Which came first? Pricing or service packaging?
It’s kinda like, the chicken or the egg… but not really.
One should come first.
Packaging Comes First
To me this is a kind of a foundational thing.
You need to know what is IN the box (or package) before you can do anything else.
Before you can proceed to pricing, you have to do packaging.
Before you can do marketing, you have to do packaging.
Before you can do an introductory promotional email, you have to do packaging.
See… packaging first and the rest will follow.
Pack Your Bags: Proper Packaging = Happy Customers
How To Package
So how do you package you products and services?
This is how I do it…
1. Survey my prospective customer
This doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be as simple as asking your list to reply to an email where you ask them a question or two. Or you can use a survey provider like SurveyMonkey or create a form using something like WuFoo Forms or GoogleForms. (I’ve done all of the above).
2. Listen to what they are saying
Now that they’ve answered your question, you’ve got to analyze the data a bit. Ask yourself, what are the overreaching themes that you come across as you review the answers to your question? What is your list really struggling with? What do they need help with? What do they want YOU to help them with? What problem do they need help solving?
3. Research and Testing
Just like surveying your audience, this doesn’t have to be overly complicated or overwhelming. This could be simple too. As simple as doing a little keyword research (I use Google’s Keyword Tool). Or doing a series of blog posts and seeing what kind of traffic and comments you generate from discussing this area of expertise.
4. Give it to them
Now that you’ve done the survey, did a bit of listening, tested the idea out on the general public (sorta)…. now, give it to them.
This is where ego can get in the way. Sometimes (and this HAS happened to me), your audience sees you as an expert in an area that you hadn’t even considered. I mean really… pricing and packaging services? Not only did I not know that so many people had a problem with it… I didn’t know that people saw me as an “expert” in this area. But I digress.
I say that your ego can get in the way because this may not be an area of expertise that you had thought about… and it may not be an area of expertise that you want to focus on. BUT it is probably an area of expertise, an area of knowledge that you can pack up and utilize to service your current and prospective customers better. Meeting them at a place of struggle… and making you their hero.
Well, that’s how I do it. It may take a little bit of time and effort but it’s not that hard, right?
Pack your bags (services)… Let’s go. Your customers are waiting for you.
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If you liked this article, please share it with someone that you think would benefit from it.
If you have packaging or pricing questions that I can help you with… let me know about them by completing my little, one-questions survey here.
~J
