Close the Year Strong: Service Packages People Say Yes To

Written By Stoy Hall

You’re busy. Clients are busy. Attention is thin and decision fatigue is real. If you’re still tossing out hourly rates and open-ended scopes in December, you’re asking buyers to do calculus when all they want is a clear outcome at a fair, predictable price. This playbook shows you how to turn your services into holiday-friendly packages people can say “yes” to in under five minutes—outcome-based bundles with tight limits, January Jumpstart prepaid offers that fill Q1, add-ons that lift perceived value without adding hours, and renewal scripts that lock retention before Dec 15.

I’ll give you the structure, the pricing architecture, the accounting guardrails, and the exact scripts. You’ll finish with three productized offers that sell now and deliver smoothly in January.

Outcome-Based Bundles With Clear Scope And Limits

Sell the finish line, not your time. Buyers respond to offers that promise a result, not activity logs. Outcome-based packaging is a proven way to increase willingness to pay and differentiate—especially in services—because it anchors value to what changes for the client, not how long you sat at your desk.

Start with three tiers (Good/Better/Best). You’re not “upselling”—you’re matching risk, speed, and support to budgets. Tiered offers consistently help customers self-select and lift conversion and average spend when done cleanly (no junk fees, no bait-and-switch).

Build each package like this (copy/paste):

  • Outcome: the promised state (“Brand basics complete and ready for January launch”).

  • Deliverables: what’s included (list), what’s excluded (list), and how many revisions.

  • Timeline/SLA: response times, milestone dates.

  • Inputs: exactly what you need from the client (due dates).

  • Proof: 1–2 quick wins you’ll produce early (mockup, audit, plan) to reduce buyer anxiety.

  • Price: flat, with a deposit; no hourly talk.

  • Risk-reversal: limited guarantee tied to things you control (e.g., “If we miss X milestone for reasons within our control, we comp Y.”).

Example (Design Studio):

  • Starter Kit (Good) — Logo refresh, color/typography system, two collateral templates; up to two rounds; 14-day turnaround; client assets due within 48 hours.

  • Launch Kit (Better) — Starter Kit + homepage wireframe + brand guide; three rounds; 30 days; 50% deposit.

  • Momentum Kit (Best) — Launch Kit + three landing pages + 60-day performance check-in; priority support SLAs.

Pro tip: Put what’s out of scope in bold. You won’t be accused of nickel-and-diming; you’ll be thanked for being a grown-up.

Price So Buyers Move, Not Mull

Anchor with “Better.” Most buyers land in the middle. Design your “Better” tier to be the most obvious value; your “Good” is the accessible entry, and “Best” shows what complete looks like. This structure works because it simplifies choice and gives high-intent buyers a place to spend more for meaningful extras, not fluff.

Fence features, not people. Use fences customers accept—speed, access, and scope—rather than arbitrary gotchas. Add priority response, faster turnaround, or strategy time to higher tiers; don’t cripple the lower tier.

Post the real price. Hiding price to fish for leads just inflates your pipeline with tire-kickers. Publish price ranges if you must; better yet, publish fixed prices for the packages and reserve “custom” for genuine edge cases.

“January Jumpstart” Prepaid Offers That Fill Q1

Holiday attention is high. Use it to pre-sell January—cash now, scheduled work later—with guardrails that keep you compliant and sane.

Offer menu:

  • Fast-Start Audit + Plan: two-week diagnostic with a 90-day action plan, delivering in January.

  • Jumpstart Package: prepaid service bundle (e.g., three therapy intensives, four onsite maintenance visits, or a January “Brand in a Week”).

  • Membership Light: a 90-day subscription (Jan–Mar) with clear deliverables and a “skip week” baked in.

Accounting reality check: Prepayments are generally deferred revenue (a liability) until you deliver, then recognized as revenue over time under ASC 606. Don’t book it all as income in December just because the cash cleared. Your P&L and taxes will thank you.

If you use gift cards or vouchers: Mind federal gift card rules on expiration and fees (CARD Act/Reg E) and watch for stricter state protections. E.g., many cards can’t expire for five years and junk fees are limited; disclose terms clearly.

Capacity fence: Pre-sell January with blocked redemption windows (e.g., “weekday mornings,” “two dedicated Jumpstart slots per week”) so fulfillment doesn’t cannibalize your normal work.

Add-Ons That Increase Perceived Value, Not Time

You want add-ons that elevate the experience and outcomes without doubling your hours.

High-leverage add-ons:

  • Priority Access: faster response guarantees during the first 30 days.

  • Templates & Toolkits: SOPs, checklists, or swipe files you’ve already built.

  • Reporting & Reviews: a 30-day check-in with a templated scorecard and 20-minute call.

  • Community or Office Hours: group Q&A slots (limit attendees).

  • Onboarding Concierge: one brief call to collect assets and set expectations; it saves hours downstream.

This isn’t just theory—bundles and thoughtfully packaged add-ons increase basket size and reduce choice friction when customers perceive a cohesive solution, not a parts list. Recent research shows bundles are evaluated as a whole, which helps people commit faster when the set solves their problem.

Subscriptions as a stabilizer: For services with ongoing maintenance or support, a small subscription (e.g., “Care Plan”) converts one-time buyers into retained clients and can increase engagement—especially among less-engaged users who benefit from structure. Keep terms simple and the opt-out painless.

Fast-Start Delivery That Builds Trust In Week One

December buyers are nervous. Show momentum immediately:

  • Day 0–2: confirmation email, timeline, and a one-page onboarding questionnaire.

  • Day 3–5: quick win (audit snapshot, wireframe, relief of a nagging pain).

  • Day 7: milestone review call with checklist of assets still needed.

You’re engineering confidence. A fast first mile gets you grace for the inevitable bumps later.

Scope, Limits, And SLAs That Keep You Sane

Set the edges up front. Clear limits protect client satisfaction as much as your team.

  • Revisions: “Up to two rounds within 7 days of delivery.”

  • Response times: “We reply within one business day; priority plans within 4 hours.”

  • Client delays: “If assets are late by 7+ days, we pause and reschedule to the next available window.”

  • Out-of-scope: list it, then offer a priced add-on for the most common asks.

Put this on the package page, proposal, and welcome email. Repetition prevents “I didn’t know” arguments later.

Renewal Scripts Before Dec 15 (Lock Retention Early)

Don’t wait for Dec 28. People mentally close the year early. Use these scripts by Dec 15 to secure renewals and upsells.

Email to current clients (renewal):

Subject: Quick call to lock your January results
You’ve got [outcome] momentum. To keep it rolling, I recommend [Package Name Q1]—same team, faster cadence, and a January start. If we confirm by Dec 15, I’ll include [high-leverage add-on] at no extra charge. Pick a time here: [link].

Live call opener:

“You hired us to get to [outcome]. We did [results]. To lock in the next milestone by March, here’s what I recommend: [Package]. It includes [A/B/C] and keeps your priority access through Q1. Any reason we shouldn’t reserve your January slot right now?”

Objection handling (price):

“Totally get it. Two options: (1) we keep the outcome, reduce speed (longer timeline), or (2) we keep the speed, reduce scope (drop [component]). Which matters more to you—timeline or scope?”

For one-time buyers:

“Since you completed [Starter/Jumpstart], the next best move is [Maintenance/Performance plan]—lightweight, results-oriented, and cancelable after 90 days. It prevents the slide-back we see when people go DIY.”

What To Measure Weekly (Keep It Tight)

  • Page conversion rate (views → checkouts/booking).

  • Tier mix (what % buys Good/Better/Best).

  • Average order value (watch add-ons lift).

  • January capacity fill (% of Jumpstart slots sold).

  • Churn & renewals (pre-Dec 15 vs. post-Dec 15).

Pitfalls To Avoid

  • Selling activity, not outcomes. If your headline says “10 hours,” you already lost them.

  • Unlimited revisions. That’s an emotional support policy; it destroys timelines.

  • Add-ons that eat hours. If it takes you an hour, it’s not an add-on; it’s scope.

  • No capacity fence. January will drown you if you don’t block redemption windows.

  • Accounting amnesia. Prepayments are liabilities until you deliver; gift cards have rules. Treat them correctly.

Your Move

Package the outcome, price it cleanly, and publish it everywhere. Stack add-ons that boost perceived value without stealing your calendar. Pre-sell January now and renew current clients before Dec 15. Do this and you end the year with cash collected, scope locked, and January scheduled—without living in your inbox.

Resources

Your Move

Package the outcome, price it cleanly, and publish it everywhere. Stack add-ons that boost perceived value without stealing your calendar. Pre-sell January now and renew current clients before Dec 15. Do this and you end the year with cash collected, scope locked, and January scheduled—without living in your inbox.

Bring your current offers and a month of inquiries. In one focused session, we’ll pick the right outcomes, set Good/Better/Best tiers, price fences, add-ons, and a January Jumpstart—with clean accounting and delivery guardrails.

Schedule Your Power Hour


Stoy Hall https://blackmammoth.com
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Holiday Boundaries for Clients (So You Can Breathe)