Coaches and Consultants: Here’s How to Sell High-End Services with Email
Pretty soon after I quit my comfy software development job and hung out my shingle as a freelance copywriter, I found myself struggling with a dilemma:
How should I pitch my services to my email list?
I don’t care how “hypnotic” your emails are, it’s going to take more than 300 words of salesmanship to persuade most responsible business owners to drop ten G’s for your services.
So how DO you sell high-end services via email?
That’s exactly the question that’s puzzling a life coach named Ed.
He asks:
What if your product is high-end, premium coaching? Do you still think it’s okay to start offering it right away or is it better to build up more trust first?
My rule of thumb on pitching is, early and often.
Strike while the iron is hot. Your new subscriber’s interest is likely at its highest point right after they join your list, so you don’t want to wait too long.
BUT…
There’s still a huge gap between “I trust you enough to give you my email address” and “I trust you enough to write you a check that could pay for a car.”
You need to add a few more steps in the sales process to build that level of trust.
The “call to action” in your emails isn’t “buy now,” it’s “take the next step today.”
There are several options for what that “next step” can be.
One is the tried-and-true, “book a free consultation.”
This allows you to get them on Skype, where relationship-building happens at warp speed.
The downside is you’ll also get lots of tire kickers who waste your time.
What I did instead was to pitch a low-commitment, small-scale project first.
This approach is sometimes called a “discovery contract.”
Basically it’s a single, paid consultation where you dive deep with them and uncover all the problems they’re overlooking.
You can provide a lot of value in a short time this way—and prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that you have what it takes to do the job.
The real question here isn’t so much WHETHER to pitch early, it’s WHAT to pitch.
Redefine the “sale” like this, and you’ll be able to move customers through the funnel without battling constant resistance.
P.S. “Providing value” and “selling your services” are NOT mutually exclusive.
Email courses hit this sweet spot nicely.
If you struggle with *how* exactly to use an email course to pitch your product or service without coming across as pushy or obnoxious, you’ll benefit from my upcoming presentation, “Behind the Scenes of a Six Figure Email Course.”
Register here: