When to put your services on sale
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What!?!
Didn't I post earlier this month on why you shouldn't put your services on sale during the pandemic and what to do instead?
Why, yes! Yes I did.
Okay, hear me out.
There IS a time when you can very mindfully and strategically lower your rates.
But it's probably not what you think..
Let me explain...
First, here's a little mindset prep work:
You have to do this in a smart and soulful way or you run the risk of setting the wrong tone in your business.
It's also best if you keep this special savings offer quiet and do it privately.
Not in a sneaky, secretive way but think of it like a "private invitation" for a specified group of people.
Think: Like the private sales events at an haute couture company.
(In this specific strategy I'll share below, you do not let every person on your email list know about it.)
This strategy is also best reserved for those with an existing business vs a brand new start up.
An existing business will likely have some people wishing and hoping they could work with you, and they just couldn't for some reason (time, energy, timing, money, etc) and with the right, personal invitation from you at a very special rate, it's just what they need to step up and bet on themselves.
When you're in start up, you don't usually have anyone to offer this too. (But hey, you could totally try this by personal, private email invitation or direct message on social to people you want to work with.)
Second, who might you offer this to?
Here are three ideas:
1) Your "private sale" could be offered to all the first appointments you had in 2020, that did not sign up for your program.
(Or just to those you really wished they signed up!)
2) This could also be as simple as reaching out to all the folks who attended one of your live events (virtual or in-person speaking gigs).
3) Or perhaps to a select group of past clients as an invitation to handle the "what's ahead" challenge.
If you make this public you risk training your potential clients to "wait for the sale" and treating you like just another big company versus the boutique, specialized consulting or coaching pro that you are.
Third, give them an inspiring REASON to say yes to themselves.
This is where you can offer a savings off your signature program (or something else).
BUT be sure you have a smart and soulful reason why you're doing this and share this with them.
Otherwise they'll unconsciously make up a reason for you, and it may be less flattering than the truth.
Then give them a very limited time to take you up on it.
I first got this idea from my colleague Rose, at least 20 years ago!
She and I were in our coach training together and we were part of a small group that were being personally mentored in our business by Joshua Rosenthal, director and founder of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.
She was THE badass of the group.
She had clients lining up to work with her while the rest of us were only just starting to patch together our practices.
She had coaches working for her before coaching empires were a thing.
And she did it all locally with a signature talk and a little bit of email, in a not so particularly affluent town.
So, when she spoke, I listened.
She once shared with me that at the end of the year, she personally reaches out to all the breakthrough sessions (aka the first appointments) who didn't sign up for her program and then invites them to do so now, before the new year.
She did this by writing a brief, heartfelt letter that essentially said, "Hey, maybe the timing wasn't right when we last spoke, or your schedule was too tight, etc.. and maybe you're still concerned about INSERT TOP 3 HEALTH ISSUES, but in case you do not want to let another year go by on your dream of resolving your health challenges, once and for all, here's how I can help."
It was a one-time, once a year thing that she did behind the scenes.
And it worked beautifully!
That's how you do this as a coach, practitioner or consultant.
Please note, she never did this because she needed a ton more clients (she was already busy, although that is a valid reason).
She did this because the potential clients who said yes to her offer created a significant income boost at the end of the year that made up for the savings she offered. Cool, huh?
There was no weird secret about it, it was just not a public offering.
(We should all call this the "Rose Special." LOL!)
If you end up trying it, let me know, okay?
Here's to a powerful end of your year, no matter what type of crazy is happening in the world!
Karin
*** More Ways I can Help ***
1) FREE: Got questions about this? Come to my free Happy Little Practice Community coaching call next Thursday, Oct 29th at Noon Eastern.
2) FREE: Join the Happy Little Practice Community on MeWe
I'm testing out a new platform and posting every day, Monday - Friday on the Happy Little Practice way of doing business - full-time income, part-time hours.
3) Want my help putting all of this together?
I have two solutions that I can personally help you with.
a) The Happy Little Practice ReDesign -- This is where I help you put all of your professional experience together into a cohesive message, signature program, updated website and create a radically simple marketing plan that a company of one can pull off.
b) The Great Little Talks Program - You have your website, message and offers on point, and you want to create a signature talk as your single point of focus way of filling your practice. The speaking world has expanded (not contracted since COVID). I just booked 4 virtual speaking gigs in the past week. You can do this too. I can show you everything I know about making speaking to small groups of people your core strategy.
If you're serious about getting your message and your marketing handled before the new year, and you think you might want a coach like me by your side, please don't hesitate to get in touch here.
I hope this has been helpful!