5 Steps to Getting Big Ticket Sales For Your Business

big tiket sales for your business

5 Step Vision Expanding Formula For Lots of Big Ticket Sales

(This post represents a continuation of the Vision topic which I also wrote about in my previous blog post titled Expand Your Vision and Explode Your Income.)

If you want to quantum leap your sales and income here is a way to do it  – market big ticket products or services.

Many businesses including blogging, consulting and coaching businesses can add at least one big ticket product to their sales funnel.

The key to making big ticket sales is to expand the vision of your customers.  If you don’t do that you may find they’re too focused on price.  They’ll agonize about it and will probably never buy.

That’s why I wrote this post.  To give you a head’s up on a simple strategy I’ve been using for years.

This little ‘formula’ will show you how to market higher priced products and services (big ticket).  If you’re an online marketer you’ll need to get out of your comfort zone and embrace a simple offline method to make those higher margin sales.

Who This Strategy Will Work For

This strategy will work great for most businesses.  But it works particularly well for consulting, coaching and ‘expert’ type businesses.

Maybe you’ve got technical skills like:

  • SEO
  • Web design
  • Graphic design
  • Engineering
  • Software development
  • Network & security analysis
  • Video editing
  • Accounting

Or perhaps you’re more of a creative type:

  • Writer (including copywriting)
  • Blogger
  • Illustrator
  • Musician or teacher
  • Photographer

Or maybe you’re a coach:

  • Health and fitness coach
  • Life coach
  • Sports Coach
  • Relationship Coach
  • Business Coach
  • Personal Development Coach

Possibly I haven’t featured your category here, but if you’re leveraging your skills and expertise into an income stream, keep reading.

Here are my 7 steps to sell big ticket products and services:

1. Expand Your Own Vision First

You can’t tell people to do something that you aren’t doing yourself.  So the first thing you must do is sit down for a couple of hours and create a new vision for you and your business.

I suggest you do some brainstorming and come up with a few big ticket/’big solution’ ideas that will address the real needs and wants of your audience.  (See below for more detail.)

If you do it properly you will get very excited which in turn will fuel your confidence to take the new message to the marketplace.

2. Determine the Key Problems Of Your Audience

Irrespective of whether you already have a business or are just starting out, here is a great way to find out about the pain points and hot buttons of your niche…….

First up, let’s get clear on one thing: your audience (or potential audience) is comprised of many different people with different problems and hot buttons.  Assuming you’re starting out you are probably not clear on what the key issues are for them.  This comment may also  apply if you’ve been running a business for years.  So read carefully!

So, how do you find the hot buttons of your current or future audience?

The best way to do it is to simply ask them.  What a novel idea!  Yes it is and here is how you can do it:

  • Ask them with an email survey
  • Ask them by talking to them on social media sites such as Facebook
  • Ask them by picking up the phone

For many the email survey tactic is easiest, but it is nowhere near as effective as the second and third options (especially the third).

Of course the foregoing assumes that you already have an email list of subscribers in your niche.  But if you’re starting out here is what you do…….

Make a list  of people you already know who you think may have an interest in your topic. Then simply call them and ask your survey questions.  Tell them you’re about to launch a new venture and would appreciate their feedback.

By using this method you will be amazed as to how much you learn about what pains people, and what turns them on.  As a bonus one of your interviewees may even become your first ‘big ticket’ customer.

3. Decide On Your Big Picture Solution

Whatever you sell you must have a big ticket product/service in your arsenal.

But not any old big ticket product or service.  This product must offer a powerful solution to problems that you have previously identified in Step 2.

Big ticket solutions can take many forms.  For instance one simple way to do it is to simply package your time into a big program.  Add some other inclusions (such as phone hotline or email support for 90 days) to maximize the perceived value.

Another way to do it is to create a done for you package.  This works well if you’re working in the B2B space.  Business owners hate implementation and you can consult with them all day long, but the chances of them taking your advice are probably minimal.  So why not do it for them, or at least outsource the doing to a third party?

Let’s say you’re a blogger and you want to create another income stream.  You could target newbies and include a done for you blog set up package (to name just one idea) and combine it with your consulting package.

If you’re promoting in the B2C space you can also  package up your time as discussed.  But to leverage it further you could develop a workshop or seminar and include it in the package.

Lets say you’re a fitness coach or trainer.  You could offer a fitness session bulk buy combined with a seminar and personal consults on health and nutrition.  Don’t know much about nutrition?  No problem, network with someone who does.  You could do the same thing with a life coach and a host of other people who can add value to your clients.

Once you’ve decided on your ‘big idea’ you can then move into promotional mode……….

4. Take the Message To Your Audience

Start promoting.

Your goal is to entice some of your prospects and customers to book an appointment with you.

A Note to the Timid.  If you feel uncomfortable talking to people one on one, get over it.  It really is the best way to do business.  Look at it this way: they’re asking YOU for help – they have the problem and want it fixed, like yesterday.  So what’s the problem?

(If you take this one extra step with your marketing you can make a huge difference to your business.)

Onwards and upwards!

Promoting Your Free Consultation Offer

Always start with your existing assets first.  So contact your existing customers and prospects, as well as other warm contacts.  Keep in mind that some of your best candidates will be people who did the survey with you.

One of the methods I use is to send my list an email about an interesting topic and ask them to hit the reply button and tell me what they think.   This can then lead to a series of interactions which will give me a more complete picture of the person including knowing his/her goals and vision for his life etc.  An appointment can follow soon after.

The other way I do it is to send a series of emails which directly promote the free consult offer.

If you only have a small number of customers and prospects I would not rely on email alone – rather, I just pick up the phone and engage with them (alternatively you can use the chat facility on Facebook).  Do NOT pitch them, instead do a ‘how’s things?’ call.  You’ll be amazed at the number of opportunities uncovered by using this simple approach.

When you’ve flushed out a problem you know you can solve, simply invite them to schedule a free consultation.

5. Get Up Close and Personal – the Consultation

The foundation for this step is the interview or consultation.  I do all of my consultations by phone or Skype.

Broadly the way to conduct an interview is to take a genuine interest in people and let them share something of themselves.   You should also show empathy when appropriate.

Every appointment or consultation should have  a basic structure to it.  Although you’re probably not a sales person, it can be helpful to understand the steps that the sales pros use when giving a presentation.  Here they are:

Relax.  This is the small talk step.  To make it work it’s vital that you are feeling relaxed and confident so you can transmit your positive vibe to your prospect.

Disturb.  The best way to disturb people is to ask them questions.  If you’re smart you will already have asked them to fill out a questionnaire beforehand, the answers to  which will reveal the pain points.  So all you need to do is ask them about the points.

Relieve.  This of course will be your big ticket solution.  Talk concepts first, and if they like the concept, you can move forward and reveal the detail from there.

Close.  If you get the first 3 steps right, you’ll probably find the prospect will ask YOU to buy!  If not, give them a little nudge – and always make it easy for them to move forward with you (eg offer terms, or a small deposit to get started).

Find the Pain, Provide the Solution

During the consultation you obviously need to dig deep with your prospect.  Perhaps you have asked them to fill out a form beforehand (good idea, this).

By the time you speak to them you already have a good understanding of what they want to achieve.

Where required explore some of the answers to your questions.   Then you can form a picture in your mind of the best way to help them find a solution.

Get Them Excited About the Solution

At this point you know 2 things:

  1. Your Prospect’s Pain Points
  2. Your Prospect’s Goals and Dreams (Vision)

Knowing this you can show your prospects how your product/service will help them achieve their goals. It really comes down to comparing their current reality to the future potential that your solution provides.

But no matter how logical your solution may be, people won’t move forward on a proposition if they’re not excited about it.   So, here is how you do it:

Excite Them with Stories.  People are motivated by stories that inspire and validate your core proposition.  So use stories of happy customers who have experienced great results with your big ticket solution.  But make sure the stories focus on tangible results.  Mere platitudes and cliches will not work.

Excite By Putting Them In the Picture.  Use words like ‘imagine this’ and ‘this could be you’.  Show them how your solution will make a huge difference for them.

The Pain Free Close

If you conducted the interview properly (with quality prospects), you will have uncovered their pain, offered a solution, and gotten them excited about the solution.  If so, most prospects will ask you to buy!

If not, simply ask them if they love the concept and if so,  ask them how they would like to pay for it.  No big deal.

How to Bridge the Credibility Gap

Assuming you’re just starting out on this big ticket pathway, it’s obviously a bit tougher to land your first ‘A’ class client.   Credibility is important and without at least one success story under your belt, you may need to try an alternative approach to give your prospect the confidence to move forward on your proposition.  Here are some ideas:

  1. Reduce the Price.  Give them  a discount of say 25 per cent in return  for their testimonial and case history.
  2. Do It For Free.  Not recommended but if you’re promoting a service (eg a consulting package) you could give it to them for free in return for their strong testimonial (video is best) and case history.
  3. Do a Portion For Free.  This works great if you’re offering consulting combined with done for you elements.  You could offer the consulting portion for free, but they pay for the done for you services (presumably you will outsource this)
  4. Try an Ethical Bribe.  Induce them with something else that has high perceived value.

No Customers, No List?  No Problems

If you’re just starting out and you only have a small or non existent list of people who would be interested in your topic/niche, you will need to start from scratch and build your list.

For instance, if you have an internet orientation you can run ads on social media sites such as Facebook, or run them on Google Adwords.

Offline options include print ads.

The point is that you can now afford to spend money on ads simply because your big ticket package gives you the margin to do so.

What about free methods?

Well, you can run a free social media campaign by engaging people on Facebook with news feed promotions and also by using the chat facility.

Another free method:

If you’re a blogger with a following, you can promote it on your blog.

Offline free methods include old style networking (join Meetups in your local area for starters).

List Building – Your Initial Offer

I like to lead with the offer of free information such as a free report.  People who are interested in your topic will request the free report via an opt in form on a lead capture page.  These people get added to your email list which you can nurture with follow up emails.

To optimize your response from list building promotions, always lead with a benefit or a pain point.

 ****Special Free Offer****

If you are an expert and need more high paying customers the key is to position you as an authority in your niche.  It is NOT about being a mere salesperson.

So, if you want to attract high paying ‘A’ class clients to you like bees to a honey pot, you should talk to me.

I’ve been using these techniques for years in my own business.  Techniques that have enabled me to quit the rat race and travel the world as a digital nomad.

So here is my offer for you……

I will gift you an hour of my time (by phone or Skype) for brainstorming, including specific strategies on expert positioning and client acquisition.  AND I’ll always be focused on skyrocketing your income by showing you how to attract ‘A’ class clients who pay you top dollar.

All at no cost to you.  All I ask for in return is a testimonial and the opportunity to build a valuable relationship.

Results matter, so that will be my focus with you – to give you valuable ideas you can use straight away.

Schedule a Time HERE

I hope you enjoyed reading this blog post.  If so, share the love on your fav social media platforms.  I would also love it if you can add a nice comment below.

7 thoughts on “5 Steps to Getting Big Ticket Sales For Your Business”

  1. Hey Kim!

    Had to jump on over here and see what you’ve been up to. Wow! Persuasion Pursuit is going to be a hit and I know I’m going to be learning a lot from you in the future. I’m about to go back and read the other posts now…

    “A Note to the Timid. If you feel uncomfortable talking to people one on one, get over it.”

    Hahaha, I love it. I’m working with another guy my age locally who is trying to get started with internet marketing. Guy’s a good writer but incredibly timid. I told him he needs to start sending out emails and networking with people. He said he was scared of rejection. Long story short, we spent the next hour cold calling. He got over it.

    Anyway I didn’t mean to go too off track with this. Looking forward to future posts Kim, awesome stuff.

    – James McAllister

    1. Great to see you here James!

      And what a surprise package you are – doing cold calling no less. Who would have thunk it? (It’s character building, right?)

      You’re a born entrepreneur that’s for sure. And a big thumb’s up to to you for helping out your timid friend. Sometimes we need a bit of a push so we confront and break through the fear barrier

      Power to you my man

      Kim

  2. Hi Kim,

    What a great post on your 7 tips for making high ticket items and services.

    We must first have vision and determination. Without these we will surely fail. I like the survey idea. I’ve seen other bloggers do it on their posts and it works great.

    Creating a done for you package or outsource it sounds awesome. I would outsource it. I liked the wordpress set up package. We must promote, promote and promote.

    I work with a group who has sales funnel with high ticket products. They work great..

    Thank you for sharing, Kim and you have a wonderful rest of the week!

    Linda

    1. Hi Linda

      Thanks for dropping by again!

      It’s great that you’re already going down the big ticket pathway. So it looks like you’re ahead of the game.

      With the done for you packages we outsource the delivery to white label service providers. Then we add a good margin to their price to arrive at a price for our client. Works well

      thanks again, Linda

      Kim

  3. Hi Kim,

    Big ticket sales are certainly a great way to go.

    I like the DFY products especially, and I notice you say you do that with white label service providers. Not sure what you’re saying, but it sounds like you’re outsourcing the work to some folks who already have the DFY service set up, and you’re acting as the agent.

    I’ve not done that, yet, so it could be an interesting project.

    I know a lot of people like to promote high ticket affiliate items, but I’m always dubious about the value, so I really only promote my own services for the most part. Maybe I’m holding myself back by doing that because there’s only so much one person can do, right?

    I guess the key is to really know your outsource providers well, and be convinced that they deliver high quality. After all, your customers will hold you responsible, not the silent outsourcer.

    There are so many directions to move in… so little time. Focus is always a major concern for me.

    You’ve given an awful lot of great information here, Kim. Thanks!

    1. Hi Donna

      Great to see you here again!

      Thanks for your input

      Regarding the white label side of things, I’m talking about outsourcing functions such as SEO, graphic design, and web development. Many site owners have sites that have not been optimized for traffic and importantly, conversions. In regards to conversions a revamp to the About page, the testimonial page and the narrative that infuses the site can have a potent effect on conversions – from visitors converting to leads/inquiries and quote requests. But often times a makeover to an existing site is an inferior option compared to starting from scratch and creating a brand new site for the business. It is at these times that the white label professionals come into their own.

      And yes you are right – when choosing outsourced suppliers it is vital that we select the right people. Outsourcing to the Philippines may have a cost advantage but often times it is better to find high value pros closer to home

      Thanks again Donna!

      Kim

  4. Hey Kim,

    This is a really interesting and timely topic for me.

    I have dabbled in product creation with some limited success but far too often I have opted to offer the lower front-end type offer with the slighly higher priced upsell (OTO type deal) but then have shyed away from where they tell me the real money is to be made online re the consultancy/coaching premium priced offers.

    Put that down plain and simple to lack of experience and confidence. Despite having some limited success at this level with associated recommendations, it’s still a stepping stone that I have to take sooner or later.

    That’s why your post has been so valuable to me mate especially your excellent point on how to “bridge the credibility gap”

    Many thanks as always for sharing your expertise – greatly appreciated

    All the best

    Peter

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *