The main steps to add retention services
When you’ve decided it’s the right time to add ongoing monthly support services to your business, you need a plan to make it happen. Here’s an overview of the main steps to successfully add monthly support services to your business.
Determine your services
First, determine the services you want to provide clients. The scope of your services will depend on your expertise and the needs of your clients, but you should consider offering:
- Website support and maintenance
- Email marketing
- Paid media support
- SMS services
In the next section, you will dive deeper into each of these services and how to identify which services to add to your business.
Build a sales process
Building a successful sales process for monthly support services requires careful planning, clear communication, and a deep understanding of your target audience. A successful sales process involves the following 6 steps:
- Prospect clients
- Qualify leads
- Build a proposal
- Pitch your solution
- Handle objections
- Close the sale
You will learn more about each step in the sales process in the next section of the course.
Create retention packages
Retainers are a great option for clients who either need help with a single project or need ongoing support for growth. Below are two retainer strategies to consider:
- Project-first approach
Many agencies start with a project and spread the work and budget over multiple months, which helps provide more consistent income. - Retainer-first approach
Some agencies start with a monthly retainer to trial the relationship before diving into a bigger project.
The pricing model you choose will have a significant impact on your ability to attract and retain clients and your overall profitability. Here are some of the most common pricing models:
- Hourly pricing
Ideal for projects that are almost complete or if the client has requested additional hours beyond the original scope. - Project-based pricing
Ideal for agencies that have a high volume of projects and want to guarantee consistent monthly income, as well as being able to schedule their resources in advance. - Time-based pricing
Ideal for agencies that want to scale their team and need predictable cash flow each month. - Value-based pricing (revenue share model)
Ideal for agencies who are confident in their expertise and are comfortable offering a proactive approach to retainers.
Ultimately, the pricing model and packages you choose for your monthly support service will depend on many factors, including your target market, your competition, and the services you provide.
You will learn more about creating retention packages and selecting pricing models in the next section.
Identify staffing requirements
You’ll need a dedicated and skilled team to build a successful monthly support service. However, when you’re just getting started, you’ll likely need to leverage contractors or freelancers. As your department grows, you can hire an internal team of specialists. The key roles needed for monthly support services are:
- Campaign strategist
- Designer
- Copywriter
- Project manager
The composition and size of your team may vary based on the scale of your business and the number of clients you serve. For smaller agencies, one person may fulfill multiple roles, while larger agencies may require a team with specialized individuals for each role.
You will go deeper into staffing requirements and scaling a team in the next section.