Are you struggling to make enough sales in your service business?

Or are you not sure where to start when it comes to building a sales promotion and adding a service-based bonus offer to generate leads and drive more sales?

Maybe you’re contemplating discounting your services just to bring some money in?

The truth is, making sales is quite a common barrier for new service-based business owners who haven’t had to market a business before…

And it feels so frustrating, right?

You’re doing everything you think you should be to attract clients and close sales.

But no matter how hard you try, you can’t quite get the results you were hoping for…

And growing your service-based business feels like it’s virtually impossible!

So, what can you do to make sales and start working with more of your dream clients?

Well, I recommend reviewing your services and creating a sales promotion that features a service-based bonus offer that will enable your business to stand out.

A bonus offer (as opposed to discounting) will encourage your clients to take action today and ensure you’re not under-selling your services and missing out on revenue you should be earning.

If you’re not sure where to start with your sales promotion, here are ten ways to create a service-based bonus offer to drive sales in your small business:

1. Add an extra coaching or accountability session with you

This sales promotion bonus is super simple and easy to provide if you offer coaching sessions or accountability check-ins in your business.

It also won’t really cost you anything more, except for some of your time.

My tip when promoting this bonus offer is to be sure it’s listed separately from your other coaching sessions to stand out as something extra and over and above your regular offering.

2. Promote bonus resources such as a planner, checklist, or swipe file

Look back at what you’ve already created in your business and what your past clients have highly valued when working with you.

You’ve likely been creating resources for clients, such as planners, checklists, swipe files, or workbooks, which will work well as bonuses for your future clients.

These bonus resources work effectively because they will save your client’s time.

And they reduce stress and frustration for your clients because it gives them a place to start to help them get unstuck.

I’ve also found that these types of sales promotion bonuses work quite well as fast-action bonuses during a webinar sales pitch because anything that saves time is highly sought after.

Not sure where to start when it comes to marketing your service-based small business? That’s where I can help. Get started by downloading my free Ultimate Marketing Checklist by clicking the button below: 

3. Give a bonus audit or review

A bonus audit or review is where you offer to critique something in your client’s business and provide feedback or a written report.

The audit or review doesn’t have to be too in-depth so long as it provides valuable information for your client.

Plus, it could be something that you build a system and template report around, so it doesn’t take up a lot of your time.

Some examples of this type of bonus that I have seen work well include:

• Web developers or copywriters who offer to do a bonus SEO keyword review
• Bookkeepers who offer to review a client’s online accounting system set-up
• Consultants who offer to review a business’s specific system or process

4. Provide bonus access to a short course or online training program

Do you have a low-cost short course or online training program in your business that you could give away as a bonus with your signature program?

If not, consider creating a valuable course or sought-after training for your clients.

Not only could you make some money by selling it, but it could also help you generate higher-ticket sales when given away as a bonus.

Another similar option is providing a bonus membership trial for a limited time.

You’ll find an example of this offer on my Business Breakthrough coaching program sales page, where I provide a bonus 3 or 6-month membership to the My Client Strategy Academy for my 1:1 coaching clients.

5. Give bonus templates, spreadsheets, or copywriting swipe files

These bonuses are super valuable to clients because they save them precious time.

Rather than starting from scratch, review what you’ve already created for your clients and what templates, spreadsheets, or copywriting you’ve designed for yourself.

It may be quite a simple task for you to set up these templates as a Google Sheet or Google Doc and provide them as a shared link to your clients as bonuses in your next marketing campaign.

RELATED: 5 Simple steps to successfully plan a marketing campaign

6. Send a bonus ticket to an event you’re hosting in the future

This service-based bonus offer may be suitable if you hold regular paid events or workshops in your business.

You’re hosting the event anyway, so it’s likely something you could give away without costing you too much extra.

Even though your clients will receive a free bonus ticket, be sure to promote the value of this ticket in your marketing activity so clients will appreciate the value of the bonus.

Not sure where to start when it comes to marketing your service-based small business? That’s where I can help. Get started by downloading my free Ultimate Marketing Checklist by clicking the button below: 

7. Share bonus access to your ‘black book’ of contacts

Do you know a lot of people in your industry? And would your clients love a warm introduction to them if they had the opportunity?

If so, this service-based bonus offer will work quite well for you.

One example where I saw this work quite well was with an interior design client.

She wanted to start mentoring other interior designers and knew there would be quite a lot of value in helping them get in touch with key industry contacts.

And that they would value how much time that would save them trying to research everyone themselves.

8. Give exclusive access or a behind-the-scenes bonus tour

This bonus offer works well for service businesses who want to make their clients feel like VIPs by providing them with behind-the-scenes access or information that would be hard to find by themselves.

If you decide to offer this kind of bonus, I also recommend limiting the number of offers available to keep that exclusive feeling.

9. Provide a bonus entry into a competition to win something amazing

Is there some money-can’t-buy thing that your clients would love to have access to?

Or would they see value in having the opportunity to win back the cost of their purchase?

Bonus offers where your clients can win something unique can be powerful in helping you to stand out and make more sales in your service business.

Not sure where to start when it comes to marketing your service-based small business? That’s where I can help. Get started by downloading my free Ultimate Marketing Checklist by clicking the button below: 

10. Share invitations to bonus live daily or weekly support sessions

I’ve used this type of bonus offer successfully in my business to drive sales for my online course, Marketing Momentum.

When I refreshed the content, I wanted to re-launch the course with a bonus offer to provide more value and create some urgency.

So, I released one new module for the course each day over one week and provided daily live support sessions which students could attend to get direct coaching access to me for support.

In addition to driving sales, it also enabled me to get to know and build relationships with the people who purchased my course.

Plus, I collected valuable client testimonials from those who completed the course.

RELATED: How to use client testimonials in your content marketing strategy

So, there are ten ways to create a service-based offer to boost your next sales promotion.

I encourage you to try a bonus offer sales promotion before considering discounting your services so that your revenue remains higher and you don’t devalue your service offerings.

As mentioned above, it can be essential to design your bonus offer for a limited time to add some urgency and encourage your clients to take action today.

Are you tired of trying to figure out what you’re missing when it comes to finding clients and making sales in your service business?

Break through the barriers holding you back with the support of an MBA-qualified Marketing Coach and Business Mentor who will tailor a 1:1 program specifically for you.

BUSINESS BREAKTHROUGH is a 3 or 6-month 1:1 Coaching Program for service-based business owners who want to develop the strategy, systems, and structure they need to find clients and make sales, so they can stop feeling stuck and start gaining massive momentum in their business.

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