NOTE: If you’re a brand new customer of mine – I send out a new tutorial every week about running a solopreneur business and copywriting. There’s nothing for sale this week.
This week we’re talking all about simple pricing hacks that, if you implement in your business, will lead you to make a LOT more money.
The last tactic I want to give you might seem like "no duh" on the surface. And, in fact, it bothers me that I even have to bring it up as a "hack" – but based on the products I see so many entrepreneurs making (including their services as freelancers), I’ve come to realize it’s not common knowledge.
And that’s simply…
Pricing Hack #5: Make A Damn Good Product
I know you’ve heard this advice before so I want to get more specific on it.
Like we talked about yesterday, your customers just want their problems solved. Like, definitively solved. Done. Out of their mind. Finished.
Ever since I first got into selling digital products back in 2008, I’d always heard the advice, "Most people will happily pay for advice they can find for free, because they just want to save time by buying it compiled in one place."
But I don’t think this is true and that’s because:
The best advice CANNOT be found (easily) for free.
If you’re truly an expert at what you do, you should have put in your reps in the real world. In other words, you’ve got real-world experience solving real problems for real people.
And almost without fail, that kind of advice is not the generic free content you find everywhere online.
Have you ever gone on Reddit and seen people talking about something you’re truly great at – and noticed how wrong (or misguided) their advice was on that topic?
It’s actually kind of scary when you do because it makes you realize how misguided so much "free" advice is online. Free advice that you’re consuming too.
When you actually put in your reps on a subject, and start implementing it in the real world, you will develop a suite of tools and opinions and tactics that almost no "free" advice online will talk about. The kind of stuff that a great coach can point out – the nuanced opinions that only come from actually getting results.
And THAT is what your customers want – whether you’re selling digital courses or providing a service as a freelancer.
This is all very abstract though so I want to get more specific.
First let’s talk about services.
Let’s say you’re a freelance copywriter.
There are lots of business owners who WANT to pay $5k-$10k (or more) for their sales letters. And they don’t care how long it takes you to write them – if you get it done in three days, that’s fine.
That’s because all they care is they get a sales letter in return that generates far more than $5k-$10k in profit.
And they don’t want to have to hold your hand.
They don’t want to worry about getting a garbage first draft.
They just want you to "get it", work like a pro, and deliver a letter that makes them a bunch of money.
Their biggest fear is having to deal with an amateur.
And you get this way by putting your reps with:
- A course like CopyHour that literally forces you to "install" the muscle memory necessary to write world class copy (and which will make you sweat while doing it – this is a GOOD thing)
-
Doing lots of work (at lower prices), seeing the results you get from that work, and constantly reiterating and adjusting
I have a friend right now who’s starting a business doing "full stack" sales pages – helping business owners come up with ideas, writing the copy for them, coming up with their pricing, and even designing the sales letters.
He takes countless online courses to level up his skills (he says he’s already invested about $3k into design & copy courses this year), but he’s also doing these "full stack" sales pages for business owners for no cost up front – and only getting paid if they work.
This year alone he’s already done 5 of these deals and he plans on doing a lot more.
A few have paid out very well for him already. (And a few have failed miserably – which he says were the most valuable because he learned from them.)
To him, it’s all about getting the reps in – and getting AMAZING at what he does, because if he becomes world class at this, then he can work exclusively with the best business owners and charge premium prices (because he delivers results absolutely no one else can).
It’s about taking slightly less money now to get the reps in – so he develops a nuanced, deeply-opinionated expertise that delivers a much bigger (and more consistent) payday in the future.
Now imagine this friend of mine also starts releasing courses teaching what he knows about creating these "full stack" sales pages. Deeply opinionated courses with step-by-step instructions that guarantee results – just doing exactly what he did for so many business owners first.
Well… I’ll let you marinate on that one.
I know people who have followed this exact path in health, fitness, beauty, financial services – every niche you can imagine.
Become truly great at what you do by putting in the reps (buying & implementing courses while taking on as many clients/projects/test subjects as you can) – and charging higher prices for your products and services becomes child’s play.
You’ll feel completely comfortable with it – because you’ll know you’re worth it.
And countless customers will prove it to you with their wallets.
Have a great weekend 🙂
— Derek