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Productizing - Why It Will Skyrocket Your Profits
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Brian Li
brian.libusinessgrowthcentre.com
Science of Small Business Success
http://www.businessgrowthcentre.com
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Productizing - Why It Will Skyrocket Your Profits
by Brian Li, Head of the UK's Business Growth Centre
This one technique will catapult your business into the
big league of marketing. Businesses destined to fail or
constantly struggle offer their products or services on a
generic take-it-or-leave-it basis without any form of
packaging.
From today, you must change the way you do business
by turning your service into a product with imagination to
attract new customers. You will reap huge rewards.
You will now discover how to do this very simply and
why it works.
People want to be silently lead into making a purchase
by being told how it can benefit them and a "packaged
product or service" will make it so easy for them to give
you lots of custom.
How to avoid generic marketing
Let's take a hotel as our first example. Most of them
offer a generic product without imagination ie they charge
a set amount for a room and that's it! No imagination.
Take it or leave it.
However, with the use of a packaged offering with imagination,
they can offer "Health and Beauty Weekends" with negotiated
reductions in a local luxurious health and beauty centre.
Or "Theatre Weekends". Or "Sporting Weekends". Or
"Romantic Weekends" with the use of a room with a
4-poster bed and whirlpool bath with champagne and chocolates.
Does your area hold popular festivals during the year? Then
offer them as an accommodation package. The ideas are
endless. Isn't that more appealing than "XYZ" Hotel
at $50 per night. Create a lifestyle for your customers
with imaginative packages and you'll increase your
business dramatically.
Offer benefits, not features
The easiest and most effective way to start is to ask what are
the benefits of your product or service, in contrast with its features.
The example above used a hotel: the features would be rooms
with four-poster beds and whirlpool baths; however, the benefits
would be romantic weekends in luxury accommodation.
You package the benefits, not the features.
Suppose you are a tradesman: let's take a carpenter for example.
You need to adopt packages designed to attract new clients
because one you've shown them you can do a great job at a
sensible price, they'll probably become lifelong clients.
Electricians, Carpenters and Plumbers can offer fixed charges
for every common problem put right. List your fixed prices for
your most common services and you'll see your business
increase dramatically.
Most companies charge by the hour - this imparts fear into
potential clients as the eventual cost can be very high and
lots of customers fear tradesman may repair items that do
not need fixing, due to a minority rogue element.
When you make it easy for people to purchase your service
and remove the element of uncertainty over cost by giving
them a fixed price with no call-out charges, we guarantee
you'll be the first person they will call.
Remember, you must calculate the lifetime value of your
average client - if you give them a great service with great
prices, they'll come back to you again and again.
Let's take a look at driving schools. You have to be different
from your competition who may, for example, offer the first
5 lessons for a set amount. That's a package of sorts,
but without imagination. Suppose you came along and
offered your first lesson for 97¢!!! And discounts if they
book a further 10 or 20 lessons with you.
Of course you will make a loss on your first lesson.
But how many of YOUR students go elsewhere after
one lesson! If what you offer has a WOW factor,
it will succeed like crazy.
Discounts for larger quantities
Potential customers can be motivated further by being offered
discounts if they buy larger quantities. For instance, if you sell small items costing 40¢ each, offer 3x for the price of
2.5x, eg 40¢ for one, 99¢ for 3; and so on. Don't forget, this
can apply to anything you sell, for instance, hotels may
run an offer of 5 nights for the price of 4.
Whatever business sector you operate in, ask yourself this
question: What discount can I give to my customers or clients
when they purchase more of my product or service?
Discounts for longer time periods
If you operate a business where your customers may use
your service several times a year, then make it worthwhile
for them to buy your service for a longer time period,
i.e. build in discounts for monthly packages.
A great example is a teacher offering their services on a
private basis at, say $50 for a private tuition session.
You could offer a monthly option for say, $167
(instead of $200). Most people would take up an
option like this, and it has been proved that they
buy your service for longer periods when doing this.
Interest-free and delayed payment packages
When a customer purchases your product, particular if
it's a major purchase, then consider offering interest-free
payment terms. This package is often combined with a
delayed payment for even more effect. For example,
enjoy your purchase now, and only pay in 6 months
time at 0% interest!
Rise above your competition by PRODUCTIZING everything
you do with great imagination. Remember to package
your benefits, not your features. Make a point of looking at
packages all around you from the leading companies and
you'll soon realize why many small businesses fail miserably.
About the Author
Brian Li is head of the UK's Business Growth Centre
Discover how to get virtually every job you apply for and
a host of incredible secrets to skyrocket your sales:
http://www.businessgrowthcentre.com
Also learn how to start a business that's self-funding!
You won't find anything like this anywhere else:
Email brian.libusinessgrowthcentre.com for details.
Copyright (c) 2002 Brian Li
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