Painkiller
How to Create a Productized Offer That People Actually Want
I was a struggling freelance graphic designer between 2005 and 2015.
Most of my time was spent preparing and sending client proposals and quotes.
Usually with nothing in return except for responses like these:
“We don’t have the budget.”
“I’m trying to get approval from upper management.”
“I’m looking at other proposals, I will get back to you.”
Today, here are the responses I get:
“Do you know I’m so happy to have found you?”
“This is such a good model for us!”
“Godsend!”
They are not even talking about my designs.
They are referring to everything else in my offer that is like a painkiller to give them instant relief.
Painkillers And Vitamins
I get it, your service is brilliant, top-notch, and unmatched.
Your service is so good, you don’t know how much more to improve.
You know what?
You don’t have to change a thing about what your client receives from you.
In fact, I am providing the same deliverables now as I’ve done before:
Deliverables 2005 till 2015: Graphic Design
Deliverables 2015 till now: Graphic Design
The difference is that prospects are viewing my offer differently.
How they view it now is different because my offer is packaged differently.
In the past, my offer was presented as a vitamin, think:
Good to have, but not a need
That’s nice, but not urgent. “I can wait.”
“Let’s get more quotes and get the best price.”
Now, the offer is presented to prospects as a painkiller, think:
No-brainer
“How can I miss this” offer
The magic bullet to end my pain
Previous offer: Graphic design, I can design everything!
Present offer: Unlimited graphic design at a flat rate per month.
There’s nothing wrong with offering a vitamin; it’s just not as compelling and irresistible as offering a painkiller.
If your service is filled with vitamins, you just have to create a “painkiller moment.”
How Did I Create The Painkiller Moment?
Every successful business doesn’t just come from hard work, years of experience, and putting in time.
They are part of the recipe, but there is another piece of the puzzle that’s bigger than any piece.
It’s about spotting the gap in your clients’ lives.
You don’t have to be a world-class observer to be able to do this.
Yes, it’s similar to doing detective work, but you only need to be motivated enough to take action.
In my case, I did not go very far to do that.
With my existing clients, I had daily interactions with them.
Their email responses say it all:
“When will this be ready?” — This tells me they need a timeline from me. Now I provide a subscription model.
“This is a simple thing, will only need 10 minutes” — This tells me, they want it immediately. I have a package that provides urgent turnarounds.
“Can you don’t email me, send it over via Whatsapp” — This tells me, they need real-time communication. I have a package with communication via Slack.
Steps to create a productized offer that people want:
Identify a specific ongoing pain your audience is desperate to get rid of.
Design a clear repeatable solution that can solve it.
Craft a messaging that speaks directly to this pain that they have.
Offer different levels of support to match different needs and to retain clients.
Continuously improve this solution based on feedback.
Your “Painkiller Moment”
My point is this: there’s no need to come up with an original, unique idea that nobody is selling so that prospects will flock to you with their credit cards.
Chances are, original ideas are harder to gain the trust of people to be willing to buy.
Don’t overhaul your business or fire your clients just yet.
Look for the gap in the market.
Then, change your messaging to present the pain and give your painkiller a test.
Only if you know that it’s something that gets validation, then roll it out with the systems and processes to run it smoothly.
Need help NOW to spot the gap?
It’s a skill I’ve mastered over the past 10 to 20 years. Everything can be unforgiving, but with skills, once learnt, they can’t be taken away.
If you need help TODAY, I’ve condensed my experiences and lessons into a 10-part cash flow creator playbook to give you the skills to spot high-demand productized services.
You can use them over and over for any business you have right now or if you intend to start a new one. Get it here:
Till next week,
Marilyn