92: How to Handle & Navigate Pricing Objections as a Creative Business Owner When Investing in Your Own Business featuring Magan Ward

Whether you’re a designer, writer, artist, photographer or any other type of amazing creative business owner, this episode will identify potential objections you might have to investing in The Bundle Intensive. Listen in and find out if any of these objections are holding you back from transforming your business by incorporating a bundle into your marketing strategy by intentionally building your email list.

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Dolly DeLong: Hi, and welcome back to another episode of the Systems and Workflow Magic podcast. I am your systems and workflow BFF, Dolly DeLong. And today we’re diving into an important topic for all creatives out there. 

So specifically we, meaning Magan and I, will be discussing pricing objections. And when it’s essential for a creative to actually invest in their business, such as in a group program or a mastermind, just essentially when it’s essential for you to consider investing in yourself. And yes, I am just going to say it. The elephant in the room is this, we are still promoting the Bundle Intensive, but I know a lot of creative business owners have reached out to me and Magan about this program.

And one of the biggest objections is this, we have pricing objections. So Magan and I are going to cover this elephant in the room and we want to see if this is what is holding you back from truly investing in the Bundle Intensive. And if you are not considering the Bundle Intensive and you’re considering a different type of program then listen in and use these price objections to see are these objections holding you back from investing in something specific for your own business.

So either way, I hope that this episode will serve you. So whether you’re a designer, a writer, an artist, a photographer, or any other creative business owner, this episode will help you overcome those common objections that might be holding you back from investing in your business. And in this case, joining the Bundle Intensive. Because both Magan and I firmly believe that incorporating bundles into your marketing strategy for your own business is a great tool to add to your marketing belt. Especially since it involves a lot of email marketing strategies.

So list building strategies, which of course, we both believe have the best ROI ever for your business. So without further ado, I have Magan Ward, who I like to refer to as my own co-host of this podcast, and we’re going to be diving into this very deep topic today. Hey, Magan.

Magan Ward: Hey, Dolly. Thank you so much. Of course, I’m thrilled to be here again. I think I’ve been here for about a month or so, but yeah, I would love to talk with you and chat about pricing objections and how to handle those as a business owner.

Dolly DeLong: Yeah, definitely. So let’s jump in, Magan. Why do you think creatives face objections when it comes to investing in group programs?

Magan Ward: That’s a great question. So I think that creatives like any professionals face a range of objections when it comes to investing in group programs and spending our hard-earned money. And some of the most common ones are financial concerns, of course. Creatives might worry about the cost of a program and whether they can afford it.

They may think that they could spend their money on other tools or resources that seem more tangible at first glance. And there’s also value perception. So sometimes it might be a struggle to see the real value of a program and what it can bring to their career and to their business because they might think that they can find similar information for free or at a lower cost elsewhere.

Would you agree with that, Dolly?

Dolly DeLong: I would totally agree. There’s YouTube University. We all learn from YouTube University. And I know that you and I have spent many a day on tutorial videos in our own business journey. So I would totally agree with that objection.

Magan Ward: Yes. Another thing that comes to mind is time constraints, especially when it’s a group program that often requires a time commitment and business owners and creatives might be hesitant because they’re already juggling multiple projects and fearing that they’re not going to have enough time to dedicate to the program.

I know specifically in our program we talk about this. And when you’re planning an event, such as a bundle, how you can just set aside half a day or one day a week to work on it. Or maybe it’s an hour a day. And that way you’re not doing so much at one time. You still have all the rest of the time during the week to devote to your business, and then you’ve set aside that other time.

So it’s the same with a group program. You set aside that hour a week or maybe a half a day a week, whatever works best for you to work on the group program while the rest of your time is spent doing your normal business projects and business duties that you have going on.

Dolly DeLong: Yeah, totally agree.

Magan Ward: And I wondered about this one, Dolly… imposter syndrome.

Cause I know I’ve battled with it, we talked about it on one of the other episodes of launching my podcast. It was supposed to launch in March and then I got in my own way and thought, who am I? Who wants to listen to me? Nobody. And of course that was not the correct answer because the podcast is doing great now that it’s out there into the world.

But I struggled with that imposter syndrome. And so I know many business owners also battle that and they doubt their abilities just like I did. And they might question whether or not they should belong in a group program and worry about being outperformed by other members of the group. And that’s just absolutely, it’s hogwash.

It’s absolutely not true.

Dolly DeLong: Yeah, I’m gonna piggyback off that I am actually outlining an episode for next week next week marks my five-year work anniversary. So owning a business full time. And so I just thought it would be fun to do just like a reflection of the last five years. And I bring up imposter syndrome within one of the points.

So spoiler alert, I’ll be talking a lot about imposter syndrome next week. But yeah I completely agree. And I really think that this is something that business owners struggle with regardless of their, in year one or year 15 of their business,

Magan Ward: Oh. Absolutely.

Dolly DeLong: it’s a real thing.

Magan Ward: Absolutely. I think I struggled with it too. And for those that might not know this little bit about me, I started my entrepreneurial journey as a photographer. And so when you’re a photographer and you’re just starting out and you’re seeing all these beautiful curated Instagram feeds, like imposter syndrome is really real at that point in the game when you’re first getting started, because you’re like, I’m never going to be as good as these other photographers ever. 

But then suddenly you are. And it’s always there and I think Instagram just kind of feeds into imposter syndrome a little bit because we’re always seeing the good things that people are doing the cool things they’re doing and we’re not seeing the messy parts of their business and the messy back ends of their business

Dolly DeLong: Exactly.

Magan Ward: Another thing that I was thinking about is the lack of trust. And if someone, a business owner, is looking at a program or a group program or a course and they’re unfamiliar with the person that’s running it, they might have reservations about the legitimacy and effectiveness of the program.

Dolly DeLong: Yeah. Those are all definitely some common objections that I’m sure many creatives can relate to. I know I can relate to this because I’ve even found myself questioning certain purchases in the past five years. So I’m really happy overall that we’re having this conversation, and I really hope it’s resonating with some listeners right now.

so now that we’ve actually talked about some objections let’s cross the bridge and how can we overcome these pricing objections and actually make a decision. 

Magan Ward: So So overcoming these things as a business owner has to have a thoughtful approach to it. Some things that I like to think about when I’m looking at something to invest in is the organizer clearly communicating this unique value that their program is going to offer.

Do they have testimonials or case studies? Are they clearly outlining the outcomes that are going to come from that program? I specifically look for that, and I know you do too, Dolly.

Dolly DeLong: And sometimes I’ve even heard people when they are researching different group programs or masterminds to be a part of, they reach out to those past members or past purchasers and they ask, 

Hey, what is the transformation real? Or is this just smoke and mirrors? Whatever the term is. And I’ve known people who have done that.

And so that’s something that, we, I know Magan, you and I, we know that this is the first cohort of the Bundle Intensive, yet we have still, we wanted to showcase our receipts. So we have posted, like, all of the testimonials and case studies from us being contributors or inputters to this bundle creators I know how else to call it just to showcase our expertise. And so If you haven’t yet if you’re listening in and you haven’t already yet check out the Bundle Intensive Sales page and see the receipts that both Magan and I have to showcase.

And it does seem braggy, as a business owner, you have to put on the hat of not only marketing but showcase how you can help people.

Magan Ward: Absolutely. And those on that sales page they’re real people. They’re real pictures. They’re real names. And what they, their real words of what they said, either inside a Facebook group or an Instagram DM that they sent specifically to Dolly and me about things that we’ve viewers participated in with them or Dolly’s bundles that she has organized.

And I know one of them very specifically says this is the most organized bundle I have ever participated in. And that was, that’s tooting Dolly’s horn because she really does. She puts together a very nice bundle. It is very organized. That’s what she wants to teach you all. 

Another thing when you’re thinking about ways to overcome that and those thoughtful approaches I was wanting you to consider that I know I consider is does the organizer offer flexible payment options. Because I know that there are seasons of business that are slower than others and shelling out $2,000 to $4,000 on a group program is a lot at first. But when you can break it down into more bite-sized and digestible payments, it makes it so much easier.

I actually just had a conversation with my mom the other day, because she is toying with the idea of getting into online business. And she’s specifically decided that she’s interested in Pinterest as her business. Being a Pinterest manager or Pinterest strategist, something along those lines.

So of course, there are lots of people in my corner that teach Pinterest, whether to fellow business owners or to VAs that want to learn a new skill. And there have been a few people launching right now with programs for Pinterest. And so I sent my mom an email and I was talking to her about just forwarding her the sales email.

I said you might want to check this out because it seems like a pretty good deal. And at first, she was like. That thing is $500. and I said, but did you keep scrolling? She said yes I saw she has some payment plans that I could totally do that because then it was only gonna be I don’t know $97 a month for six months as they go through the program and she goes I could totally do. 

And so that just to say this individual was offering a much more flexible payment plan. So is the organizer of the program that you are looking at, as the listener here on the show, are they offering something a little more flexible for your budget? And a lot of people will, but that’s something to consider too.

Are they going to help make it easier for you to make that investment?

Dolly DeLong: Yeah, exactly. And both Magan and I have both done payment plans like ourselves when we’ve invested either in group programs or masterminds or even courses that we’ve taken. I know I have at least, and it’s been very rewarding for me.

Magan Ward: Another thing that I think is very important to consider when you’re looking at an investment into your business, is the transformation. Is that being highlighted by the organizer of the program, or are they putting emphasis on how that program can lead to a very significant transformation? Not only in your business but how has it made a transformation in their own business as well?

Are they showcasing those success stories from either previous participants who have achieved results after completing the program? Or those testimonials, like we were just talking about a few minutes ago from where they have actually been out in the real world doing this thing that they’re about to teach you about.

Dolly DeLong: Yeah, and something I really want to highlight about the Bundle Intensive, Magan, is that I love emphasizing the transformation a business owner will experience within this intensive is this, they will have a marketing tool to use and reuse year after year in their business regardless, like of what type of business owner they are, what type of creative business owner they are to grow their email list.

So it’s not just a one-and-done thing. One hit wonder. We want you to have a sustainable way, like a tool to add to your email marketing tool belt, and add to your marketing calendar. Because marketing calendars are ever-changing throughout the year. And so you need something to add for maybe Q3 or Q1. So we want to help you think strategically for the next year.

Magan Ward: Yeah, exactly. And I don’t foresee there being a lot of changes to bundles in general. They all run the same way. They just do not all ran well and you don’t always, not everybody has the same tools put together. And that’s why we’ve talked about in the past some bundles are just not. As great as others.

And you, listening, if you want to be a bundle organizer, you want, you don’t want to be on that list. You want to be on the list of people that are recognized as someone who put together a good bundle.

Another thing to look for is the program’s time commitment. And is there a clear schedule and clear breakdown of what kind of time you are going to be required to put forth for the program? Does the program appear to be designed to be efficient and effective? Something that you can easily fit into your already busy schedule and take in bite-sized strides to move the needle toward whatever the goal is of the program that you’re looking at.

Dolly DeLong: That is excellent. And I want to just piggyback off of that. And that kind of goes along with just worry, you worry about not having enough time to consume. And Magan, I wanted to insert It is, we all know this, we’re, we should be adults in here but we should know that it is not the, let’s say you join a like a mastermind program or a group program or you hire a business coach, it is not their job to help you out with time management.

It’s not. I’m just going to say that. That’s a little

Magan Ward: That’s fair. That’s okay.

Dolly DeLong: that’s like a little, what’s tough love right there. You need to take ownership of learning how to manage your time and how to manage it with your business and with your family and all of the other roles that come into effect into your, in your life.

That plays out in your life. So I, if you go into a program and you think, okay, this is going to change everything. This is going to teach… I’m going to have all of the time like Beyonce does. No, you really need to learn how to manage your own time.

Magan Ward: How do y’all think Taylor Swift is rerecording all of these albums and rewriting some of these songs? She is managing her time very well.

Dolly DeLong: Yeah. Yes. So I know I just, that can, I normally am like a joyful little voice in your earbuds every week, but… 

Magan Ward: It is true. And you think there are people who think “If I buy this, it’s going to change everything”. You have to buy it and put in some work too. Any program that I’ve been through. There are some that I didn’t finish. And so guess what? There wasn’t a transformation for me because I didn’t do what I needed to do.

And I own it. I take ownership in that I have undiagnosed adult ADHD and I probably came up with a new project that I wanted to work on and they abandoned ship on whatever that program was. But in the programs that I have put forth that effort and I’ve seen it through to the end, I have seen a true transformation in my business and I’ve achieved things that I would not have been able to do on my own if it hadn’t been for that program and the time that I set aside and committed to work on what the program taught me.

Dolly DeLong: Exactly. So I just, again just wanted to offer up some tough love to the listeners and also to us as business owners who have a lot to manage on our plates. And we are constantly learning this skill. I am at least.

Magan Ward: And I know just a few minutes ago, we talked about imposter syndrome. And so you could counter that imposter syndrome by having a very supportive community within a group program. So that’s something else to look for when you’re looking at group programs or courses. Do they have a supportive community that’s fostering a place for you to feel safe and valued so that you feel more confident in the investment that you have made?

Dolly DeLong: Yeah, the last thing that you would ever want is to invest in a program and then you feel like an idiot for asking questions to things you don’t know. And either the group leader or other people in the group either don’t answer your questions or they laugh at you or they scoff, I don’t know.

Magan Ward: I hope no one’s ever joined a program where somebody’s laughed at them.

Dolly DeLong: But you just get that vibe or you feel alone or you feel like an island you just feel alone and

Magan Ward: It feels a little cold. It doesn’t feel warm and nurturing. Yeah, I know what you mean.

Dolly DeLong: Yeah. So you definitely need to make sure to do your research That’s what we’re trying, Magan and I are trying to say do your research when you are facing these objections. And make sure you even like the vibe of the group and that goes along with your personality. I hate saying vibe, but here I am saying vibe.

Magan Ward: Hey, if it fits.

Dolly DeLong: Magan, these strategies sound so fantastic. And I’m sure our listeners will find them really helpful. Is there anything else that you’d recommend for business owners who are still on the fence about investing in a group program, such as the Bundle Intensive?

Magan Ward: Yes. So one additional approach is to encourage business owners and creatives to set very clear goals for their career and their business and assess how that group program aligns with those objectives. Sometimes understanding how a program directly addresses your needs and your goals can be the push that you need to make that investment. 

So just taking the time to set those goals and look over them and then look at what the program transformation is offering for you. Additionally, I do recommend checking to see if there are any early bird offers available for the program or anything along those lines. Sometimes I’ve seen fast-action bonuses and programs.

And lastly, I encourage you to have open conversations. With the educators and organizers of the program. So ask any lingering questions that you still have that you might not have found on their sales page. And it just helps you get a good feel for how the program’s going to fit into your unique creative journey.

Dolly DeLong: Magan, thank you so much for sharing your insights with us. And I really think this has been a fun and very real conversation. And I’m sure this topic is going to help a lot of creative business owners make a leap into investing either, not just in the Bundle Intensive, but maybe it could help them make better-informed decisions for future investments.

That’s what I want out of this conversation.

Magan Ward: Oh, absolutely. But thank you so much for having me again, Dolly. As always, it was a pleasure to be here with you.

Dolly DeLong: Of course. And thank you so much to the listener for tuning in to another episode of the Systems and Workflow Magic podcast. Remember investing in your growth as a creative can be very intimidating, but with the right mindset and approach, it can lead to incredible opportunities and success. So once you weigh out the pros and the cons, and you’ve done a lot of research, I would say embrace the possibilities and overcome those pricing objections and keep creating Systems and Workflow Magic within your own business.

One system, one baby step at a time. And I want to remind you all again that the Bundle Intensive closes this week. So the first cohort closes this week, and Magan and I would be so honored if you considered joining. And again, check it out at thesystemsandworkflowmagic.com/bundleintensiveprogram.

The link is in the show notes and we would love to help you strategically grow your email list purposefully, and add a new marketing strategy to your marketing calendar. So I will talk to you all next week and until then have a streamlined and amazing week, you amazing muggle you.

Bye.