Every year, course creators pin their hopes on Black Friday. It’s the season of discounts, inbox floods, and — ideally — record-breaking sales. But for most, the results are… underwhelming.

One common mistake? Stopping the strategy at the first offer.

This case study shows what happened when one language course creator went a step further — adding a single, well-placed upsell — and walked away with an extra $30,000 in revenue during their Black Friday campaign.

The Problem

In previous Black Friday campaign,s this language course creator saw strong sales numbers. Lots of buyers jumped in, but there was a catch: the offer was priced so low that it felt like they were discounting — and even devaluing — their brand.

This is where many course creators get stuck. They think Black Friday is just about slashing prices to drive volume, and what they don’t realize is that the discount is only the entry point — a way to get new buyers through the door and into your funnel.

So, when we first talked, this client was ready to sit out the next Black Friday.

The campaign had felt like a quick cash grab that left them questioning if it was worth doing again. That’s when I asked the question that shifted everything:

“What happens after the first offer? What’s the next step in your funnel?”

The answer: nothing.

And that’s when we started building a strategy — adding an order bump, a logical upsell, and a Cyber Monday downsell — to turn a one-off sale into a revenue-generating funnel.

The Solution

To capture more value from each sale, we added a strategic upsell to their funnel. The approach was simple: place a relevant, easy-to-say-yes-to offer immediately after the initial purchase. Just a straightforward upsell added to the workflow their platform already supported.

The result? Customers didn’t have to go looking for “what’s next.” It was right there, one click away.

I want to make an important note about the ethics of building a sales funnel. I know many creators are wondering about this (Aka objecting).

This isn’t about tricking people into buying random add-ons they don’t need. The goal is to create a funnel that makes sense — one where every offer provides real, logical value to the buyer.

During Black Friday, your audience is being bombarded with deals, and while some of them might have set budgets and have an idea about what they’re shopping for, there is some interesting data from 2022 that shows only about 38% of shoppers stick to what they planned to buy—meaning 62% are open to impulse or unplanned buys.

So, not having a proper funnel is a missed opportunity. But, keep this in mind: The only way they’ll choose your offer — and keep buying — is if the experience feels clear, valuable, and aligned with what they need.

The Results

This single change added $30,000 in additional revenue during the campaign — without adding new leads, increasing ad spend, or creating new products.

An upsell can be that powerful because it maximizes the value of every customer transaction. If someone is already excited and ready to buy, presenting a natural next step makes it easy for them to add more to their cart.

How do you choose the right upsell (and should it be discounted?)

The key to a successful upsell is simple: it has to make sense. When someone buys your first offer, they’ve solved one problem — but that often creates space for another need to surface. A great upsell is the natural next step in that journey.

Here’s how that looks in practice:

• Offer 1 solves a specific problem.
• Upsell introduces a solution to the next logical challenge — one they may not have even considered until now.

During Black Friday, this logic still applies — but there’s room to get more granular with your strategy, especially if you’re segmenting your audience and running multiple funnels.

For non-buyers (new customers):

• They’re often more price-sensitive and need a strong incentive to say “yes.”
• This is where a bigger discount or an extremely compelling starter offer works well — something that lowers the barrier to entry and builds trust.
• The upsell could have a discount, but consider a middle priced offer, not your highest or your core offer (provided you have multiple products).

For buyers (existing customers):

• These students already know your value. They’ve experienced your content and results, whether at full price or through a promo.
• They don’t necessarily need a steep discount to buy again — what they want is more of what already worked.
• For this segment, you can position your upsell as an expansion of their current experience — for example, bundling Courses 2 and 3 together at a special rate, or offering a premium upgrade that enhances their original purchase.

The key question to ask yourself when designing an upsell is:

“Does this matter to them?”

Starting early gives you the time to talk to your students, gather feedback, and identify what they truly value. That insight allows you to craft upsells that feel relevant, timely, and impossible to ignore — without relying on blanket discounts or generic offers.