Give Your Clients Options
August 8th, 2010 Filed under: Small Home Based Business — Small Home Business Author
As virtual assistants, we all start out offering a variety of services, and sometimes adding services based on customer demand. After a while, we discover that we are unfocused, and that we are offering services that seem to have little relevance to each other. So, we decide to find a niche and pare down accordingly.
Finding a niche is a great way to market yourself and your business, to streamline your clientele, and to become an expert in your field. But just because you have streamlined your scope of services doesn’t mean you don’t need to offer a variety of options within that scope. Offering a variety of options for different needs, work styles and budgets will bring in more clients, and give you more security.
Here are four ways to expand your offerings without expanding your scope of services:
Pre-fab packages: In addition to your list of services, develop a few comprehensive packages with some financial incentive for the client to purchase them. Some simply want to pay for a project that has a defined scope and end date. Packages allow customers the option of paying for a project that has a defined scope and end date, or of letting go of an entire segment of their business – say, online marketing and the services surrounding that – article marketing, SEO and blog maintenance, for example. Packages allow you to bring in more income with less effort per client than billing services at an hourly rate. Offer clients a flat fee or “package” rate, with an option to pay up front, or over time, with financing options if it is a particularly high-ticket item.
Customized bundles of a la carte services: Let your clients choose three services to bundle into a package at a slightly lower rate than if they were purchased individually. This lets you upsell your services, while creating comfortable, happy clients by giving them the control they want over their plan.
Consulting options: Consider that for every service you offer, you can also offer to consult regarding that service. So, if an entrepreneur wants to learn about online marketing, and then do it herself, you could have a consulting package that includes a website review, consulting on article marketing, press release marketing and lists of article and press release submissions sites for a flat fee. The downside of consulting is that it may not land you a long-term client if you are teaching them how to do it themselves; however, consulting will open up a door for new income, and possible referrals.
E-books: Putting your knowledge into a series of instructional e-books is a bottom-tier option that may bring in top-tier income! For those do-it-yourselfers who cannot afford a consultant, or monthly service packages, an e-book is an affordable, instantly downloadable option that lets them begin right away. For you, e-books are a product to sell 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, providing residual income in an iffy economy.
Customers want options. There is no reason to re-invent the wheel to offer them. Creatively repackage your services, and offer consulting, and do-it-yourself manuals to offer amazing options with very little effort or cost to you.
Donna Toothaker is CEO, founder and coach of Step It Up VA Coaching. These highly sought-after VA coaching programs have been created for established, successful VAs who wish to create the 6-figure business of their dreams. Visit http://www.stepitupva.com to receive the free report, Top 3 Mistakes to Avoid in Creating a 6-Figure VA Business.
