Package it so it sells
Recently, I went through a process of packaging the work I do so it’s easier to sell. Sounds good, right? I mean, we all want our sales to come with more ease. But like many things in business, what brings ease down the road takes some upfront work.
What do I mean by “packaging” my work? I’m not talking about the actual packages you might offer a client here, like a certain number of sessions, but rather the ten thousand foot view of how your work works. Kind of like a literal package that you might buy a product in. The outside package for the product lets you know at a high level what’s inside and how it might serve you.
For the purpose of this article, I mean that you have to define where your work fits into the world, how it’s different from what else is out there, who it’s best suited for, and how you will get that person to where they want to go—all in a way that makes the right people want to buy it. All of that info has to be put together in a digestible, or easy to understand way. That way is the package and it makes selling easier.
HOW DID I CREATE MY PACKAGE?
First, by taking a look at the work I do and the outcomes my clients get. Then I analyzed how both of those are the same/different from best practices in my industry. Finally, I had to create the language and the look/feel that would communicate what I found to others in a way that creates curiosity or desire on their part.
If you want a quick look at what I came up with, take a close look at the graphic below. Otherwise, skip to section after the graphic and learn how this makes selling easier.
Now, this graphic isn’t the entirety of my package, but it has many elements. It’s got the brand of my work in it: The Authentic Marketer. It synthesizes the work I do into a simple path so clients and I can see where they are and where they need to go. It’s languaged in a way that my ideal clients can recognize themselves and their desires. Finally, it’s designed in a way that my ideal clients would find appealing.
HOW DOES PACKAGING MAKE IT EASIER TO GET SALES?
- RECOGNITION: Packaging my work helps someone understand what they can do with me in a glance. In language and design, it draws the right people toward it. Those who aren’t drawn in keep going to find the other solutions that may work for them. I am left with the people who are interested in what I’m up to. Interested people are more likely to head toward becoming clients. This is a pull, rather than push approach.
- CONSISTENCY: Having this package helps me organize my teaching and sharing in consistent ways. This means the way I talk about my 1-1 work sounds similar to how I share about my group work, which sounds similar to the books that I write. It also guides my team and my efforts to create content for marketing stuff like articles, social media, YouTube videos, and whatever else we create. This is the basis for a solid brand experience for potential customers, which creates the trust and credibility you need for people to buy with less hesitation.
- ACCESS: Packaging my work means I can offer it in more than one way. Because I am clear about what I do and for who, I can easily slice and dice it in different ways like working with groups of clients, rather than only offering 1-1 services, or creating teaching courses, books, and other materials that give clients lower-priced access. Having more access points for clients to join me gives me more opportunities to serve because it increases the number of clients I have overall. It also gives my customers somewhere else to go in working with me, rather than engaging once and leaving.
There are also some intangibles this packaging gives me like the satisfaction of seeing my work come together in an easily explainable way. It also brings relief to potential clients when they see that there’s a path toward getting what they hope for.
And my favorite part? It gives me the ability to empower others in a short time. For instance, now that I have this path defined, you can figure out where you are on it.
