Why is it important to know how to build a product or service range that includes low, mid and high-priced offers? It’s because, when it comes to what they sell, many solopreneurs and micro business owners fall into one of two categories.
Category one has one main thing. A day rate, an hourly fee, a one-to-one service or a single product at a single price. It works, up to a point. But it puts a ceiling on what you can earn. And it makes it really hard for new customers to get started with you.
Category two has loads of things. A bit of this, a bit of that, something for everyone. The thinking goes that the more you offer, the more you’ll sell. But it rarely works out that way. Customers can’t see what’s right for them, so they don’t buy anything at all.
Different approaches, same problem. There’s no structure. Nothing that shows people where to start or where to go next.
The answer is a product range. Low, mid and high-priced offers that work together and lead people from one to the next.
If you’re in category two, start by simplifying what you offer. Get it down to a handful of things that sell well and that you enjoy delivering. Then come back here. Because the way your products and services fit together matters just as much as what they are.
Think of It as a Staircase
I’ve been talking about this for years as the Product Staircase. It’s a simple idea.
At the bottom of the staircase are your low-priced offers. They’re easy to buy, low risk and a great way for people to get to know you.
In the middle are your mid-priced offers. These are your bread and butter. The thing most of your customers buy.
At the top are your high-priced offers. Premium, personal and the most valuable thing you sell.
Some people will only ever stay on the bottom step. That’s fine. Some will climb all the way to the top. Most will sit somewhere in the middle. The point is that everyone has a step that’s right for them.
Why a Range Works
It gets people through the door. Very few people will spend £1,500 with someone they’ve never worked with. But plenty will spend £25 or £50. That first small purchase builds trust. Once they’ve seen what you can do, the bigger investment feels much less scary.
It gives everyone an option. Not everyone can afford your premium service. Not everyone needs it. A range means you don’t have to turn people away or drop your prices. You just point them to the right step.
It increases what each customer spends with you. Someone who buys your starter product and loves it is the easiest sale you’ll ever make. They already know you. They already trust you.
It spreads your income. If all your money comes from one-to-one work, your income stops the moment you stop. Lower-priced products (especially digital ones) can bring money in while you’re doing something else.
What Sits on Each Step?
This will look different depending on your business, but here are some ideas to get you thinking.
Low-priced offers (roughly £10 to £100)
The bottom step should be easy. Easy to buy, easy to deliver and easy to say yes to.
- a workbook, template or e-book
- a recorded training or mini course
- a group workshop or webinar
- a small, simple product (a gift card, a sample set, a single print)
- a taster session or one-off ‘power hour’
NB: Your free stuff sits just below this step. Lead magnets, blogs, newsletters and social posts are all part of the staircase. They’re how people find the bottom step in the first place.
Mid-priced offers (roughly £100 to £750)
This is where most of your customers will land. It’s your core offer.
- a standard service package
- a half-day or full-day workshop
- a short programme of sessions
- a larger product or bundle
- a membership or monthly subscription
High-priced offers (£750 and up)
The top step is about depth and personal attention. It’s for people who want the best result and are willing to invest in it.
- one-to-one programmes over several months
- done-for-you services
- bespoke or commissioned pieces
- VIP days
- retainers or ongoing support
Don’t get hung up on the price brackets. They’ll be very different for a jewellery maker and an accountant. What matters is that each step is clearly different from the one below it.
Look at How the Big Names Do It
The Open University does this brilliantly. You can start with a free course on its OpenLearn site. If you like it, you might sign up for a short paid course. And if you’re hooked, there’s a full degree. Each step builds trust for the next one, and plenty of people start with the free stuff and work their way up.
Joe Wicks is a great example of a one-person brand that grew up the staircase. His free YouTube workouts are the bottom step (millions of us did PE with Joe in lockdown). The cookbooks are the next step up. And The Body Coach app is a paid subscription for people who want more. Same person, same values, very different price points.
How to Build Your Own Range
Start with What You Already Have
If you haven’t already, work through How to Simplify What You Offer and Sell More first. Then look at what’s left. You probably have something that could sit on each step. It might just need a bit of tweaking, repackaging or repricing.
Fill the Gaps
If you only have one main service or mid-priced offer and nothing else, ask yourself two questions:
- What could I offer someone who isn’t ready to commit to my main service yet?
- What could I offer someone who wants more of me than my main service gives them?
The first answer is your low-priced offer. The second is your premium offer.
Make Each Step Lead to the Next
This is the bit people forget. Each step should naturally lead to the one above it.
If you sell a workbook, include an invitation to your workshop at the end. If you run a workshop, offer attendees a discount on a one-to-one session if they book within a week. If you sell a single product, include a card with details of your bundles or bespoke service.
You aren’t being pushy. You’re showing people where to go next.
John Lawrence is a great example. When John came to me, his business was about eight months old and had stalled. He had no clear message and no real idea how to price or package what he did. Together we structured his services into different levels, with pricing that made sense for different types of clients. His offers became clearer and more profitable, on his website and across his marketing. And the result? In John’s words: “Working with Kathy has helped me more than triple my income.”
Keep It Simple
You might be tempted to create lots of products for every step. Please don’t. We’ve only just finished simplifying!
One or two offers on each step is plenty. Especially when it’s only you. Every new product needs creating, promoting and supporting. Start small. You can always add more later.
A good starting point for most one-person businesses looks something like this:
- one free lead magnet
- one low-priced offer
- one core offer
- one premium offer
Four things. That’s a complete range.
A Word About Digital Products
Low-priced offers are often digital: workbooks, templates, recorded trainings. They’re brilliant because you create them once and sell them many times.
But don’t expect them to make you a fortune overnight. A £27 workbook needs to sell quite a few copies to replace one premium client. Think of your low-priced offers as a drip-feed of income and a way to build trust and get people onto the staircase, not as your main source of revenue.
A Word About Your Premium Offer
On the other hand, don’t be shy about the top step.
I meet so many solopreneurs who are nervous about creating a premium option because they don’t think anyone will pay for it.
Some people will. Some people always want the best version of something. If you don’t offer it, they’ll go to someone who does.
It also doesn’t have to be complicated. Often your premium offer is simply your core offer with more of you in it. More sessions, more contact between sessions, a faster turnaround or a done-for-you element. Start by asking your best clients what they’d value more of. You might find they’ve been asking for it already.
Your premium offer also makes everything else look more reasonable. When people can see a £2,000 option, your £400 package feels like a sensible middle ground.
Your Next Step
Draw a staircase on a piece of paper. Three steps (plus a teeny-tiny one at the bottom for your free stuff). Write what you currently offer on each step.
Where are the gaps? What could you add? And how could each step lead to the next one?
If you’d like a step-by-step way to work through the foundations of your business, get my really useful (and free!) Back to Business workbook.
And if you’d like help building your own range, find out how we can work together.