We always hear about picking the low hanging fruit. That is the business that is right in front of us. It might be a stack of business cards that you have not followed up on or leveraging your inner circle. Some of us can do a better job of picking that fruit and nurturing our current opportunities.
But what about the fruit at the top of the tree?
The fruit higher up is that larger (long-term) contract, the package that includes multiple engagements, a combination of speaking, coaching, consulting, books, or retainers. We build these based on client needs and whatever is perfect for us.
So how do you get to this high hanging fruit? Here’s a 3 part strategy.
1. Set out the vision. Put together the package that you’d like to sell. One that contains the delivery methods that are great for you AND impact the client in a positive way. Great results mean you keep your clients longer and keep them coming back. Often a keynote speech can lead to one or several of these package contracts.
[Tweet “Simple 3-Part Strategy to Develop High-Value #Speaking #Business packages!”]
One of my sharpest clients is Rowdy McLean. His vision for each keynote is this:
“For me the keynote is the ultimate marketing machine.There are few things more powerful for future work than a fantastic keynote presentation. It has to be so good, so in line with their expectations and outcomes and so connected to their audience (in fact it needs to be better than their expectations) so that someone in the company asks you if you could run a program with a team, their leaders or the whole organization. I have a suite of programs that fit that exact model. After just one keynote I have ended up working inside some of the worlds best companies for over a decade and that takes so much pressure off finding the next opportunity!”
2. Develop a template. When you begin your communication with the client, keep it short and simple, but have a template with your “recommendations” ready to roll. Once they have expressed interest, you might offer the client a choice of three packages. Go for it. You just never know which package will appeal to them. Moreover, don’t try to imagine that you know what the client’s budget is – you likely do not.
Your exploratory call with the client is designed to find out what their needs are and ask for permission to come back with your recommendations. Remember, not every client is going to need you, and that is okay.
Test your packages out on clients who love you and get feedback to make them even better. When we first delivered our hybrid online training package, we asked very specific questions and continued to tweak it and make it better. Your client’s feedback is imperative to making your offerings more valuable.
3. Think big. Once you have tested your packages, keep thinking about what you might do to add value and beef up your offerings. As your confidence grows, the price of the package may grow as well.
For me, it took someone else telling me that I was charging too little for my VIP private coaching packages. She said, “you are impacting your clients careers for years to come, you really need to raise your fees”. Moreover, when I did, and beefed up the package with a VIP Client Dashboard, people seemed to gravitate to me even more. Funny how that happens.
Judy Zimmer, a recent graduate of our Accelerate Course, shares her experience since discovering the need to create packages:
“My coaching/speaking practice has shifted dramatically since the coaching I received from Jane’s Accelerate Course. What I discovered, is that creating packages (instead of one-offs) for my speaking/coaching has helped to generate more value and therefore, more income for my business. It has forced me to be more creative and discover what package (of coaching and speaking) I can create to help clients achieve their goals. Getting creative, focusing on value and creating packages is what has helped me to increase my speaking revenue since taking Jane’s class and has taken my business to the next level.”
By upgrading to packages versus selling one-off presentations, we are picking the high hanging fruit, building our revenue, and creating long-term client retention!
See you soon Wealthy Speakers!
