Beyond Custom Work: Brad Hussey Explains How to Productise for Success

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March 21, 2024

The creative agency realm often grapples with the unpredictable cycle of feast or famine. The solution? Productisation — a strategy that packages services into pre-defined, consistent offerings. This method not only offers clarity in marketing but also secures streamlined operations and safeguards profitability.

Understanding Productisation

Productisation is the process of standardising services into quantifiable products that feature fixed outcomes, scope, timelines, and prices. Shifting from a model heavily reliant on key personnel, agencies can now entice a steady flow of revenue and foster sustainable expansion. The methodology ensures exceptional client experiences and promotes maintainable growth.

The Benefits of Standardised Services

Structured, productised services offer innumerable benefits. They simplify marketing messages, enhance operational efficiency, and preserve the bottom line. Agencies can target distinct customer needs with fixed-price solutions, establish tight operational systems, and cultivate a workforce trained in delivering these standard services proficiently.

Documenting for Scalability

Documentation of systems and processes is indispensable for scalability. It enables delegation and automation, ensuring operations can surge without compromising quality or consistency. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) become the backbone of a productisable and scalable service model.

Pricing Strategies within Productisation

While productising could imply affordability, it can simultaneously command premium pricing. Distinctions between high-end productised services and budget alternatives illustrate how productisation caters to diverse market segments without commoditising the service offering.

Tailoring Services for Market Segments

Productisation doesn't stifle variety. Instead, it encourages segmentation within a market, satisfying various client needs. From smaller, swift services to more extensive offerings, there is an opportunity for upselling without undermining the core service proposition.

Conclusion

Productisation presents itself as a beacon of hope for agencies aiming to escape the hourly billable trap and stride towards a model that guarantees growth, revenue constancy, and operational smoothness. With the tips and strategies outlined, agencies can readily embark on this transformative process, scaling their business while delivering unparalleled client value.

Questions and Answers

Q: What is productisation?
A: Productisation is the strategy of converting services into standardised products with fixed outcomes, scope, timeline, and pricing to facilitate consistent revenue and scale business operations.

Q: How can productisation benefit creative agencies?
A: It provides clarity in marketing, allows for streamlined operations, protects profitability, and helps in providing exceptional client experiences. It also simplifies training and enables the possibility of selling operations as a package.

Q: What should agencies consider when pricing their productised services?
A: Agencies can consider different pricing strategies, from affordable solutions to premium offerings, depending on the target market segments and the perceived value of their productised services.

Q: How can agencies ensure scalability through productisation?
A: By documenting systems and processes, creating standard operating procedures, and focusing on automation and delegation, agencies can scale their productised offerings without compromising quality.

Q: How can an agency handle requests for additional work within a productised service?
A: They can reference the agreed-upon contract to manage expectations or schedule additional work at a premium rate to maintain profitability and foster a respectful partnership with clients.

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