I had been dreaming about a light, funny email series to launch this Spring’s cohort of Deeper Foundations.
You were going to spend a few "days in the life” of two different business owners: one with a tactics-first approach, and the other who led with business foundations.
Those characters even had names!
But… the timing seemed off, for me and for you. Especially when it’s quite so loud out there every day, I wasn’t sure a lighthearted attempt at business comedy would have landed.
In this case, I’m reading the room.
Reading the Room: what do I mean?
While last week we focused on what you needed from the business, this is all about what your clients need. As we discussed last week, maybe your target client’s funding got stripped or paused. Or half the words you use on your website are no longer acceptable for federal funding.
While I’m all for repeatable delivery structures so you get faster at pattern recognition and value creation… this might be the time to serve clients exactly what they need, instead of what you have on offer.
Changing offer durations
When the world is in flux, your client might not want to commit to a long-term offer. If you have a 6-month option, is there a 3-month accelerated version? If you have a 4-month process, can you offer a short-term tactical planning session instead, just to get them started?
Alternatively, because the world is in flux, some portion of your client base might actually want a longer duration, so they get consistent support over time with one single decision and not multiple decision points. For example, a monthly retainer so that you and they can count on the support and the expense.
I recently changed this myself: I stopped offering strategy intensives and lengthened the minimum duration of my 1:1 services - but also lowered the price point each month in conjunction. Fully in line with my “low and slow” business building philosophy, I don't want clients to feel pressured to cram all of our work in a 3-month period or fix the whole business in a month-long strategy intensive.
Changing offer structures
Right now, I’m seeing a resurgence of sorts in cohort-based programs. Given the flood of things pulling at our attention, cohort programs, especially those with live calls, serve as a touchpoint. As a student or client, you’re seen and supported multiple times a week, often receiving additional communications to stay in touch with the work, and prompts where to focus.
I’m also seeing a surge in communities - not communities as a marketing tool like a free Facebook group designed for an upsell, but a way for people to connect off platforms in a way that they know people see them and their work. Where and how in your work should you create structures for support and connection? What types of support feels aligned for your community members (calls vs. async community vs. something else)?
However, I’m also seeing a need for people needing curated information quickly. Just like "that meeting could have been an email", that 3-month program could have been a 90-minute masterclass with a workbook. Or instead of doing an entire big consulting engagement, just serving the single topic presenting itself, and then seeing if follow on work is necessary.
So really assess what level of support your client is asking for - and why.
Changing pricing approaches
Tariffs - on or off?
Changing relationship of the US dollar to the world currencies - fluctuating more than ever.
Economic uncertainty? You bet.
I’m facing this in my business right now. Maybe you are too. And so, as you're evaluating your offer structures and duration, and also evaluate flexibility on pricing. Again, the pricing needs to be sustainable for you - but within that, I encourage looking at ways to creatively be of service.
I want to help people build their business foundations, and so I’ve priced my Deeper Foundations cohort at what I know is a high value, but at a price point that covers my own needs. It’s $300/month for 6 months.
However, that’s in US dollars. That $300/month US investment is A$478 in Australia - which is not the price point I have in mind. I know others charge higher than that for even less support, but that’s not my intent.
So if you live in a country with an unfavorable currency or cost of living exchange and want to enroll in Deeper Foundations, email me. I’m also setting up an Asia-Australia friendly monthly time slot for the program.
Asking you: what’s most helpful for you right now?
Above all, I want this newsletter and my work to be as supportive as possible during these times. So I want to read this room - what would you like to see most in this space over the coming months? Continued long-form business teachings like this, more "behind the scenes" from my own business, or maybe you do want to see my comedic stylings, shorter rants, or book chapters! I’d love to know.