133: Counterintuitive strategies to market and sell high-ticket offers to premium clients (part 2)
Why do some high-ticket offers sell effortlessly while others struggle to gain traction? The secret isn’t just in what you’re selling—it’s how you’re selling it.
In this episode, I’m covering what strategies actually work when marketing and selling premium offers in 2025. I’ll reveal where your high-ticket buyers are really hanging out (hint: it’s not where you think), how to craft messaging that positions you as the expert they need, and why less is often more when it comes to selling high-end services. Plus, I’ll share four of my favorite copywriting frameworks to help you write faster, sell more, and attract your dream clients with confidence.
If you feel like your premium offers aren’t getting the attention they deserve, this episode will change the way you approach your marketing and sales strategy.
Topics We Cover in This Episode:
The truth about where high-ticket buyers really hang out
Why trying to “hack the algorithm” won’t help you sell premium offers
The one thing high-ticket buyers always look for before making a purchase
How to position yourself as an expert without overwhelming your audience
Why longer sales pages aren’t always better—and when less is actually more
Four powerful copywriting formulas that make selling high-ticket offers effortless
A simple follow-up strategy that can lead to thousands in additional sales
You don’t have to write your high-ticket message by yourself. I'll guide you step-by-step through developing and perfecting your high-ticket message inside The Joy of Copy Club. Or, if you’d rather have someone handle all the research, strategy, and writing for you, I can take it off your plate. Find me on social media or send me an email to get the conversation started: hello@kimkiel.com
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Welcome to ill communication, copywriting tips and sales strategies for small business. I'm your host, Kim Keel. I'm a copy coach, sales strategist, and direct response copywriter. It's my mission to help women leaders and changemakers amplify their voices through copy. It's why I'm dishing out all the juicy tips, writing prompts, and sales formulas to help you generate more leads, book more calls, and get more high value clients on repeat. Sounds pretty good. It's time to ditch the overwhelm you might be feeling and find confidence in your copywriting so you can get your message out there and attract more soul mate clients. Let's get started. Oh.
[00:00:51]
Hello. Hello and welcome back to the Ill Communication Podcast and part two of our mini series on marketing and selling high ticket offers. If you missed part one, it's a doozy. It is jam packed. So go back and listen to episode 132. In that episode, we covered what is a high ticket offer? What high ticket buyers are looking for? How high ticket buyers make buying decisions and other personality traits that influence how you want to market to them. We also talked about the elements of a premium offer. What do you include in a high ticket offer that will appeal to a high ticket buyer? And in this episode, we're looking at where your high ticket buyers are hanging out and where they're not hanging out. We'll talk about how to sell high ticket offers in 2025. I'll cover messaging and positioning, and I will share four of my favorite copywriting frameworks to help you write faster and more effective copy to attract those ideal high ticket buyers. Now, before we get into all of it, I just wanted you to stop and think about the last big investment you made. Maybe it was in some kind of coaching or training, or you maybe booked a brilliant family holiday, maybe about a hot tub for your family. Or maybe your last largest investment was getting carpeting installed in your basement. That's what our last and largest investment was. We just spent $6,000 getting our basement carpeted.
[00:02:32]
Now, think about what triggered you to look for that service or product or experience. Think about how you found the installer or the coach or the vacation spot. And what did you do to make sure you made a confident decision? In my case, we just completed a basement Reno and we needed flooring. So I asked around my friends and my network for referrals for carpeting installers. I also googled and found a couple of companies and I read their Google reviews. I looked at their websites when I had my choices narrowed down, I booked consultations with my top two choices, and in the end, I went with the carpet and installer. That was slightly pricier. When I saw and felt the carpet samples, I knew which company I had to choose. I chose this really lovely multicolored, multidimensional plush carpet. The other company's carpet was really one dimensional and pretty bland, and it felt kind of rough and cheap, not very soft. And I'm really glad I was able to have those carpet samples in my home for me to try them out and feel them. I am so happy we went with the pricier option, because it's something we touch and look at and experience every single day. I have zero buyer's remorse over that decision, So I want you to think about the kind of information and experiences you seek when you're making a big buying decision.
[00:04:06]
What do you need to make sure you feel confident and comfortable making that investment? Because those are the same elements you need to include in your own sales process and in your own marketing to sell those premium products and services. Okay, so just as a reminder, in part one, we talked about the elements of high ticket offer and the behaviors and traits of high ticket buyers. But now let's get back into marketing and selling. So the first question you might have is how do you find high ticket buyers? Where are they hanging out? Are they hanging out on Instagram? Are they on threads? Are they on LinkedIn? And chances are, yes, they're probably on those social media platforms. But remember, they're not. They're consuming your content to learn from you week after week. So you don't need to be posting three times a day or even every day for high ticket buyers because they are lurkers. When they are ready to buy, then they will come to your feed and see what you've posted. So I recommend you have current content that appeals to those high ticket buyers, but you certainly don't need to be posting a bajillion times a week. There's no need to worry about hacking the algorithm. Just make sure you have some of that messaging and marketing that appeals to them on there that looks current. So when they're looking for the solution, they come bingeing your content.
[00:05:30]
Then they will see that you're a good fit. Now, I know an older strategy from a few years ago was to start Facebook groups, or to be viewed as an expert in others Facebook groups, but I find that is kind of day old information. High ticket buyers are not hanging out in Facebook groups unless it's a community they have paid to join, and you're also a paid member. Or maybe it's an It's an invite only, a very curated Facebook group. But with the recent changes to meta, I know a lot of business owners who are getting off Facebook and Meta and moving their groups and communities to other platforms. So really do some investigating and research to see where your buyers are hanging out. Another great strategy for finding high ticket buyers is podcast guesting, so you could pitch a podcast host who is your ideal buyer and do a session on their podcast. Or maybe they serve an audience of your ideal buyer. So podcast guesting can be a brilliant strategy for reaching those high ticket buyers. You can do guest expert sessions inside other coaching communities that serve your ideal buyer. Or maybe the coach is your ideal buyer, but you're going to come in and do a guest expert session for them, and they'll get a chance to see you and your brilliance. High ticket buyers are sometimes even in your lower level programs, so if you have a ladder of offers.
[00:06:58]
Some clients will be in those lower to mid tier offers that will naturally move and step into your higher ticket, higher level offer. One of the ways that I have found a number of really great buyers and clients from my premium offers is inside paid programs and masterminds. Now I join those programs for my own benefit, but often when I'm in there, my ideal clients are in there as well, and they've paid to get into that program. So I know they have the budget that maybe I might command, and they are obviously working to elevate their mission, their brand, their offers, their business. And so they're willing to invest in what it takes to get to that next level. And when they're looking for a copywriter and I happen to be in there with them, they'll definitely check me out. And they are also connected to other people of the same level. And so if they're asked, oh, do you know any copywriters who could help me then? Because I'm in community with them, they'll think of me and refer me. Speaking of referrals, I've said it before. I'll say it again. Referrals and repeat business are your best way to get a high ticket buyer to buy again, or to at least increase the lifetime value of that client. I've also seen some brands use advertising to appeal to high ticket buyers, but this is a very specific strategy.
[00:08:23]
It's a very highly targeted. Typically with higher costs. But if you think about it, if you get a $20,000 consulting contract out of it, it might be worth it to explore using ads to attract and get in front of your premium buyers. But just make sure you're using an ads agency that specializes in that kind of clientele. All right, so you know where these buyers are hanging out. Maybe they're in the same community as you. Maybe they are sort of connected to you through your networks when they decide they need a service or solution to their problem, they're going to come and binge your content. They're going to look at your website. So now we want to make sure that our messaging and positioning are going to appeal to those high ticket buyers. So remember high ticket buyers want to know that you are not for newbies. You could still serve newer people on the journey, but they want to know that you work with experts or that you provide expert level services. They also want to be in rooms and work with experts who are more advanced and experienced. It's really critical that you articulate your niche and that you show how you focus on that specialized service to create that specialized solution for those challenges and goals your audience has. Now, one of the strategies I used right out of the gate with my copywriting business was my chosen niche market.
[00:09:50]
When I launched my business, I positioned myself as a copywriter for coaches, consultants, and course creators who sold high ticket programs. So it made sense to charge, say, $5,000 for a sales page for an offer that is in the 5 to 10 K range. Because if the coach makes the sale, they've made an immediate return on investment. I couldn't charge $5,000 for a sales page to sell a $100 offer, unless that client has an audience of thousands and was expecting a multi 4 or 5 figure payout. So position your niche very strategically. Also use the language your customers and clients say. Customer research is key. You want to use the exact phrases they're saying in your copy, in your messaging, on your website, in your emails, in your social posts. Another thing to keep in mind is that desire focused messaging is key. Often in copywriting, we feel like we have to talk about the problems a lot. And that is true. There's a point at which you do want to talk about the problems. But for high ticket buyers. They want to know you understand their problem, but they are a sophisticated and advanced buyer who is motivated by the outcome of working with you. So you want to focus on that transformation. Focus on the desire, the dream state. Future. Pace your message. Make sure you're focusing on that in your messaging and marketing so it's not I'll save you time and money.
[00:11:21]
It's what is the real outcome of working with you. It's probably peace of mind or access to industry leading strategy, or it's a faster path to success. So focusing on are you struggling with X that's out. You want to instead write about things like imagine achieving y without Z. So those are the kinds of shifts that you'll want to make in your marketing, in your copy, on your website, social posts, LinkedIn profile. You want to demonstrate your authority, your wisdom, your experience, and your confidence and Confidence and mastery. So don't forget to drop regularly your training, your expertise, your certifications, your excellence. Don't play shy. Own your badassery. Make sure you showcase it. Case studies and testimonials are also critical, but just a small caveat you don't need to go overboard. I was reviewing a client's sales page that had been written and the sales were really sluggish. And when I looked at it, they had just like scrolls and scrolls and scrolls worth of testimonials. Now, social proof is important, but at some point too much is too much. And especially if you think about high ticket buyers being kind of ready to say yes, they can be overwhelmed by too much information. So choose wisely your case studies and testimonials. And if it's too much or too many or too awesome, the outcome seems too incredulous. Then it triggers our bullshit meter.
[00:12:56]
So be judicious about having really great testimonials and case studies, but don't go overboard again in your messaging and copy. Focus on the outcomes. What happens as a result of working with you? It's more about that than it is. Oh, we're going to meet five times. We're going to meet on zoom. We're going to have five coaching calls. There's going to be 12 modules that you can go through. It's not about that. It's about what is created by that. So the magic phrase you want to keep in mind is so that you can. So it's we have 12 monthly coaching calls. So you can get tailored advice to help you achieve whatever goal they're wanting high ticket buyers or results oriented. So they need to see that return on investment. So make sure you include those outcomes in your messaging. I said it earlier, but less really is more with high ticket buyers. I found that in my own business, the shorter my proposals became, the easier the sales got. High ticket buyers want to know that you're going to deliver what you say you're going to deliver and how you're going to do it. But they don't need a ton of extra messaging and stuffy proposals. Even sales pages can be a little bit shorter or shorter than you expect for a higher ticket buyer. They just really want to the point messages, and especially if you have a very small, intimate program and you have some warmer prospects in your field, you can really get away with the shorter sales page.
[00:14:31]
And I have a couple of examples that I'll share with you. One episode where I did a breakdown of this. Go and listen to that. I'll drop the link in a little bit and it's in the show notes, so you can go dive into that. Again, don't overwhelm people with too much information. I had another client who came to me again with sales that had really plateaued and were really sluggish, and when I looked at their sales page, it was a course based program, and they listed probably about 10 to 15 bullets of what each module consisted of, and it was just way too much information. It just felt so overwhelming. So one of the things I did when I optimized that sales page was we actually shrunk down the content of the modules, and I only included three bullets each, just to give people a sense of what they would accomplish and why it was necessary and the outcome it would create. Finally, in your messaging and marketing, don't be afraid to show your personality. Use surprise and delight. The thing is, people want to connect with you. They want to buy from you. So showcase that personality and what makes you different. That's how we're going to connect and feel comfortable and want to book that call with you.
[00:15:45]
One of my clients inside the Joy of Copy Club, she is a premium portrait photographer. She had created a bit of an email cadence in. Towards the end of the year, she was just about to go and take a break from her business, and we included some fun, delightful emails that were a little bit more entertaining than she'd written in the past. And that caught the attention of just 1 or 2 of her clients who were sitting there just kind of waiting. It grabbed their attention enough for them to realize they wanted to get in her calendar for the following year, and she closed a several thousand dollars contract from that fund. Delightful, personality driven email content. And finally, remember to follow up high ticket buyers. Sometimes they might not be ready to work with you, and you can follow up with them over several months or even years before they're ready to buy. And I'm not suggesting that you be annoying, but it's just a gentle follow up. Hey, I'm thinking about you, especially if someone's worked with you in the in the past. Follow up with them again every year just to touch base. Let them know you're thinking about them. You'll stay on their radar. They'll be able to refer you to their networks, and when they're ready to buy again, they will. Okay, now we're moving into my favorite part of high ticket messaging, which is selecting the right copywriting framework for high ticket selling.
[00:17:15]
Now, if you've been around here a while, you know I love using copywriting formulas and frameworks. But not all frameworks are going to work for a high ticket buyer. So here are four of my favorite formulas to use when you're writing high ticket messaging P4, D, S, C, R, and B.a.b. So let's break it down. What are these four formulas? P4 picture, promise, proof and push. This is my personal favorite copywriting formula, but especially for high ticket selling. Remember, high ticket buyers don't wallow in their in their problems. They are action takers. They want a solution. So this formula, the P4 picture, promise, prove and push helps you stay focused in that future pacing. Future transformation. P4 transports your reader into the future after they work with you or buy your product, and it prevents you from going on too long. Talking about pains and problems. It makes you showcase what's on the other side and taps into the dreams and desires of those high ticket buyers. So in the P4, you start by painting the picture of what your ideal buyer is looking for. Paint a picture of that vision after they're working with you. So that's picture. Promise is where you say, well, when you work with me, that's what you'll get. Prove includes some social proof, or tell a story of a client that you did the same thing for.
[00:18:45]
And then the final P is gently push them or give them a call to action. To book a call to click the button. I'm not going to get into it too it too much because I dove really deep into this formula in episode 13. I will drop the link for that episode into the show. Notes. If you want to hear more about how to structure the P4 message. My next copywriting formula I recommend is the Desire Obstacle Solution. Now DOS desire obstacle solution is very similar to problem agitation solution, except that PA is too focused on the problems and pains. Dos desire obstacle solution helps you focus on the outcomes more so. Now, I first learned the DOS formula from copy hackers during the pandemic, and I have been using it ever since. So you lead by painting a picture of the desire or goal your buyer wants to achieve. Give really specific examples of what that looks like. So maybe you're painting a picture of what their daily morning routine looks like, or what their day to day is like, or what their office situation is like, their business. What are those things that they're really looking for? Paint that picture of the desire and then kind of like a record scratch. What's the obstacle getting in the way. But for these reasons, you can't ever get there. This is why. And then the final section is where you move into the solution.
[00:20:10]
You introduce your offer, or you highlight how your offer or service delivers that solution that they're looking for. Again, I talk more about the DOS in a messaging breakdown that I share in episode 93. Check the show notes for that link. Now I want to move into two more formulas that are really important, and remember that social proof and case studies are very important for selling high ticket offers and for marketing to high ticket buyers. So in your emails or blog posts, or even in your social posts, you want to highlight these client case studies. And two brilliant formulas for that are CSR and Bab. Csr is challenge solution result. So start your email or your social post by describing a past client you worked with and what their challenge or problem was when they started working with you, or what led them to begin to work with you. Next, move into the solution section. Talk about your solution, your approach, the experience you created, how you worked together with that person, and remember to include the things they want to hear about like exclusivity, high touch, or your innovative strategy. All the things those high ticket buyers are looking for. Then move into the results of working together. Describe the transformation. Show the data. Provide the result. Show them what you created through your expertise with that ideal buyer. It's important to include some quotes and testimonials from your clients to back up the story and those claims.
[00:21:46]
So keep CSR. Challenge solution result in your back pocket. When you're writing a case study email or a social post. And finally before or after bridge. A brilliant, easy to use formula. Great for sharing those client case studies. Start off by painting a picture of what life was like before the client worked with you. Or maybe this is your own life experience. Your own lived experience. You can tell the story from your own experience. So paint that picture of the before. Then shift to paint the picture of what life was like after you did this work, or after the client worked with you. And then the bridge section at the bottom is how you got them there. How was your solution? The thing that connected them from before to after? Listen to episode 30 where I break down this formula and include some sample copy. It really is going to highlight for you how to use the Bab. Now, just a little caveat to not overstate your outcomes or overinflate results. Of course we want to show what's possible, but we also want to show what's reasonable or a likely outcome for your clients. We don't want to focus on the exceptions. We want to focus on the rule. So those four formulas. P4, DOS, VAB, CSR. Super powerful copywriting formulas that appeal to high ticket buyers.
[00:23:07]
And just finally, I want to give you a nudge to listen to episode 93. It is called How to Make 150 K from an ugly Google Doc. It really provides a breakdown of high ticket messaging and some of the elements we've talked about over the last two episodes. It brings everything together for you, so check the show notes for that link. All right. We are in the home stretch here. We talked about where to find high ticket buyers. We talked about the messaging and positioning that will attract them and assure them you're the expert they need. The final step is to get the prospect to book a call and then decide to work with you. So let's talk very quickly about how to sell those high ticket offers. Once again, And referrals and repeat business are very easy selling moments. People are often pre-sold and ready to buy. Now. In the past, some folks used the Live Launch challenge. It was a five day live challenge. You'd get a bunch of people into this Facebook group, or you'd lead a training every day and then make a pitch, send a bunch of emails and get people to step into your high ticket offer. These funnels can still work, but the sales cycles are really taking a lot longer. So if you want to use that live launch challenge model, you really want to have a more strategic pre-launch or pre-selling phase, or you want to expect that people are going to step into your offer, maybe the next time you launch it or a little bit afterwards.
[00:24:37]
But what I do love about the challenge model is that it gives your buyer an opportunity to experience your mastery or your program, which are very important pieces of selling to a high ticket buyer. So maybe you want to offer a paid workshop or have an exclusive invite only one day workshop or a masterclass. You could also offer to do a test project or start with a small project. Think about, you know, my example of buying the carpet. I wanted to see the samples. I wanted to feel them. I wanted to see what they would look like in my space. The same thing goes for a coaching container or some other kind of group offer, or working one on one with a consultant. People want to experience you to make sure they jive with you, so how can you create that opportunity for them to experience you? Again, some people balk at doing test projects or mini projects to start, but those test projects have unlocked clients who stayed with me for three and four years and have generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in my business, so I am always happy to do a test project. One of the most potent human needs and needs and emotional triggers as belonging. We want to belong.
[00:25:53]
We want to be liked. And I think an underutilized strategy in high ticket selling and all selling really is tapping into that human desire of being wanted and being invited. So in your high ticket offer, use your personal invitation. If you know somebody is a good fit or if someone is kind of hanging around asking questions, give them a warm personal invitation. Reach out and tell them why you think they're a good fit. Make them feel special and singled out. You can use Loom or Dub or Vox or Messages, or you can just DM somebody on Instagram. You know, there was an offer that I was considering and I really wanted to be invited. I wanted the coach to reach out and say, you know, I, Kim, I know you've been interested in this and I would really love to invite you. I think you'd be a great fit. If they had said that to me, I would have bought. But I never got that personal invitation, so I didn't buy. So just keep that in mind. You can send your personal invitation even through letter mail, a direct letter to let someone know you think they're special, that you think they're a great fit for your offer or service, and that you want to work with them. So do not underestimate the power of that personal invitation. A couple final things. There is a bit of a trend about not having sales calls.
[00:27:13]
You know, fill your group without any sales calls. I think that's BS. Most buyers today, especially if they're making a big investment, will want a sales call or a chance to ask you questions through Voxer. Some won't need a sales call, but many will. So make sure you are building that into your sales process. Another thing you'll want to add is longer payment plans. Now, I have been on sales calls with some clients and when I can see they're a little bit uncomfortable with the final price tag for a full website, I will say, oh, but we can split it into, you know, 4 or 6 payments. They immediately relax and it's an instant. Yes. So make sure you have the opportunity to provide longer payment plans. And this works at all levels of programing. To be honest, it can be even for lower ticket offers include longer payment plans especially today. And finally follow up again and again and again. Don't be annoying. Be friendly. Be casual, be genuine. But the fortune truly is in the follow up, especially with high ticket selling. So my friend, that concludes our very deep dive discussion into how to master the art of marketing and selling high ticket offers. As a reminder, in part one, in the last episode, we talked about what high ticket offers are and who the high ticket buyers are. And in this episode, we walk through how to market and sell your premium offers.
[00:28:39]
And look, there is a lot of research and strategy that goes into messaging and positioning your premium offers. With the information I've given you, you absolutely can do can do this on your own, but I want to remind you that you do not have to. If you jump into the Joy of Copy Club, I can walk with you step by step to craft that powerful high ticket message and help you optimize your copy on the copy. Hotseat calls. And if you're at a point in your business where you just want someone else to do all the research, strategy, and writing for you, then let's book a call to chat about the different ways I can take this off your plate and create your very own customized high ticket message that calls in your ideal buyer and sells your expertise and genius to your buyers before they even get on a call with you. As a reminder, in the show notes of every episode, you'll find links to reach me on social or shoot me an email to get the conversation started. Make sure you click on all of the links to the additional episodes that I shared in this episode that go into how to use those frameworks. But that's it for me today. I wish you so much success with your high ticket messaging and selling, and I'll be back again next week with another episode of the Ill Communication podcast. Bye for now.
[00:29:58]
Hey, would you like to hang out with me and other women business owners doing rad things in the world just like you? Then you should join the Joy of Copy Club. It's a group copy coaching experience where you receive access to all my sales templates, writing prompts, and copy recipes so you're never wondering what or how to write. Once a week, you can pop into my open office hours, where we'll live, review and edit any kind of copy you've written. Seriously, you can bring a social post and email or even some edits to your homepage, and I'll help you optimize it before you send it out into the world. The Joy of Copy Club gives you the tools and the confidence to get your message out there so you can grow your impact and your revenue. Find out more at. I'll see you next week.
Resources
Listen to podcast episode 13 to see how to use the P4 formula
Listen to episode 30 to hear about Before After Bridge formula
Listen to episode 93 - How to make $150k from an ugly google doc for a deep dive into high-ticket messaging and how to use Desire-Obstacle-Solution framework
Additional Resources
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