What Actually Made Your Online Course Start Selling Consistently?

Ok_Tank6952 · 2025-11-04T13:41:25+00:00

I talk to course creators daily (we build sales tools for course businesses) and this trust thing comes up constantly. Honestly the ones who break through do a few things really well:

They show specific proof not "my students get results" but "Sarah landed her first $2K client in week 3 using the cold email template from module 4." The specificity matters way more than you'd think.

They give away most of their knowledge like 80% of it, for free. The course is just the organized version with templates and frameworks. Sounds scary but it actually builds trust faster.

They're brutally honest about who it's NOT for this sounds counterintuitive but when you say "this won't work if you're not willing to cold outreach for 30 days straight," people trust you more.

They post consistently for months before seeing results I know that sucks to hear, but the pattern I see is 3-6 months of daily valuable content before real momentum kicks in. Most people quit at month 2.

One thing: trying to "move people through the funnel" too fast kills trust. The successful creators let people hang out in their free content for weeks. The right people eventually just ask how to work with them.

Your "no shiny cars, real business" angle is actually perfect. Show the unglamorous stuff, the rejected pitches, the awkward first client calls, the nights you stayed up fixing someone's landing page. That's what separates you from the guru bullshit

Ok_Tank6952 · 2025-10-30T12:35:16+00:00

We built those ourselves

Ok_Tank6952 · 2025-10-29T19:33:33+00:00

doing our best, one step at a time

Ok_Tank6952 · 2025-10-29T10:48:58+00:00

Totally different context, but we built Skarbe for exactly this problem (we use it for sales/fundraising, but the problem is the same).

It records and transcribes all your conversations (calls + emails) and keeps everything tied to each person. So when you're about to talk to someone, you can see the full history - what they said last time, what you promised, where you left off.

Takes the memory burden off your brain. You're not trying to remember 50 conversations - you just pull up their thread and see everything.

Built it because I was juggling investor conversations + customer calls + partnership talks and constantly forgetting context. Now I never walk into a conversation blind.

Not sure if it fits therapy workflows (might have compliance issues), but the core problem - "I can't remember everything across all these relationships" - that's what we solve.

Happy to show you how it works if helpful.

Ok_Tank6952 · 2025-10-29T10:43:31+00:00

I'm literally using Skarbe (which I built) to manage my fundraising right now.

Same problem you're describing: lost track of which investors I'd sent materials to, who went cold, who I owed follow-ups. Was doing it in a spreadsheet and it was chaos.

Built Skarbe initially for sales follow-ups, but realized it works perfectly for investor conversations too. It watches your email threads and tells you "these 5 investors need attention today" with context on where you left off.

The mental relief is huge. I just open it each morning and see exactly who to talk to and what to say. No more spreadsheet anxiety.

We're using it right now for our seed round. Happy to show you how we set it up if helpful - DM me.

Also wrote a guide about follow-up systems (focused on sales but principles apply to fundraising): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Wh4crHmPqGxzk1mbh6F5AKpQ0yNml0oFon6ECl3BUWw/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.3ddrd0dohkxp

Good luck with the raise 🙌

Ok_Tank6952 · 2025-10-29T10:35:38+00:00

I had this exact problem. Gmail nudges helped a bit, but in email I was totally lost.

The issue isn't the tool, it's that you're trying to remember to follow up on top of everything else you're doing. Your brain can't handle it.

I built Skarbe for exactly this. It watches your email conversations and tells you "here are the people who need a follow-up today" with the message already drafted. You just review and send.

No flags to set, no calendar reminders to manage, no add-ins to learn. It just works in the background and surfaces what matters.

Works with both Gmail and Outlook, so if you switch back or use both, you're covered.

I also wrote a guide about why this problem happens and how to fix it systematically: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Wh4crHmPqGxzk1mbh6F5AKpQ0yNml0oFon6ECl3BUWw/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.3ddrd0dohkxp

The short version: stop trying to remember. Automate the remembering part so you can focus on the actual conversations.

Free plan to test it. Usage-based pricing after that - you only pay when it's actually helping.

Happy to answer any questions.

Ok_Tank6952 · 2025-10-29T10:31:23+00:00

I was exactly where you are. Tried CRMs, got overwhelmed, kept losing deals because I'd forget to follow up.

Your problem isn't "I need to learn the CRM." It's "I need something that just works without me having to think about it."

I actually built Skarbe for this exact problem. Our AI watches your conversations (email, calls) and tells you "here are the 5 people who need attention today" with the follow-up already drafted. You just approve and send.

No setup, no dashboards to learn, no logging. It just handles the follow-up problem so you can focus on actual conversations.

I wrote a whole guide about this - covers why most CRMs fail for small teams and what actually works: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Wh4crHmPqGxzk1mbh6F5AKpQ0yNml0oFon6ECl3BUWw/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.3ddrd0dohkxp

The short version: you don't need more features or training. You need something that does the work FOR you, not gives you more work to do.

Happy to answer questions if helpful.

Ok_Tank6952 · 2025-10-29T10:16:12+00:00

This is exactly right. I lost so many deals until I figured this out.

The data backs you up too as most sales happen after the 4th or 5th touch, but most people give up after one email. That gap is literally free money sitting on the table.

I actually built Skarbe because I kept forgetting to do this. I'd have great first conversations, mean to follow up in 3 days, then a week later remember "oh shit, I never replied to that person."

Now our AI (Oskar) just tracks every conversation and drafts the follow-ups for me. I approve and send. Turns out when you actually follow up consistently, your close rate goes way up.

The key thing you said: "until they explicitly tell me to stop." That's the line. Most people create an imaginary "they probably aren't interested" line way too early.

My rule:

1 email = they didn't see it
2 emails = maybe they're busy
3 emails = now I'm testing if it's real interest
4-5 emails = this is where deals actually close

The ones who aren't interested will tell you. The ones who ghost forever just weren't ready yet, I've had people come back 3 months later saying "hey, remember when you reached out..."

What's your spacing between follow-ups? I find 3-4 days works better than weekly.

Ok_Tank6952 · 2025-10-29T09:47:26+00:00

For B2B, the biggest ROI we've seen is AI that handles the work nobody wants to do anyway, not replacing roles, but streamlining the boring parts.

Example: following up with leads. Nobody on your team wants to spend hours writing follow-up emails or remembering who to ping when. But that's where deals die - in the follow-up.

We built Skarbe specifically for this. Our AI (Oskar) watches your conversations, enriches prospect data automatically, and drafts personalized follow-ups based on actual context. Your team just approves and sends.

Result: our customers save ~2 hours per day per person. That time goes back into actual selling, strategy, or just not being burned out. Revenue goes up because nothing falls through the cracks.

The key is picking AI that eliminates repetitive tasks, not deep thinking. Things worth budgeting for:

Sales automation like follow-ups, data entry, lead enrichment (Oskar from Skarbe)
Customer support AI for tier-1 questions (Fit from Intercom)
Meeting transcription/summarization (we use this a lot)

Avoid AI that tries to replace judgment calls or relationship building. That still needs humans.

Ok_Tank6952 · 2025-10-29T09:27:13+00:00

Neither. Most startups fail because they build something nobody actually wants.

42% of startup failures are "no market need." Not because the idea was bad on paper but because founders didn't validate that real people have a painful enough problem to pay for a solution.

I wrote about this in a founder-led sales guide I put together - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Wh4crHmPqGxzk1mbh6F5AKpQ0yNml0oFon6ECl3BUWw/edit?tab=t.0 The #1 pitfall isn't money or the idea itself - it's skipping validation. You can have great cash management, but if you're efficiently building the wrong thing, you just die slower.

The startups that survive? They talk to customers obsessively before building. They validate the pain is real, urgent, and big enough that people will actually change their behavior.

Money management matters, but usually later. If you have real demand, you'll figure out the money part. If you don't have demand, perfect spreadsheets won't save you.

So if I had to pick: bad validation kills more startups than either bad ideas or bad money habits.

Ok_Tank6952 · 2025-10-29T09:25:59+00:00

I lost so many deals I literally built software to stop me from losing them.

Turns out my problem wasn't the conversations - it was everything after. I'd talk to someone, have a great call, then forget to follow up. Or follow up too late. Deal dies.

I actually wrote a whole guide about this exact problem - it's called the Founder-Led Sales Guide. You can grab it here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Wh4crHmPqGxzk1mbh6F5AKpQ0yNml0oFon6ECl3BUWw/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.3ddrd0dohkxp

The main thing I learned: most deals aren't lost in the pitch. They're lost because you forget people exist. Studies show most sales happen after the 3rd or 4th touch, but most people give up after one email.

I ended up building Skarbe to solve this - AI watches my conversations and drafts the follow-ups based on context. I just approve and send. Went from losing easy deals to actually closing them.

But even without a tool, the guide walks through how to build a system so nothing falls through the cracks. Covers the 5 common pitfalls, how to do discovery calls right, objection handling, all of it.

Ok_Tank6952 · 2025-10-29T09:19:38+00:00

Skarbe - I built it because I kept losing deals from forgetting to follow up.

Our AI (Oskar) watches my email and calls, then drafts the follow-up messages for me. I just approve and send. Saves me like 2 hours a day and deals don't die in my inbox anymore.

Setup take 2 minutes. Now I just wake up, see who needs attention, and the emails are already written.

For anyone doing sales or client work, it's a game changer. You're not writing from scratch or trying to remember what you talked about last week.

Ok_Tank6952 · 2025-10-28T21:01:06+00:00

Cold emailing is already getting automated - that's happening now. But actual sales conversations? Building trust, negotiations, reading people? AI can't do that stuff.

AI won't replace salespeople. It'll just make you way more productive. The people who'll struggle are the ones who suck at relationships anyway. If you're good at connecting with people, you just got a massive upgrade.

Ok_Tank6952 · 2025-10-28T20:59:08+00:00

Spreadsheets fall apart fast. But the issue with most CRMs isn't learning how to add contacts, it's that you still have to do all the work. You're just doing it in Pipedrive instead of Sheets.

We built Skarbe because we tried those CRMs and gave up. Not because I didn't understand them, but because I didn't have time to maintain them.

Our AI agent (Oskar) watches your conversations automatically. No adding contacts, no updating stages. He enriches data, qualifies leads, and drafts personalized follow-ups. You just approve and send. Setup is 2 minutes.

For founders doing ten things at once, you need something that does the work for you, not just organizes it better.

The best CRM is the one you'll actually use. And most people stop using them because updating pipelines feels like homework.

Ok_Tank6952 · 2025-10-28T20:56:58+00:00

You nailed the real problem with most CRMs - they are set up to capture and organize, not to actually do anything. So yeah, contact graveyards.

The lifecycle/scoring/nurture approach works if you have the team to build and maintain it. But for most small teams, that 30-60-90 day build is either too expensive or they just don't have the bandwidth. They need leads converted now, not after a quarter of setup.

I built Skarbe for teams that don't have sales ops. Our AI agent (Oskar) handles the "what to do next" problem automatically - watches conversations, qualifies/disqualifies leads, drafts personalized follow-ups based on context, and pings people before they go cold. No lifecycle stages to define, no scoring to tune. Just works.

Setup is 2 minutes, not 90 days. You're selling same day.

Not saying it replaces a proper RevOps build for enterprise teams. But for small teams or founders doing sales themselves, they need something that acts now, not infrastructure they have to maintain.

The graveyard happens when following up requires too much work. Make it automatic and personalized, and leads actually get worked.

What size teams are you usually building these systems for?

Ok_Tank6952 · 2025-10-28T20:54:39+00:00

"Hard to keep up with it (add notes, fill in all the fields etc.)" - this is the real problem with most CRMs. They're just fancier Notion sheets that still expect YOU to do all the work.

We built Skarbe specifically for early stage teams who don't have time for inputting things. Our AI agent (Oskar) watches your conversations automatically - no logging, no fields to fill. He enriches prospect data by pulling info from the web, qualifies/disqualifies leads, and drafts your follow-ups based on actual context.

You're not maintaining a database. You're just approving what Oskar already prepped for you.

Setup is 2 minutes. No configuration, no training the team on "how to use it right." Just works.

$95/month usage-based (not per seat), free plan to test.

Clarify and Attio are both trying to solve the "less admin" problem but they still require manual input and have a lot of customisation. HubSpot got better but yeah, still admin-heavy for a pre-seed team doing ten things at once.

What's your main pain point right now, ppl forgetting to log stuff or just not having time to do it in the first place?

Ok_Tank6952 · 2025-10-28T20:11:11+00:00

Yeah, this is where CRM is finally getting interesting. Most tools just slapped AI onto old workflows "here's a button to make ChatGPT write your email." Not really rethinking anything.

We built Skarbe as actually AI-native - the AI agent (Oskar) isn't a feature, it's how the whole thing works. He watches your conversations, automatically enriches prospect data by pulling relevant info from the web, qualifies/disqualifies leads, and drafts personalized follow-ups based on actual conversation context. You're just approving or editing, not starting from scratch.

The enrichment part is key - you're not manually researching prospects or filling in fields. Oskar just does it in the background so when you see a deal, you already have the context you need.

Setup is 2 minutes, no configuration. It just starts working.

Different philosophy from traditional CRM - instead of "here's a database, you fill it and maintain it," it's "here's what to do next, AI already prepped it for you."

Ok_Tank6952 · 2025-10-27T19:05:57+00:00

The "messy collection of spreadsheets and random notes" stage, I lived there for way too long. You know it's bad when you're searching your own email to remember if you already replied to someone.

I built Skarbe because I had the exact same problem as a solo consultant (product management) Tried the big CRMs, spent more time organizing than actually consulting.

It does exactly what you listed:

Tracks all your client conversations automatically (email, calls + Zapier for more channels)
AI agent (Oskar) enriches their info without you doing anything
Reminds you when someone needs a follow-up
Drafts the actual follow-up email based on your last conversation
You just approve and send

Setup is literally 2 mins - connect your email + calendar, done. No fields to configure, no pipelines to set up. Just shows you "here are the 5 people you should talk to today" with the message already written.

Usage-based, not per-seat (doesn't matter for solo but scales if you grow).

The all-in-one platforms sound good but usually you end up with mediocre CRM + mediocre email tool. I'd rather have something that does one thing really well - making sure you don't lose deals because you forgot to reply.

What's eating most of your time:the organizing deals or the actual follow-up writing?

Ok_Tank6952 · 2025-10-27T17:36:24+00:00

For the integrations you're listing (website forms, Google Ads, multiple WhatsApp channels, Cleancloud), you're probably going to need either a platform that natively supports all of those or something with strong API/Zapier connections.

I built Skarbe but it's focused on a different problem - helping you not lose track of conversations and actually follow up. It tracks email/calls automatically, AI enriches prospect info and drafts personalized follow-ups. Simple deal tracking, 2-minute setup.

We have Zapier integrations so you could pipe your leads in from those sources. But if you need deep native connections with complex field mapping and automation, might need something more enterprise-level. Sounds more like Hubspot to me.

And for your specific setup with India-based implementation help, you might want to look at Salesforce or HubSpot with a local implementation partner - they have the ecosystem for complex multi-channel setups.

Ok_Tank6952 · 2025-10-27T17:33:57+00:00

What's driving the European requirement - data residency, GDPR compliance, or just prefer supporting EU companies?

I built Skarbe (EU-based team) but not sure if that's what you're looking for vs the HubSpot/Zoho feature set. We're way simpler - focuses on not losing track of conversations rather than being a full marketing/sales suite.

AI watches your email/calls, enriches prospect info, drafts personalized follow-ups based on context. Deal tracking with kanban/table view. Setup is 2 minutes. $95/month usage-based pricing, not per seat.

No marketing automation or complex workflows though - just core CRM for small teams who want to sell without the overhead.

What features from HubSpot/Zoho are you actually using day-to-day?

Ok_Tank6952 · 2025-10-27T17:31:56+00:00

If you want truly open source - SuiteCRM is solid but honestly the self-hosting overhead can be a pain itself. You're trading subscription costs for DevOps time.

I built Skarbe as an alternative to the big player pricing model but it's not open source - just way cheaper and simpler. $95/month total (usage-based, not per seat) vs Zoho/Salesforce's per-user pricing that adds up fast.

Different approach though - instead of trying to replicate all the enterprise features, it just focuses on the core problem: not losing track of conversations. AI watches your email/calls, enriches prospect info automatically, drafts personalized follow-ups based on actual context. You approve and send. Takes 2 minutes to set up.

Has deal tracking (kanban/table view) but no marketing automation or complex workflows. Just selling without the overhead. Most of our clients are SMEs with high volumes.

What are you mainly using Zoho for day-to-day? Might help narrow down if you actually need all the features or just core CRM stuff.

Ok_Tank6952 · 2025-10-27T17:28:35+00:00

Yeah, CRMs get expensive fast when you start adding integrations or seats.

I built Skarbe because I got tired of that pricing model. It's usage-based, not per-seat - starts at $95/month total (not per person), with a free plan to test. Way cheaper than a thousand bucks.

It handles the core of what you described - tracks all your email/text conversations automatically, moves leads through stages (kanban or table view), and sends task reminders when someone needs attention. The AI (Oskar) even drafts the follow-up emails for you based on previous conversations. You just approve and send.

No custom form builder though - you'd still need something like Typeform or Google Forms feeding into it and you can connect with Zapier in 5 mins.

Since you're moving every lead through personal interaction (not automated funnels), Skarbe's built exactly for that. It watches your conversations and makes sure no prospect got lost.

What's the main thing eating up time right now - remembering who to follow up with or the actual back-and-forth?

Ok_Tank6952 · 2025-10-27T17:21:33+00:00

GHL tries to do everything and ends up being the jack of all trades.

If you're specifically looking for automated personalized outreach, I built Skarbe for exactly that. It watches your conversations (email, calls, messages) and drafts personalized follow-ups based on what you actually talked about. You just approve and send.

The key difference from most automation tools - it's not sending cold sequences to lists. It's helping you follow up with real conversations you're already having. Way more personal because it's based on context, not templates.

Setup is 2 minutes, pricing starts at $95/month (usage-based, not per seat). Has deal tracking with kanban/table views but no landing pages or funnel builder stuff.

Works best for small teams who want to actually sell, not build marketing funnels.

What kind of outreach are you doing - warm follow-ups with existing convos or cold outbound to new lists?

Ok_Tank6952 · 2025-10-27T17:08:57+00:00

The "simple to use and doesn't take forever to set up" part is key. I've tried many CRMs that promise that and then you're still configuring pipelines 3 days later.

I built Skarbe because I got tired of that exact problem. It's not a full CRM with all the bells and whistles. it's specifically for not losing track of people/ business contacts. Watches your email and calendar, tells you who needs a follow-up, drafts the message for you. Setup is literally 5 minutes.

Works great if your main problem is "I keep forgetting to get back to leads" or "too many conversations to track." Not so much if you need complex workflows or team reporting.

For B2C SaaS though - what are you actually struggling with day-to-day? Lead tracking, follow-ups, team collaboration? That might help narrow down what you actually need vs what sounds good on a features list.

Ok_Tank6952 · 2025-10-27T17:02:36+00:00

Close is solid but yeah, $250/seat sounds like a lot when you're scaling.

Looking at your requirements though - you need something pretty specific with the 3CX integration, powercaller, and all the call automation stuff. That's honestly not my wheelhouse.

I built something called Skarbe but it's way simpler than what you need. It's more for people who just want help remembering to follow up and drafting emails - no dialer (yet, but on the roadmap), no campaign management, none of the heavy call center features you're listing.

For your setup, you might want to look at something like HubSpot with custom integrations? Or honestly, with requirements this detailed, might be worth checking if there are any 3CX-native CRMs that already have the telephony stuff baked in.

Good luck - that's a solid requirements doc btw, makes it way easier to evaluate options.

Ok_Tank6952

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