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Why Evergreen Courses Are Harder to Sell in 2026

If you’ve been feeling like your evergreen course is harder to sell lately… you’re not imagining it.

But before we go any further, let me say this clearly.

Courses are not dead.

The traditional, course-only, information-heavy delivery model is what’s struggling.

The market has shifted.

And if you’re a course creator or digital entrepreneur, you need to understand why.

We’re in a Trust Recession

Information is everywhere.

AI can generate answers instantly.
YouTube is endless.
Blog posts are unlimited.
ChatGPT can outline your entire strategy in seconds.

Information is no longer scarce.

Which means information alone is no longer inherently valuable.

• Transformation is valuable.
• Guidance is valuable.
• Context is valuable.

This is where many evergreen courses are feeling tension.

Most traditional courses are built as information libraries. Modules. Lessons. Video after video.

But today’s buyer is overwhelmed.

They are not looking for more content to flood their brain.

They are looking for someone who can say:

• Here’s what matters.
• Here’s what to ignore.
• Here’s what to do first.
• Here’s what will actually move the needle.

They don’t need more modules.

They need a roadmap.

The Real Problem With Evergreen Courses

Let me ask you something.

Have you ever bought a course and never logged in?

I have.

I consider myself a bit of a course hoarder. If you saw my bookmarks folder, you’d see programs I was genuinely excited about… and never opened.

I believed they would help me.
I had every intention of finishing them.

But without a deadline, without accountability, and without someone walking through it with me, they just sat there.

This is not a motivation problem.

It’s a model problem.

Completion rates in traditional evergreen courses are incredibly low. Not because the content is bad. Not because the creator lacks expertise.

But because the model requires self-direction in a world full of distraction.

And when students don’t finish, they don’t experience transformation.

And when they don’t experience transformation, they don’t give testimonials.

And when you don’t have testimonials, your next launch feels heavier.

So you assume you need a new course.

When what you may actually need is a new delivery model.

A Real Example From My Own Business

I use a platform called Kajabi to run my online business. It hosts my courses, website, email marketing, landing pages, everything.

Because I’m an affiliate partner, when someone signs up through my link, I earn a commission. As a thank you, I gift them my Kajabi training course called Countdown to Launch.

It walks people step by step through:

• Launching their offers
• Creating lead magnet funnels
• Building their website
• Setting up email sequences

It is thorough.
It is practical.
It works.

I’ve sold it. I’ve gifted it to affiliate partners. I’ve included it for members inside my IGNITE membership.

And while many people who completed it told me how powerful it was… there were just as many who never logged in.

Or they would log in, watch a few lessons, and then stall.

Not because they weren’t capable.

But because they were alone.

There was no deadline.
No accountability.
No real-time troubleshooting.

So last year, I decided to run that same course as a cohort-style experience.

Originally, I just wanted to update the content. Instead of re-recording lessons alone, I thought, what if I updated them live with real students?

So over six weeks, I delivered the training live.

I added co-working sessions where students could show up, ask questions, and build in real time while I helped them troubleshoot.

The difference was dramatic.

Completion rates increased significantly.
Students implemented faster.
Momentum was visible.

And many of those students joined my membership afterward.

Why?

Because they experienced what it felt like to be guided.

They experienced accountability.
They experienced clarity.
They experienced progress.

That is the difference between selling information and leading transformation.

Modules vs Milestones

Today’s buyer is asking different questions:

Will this actually work for me?
Will I finish it?
Will someone help me if I get stuck?

They are not buying modules.

• They are buying momentum.
• They are buying support.
• They are buying clarity.

And this is where the shift needs to happen.

Modules are libraries.

Milestones are pathways.

When you build a library, people wander.

When you build a pathway, people move.

Transformation comes from milestones, not modules.

And that is a major identity shift.

We are no longer just course creators.

We are experience leaders and guides.

That shift changes:

• How you price your offer
• How confidently you sell it
• How your audience perceives its value
• How your students succeed

Courses Aren’t Dead. But the Model Is Changing.

The traditional evergreen, DIY, information-heavy model feels heavier now.

Heavier to sell.
Heavier to sustain.
Heavier to complete.

If you’re feeling that weight, I want you to hear this clearly.

The weight you’re feeling is not your capability.

It may simply be your delivery model.

If you’ve been struggling to sell your evergreen course… or you haven’t launched because something feels off… ask yourself this:

Is my course designed in the right delivery model?

One that not only sells…
But one that students will complete and experience real transformation from?

In the next post, I’ll break down what an experience-led offer actually looks like, including how structured cohorts create momentum and repeatable revenue.

Because courses aren’t going away.

But the way we deliver them is evolving.

Remember, clarity and impact come from action.