Packaging products and services is essential marketing strategy these days. And when I say packaging I'm not referring to Corn Flakes boxes. I mean packaging products and services into product bundles. If you haven't noticed the abundance of product bundles and packages, let me list a few examples for you.

• The value meal you bought at McDonald's is a bundle slightly discounted from ala carte pricing, to entice multiple purchases opposed to "onesy" buying.
• The new computer (C.P.U.) you bought probably was included in a bundled package of monitor, keyboard, printer, mouse and assorted software. Slightly better pricing than buying all items at regular list price prompted you to buy more than you actually intended.
• The health club membership you bought was for 12 weeks and included a session or two with a personal trainer and a consulting session with a dietician. The pricing made the package deal a bargain with the extras as opposed to "pay as you go", week by week.

So what's the big deal about bundling into packages? The big deal is more profit for your bottom line. The big deal is more revenue per customer. The big deal is more profit from fewer customers.

If your horse business is stuck with the single unit pricing methodology think about making some changes to sell bundled services.

Your lesson program is an obvious place to start.

I talked with long time professional horseman Reinhard Teetor of Pine Plains, NY about bundled lesson programs.
In a prior position as a farm manager, he adopted a systematic approach for reviving a week by week lesson program in financial shambles. He divided the year into seven week "semesters". Each semester was six weeks of instruction and one week available as a make up week. Terms were simple: pay up front, show up same time, same channel each week. Make ups available, otherwise use it or lose it. Reinhard advises to start semesters on January 1 of each year to make a riding lesson package an easy gift purchase in December.

There is nothing new about this; many professionals have been using this type of program with excellent results for years. For the others, I suspect many will benefit with this bundling strategy.

Unless you happen to like and enjoy these frequent pay as you go lesson questions:

"Can I pay you next week for this lesson and next week?",
"I can't come for two weeks, will you hold my spot?",
"Sorry, I forgot to call you about this week's lesson appointment."

Consumers are well conditioned to bundled services.

-You can't buy youth soccer league participation game by game,
-You can't pay for a college course by the days you choose to attend,
-And you probably wouldn't even consider anything but a bundle of classes at parachute school.

Continuing with this theme, what else can you bundle in your business?

*An "owner lesson" each week with their horses also enrolled in a training program,

*a ground work seminar with an adult lesson package

*or a closed "graduation horse show" for students at the close of a lesson semester.

Better profits can start with packaged value deals to up sell your existing clients.

Need a speaker about the horse business for your horse organization?

Talk to me about talking. Keynotes and workshops available. (716) 434-5371

"Art is making something out of nothing and selling it." -- Frank Zappa

"Action is the foundational key to all success. " -- Tony Robbins

"The successful man will profit from his mistakes and try again in another way." -- Dale Carnegie

I don't love fast food. It generally is neither.

But, when forced to "grab something' to eat quickly, I'm a sucker for always selecting a value meal. Because fries come with the package, I don't have to feel guilty ordering them.

Speaking of package programs, our thirteen year old is enrolled in his second "semester" of youth soccer. I happily attend his games after many seasons of little league baseball where time stops for both viewing parents and the outfielders. Thank goodness for clocked athletics.

Enjoy the summer; the seasonal clock is ticking too!

I work with Professional Horsemen who are struggling with the business half of the horse business.

Just like a top performing horse has a strong foundation, so does a top performing horse business.

If you've had enough with not enough: time, money or the right people in your horse business, call or e-mail and we can talk, no fee, no pressure, about your business and how I may be able to help you.

The first step to improvement is up to you.

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I appreciate your help !