Stop Building Courses No One Buys — Do This First!

Your Product or Service Doesn’t Need to Exist Unless Someone Buys It
Let me start with a truth that might sting a little:
👉 Your product, program, or course doesn’t need to exist… unless someone buys it.

I know that sounds harsh, but it’s one of the most powerful lessons every successful entrepreneur eventually learns. You don’t get paid for ideas. You get paid for transformation — and transformation only happens when someone invests.

The Big Mistake Coaches Make

Most coaches and experts do this backward.
They spend months creating their course, building slides, recording videos, writing copy — and then they start thinking about how to sell it.

But here’s the thing: if no one has proven they’re willing to buy it yet, you don’t even know if you’re solving a real problem.

Building something before testing the demand is like planning a wedding before anyone’s proposed.

The Masters of Sales Knew This

Let’s look at a few legendary sales minds who understood this principle long before the online course world existed:

1. Zig Ziglar

Ziglar famously said, “You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”
What he meant was — start with the buyer’s need. Don’t build something for yourself. Build something that gets results for others — and make sure they actually want it.

2. Grant Cardone

Grant Cardone’s philosophy is “Sell it, then build it.”
He’s built an empire by pre-selling ideas and scaling based on proof of concept. In his words, “You’re not in business until you have sales.”
If no one’s buying, you don’t have a business — you have a hobby.

3. Dan Kennedy

One of the greatest direct marketers ever, Kennedy taught that markets dictate products, not the other way around.
He’d write sales letters before the product even existed. If the letter converted, then he’d go make the product. If not, he’d scrap the idea. That’s how he eliminated risk.

The Modern Coaching Model: Sell First, Build Second

Here’s how this translates for coaches and experts today:

1. Start with the Promise — What’s the transformation your ideal client is craving right now?
   Speak directly to that in your messaging.

2. Validate the Offer — Talk to potential clients. Post about it. Host a webinar. Pre-sell a few spots. If people are raising their hands — that’s your proof of demand.

3. Then Build the Program — Once people have paid or committed, now you build around their feedback and needs.
   You’ll deliver something ten times more relevant because it’s built in real-time for real humans.

Why This Works Energetically

When you sell first, you’re not “being pushy” — you’re aligning with value exchange.
Money is simply energy flowing toward clarity and confidence.
If someone invests, it’s because they feel seen, heard, and understood.
And you can only understand your audience deeply by talking to them before you build.

Real Talk for Coaches and Experts

So if you’re sitting on a course idea or a coaching program right now — stop perfecting it.
Start promoting it.
Sell it.
Get people on a call.
Ask for feedback.
Validate it.

Because your business doesn’t grow from what you create.
It grows from what you sell.

Call to Action (for your video outro):

If you’re ready to learn how to sell your offer before you build it — and do it in a way that feels authentic, aligned, and magnetic — I’ve got a free class for you.
🎥 Watch it here: www.marnesemick.com/Masterclass

You’ll learn how to test your idea, attract ready-to-buy clients, and launch with confidence — even if your offer is still a work in progress.