Packaging Strategy -- Quantity vs. Volume

A packaging concept that increases perceived value and the price you can charge is that the number of items in your materials package is better than the size of any one item. Three one hundred page manuals is perceived to be more valuable to the prospects than one 300 page manual. Three one hundred page manuals will sell at a higher price than one 300 page manual.

Once again, I don’t know enough about human psychology to understand why, but I know it works. I don’t know what the magic number of pages is—I just know that quantities are better than thickness.

I’m not suggesting you take your big manual and divide it into three manuals just to get a higher price. You can, but you’re really not adding any value.

I take a different approach that’s more ethical and sensible—AND adds value for the customer. 

I will take a manual I have written and continually add content to it. When I have added significantly more value to justify a price increase, I raise the price. But after I’ve divided the larger manual into more than one smaller ones.

For example, I have been marketing my 4Profit Speaking System manual for a couple of years. I’m in the process of adding 25%-30% additional content--new strategies I’ve created and additional detail to support general concepts. When the updates are completed, I plan to divide the manual into three natural pieces—Pre-Speech Marketing, “In” Speech Marketing, and Post Speech Marketing. I’ll present the three manuals as part of a system to help speakers grow their business by utilizing strategies from all three manuals. I’ll present them as usable ideas from any one manual and more significant results by implementing the strategies from all three.

I’ll enhance the package by presenting two additional revenue producing concepts with their own manuals—Speaking Free 4Profit and this manual for developing and marketing educational materials.

I could assemble all five manuals into a large 300+ page manual but five manuals makes more sense:

- Each general concept gets bigger play and more interest

- Customers can focus on any one or more areas of interest

- You look more like an expert when you more effectively present multiple subjects

- I can charge a lot more for five manuals than I can for one large one

If you don’t believe me, consider that the old encyclopedia companies had a volume for every letter in the alphabet for more reasons than the books would have been too heavy to carry!