Bundle your services to sell more product and make more money.
When you’re setting up your list of services, it’s easy to write out what you can do for clients and slap on a price tag.
But, if you’re not being strategic about your services, you’re missing out on lucrative opportunities.
Packaging your products is a fantastic way to market your small business and incentivize new and current clients to book with your online scheduler.
There are plenty of benefits to packaging your services, like:
- You’ll sell more product
- You’ll encourage repeat business
- You’ll set yourself apart from the competition by speaking directly to client needs
Here’s exactly how to determine the best packages for you, plus ten package ideas to get you started.
How to Figure Out What Package Deals Are Right for Your Business
Step 1: Set serious goals.
The obvious goal is to make more money, but let’s drill down and make some more concrete business plans.
Why do you want to create package deals? What can you improve upon to grow your business?
You might be trying to get new clients.
Maybe you’re hoping that current clients will rebook more frequently — and no-show less frequently.
Maybe a competitor opened down the street, and you’re looking to stand out.
Whatever the case may be, packages are an effective way to meet your targets.
Pro Tip: Schedulicity offers packages for both service- and class-based businesses. Once you get things rolling, Schedulicity makes it super easy to track clients’ packages — with an easy-breezy process for deducting sessions and handy reports to keep an eye on things as well.
Once you have a sense of your goals with package management, you’re more equipped to make informed decisions about what to offer.
Step 2: Research your existing client list.
Next, take a deep-dive into your current client list. It should give you plenty of insight to help you create offers and manage packages.
Take a look at your books and get a sense of what kind of clientele you’re working with.
Do you have tons of new clients?
Do you have ;oyal clients who come back on a weekly, monthly, or quarterly basis? (If so, consider creating a customer loyalty program, too.)
What about one-time clients who book once and never return?
If you find yourself with an abundance of one-time clients who don’t rebook, a re-engagement offer might get those customers back.
If you’re sweating new clients, try a package for first-time appointment booking.
Let your current client list —and holes in your client base —inform the deals you offer.
Step 3: Sell packages during downtime in your schedule.
If you look at your calendar, you’ll likely notice trends when it comes to scheduling: days of the week or months where you’re booked solid or quiet periods filled with empty slots.
(By the way, our online scheduling software offers Fill My Book to help with those hard-to-fill appointments.)
These periods are the perfect time to introduce package deals. If July is always full for you, there’s no need to offer discounted services.
But when things slow down in August, you can incentivize people who might not otherwise book to set up an appointment by throwing something special their way.
Step 4: Test different packages to see what works.
Make sure you’re testing different package deals against each other, so you can assess your success.
Too often, business decisions are made on assumptions or feelings instead of evidence. Package management is a perfect place to consider the scientific method.
Note the type of deal you’re running, time of year, and all other factors that set the deal apart.
Then, compare to a new deal the following month or season, to see which works best for your business.
(To make it easier for you, Schedulicity offers promotion and package reports. These reports keep track of what’s working for you in an easy-to-read format.)
10 Package Deals to Offer Your Clients
There’s an endless amount of package deals out there, so where do you start?
We rounded up ten proven package deals to consider, depending on your goals and client list.
1. New Client Package
The new client package is a classic for a reason. It incentivizes customers to book with you the first time and keeps clients coming back.
Consider offering a client’s first five classes at a discounted rate, a 30-day unlimited deal, or a service packaged with a free consultation for new customers.
2. Product Bundle Package
Do you offer both massages and facials?
Yoga and pilates?
Why not sell both at the same time?
Baking two of your best products together gets you multiple bookings from the same person — and even at a discounted rate, you’re bringing in more profit than if the client booked just one service.
3. Partner Package
Partnerships are the secret weapon of small business marketing, capitalizing on other brands to drive customers directly to you.
If you already have a referral program with another business, consider bundling your services together at a discounted rate.
That way, anyone going to the tattoo artist down the street has an incentive to book your nail art services, and you gained a new client.
4. Loyal Customer Package
Getting customers to continue to book is a cornerstone of a successful small business, and giving clients a reward for their loyalty will keep them coming back for more.
Consider a discount on recurring appointments, which make your billed hour a guarantee instead of relying on clients to remember to rebook.
Here’s our guide to spa and salon loyalty programs to get you started.
5. Buy Two, Get One Free Package
Why sell one when you can sell two? Figure out how many classes or services you need to sell in order to stay profitable even when you add in a freebie.
6. Bridal Package
Theme packages are perfect for targeting specific clients. Think back to your research about who you’re after.
Start with people who are definitely spending money: people with life events coming up.
For example, bridal packages can include anything from a series of facials to manicures for every bridal event to a fitness package.
7. Post Baby/New Mom Package
Another critical life event? Becoming a parent.
New parents are in need of extra pampering, and giving them the opportunity to spend some money on well-earned self-care sets you up to make a nice profit.
8. Holiday Detox Package
Everyone goes a little hard over the holidays and enters the new year with a plan to take better care of themselves.
Target this audience with special fitness programs that take you from out-of-shape to comfortable jogger, or acupuncture based on cleansing overworked digestive systems.
(Another version of this package would be the Summer Ready Package — which, you can probably guess, functions in a similar way.)
9. Back-to-School Package
The school year starts in August or September. Consider offering tutoring sessions to kids who got out of the academic swing over the summer.
Consider discounts on dog walking for September now that the kids won’t be home to take care of Baxter.
10. Specific Goal-Based Packages
Think about what your client is looking to accomplish:
Are they hoping to get a full-sleeve tattoo?
Do they want to go from black hair to platinum blonde?
Is their goal this year to conquer yoga inversions?
Build packages around exactly what it takes to get them to their goal.