Why you don’t finish online courses

How To Get More Students Over The Finish Line In Digital Courses

Of the many problems I wish online businesses were better at solving, one of the biggest is getting people to show up for the programs they pay for. 

I know you’ve been this person because I have too. 

We all have. 

You hit that buy button full of vision and hopes for the future: The person you will become, the business you will build, the new modality that will change your clients’ lives. Your heart races when you hear the familiar ping of your inbox, and see an email with the subject line that says, “You’re in!” 

It’s all happening. 

The future you long for starts today. 

You’re sure of this because you literally put money on it, and Lord knows there’s not a lot of extra in that department. Getting return on investment is non-negotiable. The new version of you will be top of their class, that student who’s always showing up and asking questions, blitzing through the course content like nobody’s business, getting all the gold stars.  

But then something just sort of…

…fizzles.

Not only do you not log in more than once or twice, you actively try to forget you even bought this product. Consciously or unconsciously, you turn away. Life keeps doing life, pulling you in a million other directions, all of them more important than the product you bought that was going to change your life. 

This is an old story. We’ve all been there, and we could all do with a little self-compassion. It is truly NOT your fault—and I’ll explain why in a second.

As a person selling courses, I can tell you that it also feels bad from my side. Where is everyone? Do they hate my program? Are we bombing at onboarding? Are they mad at me because they wasted money?

Early this Spring I found myself incredibly frustrated and disheartened by our show-up rates in paid programs. I hit a low point in April when I delivered a class to just four people—which would’ve been fine if we didn’t have thirty-two students registered!

Part of the problem is too much persuasion: when you layer it on too thick, people buy because they’re swept up in the moment, can’t see clearly through all the glitzy promises, and get pulled way off track by something new and shiny. Letting go of that program they bought can be, ironically, a sign of getting back on track. (Hopefully you already bought this $7 audio series that teaches you how to navigate persuasive marketing.)

…but we use very clear consent practices in our promotions, so I knew that wasn't the problem. 

Price is another factor on completion rates—my mastermind has a 100% show-up rate for three years running.* It’s a 5-figure investment and people show up for it. The program I was delivering this April cost $2500 USD—not nothing, but also not enough to inspire attendance all on its own. 

I really, really want to solve this puzzle.

I signed up to this webinar (affiliate link) with XCHANGE as part of my research project in creating a better experience for my customers. It was different from any live webinar / masterclass / (insert all the synonyms for webinar) / live training that I’ve attended ever. 

On this webinar I met interesting people doing things OTHER THAN BUILDING A DIGITAL COURSE BUSINESS—I nearly forgot those people existed!! The host Jon Berghoff showed us how to put students into cycles of active learning and, for the first time ever, I heard him say his signature line, which is, “Research shows you don’t start learning until I stop talking.” 

(He did not say, “Can I get an amen?,” so I will say it for him: Can I get an AMEN?!?!)

There was time to talk with Jon and ask questions about the content, without waiting until the end of the call. I even voiced my doubts about the online learning industry as a whole, and my doubts were met with real validation instead of being translated into a mindset problem. By then I was leaning in so hard my ear was basically pressed against the screen of my iMac. 

I’ll admit I got a bit of sticker shock when it came to the pitch but I literally could not sleep at night thinking about one thing that Jon said after making a very loose, very “lean in if you’re interested, otherwise see ya later”-type pitch.

“We have a 92% completion rate on our guide certification program.”

That could not be right. 

Impossible. 

No one has completion rates that high!!

I signed up. Not in the 20-minute window to get the fast-action bonus (there wasn’t one). Not because there was a countdown timer. Not because of any promises that were made when I signed up. The opposite, in fact. It took me three weeks to decide, and two phone calls with program alumni. 

This company is doing online learning differently than anything I’ve seen in a decade of being in this industry—they are solving so many of the problems I’ve been frustrated with for years. And I would love for you to experience it yourself. I asked them to do a version of this workshop just for us and they said yes. 

Here are the details:

The Future of Online Learning: How to Turn Any Zoom Room Into A Transformational Experience
Date: Thursday, October 30th, 2025
Time: 11:30 am – 1:30 pm ET
Link to Register: https://www.xchangeapproach.com/tk2025 (affiliate link)

It is truly NOT a webinar. It’s not a masterclass either. I don’t even know what to call it. It’s a category of its own. There’s no replay because it’s experiential learning done in community —  i.e. not something you watch passively all on your own. They host a similar free workshop every month (affiliate link) so you are welcome to discover them in your own good time if this custom workshop for Tarzan’s people doesn’t work for you. 

It’s rare for me to say this. In fact, I’ve probably never said it before. But I promise you will not get swept away if you choose to sign up for this workshop. They are an organization that is naturally doing consent-based marketing without calling it that. They bring a level of care to their delivery that rivals any organization I’ve worked with online or offline. I am so happy to have discovered them, and I hope you’ll check them out too.

Here’s the link to learn more →

I hope you’ll check this out, if only to see what it could be like if we shredded the old model of learning where the person at the front of the room has all the answers. In this model we are all wisdom-keepers, sitting side-by-side as we digest new information and discover answers for ourselves, instead of just accepting what’s been handed to us.

In my opinion, it’s worth checking out if only to experience the difference between “teaching” and “facilitating learning,” and see if that’s something that works better for you.

See you there

Tarzan

Tarzan Kalryzian [she/they]
Did someone forward you this email? ​Subscribe here​.
Follow me on ​LinkedIn​.

*One person missed a call once! And once or twice someone showed up late. So fine, we can call it 98%.