Ch. 3: The 4 Irresistible Offers That Will Skyrocket Your Success

Validation Offers: Test Your Idea Before Going All In

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In this episode of 'The Market. Your Message Show' hosted by Jonathan Milligan, listeners are introduced to the third book in the series 'Validate Your Offer.' The book provides insight into how entrepreneurs can effectively create products that people want without wasting time by using validation offers. Jonathan uses the Pony Express as a historical example of a validation offer that assessed demand for faster communication, leading to the development of the telegraph. The episode discusses four specific validation offers: low content books, mini-courses, four-week boot camps, and one-day virtual workshops. These serve as tools to test ideas and gather real-world feedback. Jonathan outlines a practical exercise for listeners to apply these concepts, aiding them in launching a successful product by identifying and catering to their audience's needs.

00:00 Introduction to the Series
01:18 The Power of Validation Offers
03:29 Why Validation Offers Matter
06:11 The Four Validation Offers
09:22 Exercise: Choose Your Validation Offer
11:35 Key Takeaways

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Transcript

0:45

Hello and welcome to the market. Your message show. I'm your host, Jonathan Milligan. And we are going through the third book in the series. Validate your offer. This is an important book because a lot of people will start their business online. And then they're trying to figure out how do I create something that people will want and how do I do it without wasting time? And that's what this third book in my book series is all about. Now as a thank you for being a loyal podcast listener, I am making the audio book available one chapter at a time every single week. And as you're listening to this, we are currently going through that. Validate your offer. Now, if you ever want the audio book or you want the book or the workbook, you can go to platform growth, books.com again, it's platform, growth books.com, and you could order one of those. And of course, listen, as you go through the book or use the workbook to implement what you hear. In each episode. So with that being said, let's jump right in to today's chapter. Chapter three, the four validation offer types. The year is 1860 and the pony express has just taken the U S by storm teams of riders on horseback are delivering mail from Missouri to California in a mere 10 days, a speed unheard of at the time. People are blown away. They can hardly believe it's possible to get messages across the country so quickly, but here's the thing. The pony express. Isn't just a cool new mail service. It's a validation offer, a test to see if people actually want faster communication and boy, do they ever, the demand is through the roof. The U S government takes notice. They see the writing on the wall. Faster communication is the future and the Pony Express has just proven it. So they start investing in a brand new technology, the Telegraph. The Telegraph is a game changer. It can send messages across the country in a matter of minutes, not days, but building a nationwide Telegraph network is a massive undertaking. It requires a ton of infrastructure and investment. Without the Pony Express, the government might have hesitated. They might've wondered. Is this really worth it? Do people actually want this? But thanks to the Pony Express, they knew the answer was a resounding yes. The Pony Express was a validation offer. It was a small scale test that proved there was a hungry market for faster communication. And it paved the way for For one of the most transformative technologies in history. That's the power of a validation offer. It's a way to test your idea before you go all in. It's a way to make sure you're not wasting your time and resources on something nobody wants. And that's what this book is all about. We're going to dive into four specific validation offers that you can use to test your own business ideas. Whether you're a writer, a coach, a teacher, or a speaker, there's a validation offer that's perfect for you. So. Buckle up and get ready to learn. By the end of this chapter, you'll have the tools you need to validate your own offer and turn your ideas into income, Just like the Pony Express did for the Telegraph. Why validation offers matter. You've got a brilliant idea for a new product. Maybe it's a book, a course, a coaching program, or a signature talk. You're absolutely convinced it's going to be a hit. So you dive in head first. You spend months pouring your heart and soul into creating this thing. You write, you record, you design, you invest a ton of time and money into making it perfect. Finally, it's ready. You launch it to the world, expecting a flood of sales and rave reviews, but instead you hear crickets, tumbleweeds, your product falls flat, and you're left wondering what went wrong. Sound familiar? It's a trap that so many creators fall into. They assume that just because they love their idea, Everyone else will too. They skipped the crucial step of validating their offer and end up wasting a ton of resources on something that the market just doesn't want. Here's the hard truth. Creating a product without validation is like playing Russian roulette with your time and money. Sure. You might get lucky and create a hit, but more likely you'll end up with a dud that nobody wants to buy. Why? Because you're not a mind reader. You can't just guess what your audience wants. And even if you think you know, you might be way off base. That's why validation is so important. It's like a crystal ball that shows you exactly what your market desires. So, what's the solution? Simple. Instead of going all in on a big, comprehensive product right away, start small. Create a fast, lean validation offer that you can test quickly and easily. This could be a low content book, a mini course, a short coaching bootcamp, or a paid workshop. Something that you can create in a matter of days or weeks, not months, something that lets you dip your toe in the water and see if there are any bites. The beauty of a validation offer is that it gives you real world feedback and data. You'll see firsthand whether people are actually willing to pull out their wallets and pay for what you're offering. You'll get comments, questions, and reviews. That show you what's working and what's not armed with that information. You can refine your idea and create a product that, you know, your audience wants. You can avoid the heartache and frustration of pouring your soul into something that falls flat. And you can use your time and resources wisely, focusing on the things that actually move the needle. In short, validation offers are like a secret weapon for creators. They're the key to unlocking your audience's desires and creating products that sell like hotcakes. So if you're not using them, you're leaving money on the table. The four validation offers. All right, let's dive into the four validation offers that can help you test your ideas and get real world feedback fast. Validation offer number one, low content book writers. First up, we've got the low content book. This is perfect for all you writers out there. Instead of jumping straight into a full length book, why not test the waters with a simpler workbook, journal, or planner? It's a great way to validate your book idea and get a feel for the publishing process without committing to a massive project. Take Ryan Holiday, for example. He validated his book ideas by starting with blog posts. He then refined them into articles and short books before finally expanding to To full length works by starting small and testing the market. He was able to create bestsellers that he knew his audience wanted validation offer number two, mini course teachers. Next we've got the mini course calling all teachers before you pour your heart and soul into a comprehensive flagship course, why not create a mini version that focuses on a specific subtopic? It's a fantastic way to validate your course idea and get valuable feedback from your students. Did you know that the average time to create an online course is 90 to 240 hours? That's a huge investment, but with a mini course, you can test the waters in a fraction of that time, lowering your risk and ensuring that your full course will be a hit. Validation offer number three, the four week bootcamp coaches moving on to the four week bootcamp. This one's for you, coaches. Running a short group coaching program is a great way to help your clients achieve a specific outcome. It also validates your coaching process. You can create content week by week, based on your client's needs, and get real time feedback on what's working and what's not. Think of it like being a personal trainer. The bootcamp model lets you test your workout plan, and adapt it to your client's needs before offering longer engagements. It's an agile way to refine your methodology and make sure you're delivering real results. Validation offer number four. The one day virtual workshop, speakers. Finally, we've got the one day paid workshop. Running a short online workshop is a fantastic way to validate demand for your topic and refine your talk for higher ticket speaking gigs. By teaching your target market how to solve a specific problem, you'll get valuable feedback on your content and delivery. The best part? Paid workshops let you reach a wider audience. They also let you validate market demand. This is before pitching conference organizers or corporate clients. It's a low risk way to test your ideas and make sure you're delivering content that people actually want to pay for. So, there you have it. Four powerful validation offers that can help you test your ideas and create products that your audience will love. Whether you're a writer, teacher, coach, or speaker, there's a validation offer that's perfect for you. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and start validating. Today's exercise, choose your validation offer. All right, it's time to take action. Let's put everything we've learned into practice with a simple exercise that'll help you validate your idea and get the ball rolling. First things first, take a good hard look at your current idea. Which of the four validation offer types fits it best? Is it a low content book, a mini course, a four week bootcamp, or a one day paid workshop? Don't overthink it. Just go with your gut. Got it. Great. Now let's outline that validation offer. What specific problem does it solve for your target market? Maybe it's helping busy moms meal prep, like a pro or teaching aspiring entrepreneurs, how to create a killer business plan, whatever it is, make sure it's something your audience is itching to learn next, jot down two to three key elements you'll include in your validation offer. This could be a set of templates, a step by step guide. Or a live Q and A session. The goal is to make it as valuable and irresistible as possible. Now for the scary part, setting a deadline. I know deadlines can be intimidating, but trust me. They're the key to making things happen. So grab your calendar and pick a date within the next 14 days to create and launch your validation offer. But don't just pick a date and forget about it. Schedule some time blocks in your calendar specifically to work on your validation offer. Whether it's an hour a day or a few solid chunks of time, make sure you're carving out dedicated space to get it done. And here's the kicker. Tell someone about your deadline. A friend, a family member, a colleague. Anyone who will hold you accountable. There's nothing like a little external pressure to light a fire under your butt and make sure you follow through. So there you have it. A simple exercise to help you take the first step towards validating your idea. It might feel a little daunting at first, but trust me, once you get started, you'll be amazed at how quickly things start to come together. And who knows, maybe 14 days from now, you'll be launching a validation offer that changes the game for your business. Wouldn't that be something? So what are you waiting for? Get outlining, get scheduling, and get ready to validate your way to success. Key takeaways, validating your offer through a small initial product lowers risk and provides real market feedback. The four core validation offers are low content books, many courses, group coaching, bootcamps, and paid workshops. Choose the best fit for your idea. Launch your first validation offer quickly to start gathering data. Use what you learn to guide your core offer development.