6 Tips for Packaging Your One-on-One Services

Are you still stuck in the trap of trading hours for dollars? If so, check out my top 6 tips for packaging your services so they’re irresistible to prospective clients.

Tip #1: Offer options

When you offer more than one option for working with your company, you shift prospects away from a “YES/NO” decision and into a “WHICH ONE?” decision. Offering package options at different price points, with various levels of personal access and support, is the best way to serve different clients’ needs. This way, there’s something for those who want a deluxe experience, those who might be stretching financially to afford working with you, and something in the middle. In addition to offering package options, you might want to consider offering payment options–with an incentive for paying in full.

Tip #2: Blur the lines between hours and dollars

I advocate pricing based on the VALUE that someone gets from working with you, rather than on the number of hours of service. However, many of your prospects will hear your package rates and pull out a calculator to determine your price per hour. That’s why you want to blur the lines between hours and dollars. Throw other bonuses and perks in so it’s not a direct calculation. Some examples include unlimited email access, discounts on your group programs and products, access to the recordings from one of your past events or access to a private Facebook group for your private clients only. BUT (and this is important!)…be sure that you have a sense of what you’d like to make per hour and that’s figured into your package prices. And make sure there’s a cost-benefit to choosing a higher-level package (if they do calculate your hourly rate, it would technically be less per hour, the more hours they sign up for).

Tip #3: Make it clear who each option is for

You should have a sense of who would benefit the most from each option. For example, your first option might be great for people who want to make fast progress; whereas, your second option would be ideal for those who want to make consistent progress, but need less guidance.  Ultimately, your prospects will pick the package that resonates most with them, but be sure to offer your opinion as to which one would suit them best during your enrollment conversations.

Tip #4: Lead with your “juiciest” package

When sharing your options with prospects, be sure to lead with your top-tier package. Why? First, people subconsciously HATE things being taken away from them, so for those prospects who value premier services, the other options will seem less appealing in comparison. Second, if cost is an issue for them, you get the “sticker shock” out of the way, and your lower-level packages will seem like a bargain comparatively.

Tip #5: Make sure your clients get great value–even in your lowest price point option

Just because your lowest price point option includes less access to you and fewer fancy bonuses, make sure the value will still be there. For example, when I launched my business and was creating my packages, I considered having my lowest-level package include 2 hours of coaching a month. At that time, I consulted with a business coach who recommended that I switch that to a Half-Day VIP session (3 hours) because that way, the client would get the same value from one day of working with me than they would’ve previously gotten in 6 weeks (if they had a one-hour session every other week). In the end, the client would feel more satisfied with their experience.

Tip #6: Make it easy for clients to upgrade

Some of your clients may initially underestimate how much support they will need from you, so they sign up for one of your lower-tier programs. If you make sure that the higher-tier programs basically include everything that’s in the lower-tier programs (but more), it will be an easy upgrade. For example, say you’re a Virtual Assistant and your first package option includes 10 hours of monthly support for $300 (along with some other bonuses and perks, of course!) and your second includes 5 hours for $170.  If your new client discovers within the first few weeks of working with you that that they’re going to need those extra 5 hours, you can easily apply their initial fee toward the larger package and give them immediate access to any of the extras in that option.

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