Should I Discount My Resume Services?

There's been a lot of discussion recently about offering discounts for resume writers  -- especially for friends and family. But discounts might not be the best way to convert a prospect into a client.

Prospects who ask for discounts may be more likely to turn into PITA (Pain-in-the-A$$) clients. But even if they don't ask for discounts, sometimes resume writers may feel pressured to offer a discount to get the client to sign on.

I have a better idea.

Creating a sense of urgency — buy now! — is the single most important factor in turning résumé prospects into résumé clients. Ask any résumé writer: It’s critical to get a client to commit on the first call. The longer they wait, the slimmer your chance of getting them to open their wallet.

But you don't have to offer them for a discount to get them to sign on.

Here's a strategy I share in my special report, "Turning Browsers Into Buyers":

1. Offer Time-Sensitive Bonuses

How to use a low-cost, high-value bonus to clinch the sale.

Just offering a bonus is a great way to incentivize people to buy what you’re selling. But when you make the bonus time-sensitive, you increase the urgency. And that means increased sales!

Think about the infomercials you see on television. Many of them offer a “gift with purchase” — something extra when you make your purchase. Simply offering a special bonus — and it doesn’t have to be anything expensive — can increase your conversions. But when you combine that bonus with a deadline, you make this strategy even more powerful. That’s because a sense of urgency can help get people to commit.

This does not have to be a high-pressure sales tactic.

Examples:

·       “I’m offering a special bonus for new clients who decide to take action today. If you order the Deluxe Résumé and Cover Letter package, I’ll also enroll you in our ‘30 Days to Your Next Job’ Challenge, which is a $49 value, for free.”

·       Order your Résumé Rewrite package in the next 48 hours, and you’ll get a free 8-day “Leveraging LinkedIn In Your Job Search” training — a $49 value.

·       Buy the “Six Steps to a $6,000 Raise” and you’ll get a free 15-minute salary negotiation strategy session — but hurry, this special offer ends tomorrow!

You can also use this tactic for products and services you sell on your website. For example, “If you purchase a one-hour job interview coaching session, you’ll receive a free ebook, ‘55 Questions You Should Be Prepared to Answer in an Interview,’ — if you reserve your coaching session by May 31.”

Low-cost bonuses can include:

• Ebooks or digital special reports

• Workbooks or tip sheets

• Recordings and/or transcripts of teleseminars you’ve done

• 15-minute “strategy sessions” when the client makes a high dollar purchase. These can also be lead-ins to your coaching services or coaching packages, giving prospects a “try-before-you-buy” sample of what coaching can do for them.

Most of these are things that won’t take you a lot of time to create — but have a high perceived value for clients. Just offering a bonus can increase your sales — but putting a time limit on it makes it even more powerful.

So next time you're tempted to offer a discount, offer a bonus instead.

You can purchase the "Turning Browsers Into Buyers" special report for $27 here.