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Learn it yourself vs. Do it for me - DEBATE

by launchassistant
10 replies
If you had the chance to learn a subject by watching a video course (or follow textbook, etc) so you could do the work yourself would you rather do that or would you buy a product (or service) that does the work for you?

The reason I ask this question is because I am in the process of creating an online course (membership site) and all the course material is all information based. It's fairly easy to deliver the course digitally which makes it easier on me but the end-users need to watch the videos and take action in order to see results.

I've spoken to a few people who have suggested that I integrate a "done for you" type service into the program so many of the tasks I teach become fully automated. However, in doing that it requires me to either create software or do the tech support / customer service side of things which I've done before and not really a fan of repeating if I don't have to.

So, back to the initial question, if you had the choice of taking a course and learning how to do something yourself or paying more for a "done for you" type of service, which would you choose and why?

Thanks....
#debate #do it for me #done for you #learn #learn it yourself
  • Profile picture of the author Sagar Mehta
    One thing you could do is make the 'done for you' an OTO at a higher price.

    Then, you can hire a virtual assistant (or a team of VAs) who do that manual work for you, and you pay them for time or deliverables.

    Your take away would be the difference between your OTO price and what you pay the VA.

    Building upon this, you can offer the 'done for you' solution as an OTO at a special price (say, $100 off on $197, so $97), and inside the member's area you can still offer the same solution, BUT, at full price (of course, you would mention on your OTO page that they can buy the OTO later too, but it would be at full price).
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  • Profile picture of the author launchassistant
    Great advice ... thanks!
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  • Profile picture of the author Dan Allard
    Depends on what it is. If it's running a business that's something I would obviously want learn for myself, but if it's something like web design or social media I'll prob outsource that someday.

    But yeah for your offer Sagar Mehta makes a great point, offer both. In fact I was just on a webinar last night and the host recommends giving your best info away on the front end, then selling high-end service or consulting packages for those who don't want to do the work for themselves.
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  • Profile picture of the author onSubie
    Hi

    I have often used the analogy "I want to start Internet Marketing so I am learning HTML" as the equivalent of saying "I want to open a sporting goods store so I'm learning to pour cement".

    The point being that many skills required to setup an IM business are cheaper and easier to outsource than to learn and do yourself. Yet the first thing many IMers learn is the technical "How to stuff"- how set up wordpress, how to set up an email responder, how to link an inline image, etc.

    When their time would be better spent, generating and following leads and creating their own products. In other words working their actual business.

    As mentioned above, you can charge a premium for services that you then outsource for much less than you charge.

    As an example:

    You create a "How to Video" on setting up an Aweber form

    You then offer a service to set up an Aweber form for $20 for people who watch the video but can't be bothered or find it too hard to do themselves.

    You outsource the Aweber form set-up to someone for $5 and pocket the $15 difference.

    Mahlon
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    • Profile picture of the author launchassistant
      Originally Posted by onSubie View Post

      I have often used the analogy "I want to start Internet Marketing so I am learning HTML" as the equivalent of saying "I want to open a sporting goods store so I'm learning to pour cement".
      Good analogy and true to some extent.

      However, if you said "I want to open a sporting goods store so I need to learn how to layout my floor for best foot traffic." That may be something more along the lines of what a new store owner is looking to learn.

      I do see your point and agree in that some of the tedious day-to-day stuff could (and should) be outsourced.
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      • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
        I believe beginners should learn how to do things for themselves. I just don't think they should always be doing things themselves.

        I've worked with people that wanted to make a two-minute correction to a web page and had to wait a week for their 'web guy' to do it. Having a few rudimentary skills would have eliminated that kind of situation.

        More commonly, I've worked with people who have tried the 'outsource everything' route and gotten taken to the cleaners because they a) didn't know what to ask for and b) didn't know how to tell if they were getting what they paid for. All they knew is that they outsourced stuff and saw no results.

        So I'm all for business owners knowing enough about how their business works to keep it running. They don't have to make tweaking html or cobbling together graphics a career...
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        • Profile picture of the author launchassistant
          Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

          I believe beginners should learn how to do things for themselves. I just don't think they should always be doing things themselves.

          I've worked with people that wanted to make a two-minute correction to a web page and had to wait a week for their 'web guy' to do it. Having a few rudimentary skills would have eliminated that kind of situation.

          More commonly, I've worked with people who have tried the 'outsource everything' route and gotten taken to the cleaners because they a) didn't know what to ask for and b) didn't know how to tell if they were getting what they paid for. All they knew is that they outsourced stuff and saw no results.

          So I'm all for business owners knowing enough about how their business works to keep it running. They don't have to make tweaking html or cobbling together graphics a career...
          Well said. I've spoken to people who want to outsource everything but don't know how to direct the developers to accomplish the work. It makes me cringe when I hear people say "just build a website so I can sell my product" or "just get me to page one of google" because they think that it's just that easy.
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  • Profile picture of the author Michael Oksa
    Sagar's response is right on track.

    Offer the teaching/training materials, but include an upsell (not an OTO) for the service.

    Then...

    Make a mention or two of the service right inside the training material itself. These mentions could come right after the hardest steps.

    If you follow.



    All the best,
    Michael
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  • Profile picture of the author sbucciarel
    Banned
    Some things are worth learning and some things are simply mundane tasks that a monkey could do if trained. There's no teacher like experience. Just pick the right tasks to learn and leave the mundane stuff to outsourcers or automation.
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  • Profile picture of the author launchassistant
    PS - Thanks Dan, Mahlon, and Michael. Great advice.

    (how do you "thank" someone in this forum? It's probably right in front of me but I don't see it anywhere).

    Nevermind .. found it. Just needed to have a certain number of posts before the "thanks" button showed up.
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