Make Yourself Invaluable: How to Design and Package Services That Attract Clients

If you’ve completed the previous parts of our High Vibe Entrepreneur series, you’ve made incredible progress in shaping a business that lets you use your passions, serve your purpose and work with the clients that light you up. Today we’re delving into how to formulate your services, create killer packages and name your offerings. This is a topic that a lot of entrepreneurs overlook but that can increase your value, build ongoing client relationships and help you sell more. It helps you do more of what you love and be more effective. In other words, it’s a win for both you and your clients.

What Does ‘Packaging’ Mean?

We’ve found that many entrepreneurs have never considered packaging and are unsure what it entails. Basically, it’s about grouping your offerings into different levels your clients can choose from. It’s a way to show your clients that you’ve developed the best solutions for them based on their needs.

Offering packages requires you to own your expertise. It takes some healthy confidence to say “I know what you need and this is how it should be done.” Especially if you’re just starting out, that can be a little scary. It also may test your confidence to propose the higher price tag that packages carry. Remember, though, that packaging your services creates greater value for your audience and that, even if you offer a discount for packages, it’s important to charge fairly for them. That means your price is fair to your customers and to you.

The Benefits of Service Packages

As we talk about why packages are great for you and your clients, let’s use DesignGood as an example. We pinpointed that we have three different types of entrepreneurs coming to us for business, branding, and design help. So we put together three sets of offering that encompass the things they truly needed at each phase of their business journey, from just starting out to aiming for the big leagues. Then we created additional tools, trainings and support for them as they build, elevate or pivot their brands and businesses.

The reasons we developed these packages will probably also apply to your business.

• Packages make things easier for your clients. An entrepreneur who buys our Small Business Starter Package is getting everything they need to launch instead of having to make lots of separate decisions. (OK, I had someone create my logo  — now what do I do about my website? And I need help telling my story and reaching my audience, too.)
• Packages save time and make things easier for you. You’re booking a block of work instead of trying to sell individual services. That means less time marketing and more time doing the work you’re best at it. You don’t spend as much time creating custom proposals and estimates for every request.
• Packages provide better value. Since packages reduce the time we have to spend on selling, DesignGood (like many other businesses) offers discounts on packages.
• Packages help you do your best work. In our case, we realized that new entrepreneurs who created their websites with us got better results when we first collaborated with them to develop their visual identity. That knowledge influenced which services we include in our package for entrepreneurs just starting out.
• Packages build longer-term client relationships. Instead of offering various single, one-time services, you can create three-, six-, nine- or 12-month plans for clients with more support, services or check-ins. This helps clients feel more connected to you, and the more you work with a client, the better you’ll understand them and serve their needs.
• Packages strengthen your brand. Since your packages will be unique to your brand, they’re something your business can become known for. And they’re easier to describe in your marketing than listing every single service you offer.

Create Your Own Service Packages

• First, have your description of your audience that you developed earlier in this series handy.
• From the understanding you’ve developed of your clients, think about what they need. What are the questions you get asked over and over? Where do you see your clients struggle the most?
• Try grouping your services into packages that more effectively and efficiently deliver what your clients deeply desire. It might help to think of things this way: If they’re buying Service X from you, what additional services really optimize the results they’ll get from Service X?
• Also consider how packaging services might save you work while helping you make more money. If I’m doing X for a client, it’s not that much more trouble to do Y. And even after giving them a discount, I’ll still make more money by packaging these services together.
• At what points do you feel that you don't have enough time with your clients? At what stages would it be nice for you to circle back with them? The answers to these questions can help you build check-ins into your packages.
• Think into the future. Where do your clients get hung up after they initially work with you? Where do they need more support? What are the things they can't do for themselves, and what are the things they can?
• Can you use this knowledge of your clients to create add-on workshops, tools and trainings that help build their ongoing success? When clients buy a particular package or offering, you could also give them access to these additional resources you create.
• As you start to imagine different packages you might offer, brainstorm some possible names for them that feel consistent with your overall brand and that resonate with your dream audience.
• Innovate! It’s OK if these offerings have never existed or been packaged together before in your industry. What can you do differently? Is there anything you can do that you haven't done before? Is there a different format you can offer your services in that would be more effective, or allow you to reach more people at once.
• If you still don’t feel confident enough in your expertise to package your services, or to charge a fair price for your packages, revisit our Business Identity article.

Service packages that are built around your expertise and your clients’ needs benefit you both. And that’s what a high-vibe business is all about. Need some help developing and presenting your service packages? We can offer you insights based on our work with hundreds of other small businesses. Schedule a call to learn more.