The theme this month is Time Management Systems for Virtual Pros.
We all want to create exceptional value for our clients, so we work really hard to create packages or service offerings that meet—and exceed—their needs. So you:
- Identify the needs
- Outline the solutions
- Discover another angle
- Outline the solutions
- Discover an interesting (and useful) addition to the package
- Outline the solutions
- Decide on a package
- Outline the package
- Create names for your packages (including three days thinking about it)
- Abandon your names
- Go back to outlining
- And the list goes on.
If you’ve ever been “stuck” in creating your packages, then you know how much time and energy this type of overthinking can cost you. In fact, for a lot of VAs, it results in no packages at all, because that feeling of being “stuck” becomes overwhelming. The next thing you know, it’s a year from now, and you’re still “almost done” with creating your packages.
Or worse, that amazing, timely package is—a year later—completely irrelevant to your market.
Don’t let this time trap cause you to miss out on clients, market reach, and reputation.
In this video, we solve Time Trap #4 – Overthinking Service Offerings / Package Creation
Welcome to a new Systems Sunday! The theme this month is Time Management Systems for Virtual Pros. I am Lisa Wells, your Virtual Assistant Trainer.
Ok, this is a big one. We all want to create exceptional value for our clients, so we work really hard to create packages or service offerings that meet—and exceed—their needs. (And I’m going to use the terms offerings and packages interchangeably because although they can seem different, all VAs have offerings but not everyone may offer a “package” – but for this context, I thought it may be easier to visualize.)
So you:
• Identify the needs
• Outline the solutions
• Discover another angle
• Outline the solutions
• Discover an interesting (and useful) addition to the package
• Outline the solutions
• Decide on a package
• Outline the package
• Create names for your packages (including three days thinking about it)
• Abandon your names
• Go back to outlining
And the list goes on.
If you’ve ever been “stuck” in creating your packages, then you know how much time and energy this type of overthinking can cost you. In fact, for a lot of VAs, it results in no packages at all, because that feeling of being “stuck” becomes overwhelming. The next thing you know, it’s a year from now, and you’re still “almost done” with creating your packages.
Or worse, that amazing, timely package is—a year later—completely irrelevant to your market.
Don’t let this time trap cause you to miss out on clients, market reach, and reputation.
This week we are covering time trap #4, Overthinking Service Offering/Package Creation.
Step One: Determine Exactly What Your Market Wants and Needs
Like any great VA, you most likely “have your ear to the ground” and are listening closely to the wants and needs of your clients. Great places to listen include:
• Private Facebook groups
• Your blog comments
• Emails from your subscribers
• Conversations on social media
• Conversations with your existing clients
If you want more specific results, you can also ask for them in a survey specially designed for the purpose of creating a new package. Using a service such as SurveyMonkey or even Google Forms, create a short survey asking questions.
Step Two: Check Out Your Competition
Savvy businesses know exactly what their competitors are doing. They pay attention to new products and promotions, examine the content and social media accounts, and sign up for free webinars to get a peek inside the offers.
If you’re not already doing this, you should definitely consider it. However, some VAs are concerned that by paying too much attention to what the competition is doing they’ll accidentally “borrow” the ideas. Worse, you might freeze up, thinking that no service offering you create could possibly compete.
Here’s how to avoid that:
Simply ask your VA to do the research for you, and distill her findings down into a few bullet points. That way you can still keep an eye on what’s working for your competitors, without worrying about being overly influenced by their offer or getting even more stuck because of it.
Step Three: Develop Your Offerings/Packages
Now we come to the fun part! You know what your market needs and wants, and you know what they’re willing to pay for it. This will help you determine what to include in your package(s).
Lower priced offers can be starter packages, ebooks or training guides, templates, or even computer-based “how to” videos. For lower-end items, it’s a good idea to keep this advice in mind:
One problem; one solution.
This alone will help you avoid the “everything and the kitchen sink” time trap that might be keeping you stuck in package creation mode.
For higher-end packages, though, you have a bit more flexibility. Higher-priced packages of course mean more of your time and expertise. Maybe you can add weekly strategy calls, standard operating procedures library, there are lots of options!
Step Four: Create Your Offerings/Packages
You’re finally ready to begin putting your ideas down on paper. And here is where many of you will freeze up, so I want to give you a few ideas for easy creation:
- You don’t have to build Rome in a day. Start off with 3 packages / retainer plans / price points. You can always add more later and change them. My point is that it doesn’t have to be perfect.
- Don’t spend too much time on naming your packages. You can start with naming conventions like Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Basic, Most Popular, and Premium. Just pick something and move on, you can always rename them later.
- If you want a shortcut, check out my Profitable Packages program where I help you with planning, creating, pricing, and moving your clients to packages!
One last word about time traps…
We all have our own. I’ve covered the most common ones here, but I want you to know this: No matter what your personal time trap is, there’s a solution for it. So think about what it is that’s holding YOU back from greater success, and make a plan to get those time traps out of your life once and for all. Your business will thrive when you do.
If you enjoyed this episode and want to take it further, grab my Business Building Action Kit – Time Management for Virtual Pros. These action kits contain a full done-for-you action plan to give you guidance, resources, and keep you on track with checklists and worksheets.
You can find a link to the product below or visit my VA Business Builder Boutique and click on Shop.
See you in November for more Systems Sundays!
Catch up on other Time Management episodes + resources mentioned in the video:
Did you enjoy this episode and want to put it into action? Grab this kit!
Time Management for Virtual Pros
$25.00
I know that many of you want to find ways to get more done so you can spend more time with your family while still managing a thriving business. That’s a struggle that all service providers face, and the most successful of you will find and embrace the strategies that help you be more productive and better manage your time.
So let’s talk about that for a minute. What happens when you don’t manage your time well? When you just kind of “go with the flow” or “fly by the seat of your pants”?
Well, first, your business won’t grow. You won’t be able to bring on the number of clients you want or need to maintain your income. You’ll probably be pretty stressed, trying to do too much in the time you have available. You may feel burned out or exhausted because you’re working long hours week after week without any downtime.
And you may even give up on your business dream altogether, thinking it’s just too hard or too much work.
Sound familiar? Well here’s the thing: You don’t have to work that many hours. You don’t have to be “on” 24 hours a day. You can—and definitely should—be taking time off to hang out with your kids / fur-kids and do fun stuff outside of work.
And your income does not have to suffer—not if you properly manage your time.
In this complete kit, I give you the step-by-steps as well as some tools, resources, and powerful strategies to put into practice today.
What you Get with Your Kit:
- 13-Page Guide giving you the solutions to the most common time wasters
- “21 Idea Blueprint” giving you twenty-one ideas
- 4-week done-for-you calendar
- Comprehensive action checklist
- Resource Directory with links to tools and resources
- Worksheet – Use this Worksheet to make sure you are taking consistent action to manage your time
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