biggest sources of content overload comes in the form of extra bonuses thrown in to pump up the ‘value’ in the sales process. What really happens is you lower the chances someone is going to get REAL value from the program because you’ve overwhelmed them with secondary benefits.

We all know the minute we feel overwhelmed, we shut down. We disengage. We shelve it and say “I’ll look at it later,” or “I’ll do it later.” By overloading your program with too much bonus material or even too much actual content, you can drive people to disengage quickly, especially in the beginning stages of the program.

If you really believe in the value of a lot of content, pace it so clients can absorb what you’re giving them. Spread your bonuses out. Pace your content so it’s there when they need it, but they don’t feel like they’re drowning in the firehose.

Mistake 3: Too Many Bells and Whistles

Sometimes we overdesign our program. We give people too many ways to engage—there’s weekly calls, forums, material to listen to, online material, private calls, cds shipped—and so forth. It all sounds great when we’re planning our program, but it’s not so great on the receiving end.

Giving too many bells and whistles—too many features—is problematic because clients feel like they’re not getting their money’s worth when they can’t take advantage of all that’s there. They feel like they’re wasting the investment. And when we feel we’re wasting money…what do we do? We want out. We want to feel we’re making SMART investments, not wasteful ones, right!?

I actually think it’s more sophisticated, elegant and ‘signature’ to give a simply structured program that delivers exactly what it promised and not overload it by throwing in everything but the kitchen sink. I tell my clients to remember the ‘Power of 3’-no more than 3 ‘features’ (and make sure each feature serves a true purpose in the program.)

Mistake 4: A Delivery Format that Doesn’t Deliver

Quite simply, the format has to fit the goals of the program. In my survey, one of the big complaints I heard was about all-lecture, no-way-to-interact programs.

For example, you’re on a “mastermind” call with 150 other people and you’re muted. This isn’t a ‘mastermind experience’ and so the delivery format isn’t delivering on its promise, which creates a disconnect in the minds of the participants. The value of the experience goes down and they feel let down in some small way no matter how great the information being shared actually is (thus never getting the full benefit of what is being offered—which is the bigger loss in my opinion).

Another complaint I heard was about lack of focus and tangents. Presenters and teachers who go down so many rabbit holes that they lose track of where they are and never deliver what they told you they were going to cover. Sure, they might have told you some great stories and gone down some valuable sidestreets, but they didn’t get to the content you came for. No one minds getting a little something extra, but they do mind when they don’t get what they came for!

Mistake 5: One Size Fits All Positioning

It’s great to believe in the power of your work, but you also have to be able to discern who it’s best for. For a program to truly be effective it has to be right for a certain amount of people and wrong for everybody else. You have to be willing to say that.

The best signature programs meet that need of exclusivity because they’re not for everyone. You’re not saying, “Come beginners, experts and everyone in the middle. I can get you there.” You’re really articulate about who it’s for and who it’s not for.

Take the time to truly describe who your ideal clients really are. What do they need to know coming into the program? Who isn’t your program right for?

Delivering your work through programs can be really powerful. You do work that changes people’s lives. Through programs, you can package and deliver it in a way that preserves the power of your work while reaching many more people. And with these simple tips, you can look like a Pro even if this is your first time running a program!

I’d love to hear from you…Post a comment on the blog and let me know what makes you connect (or disconnect) from a program you’ve invested in.