Story of the Week
The Dilemma
Most service providers get stuck in what I call the "Custom Everything Trap."
Every project is built from scratch. Every client gets a completely unique solution. Every deliverable requires your personal touch from start to finish.
I felt this way when I was speaking on stage, too. Every talk I did for the first 15 presentations was unique.
This approach feels premium, but it's actually killing your business. Here's why:
- No economies of scale: You reinvent the wheel for every client
- Unpredictable timelines: Custom work always takes longer than expected
- Burnout is inevitable: You become the bottleneck for everything
- Pricing pressure: Clients compare your custom work to templated competitors
The solution isn't to work more — it's to work smarter.
Strategy #1: Productize Your Service
Instead of offering completely custom solutions, create two to three productized packages that solve 80% of your clients' needs.
When I learned this myself, I narrowed down my talks to just five that people could hire me for. One of them was my Superfans talk, which eventually became a book!
Imagine you have a business doing wedding videography.
Before: Every wedding is completely custom, taking 40+ hours of editing per event.
After: You create three clear packages:
- Essential Package: Ceremony + reception highlights (15 hours of work)
- Premium Package: Full day coverage + same-day edit (25 hours of work)
- Luxury Package: Multi-day coverage + cinematic storytelling (40+ hours of work)
The magic: 70% of clients chose the Essential or Premium packages, which use templated workflows. Only 30% needed full customization — and you can charge a premium rate for that luxury.
Look at your last 10 projects. What elements were repeated across most of them? Those recurring pieces are your productization opportunities.
Strategy #2: Expand Your Service Ecosystem
The easiest way to increase revenue isn't finding new clients — it's serving your existing clients better.
Keeping with the wedding videographer example, perhaps you could also offer:
- A wedding photographer (earning 10% referral fees)
- A DJ service (earning $200 per referral)
- A florist (earning 15% on arrangements)
Result: Your average client value increases from $3,000 to $4,500 without any additional work on your part.
Your ecosystem opportunities:
- Complementary services: What else do your clients need?
- Partnership revenue: Who serves your clients before or after you?
- Add-on products: What tools or resources could enhance your service?
The Systems Solution
Before you can productize or expand, you need to get yourself out of the day-to-day operations.
Two ways to buy back your time:
- Master your systems: Document every process, create templates, and automate repetitive tasks
- Hire strategically: Start with administrative tasks, then move to delivery work
Back to the videographer example: Imagine hiring a part-time editor for $20/hour to handle the Essential package. That frees up 15 hours per wedding that you can reinvest into sales and serving Premium/Luxury clients.
Your Turn: The Service Audit
This week, I challenge you to:
- Analyze your last ten projects: What elements were repeated? What took the most time?
- Create two to three service packages: Bundle your most common deliverables into productized offerings
- Identify three partnership opportunities: Who else serves your ideal clients?
Remember, the goal isn't to eliminate custom work — it's to make it the exception, not the rule.
What will you productize first?
