Last year we had to buy a new fridge (and then a new dishwasher, and after that a new vent hood fan, but that’s another story…) When we showed up at our local appliance store, we knew what we were looking for. All the refrigerators they sell keep your food cold and/or frozen. There were a few extra bells and whistles on some models (a deli drawer on this one or a built-in soda rack on that one) But in the end, they all do the same thing.
We knew the premise, could see and understand the product, so we based our buying decision on other standard stuff, like size, price point, quality, brand reputation, design, etc.
And that’s different from someone looking to buy from a coach, healer or other creative entrepreneur. In general, they’re selling services, not products. Yet, unlike other services, like legal or financial services, these are often not well understood by our ideal clients.
So this means you have to take extra care in creating your offers.
Although price, quality, brand reputation play a factor, your ideal clients still need to know and understand what they’re buying before they actually commit to buying.
And here’s where I see a lot of newer business owners fall short. They’re trying to sell their services simply based on a number of sessions and a price point.
A Better Way to Sell Your Services
You can’t just market and sell your awesome amazing-ness. (Well, you can but it’s going to be more difficult for most people to buy from you.) Whether four sessions with you cost $300 or $1000, people need to understand that what you are selling will help them solve their problem.
And, they need to know what they’re getting for their money.
When I talk to potential clients, assessing where they may be stuck in their businesses, I ask, how can people work with you? I find many practitioners’ offers are based on the premise of one hour of time with me equals x amount of dollars.
Here’s an example I see from many coaches trying to sell their services:
Typical Work with Me Page on a Website
We work closely together to identify where you’re at, what your dreams are, and we map out a course to close that gap and move you closer to making those dreams a reality. We will work one-on-one, having regular coaching calls to discuss the areas of your life where you are unhappy and looking to make changes.
· Four coaching sessions (or months) = $x
· Six coaching sessions = $x
· And so on
That’s not all the information they have on their website, of course. But when someone wants to know what, exactly, their money is going to get them, this is what they find.
The details often just aren’t there.
And, unless someone already knows and trusts you and your skills as a practitioner, that’s going to make it harder for them to buy.
Your Offer
This is such an important piece to have in place when beginning to market your business that when I work with clients, we can spend several sessions on this.
There isn’t a one-size fits all formula to creating an amazing offer. The offer or program you develop needs to speak to what your ideal clients are struggling with. And it should be highly personalized to fit your strengths and passions.
You can add in as many benefits and features as you want to deliver and that you think will appeal to your ideal clients. The title needs to be powerful, and the copy should be resonant with your ideal clients. In the end though, it has to have enough detail to help build that understanding and trust in your potential clients.
Think about how you’re currently selling your coaching services. Is there an opportunity to get more specific?
Creating an amazing offer that speaks to your ideal clients and fits you perfectly lets you have something you love to market. At the same time, it makes it easier for your clients to see you’re exactly the one to help them.
And that’s something I’m ready to buy.
Photo by Ameen Fahmy on Unsplash