How To Create a Winning Service Package That Stands Out

There is a well-known marketing technique freelancers, small businesses and companies selling skilled labor in various industries use to generate more income: they start offering service packages.

And turning services into packages truly works wonders一all because of how clients perceive package value.

When clients are presented with service packages, they’re more inclined to invest immediately.

Why?

Because they see the package as a complete solution to their needs. They perceive packages as more valuable than simply paying by the hour. Moreover, clients often look down on hourly rates because of their fear of overcharges or time inefficiency.

Shortly put: service packages focus on the value delivered and improved efficiency, which results in clients having a higher perceived value of your services. It’s much quicker for them to choose a package option that meets their budget and pay upfront than to chat with you back and forth and pay hourly rates.

On the other hand, offering a service package allows you, the service provider, to articulate your skills and knowledge and charge based on your expertise. You’ll say “goodbye” to long sales pitches and back-to-back emails. Your service packages will contain all the information your clients need to decide whether to use your services or not.

But no matter how skillful and professional you are, putting together a winning service package is not that simple. It requires a decent amount of research to understand what clients need from you and some tweaking and optimizing to match their requirements and resources.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of creating service packages, give you exact steps on crafting them, and showcase some real-life service package examples you can use as guidelines to design your own.

Let’s roll.

What does it mean to create service packages?

Creating packages means grouping your services into different levels (tiers) from which clients can choose. By creating "bundles", you show your clients that you've developed tailored solutions to meet their specific needs and requirements.

But, as mentioned before, offering packages is not just for your clients一it’s also a way for you to show your competence and demonstrate to the clients that you know how things should be done because you have the solutions they are looking for. It's a bit of a confidence boost for any freelancer, as you're positioning yourself as someone who truly understands your clients' needs, even before they ask.

Plus, packages give you the strength to confidently set the terms of your services rather than being at the mercy of unclear expectations and last-minute changes from clients.

Should you create service packages?

Yes, absolutely!

No matter your industry, creating service packages can transform your business and how you view your time and money. It allows you to break free from the constraints of hourly billing and focus on delivering value to your clients in a scalable and sustainable way.

Here are some benefits of creating service packages:

How to create a winning service package

As mentioned above, creating a winning service package requires a lot of planning, research and fine-tuning. Each part of your package needs to be just right.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to crafting service package(s) that convert.

#1 Identify your services

If you work as a freelance writer, virtual assistant, consultant, designer, software engineer, etc., there’s a slim chance you’re offering 20+ services. You are probably focused on delivering 10-ish core services.

If you are not sure what I mean, think of copywriters. They usually sell 5-10 core services, such as website copy, sales copy, ad copy, blog writing, email marketing, social media content, product descriptions, press releases, and creating content strategies.

So, the first step is identifying the services you are planning to offer within the packages. A great way to do this is by asking yourself: What services do clients ask for the most?

As a virtual assistant, do clients reach out to you asking for bookkeeping services or project management? Or are they more interested in social media management and content creation? Whatever it is, you need to figure out which services are most in demand.

To do so, you can go the old-fashioned way and check past emails and messages.

Or一hear me out一you can use a time tracking tool.

Not just any tool. Memtime.

Memtime is our fully automated time tracking software (there’s no start/stop buttons for you to press) that gives you insight into your working habits.

How, you may ask?

By capturing everything you do throughout the day and storing this data offline, on your device only. This way, you can easily look back at your tasks and projects, identify the ones that come up most often, and figure out which services are in high demand.

Here are some other Memtime features worth noting:

• Your activity in programs and tabs is displayed chronologically, in 1-60 minute intervals.
• Memtime can sync time entries into your project software of choice (Jira, Asana, etc).
• Our tool also offers calendar synchronization, meaning it can pull events from any calendar you connect it to (Google Calendar, iCloud, CalDav, etc.).

#2 Group similar services

Seems like a logical move, doesn’t it?

The second step suggests grouping similar services to get the most comprehensive packages. So, for example, as a copywriter, you could offer a “Social media management” bundle that includes everything from social media strategy and content creation to full-on account management.

#3 Determine pricing for your packages

Now, this step is where things get tricky.

You don’t want to price the packages so high that clients think they are overpriced. And you don’t want to set them too low so clients think you are investing 15 minutes of your day into completing silly little tasks.

You have to find the middle ground, and that middle ground is called tiered packages.

Developing tiered packages means offering several packages that vary in services, value, and price. By doing this step and offering packages from budget-friendly to high-end, you cater to different client budget preferences, which expands your target client base. There's something for everyone, like a buffet where no one leaves hungry. 🙂

The most common approach to tiered pricing includes offering three package levels that show a progression in value:

1. The basic package is the lowest priced and includes essential services. Clients should get access to the core services at a minimal cost.
2. The mid-tier package should offer more than the basic one and demonstrate added value for a higher price. It is often marked as the "sweet spot" where clients feel they get the best value.
3. The premium package, the most expensive option, should provide maximum value for clients and advanced features/services that cater to their needs.

By offering a range of service packages, you can appeal to a wider audience, whether they have strict budget limits or are looking for top-tier services.

#4 Test the packages

Technically speaking, a package is completed and ready once it’s live on your website.

But in the ruthless marketing world, service packages are not finished until they are proven to work. So, work with a handful of clients and allow them to choose the right packages. Then, pay close attention to their feedback, whether it’s through notes, messages, or emails. This will help you identify how you can improve the packages, what you’ve missed, and what clients want more of.

#5 Refine the packages

This step is pretty straightforward: you need to incorporate your clients’ feedback on the packages to refine them.

Now, refining can take anywhere from a few days to a couple of months but know that time is not your enemy. Take it one step at a time to make sure your packages are perfectly tailored to what your clients are really looking for. Rushing the process might leave you with packages that don’t fully meet your clients’ needs, which won’t help you in the long run (or get you paid).

#6 Don’t forget about upselling

Once your existing clients have purchased your services and established a relationship with you and your business, it’s your time to start upselling. This means offering them new or upgraded packages, like mid-tier or premium options.

So, the goal of upselling is to give them an advantage by introducing new packages or offerings.

Here are some upselling methods that are proven to work:

Need real-life examples of well-structured service packages?

No problem, here are some.

Check out the Virtual Hub. It's an agency that provides virtual assistants specializing in administration, social media management, and digital marketing. Their flexible packages start at $750 per month.

Another great example is Jessica Jones, a brand identity designer with 20 years of experience. Jessica offers a Logo package for $7,500, a Brand identity package for $17,000, and a Custom package.

If you are looking for inspiration to create copywriting packages, take a look at Radiant Copywriting. For example, their “Blog Content + Broadcast Email” bundle offers a 1000-word blog post and a 400-word email, including consultations and revisions, for $240. They also have more mid-tier packages like website copy and blog content bundles starting at $450.

Wrapping it up

Offering service packages isn't just about boosting your income. It's about simplifying your process, providing clear value, and making life easier for you and your clients.

Service packages give your clients a clear, predictable offering while making you look like an expert who knows what the clients want.

So, whether you're a copywriter, virtual assistant, graphic designer, IT specialist, or anything in between, creating service packages can transform how you work and help you bring in more income, predictably and effortlessly. And who doesn't want that?

Now, create your own menu of services and let your clients feast on the value and deliverables. Good luck! 🍀