Business success relies on being creative and flexible. Even comparing coaching and consulting fees to an ice cream parlor can increase your income if you know what to look for. Business and marketing tips come in all flavors so pull up a stool and let me show you what fee-setting and ice cream parlors have in common.
Ever walk into an ice cream parlor and want a single scoop of your favorite flavor? Imagine you walk in and all they have to offer are triple scoops? They even have your favorite flavor, but the only way that you can have it is to buy a triple scoop.
Maybe it’s hot outside and you want to walk around without having ice cream pouring down your arm and onto the sidewalk. Or maybe you’re in a hurry and you only have time for a single scoop. You might be saving room for something else to eat a little later.
We could go on for quite awhile as to all of the reasons you may prefer a single scoop of ice cream over a triple or even a double scoop.
This seems so elementary that we probably couldn’t even IMAGINE an ice cream parlor that would be short sighted enough to offer only triple scoops to their patrons.
But let me ask you another question. Are you doing the same thing to YOUR market? Are you offering nothing but triple scoops when, clearly, many prospects would just like a single scoop?
People want a chance to get to know, like and trust you. Some just won’t be prepared to jump in and snatch up a triple scoop. Perhaps their schedule doesn’t permit it. Or they want to enter your program gradually. There’s a host of reasons that you should create multiple offers for your market.
So what do you do with these people? They might turn out to be your ideal clients, but if you don’t have anything else to offer them then you’ll never know.
Whether you are a coach, consultant, holistic service professional or any other fee-based solo-preneur, you can always create multiple offers for your prospects and clients.
Here are a few ideas ranging from free to full-fee:
* Newsletter and ezines
* Tele-classes
* Tele-seminars
* Information products
* Published books
* Group coaching programs
* Packaging your services into 2-3 tiers
For coaches, one of the quickest tweaks that you can make is creating what I call a split fee.
The typical coaching model may look like:
4 calls at $600 per month
But how about this:
4 calls at $750 per month
2 calls at $400 per month
You just increased your hourly income with both offers and created a new option for your clients that’s less of an investment of time and money.
Frankly, you may find that most clients opt for the higher of the two, but having options means that they feel in control of the experience.
And what about the client who is just in the “getting to know you” phase? This would be a great opportunity to offer an information product rather than jumping right into the coaching offer.
Remember, not everyone who walks into your ice cream parlor is looking for a triple scoop 
Be sure to leave a comment below if you liked this article!
Cheers
Tom
P.S. One of the best “get to know you” offers you can create is a simple but powerful information product. One where you share an in-depth strategy on how your ideal client can achieve ONE goal. The great thing about having information products is that you can share your wisdom with tens, hundreds or even thousands of people at once rather than relying exclusively on the “one-on-one” business model.
