The Offer Ladder: A way to meet buyers where they are
Services are now commoditised... Framing an offer around a problem you solve is the way to stand out in crowded market.
It used to be very easy to “sell” services as an agency or a consultant
The beauty of selling a “service” is that it gives the buyer a sense that they “picking” what they want, not being sold to. The buyer identifies what they need, goes to market and chooses someone to work with.
In a young market, if you are selling any of the services they want, you have a good chance of getting the job because the market isn’t packed.
But the digital agency/consultancy space has matured massively from back then and now everyone can deliver the same service.
We’ve hit a saturation point and those who rely on selling or marketing a menu of services are realising its not working like it once did. This shift has created a massive opportunity for those who can see it - create an offer that solves a problem, not sell a service that is commoditised.
An offer ladder gives buyers multiple ways to work with you based on what problem you’re solving.
I like it because it still gives the buyer the same perception of choice, like the choice they had when picking a service, but instead they are choosing the premise of your engagement.
A basic Offer Ladder has 3 parts
Do it yourself
Done with you
Done for you
Operational load = How much effort it is to deliver the offer
Earnings per customer = The total dollar amount a customer will pay you to
Do it yourself
Purpose
This offer is designed to engage buyers with a smaller budget, these buyers will typically rather use their own time rather than the increased cost of implementing your strategy alongside or by you.
Components
Newsletter, online blog and downloadable resources. The goal is to drive the buyer to see tangible results from implementing your strategies.
Pricing
The lowest price point on your offer ladder, this is the most accessible offer that appeals to the broadest audience.
How it fits with a buyer
The buyer wants to gather a range of knowledge about your strategy, only needs 1 or 2 steps of your strategy to make a change or has the time available to build out your strategy within their business.
Done with you
Purpose
The done with you offer is designed to engage more hands-on buyers, have tighter budgets than the done for you buyer or are looking to learn and implement strategies with your guidance or want a way to “test out” what you do without any large commitments.
Components
Strategy sessions, coaching calls, templates, or a roadmap that they can follow. The goal is to empower them to take action with your guidance.
Pricing
Generally lower than done for you, but higher than do it yourself, the pricing model is more accessible for a general audience but still provides significant value.
How it fits with a buyer
The buyer wants to “install” a piece of your knowledge into their business. They have internal resources to dedicate to the installation, the buyer may only need a few steps to make a change or the whole curriculum. It’s up to you to decide what they want/need.
Done for you
Purpose:
The done for you offer is for buyers who prefer a more hands-off approach and are willing to invest to get the best results. This is your traditional agency offer for customers who value efficiency and expertise.
Components:
Comprehensive services where you handle everything from strategy to execution and ongoing management. This could include full campaign management, content creation, and analytics reporting.
Pricing
Higher, reflecting the full-service nature and the output-driven focus.
How it fits with a buyer
When a client has no time to do it themselves and has the budget to completely outsource the function. The curriculum is still followed, but you manage the entire process.
Switching from services to offers helps with value recognition
The beauty of an “offer” is that it is what YOU are going to give to THEM.
A service is something you “deliver” while an “offer” solves a problem they have.
This instantly creates a conversation wedge and should naturally keep convos framed around a problem and outcome vs the nitty gritty of service delivery.
What to do after you have mapped out your Offer Ladder
An Offer Ladder that doesn’t get feedback is an offer that wont work. Get feedback on it!
I like to ask current clients about other ways they would get value out of me and see if it lines up with anything that is in The Offer Ladder.
The 5Ys framework helps get to the core of problems so you can frame offers around solving them.
If there are any recurring themes that they bring up, feed them in to you Offer Ladder and revise any areas that will make it stick.