Sell your services the way couples want to buy
Two weeks ago, I put out a newsletter with six tips to presenting your pricing. If you missed it, check it out. If you read it, you’ll remember I mentioned how important it is to offer three – and only three – packages.
But many of you reached out with different versions of the same question: How do I know what three packages to offer?
It’s important to get this one right, so let’s dig in on this newsletter.
Why you can’t send out a pricing guide (& get consistent results)
First of all, let’s be clear about one thing.
I do not recommend wedding pros should share a traditional pricing guide with potential couples on the first email reply.
After working with hundreds of wedding pros on their sales process, I can assure you that giving specific pricing for detailed packages on the initial inquiry response is a top three reason you’re getting ghosted. (Another is slow response time, which I’ll talk more about next week.)
If you’re selling services for $1,000+, it usually takes more than a personalized email and menu of services to get a would-be couple to book you with confidence. And if you want to increase your prices, a discovery call and customized proposal are essential.
How do you know what options to offer?
Now, let’s get back to the question about what three services to offer?
It’s simple: Pick three sets of services that meet that couple’s needs and offer a range in value as well as price.
Remember, your business exists to solve your clients’ problems. The “problem” could be a pain to resolve or a desire to fulfill. During the discovery process you learn about their pain or pleasure points, and with the proposal you offer services that help them with their specific services.
Design compelling services
The issue for most wedding pros is either a) they don’t address specific needs, or b) the packages don’t solve all of the couple’s problems.
Generic packages are a big reason why pricing guides don’t work very well. Not only are you sharing specific products too early, but you don’t even know if they’re solutions to that couple’s needs.
When a person is spending a lot of money on something this important, they want to make 100% certain they’re getting exactly what they need. Not someone else. Not an average couple. What they need.
And if you want to create packages that practically sell themselves, make sure the services clearly address ALL their pains and pleasures.
Let’s say you’re a photographer. And if you’re like most photographers your collections include
X hours of coverage
Y photographers
Z high-res images with rights
Private online viewing gallery
And maybe you include an engagement session and/or album option
First of all, congratulations. /j Your packages look like every other photographer the couple is considering. But the real issue is that the only real difference when they’re comparing you with others is the price.
Let me say that again: If your packages look like every other [enter your vendor category], then the only easy way to tell the difference between you and everyone else is price. Yep. That’s why the number one reason couples “go with someone less expensive” is because price is the biggest (only?)difference they can find between you and your comp set.
But.
But…if you create different (and better) packages that address more of their problems/desires then you’ll win more business – and you’ll do it at higher rates.
Because every time you meet a need that couple has, you create value. And the more value you build, the more you can charge.
So here are the two big takeaways on designing your packages:
Proposals that personalize services around that couple’s needs will win most often.
If you address more pain/pleasure points, then you can charge higher prices.