157: Mastering high-ticket sales - the psychology of premium buyers and what makes them say yes {Summer Remix}
The Art & Science of High Ticket Selling
Hot take: it’s actually easier to sell a $5K offer than a $100 one.
(Especially if you’re not chasing thousands of likes and followers.)
This week’s episode of Ill Communication shares why selling high ticket offers isn’t just a smart move, it’s a sustainable one.
It walks you through the psychology, strategy, and real-world application of selling high ticket offers (think $5K and up).
If you’ve ever found yourself saying:
“I want to raise my rates, but I don’t know how to attract buyers at that level,” or
“I don’t have a huge following… can I still sell premium offers?”
then this episode (and the other two linked below) is a must-listen.
What is a high-ticket offer?
Let’s clear this up first. A high ticket offer typically starts around the $5K mark, though it can vary.
In some industries or stages of business, even a $2K investment might feel high ticket. But for the purposes of this series, we’re talking $5K+ offers.
Think group programs, custom consulting packages, VIP intensives, or high-level retainers.
These aren’t mass-market courses or entry-level offers. They’re highly strategic, often customized, and come with some level of access to you.
Pro tip: high ticket offers usually sell better with smaller audiences. You don’t need 100 clients, you need a few perfect-fit ones.
Understanding the high-ticket buyer
Premium buyers aren’t just paying for information. They’re paying for results, efficiency, access, and expertise. Here's what sets them apart:
✅ They value time as much as money
They want to solve a problem quickly and effectively, and they’ll pay for that shortcut.
✅ They want thought partnership
These buyers aren’t looking for a step-by-step beginner course. They want someone who can match their brainpower, help them think differently, and deliver real strategy.
✅ They’re not super engaged publicly… but they’re watching
You might never see them like or comment on your posts. But when they’re ready, they’ll binge your content and come in hot.
✅ They’ve been burned before
Many high ticket buyers have made big investments that didn’t pan out. That means they’re discerning, and they want to feel confident in YOU before they say yes.
✅ They make quick decisions when it’s right
Once they’ve lurked, done their research, and feel the trust…they’ll move quickly.
Take this 90-minute on-demand masterclass to refine or create your high-ticket offers
Get training and a workbook to guide you step-by-step to craft high-ticket offers and develop the messaging that attracts premium buyers
What makes a high-ticket offer irresistible?
Not all premium offers are created equal. If you want to attract next-level clients, your offer needs to deliver at a next-level standard.
Here’s what high ticket buyers look for:
🔹 Specificity
Generic offers don’t sell at this level. Premium buyers want a clearly defined solution to a clearly defined problem.
Instead of: “Coaching for your business”
Try: “A custom 90-day sales plan + copy support to boost your next launch”
🔹 Access & intimacy
High touch, small groups, or direct access to you = higher perceived value.
It could be 1:1 calls, Slack access, private consulting, or DFY support from you or your team.
🔹 Strategy over content
They don’t want a 57-module course. They want your brain. Your method. Your leadership.
🔹 Confidence & maturity
This part can’t be faked. Premium buyers want to feel your expertise through the way you show up, especially in your messaging and sales conversations.
🔹 Advanced positioning
This isn’t for newbies. Make it clear in your messaging who the offer is not for, so your premium clients can self-identify and feel like they’re in the right room.
How I sell high-ticket offers without a giant audience
When I first started out, I didn’t have a massive email list or huge social media following. I knew I couldn’t hit my revenue goals selling $100 templates to strangers. So I focused on high-touch, high-ticket offers.
Instead of needing 100 people to buy a $100 product… I needed 2 people to book a $2,500 VIP Day.
And I made it happen by:
Leaning into referrals and relationships
Creating binge-worthy content for lurkers
Offering “test projects” to build trust
Positioning myself with confidence and credibility
It’s not always sexy or flashy, but it works!
How to find high-ticket clients and sell premium offers
In downturn economies, high-ticket buyers are still buying. So it’s wise to evolve your business to match the market (where buyers are more sophisticated). The following two episodes will give you more practical and tactical strategies to market and sell to high ticket buyers.
If you want to sell more premium offers think of these 3 episodes as a masterclass or workshop, so dedicate time to listen to them all.
Listen to episode 133:
Counterintuitive strategies to market and sell high-ticket offers to premium clients (part 2): https://www.kimkiel.com/podcast-1/counterintuitive-strategies-to-market-and-sell-high-ticket-offers-to-premium-clients-part-2
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: https://www.kimkiel.com/podcast-1/how-to-make-150k-from-an-ugly-google-doc
Take the Master Your High-Ticket Message Masterclass
Enroll in this on-demand 90-minute guided workshop to help you find and win premium clients. Master Your High Ticket Message Masterclass
Additional Resources Mentioned:
Sales Copy Scorecard: https://kimkiel.com/scorecard
An easy to use tool that will help you identify what's working well and what could be improved among all of the copy assets you have in your business.
Take this 90-minute on-demand masterclass to refine or create your high-ticket offers
Get a deep-dive training and a workbook to guide you step-by-step to craft high-ticket offers and develop the messaging that attracts premium buyers
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[00:00:00] Hey there, and welcome to episode 1 57 of the Ill Communication Podcast. You know, I've been rebroadcasting episodes this summer to allow me a little more bandwidth to enjoy myself. And this week I asked my LinkedIn followers to help me choose the next remixed episode. I used the poll feature in LinkedIn and invited followers to vote between three options.
[00:00:27] High ticket sales, sharing your values intense times. Or my go-to books for business and marketing. And obviously if you saw the name of the episode you're about to listen to, you'll know which topic went out by a long shot. So today I'm sharing a very popular past episode on the art and science of High Ticket Selling.
[00:00:49] This episode is a deep dive. It's longer than my typical episodes. It's filled with so many tactics. You'll want to have your notepad ready to take notes. And in the show notes, I'm gonna link to two additional episodes you have to listen to if you're interested in mastering high ticket selling. The first episode you're about to hear is really about understanding the buying behavior and psychology of a premium buyer.
[00:01:19] The other two episodes I'll link in the show notes, will give you more practical and tactical strategies to actually market and sell to high ticket buyers if you want. To sell more of your premium offers than think of these three episodes as a masterclass or workshop, so dedicate time to listen to them all.
[00:01:39] Of course, if you want help with positioning and selling your offers to high ticket buyers, reach out to me. There are a few ways we can work together to nail your messaging and effortlessly sell your premium offers. Now I'm gonna stop yaking and get right into the next episode.
[00:01:55] Welcome to Ill [00:02:00] 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 change makers amplify their voices. Through copy. It's why I am 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.
[00:02:28] 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. Soulmate clients. Let's get started.
[00:02:47] Hello. Hello and welcome to episode 132 of the Ill Communication Podcast. Today we're talking about how to market and sell high ticket offers. Ever since I started my business, I positioned myself as someone who worked in selling high ticket offers, and over the last seven years, I have been able to not just help my clients sell high ticket offers, but I have been able to command higher investments through that positioning.
[00:03:17] Now, attracting high ticket clients for premium offers like anything over $5,000 or over $3,000. Can exponentially grow your business. But the kind of messaging that attracts and sells to a high ticket buyer is quite different from the messaging and copy you create for smaller offers or beginner clients.
[00:03:38] So over the next two episodes, I wanna break down the elements of building a high ticket offer and selling it to high ticket clients. You'll get some insights and examples on what to do and what not to do to attract those premium clients. So you'll discover how to position yourself and your brand as an expert and [00:04:00] authority in your industry.
[00:04:01] We'll chat about who high ticket buyers are and what their buying behaviors are, what they're looking for in that premium service or offer. I'll share some important steps in your sales process to clothe high ticket clients. What kind of messages you need to share in order to attract more high ticket clients.
[00:04:22] And then I'll share some copywriting frameworks that speak to your next level client and to make writing copy a breeze and why less is more with high level buyers, there's a lot of content and strategy to share, so I'm splitting it into a two-part series over the next two weeks. So one of the best ways you can grow exponentially is by commanding higher rates for your offers.
[00:04:48] And when I'm talking about premium or high ticket offers, this can be anything around $5,000 and up. But let's be honest, because for many of us, me included, investing in anything around the 1000 or $2,000 mark is a huge stretch and feels pretty high ticket. The reality is. Today, a lot of beginner and starter courses and programs sit around that 1000 to $2,500 mark.
[00:05:16] So the kinds of investments I'm talking about in this miniseries are anything over 5K. Now, in my business, I've found it's actually easier to sell high ticket offers than low ticket offers, and there's a very simple reason why I don't have a massive following, especially when I first started out, I had zero following.
[00:05:36] I was never gonna reach my revenue goals trying to sell a 100 or $200 product when I don't have thousands of followers who are willing to buy from me. For example, if I wanted to make $5,000, it's easier for me to find two clients to buy two VIP days at $2,500 per day than it is to find 50 clients to buy a hundred dollars offer.
[00:05:59] [00:06:00] It just takes more effort. To make that kind of content, attracting that many clients and then compelling them to buy. I also prefer working with fewer clients so I can be more hands-on and provide a higher level of custom support and copy. I can't possibly build a close relationship or get to know the ins and outs of 50 different businesses at a single time, so it was a very strategic decision I made.
[00:06:26] At the beginning of my business to position myself in that higher premium level space. I also had already almost a couple of decades of experience in frontline communications, marketing and fundraising, and I really had to remind myself that I was coming into this online space with a very good command of writing copy.
[00:06:50] Over the last seven years, I've sold dozens of 10 K launch and email copy packages. I've sold several 30 to $45,000 half a year, or full year retainer packages. When I first started out, I even sold a $25,000 website copy package. Now keep in mind that was for a 200 page plus corporate website with three divisions and personas and strategies.
[00:07:17] But I still had to show up on that call and sell a $25,000 package. Now, keep in mind, I don't normally charge 20 5K for a website. Most of the websites that I write today for clients are a fraction of that cost, but I've also helped my clients write copy that sells high ticket offers to premium clients, where they generate 150,000 to 500,000 from a single high ticket offer.
[00:07:41] So today I am gonna share many of the lessons I've learned, the things I've discovered through my research about how to create and how to sell high ticket offers. So before we can talk about high ticket offers, I think it's important to talk about high ticket buyers, and I want you to think about [00:08:00] the last time you invested in a high ticket or premium offer or service in your business.
[00:08:06] Think back to that time, what were you looking for? What was your decision making in buying process? What did you need to see in offer or from the coach or consultant that made you say yes to what was probably a bit of a scary investment and a stretch before you create a high to get offer? I think it's important to remember some of the thinking that you had to go through and the steps that you had to take in order to get yourself to say yes.
[00:08:32] It's important to understand what high ticket buyers are looking for and what they value and how they make decisions. High ticket buyers are looking for quality and value that's going to lead to a return on investment, and that return on investment can be a return on their investment of time, of energy, and of course, money.
[00:08:55] And the higher premium level buyers are often looking for a higher payout. But again, that return on my investment of time is very critical for high ticket buyers. They're also looking for exclusivity and access to you. So if you're thinking of putting together a high ticket coaching or consulting container, maybe a group program, you're going to wanna offer some level of exclusivity.
[00:09:19] Either it's a very intimate program, only 10 seats or 20 seats are in here, or you're wanting work in some access to you as the expert, some time one-on-one time with them, or in a very intimate experience with you. High ticket buyers at the end of the day, wanna problem solved. They have problems and they want you to fix 'em.
[00:09:39] For me, the problems that I solve is many of the clients I work with are becoming a bottleneck in their business. Their business has grown. Their teams have grown, and they can't get to all of the copy themselves. Major projects are stalling, like they're not going through launches, they're not updating their websites because it's either taking too long to go back and forth in the [00:10:00] editing.
[00:10:00] They don't have time to sit down and do their research and write the copy themselves, so they bring me on to take that off their plate for them. That's one of the problems. The other problem is that they have sluggish sales. Sales have stalled or plateaued, and they know it's probably time for some refreshed research influenced copy strategy and messaging.
[00:10:20] So I'll come in to optimize a sales page, sales email funnels, and maybe add a pre-launch sequence to help boost revenue. What you might've heard through there is that high ticket buyers are looking for strategy. They're looking for new ways of doing business, or new techniques or new approaches to how they run their business or live their life.
[00:10:42] They're looking for a level of mastery, and they're looking for thought partnership. Sometimes when I'm on a sales call with a high ticket buyer, I will actually drop that phrase, I bet you're looking for a thought partner, or I can become your thought partner because I know at that higher level, it's very hard to find someone who can easily converse back and forth with you about that.
[00:11:04] So they're looking for thought partnership. They also don't want to have to tell you what to do. They want you to bring the expertise, the strategy. Look, they already have a million decisions to make and they don't wanna have to micromanage someone else. So if you think about how that high ticket buyer, about what they want, then you can reverse engineer the kind of packages and experiences that you create for them.
[00:11:29] High ticket buyers are also looking for outside the box thinking. So if you can demonstrate how you've helped people in different industries or different sectors and you can bring that experience and provide some innovative outside the box thinking, that's a plus. They're also looking for their level of peer group or higher.
[00:11:49] They're not wanting to work with newbies. So if you're hosting a group program and maybe you do have a variety of different people at different levels, then maybe you wanna [00:12:00] actually separate some of the beginner folks from the more advanced folks or create that next tier offer where those people are amongst their peers, because it's super annoying when you're in a program.
[00:12:14] People are asking very basic beginner questions, and I know this from experience. You wanna be at a certain level and you wanna have trust that that offer is gonna bring you in at that certain level. And really what high ticket buyers want is your confidence and your maturity. I have found that when I show up on sales calls where I'm feeling very confident and I can display my level of maturity and mastery, those sales calls go much better.
[00:12:42] But anytime I have sort of a niggle of doubt, or I'm second guessing, and I'm maybe not as confident, those sales calls tend to not go as well. So they are looking for someone who has that level of confidence and maturity in their marketing messaging and expertise. High ticket buyers generally follow similar patterns and behaviors through that decision making process.
[00:13:06] Now, I'm gonna make a lot of generalizations here, and of course everyone is different, but what I have found is that high ticket buyers trust referrals and recommendations. When they are looking for a service or a product or a coach, they will ask their peer networks for those referrals. And those referrals are basically like handing you a gig on a silver platter.
[00:13:29] They really trust those referrals and recommendations. High ticket buyers also tend to be lurkers, like they may be connected with you on social media, but they're not necessarily going to be liking your content, commenting, engaging, but when they reach a point where they need the service that you're buying.
[00:13:49] Then they will binge your content. Then they'll go and listen to your podcast. Then they'll go and read your articles and see what you've got on your grid, or go check you out on LinkedIn. So you still [00:14:00] want to have content up there for that type of buyer, but you just have to know that they're not gonna be the lens who are liking, engaging and comment.
[00:14:09] High ticket buyers, although they're kind of lurking in the background, maybe not really engaging, they will do that research to make sure you're the best person for them, so they'll binge your content. They may also ask for a test project or a small project. Side note, I know a lot of people balk at that, but I have unlocked literally hundreds of thousands of dollars in my business by doing a small test project at the beginning.
[00:14:33] Then developing a longstanding relationship with several clients that has paid out over the long run when they've done that research or if they have come to that sales call with everything that they know they want, and on the sales call, they know that you're gonna deliver, that they will make fast decisions.
[00:14:51] So when the time is right, they've done their research, boom, they're gonna make that decision very fast. High ticket buyers are also very sophisticated. They can see through a lot of the bullshit. They can see through the false veneer of Lambos, private jets, Louis Vutton bags, all the makeup, lights and camera, and action, although that kind of packaging does appeal.
[00:15:13] To a certain type of a buyer, they are very interested in that imagery, and if that's the kind of person that you're wanting to work with, then lead into that. The folks that I tend to work with tend to be a little bit more academic, they're more intellectual, and it's less for them about the image that I'm presenting.
[00:15:32] And more about just the sophistication, the level of expertise that I bring, and sort of that confidence and mastery. So choose the kind of branding and imagery that's gonna appeal to your market. High ticket buyers, of course, are very discerning. They have made high ticket investments before that have failed, so they're going to make really solid decisions, especially in today's market.
[00:15:56] But what's important to note is that high ticket buyers are [00:16:00] typically action takers. They are forward thinkers. They are not people who get stuck in the struggle. That doesn't mean they don't have problems or struggles, it just means that they tend not to wallow in there and overly second guess. They are constantly in motion and moving beyond.
[00:16:16] It's important to remember that when you're developing your messaging and marketing for those high ticket offers, or the things you say on your sales calls, because you don't wanna wallow too much in those struggles because those people are not there. They know they have a problem and they're ready to move.
[00:16:33] I'll share more about that when we get into part two. Now let's take a look. We've talked about what a high ticket buyer is and some of their behaviors and habits. Let's talk about the qualities of a high ticket offer. So again, we said that they're around 5K and up. They can be a group program, it can be a one-on-one coaching or consulting experience, or it can be a single white glove service or a consulting package.
[00:17:02] In general, they are quite specific and niched. They solve a particular pain point or a problem. So I will be hired to write a website, to write a brand voice guide to write weekly nurture emails. It's a very specific offer. If you are a life coach or a nutrition coach, you're gonna be solving a very specific problem, creating a specific outcome.
[00:17:29] Or maybe you work with a very specific kind of client. That can be a great niche as well. It's important to remember that in high ticket offers, there is often less teaching. You may include access to course content. High ticket buyers want strategy, innovation, and access to you and your expert brain.
[00:17:52] Some high ticket offers do not include any content. It's just access to the expert. To have that [00:18:00] one-on-one time to help you advance your problems or advance their issues even faster. Again, high ticket offers are designed for a specific audience or a specific client. For me personally, I work with very brainy smart experts and coaches.
[00:18:16] I work with Gen Xers who have a ton of expertise that they're trying to convey to their audience, and it just can be very difficult to communicate that. So that's sort of my sweet spot. Think about who your audience is or who your ideal high ticket buyer is when you're developing your offer, and also when you're developing your messaging.
[00:18:38] You'll want a level of high touch or access to you and your team. So if you have a high ticket offer, perhaps you'll bake in access to your social media team and they can take some of that off of your client's plate. Or maybe you have a nutritionist, you'll outsource some meal plans. They'll get accustomed meal plan from you or from someone on your team.
[00:18:58] They'll want you to be doing all of the writing or the researching. They'll wanna have meetings with you. So think about how to build in some high touch or access to you or your team. For example, I am in a coaching program with Claire Paltro and she has talked a little bit about how she has built in some more done for you access to my team services.
[00:19:21] So if you buy one of her offers, they will help set up your ads for you or build your custom audiences for you. They're taking that off of your plate so you don't have to do it. A few other elements include done for you or hands-on personalized coaching or consulting. High ticket buyers are also attracted to offers that are not for newbies.
[00:19:44] So when you're crafting that high ticket offer, make sure it's for someone who is beyond that newbie stage. They're not beginners, they're a level above. They've been in business or they've been dealing with this problem for a few years. It may help for you to have a [00:20:00] proprietary methodology or a framework or a secret sauce that helps you stand out.
[00:20:05] And high ticket offers can be highly tailored and customized to the buyer. So a one-on-one consulting or coaching experience is very customized to the buyer. I can also create very customized services and packages that I can put together for a client based on what their specific needs are. So those are some of the qualities of a high ticket offer that would be highly sellable to a high ticket buyer.
[00:20:32] So in this episode, we reviewed what a high ticket offer is. We talked about what high ticket buyers want. They want that quality mastery strategy. They want thought partnership. They trust referrals and recommendations. They're gonna lurk your content. They're not going to necessarily engage with you.
[00:20:51] They are forward thinking action takers. They want access to you. They want high touch. They want some elements of done for you. They're looking for a peer group that they can join. So these are all the elements that make up a high ticket offer and the kind of high ticket buyer that you wanna sell to. In the next episode, I'm gonna talk about where your high ticket buyers hang out.
[00:21:13] How you find those high ticket buyers. I'll share counterintuitive strategies to sell high ticket offers to premium clients. We'll review messaging and positioning, and I'm gonna share some copywriting frameworks that will help you write faster and more effective copy to appeal to those high ticket buyers.
[00:21:35] This is a doozy of a miniseries, so I'm gonna stop it here and wait for next week to continue. But I'd love it if you would reach out to me with your questions about high ticket selling. Marketing high ticket offers, providing high ticket clients, and then I can include that in part two. So please reach out and share your questions with me.
[00:21:58] Bye for now. [00:22:00] Hey, thanks for joining me for today's episode, but before you go, I wanna make sure you've grabbed a new tool to help you assess. The effectiveness of your sales copy. It's an easy to use tool that will help you identify what's working well and what could be improved among all of the copy assets you have in your business.
[00:22:21] Grab the sales copy scorecard right now to find quick and easy ways to improve your sales copy and boost. Get your free scorecard over at kim keel.com/scorecard. I'll be back next week with another quick tip, writing prompt or sales hack for you. See you then.
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