Which is more important to you, having services that are easy for you to sell or that are easy for your prospective clients to buy?
Think about it…..
When you share what services you offer, do people get it?
Is it a resounding Yes that is something I’d be interested in , “How Do I get Started” or do they look at you blankly as they really have no idea what it is you do.
If it’s the latter you have some work to do, especially if what you offer is very niched, not widely known outside your own industry or is a new technology or methodology that requires educating prospective clients.
If you’re struggling to get clients to buy from you here are four different techniques you can use to create multiple streams of income from your existing services
*Turn your service into a product.
*Create different service levels.
*Combine services to create a new offering
*Package your unique process
Turn your service into a product.This is one of the quickest, easiest places to start–it allows you to create a passive revenue stream, reach a larger audience than you could delivering your services directly, and helps to position you as an expert.
You’ve probably already seen many examples of this “Insert your service” in a Box or “Insert your service” Toolkit, for this method, you’ll create content such as tip sheets, templates, worksheets and other supporting educational pieces (webinars, audio/video recordings) that share your expertise at a fraction of the cost of working with you directly.
You can package these in a binder, a branded USB stick or in a branded box, and sell them on your website, at trade shows and at speaking engagements.
Examples might include “How to create multiple streams of income without the overwhelm” or “How to create successful collaborations hosting Telesummits” and “Developing a Business Plan”
Create different service levels.If you present all your services a la carte style with different price points, you risk confusing your customer. A confused mind never buys – too many options, decisions to make turn buyers off.
By creating packages that are easy to buy and that cater to your customers’ varying needs and budgets, you can sell more services and keep your customers engaged in the process of doing business with you.
Each of these packages caters to a different segment of your market but gives your clients a choice. When you package service levels, you typically would want to create three product offerings. Often, you’ll see these presented as gold, silver and bronze levels or any other precious jewel you can think of.
Begin the process by:
*Doing your research into what others in your industry are offering
*Documenting the value you deliver to clients
*Talking to potential client to assess their needs, expectations and priorities – surveys to your email list or polls in social media group are very useful to gather this information
*Creating relevant groups of offerings.
Combine services to create a new offering.When buyers begin to see little difference between you and your competitors and start to focus on price, reposition your service by creating a new, more valuable service offering. This approach means you’ll take several services that you and your strategic partners (affiliates or joint venture partners) offer and combine them into one offering that’s more desirable.
For instance, as a marketing expert, you could join forces with a copywriter, a graphic designer and a website developer to create a “Business Success Starter Pack” package that provides marketing, message and website assistance.
Before you create a new offering, start by listening to what your customers are asking for and paying closer attention to their buying patterns. Who would make an ideal complementary partner to your business, seek them out and collaborate.
Package your unique process.When it seems impossible to package what you deliver, differentiate your company and increase your perceived value by packaging how you deliver. Start by naming the process, then document each of the steps, create a detailed project plan, identify decision points, formalize your deliverables from each step, and put it all together in a downloadable format or a physical training manual/binder.
For instance, if you run a social media marketing company, you’ll want to document how you create and develop content, which platforms and tools you use. Sharing your process can immense value to others.
What all these techniques have in common is the opportunity for you to present all the value you deliver. Often, we make assumptions that our clients have clarity on everything we do for them. But this just isn’t the case: You may need to pull out every piece of value you provide over the course of a project and present that to the client in order for them to completely understand what a terrific job you’re doing for them.
*******************
Mary Joyce AKA Resources Queen is an Award Winning Business Coach, Speaker, twice published author and on the Women Speakers Association Leadership team. Mary works with business owners and organisations to maximise their resources, leverage strategic partnerships to grow their tribe and build solid profitable businesses.