High ticket sales: everything you need to know

High ticket sales can seem intimidating, especially for founders and entrepreneurs without much sales experience. But with the right strategies, you can close big deals with confidence. Whether you're selling products or services, this guide will help you succeed with high ticket sales.

What is high ticket sales?

High ticket sales refer to selling premium products or services that come with a higher price tag, typically starting at $2,000 and up. In the context of SaaS (Software as a Service), online businesses, and creative agencies, high ticket sales often involve selling complex or customized solutions that provide significant value to the buyer's business.

These deals require a more strategic approach than low-ticket sales, which are often transactional, self-service and based on volume. High ticket sales revolve around understanding the buyer’s unique challenges, offering tailored solutions, and building trust over time.

Examples of high ticket sales in SaaS, online businesses, and creative agencies:

• A $25,000 annual enterprise SaaS subscription that offers advanced data analytics and integrations for mid-sized companies.
• A $50,000 custom web development project for an e-commerce business, designed to optimize user experience and increase conversions.
• A $15,000 digital marketing retainer from a creative agency that includes monthly content creation, SEO optimization, and social media management.
• A $30,000 video production package for a SaaS company’s product launch, including script writing, animation, and distribution strategy.

There are also cases for when these strategies make sense, even if your price point is much lower, such as in early stage startups. You'll read more about that soon.

What makes high ticket sales different?

In high ticket sales, the buyer is not just purchasing a product or service. Instead, they’re investing in a solution that will have a large impact on their business. Because of this, high ticket sales often requires:

• Consultative selling: Instead of offering a one-size, self-service solution, sellers need to listen to the buyer’s unique pain points and provide a custom solution. For example, if you’re selling a SaaS platform, you might need to discuss how your software integrates with the client’s existing tools and can be tailored to fit their specific workflows.
• Value over features: In high ticket sales, it’s important to emphasize the return on investment (ROI) and transformation your product or service will bring, rather than just listing features. A creative agency, for instance, might focus on how their $40,000 branding package will increase brand awareness and lead to higher customer loyalty, rather than just talking about deliverables like logos and style guides.
• Multiple touchpoints: The decision-making process for high ticket items takes time. It often involves several conversations, product demos, and follow-up meetings. For a SaaS product, you may need to offer personalized demos, in-depth onboarding sessions. You might also need to provide case studies showing how similar clients achieved success with your software.

What does the high ticket sales process look like?

For SaaS companies and creative agencies, the high ticket sales process usually involves:

1. Lead qualification: Ensure your prospects are a good fit for your product. If you’re selling a $25,000/year marketing automation platform, you’ll want to focus on businesses with sufficient marketing budgets and a need for automation at scale.
2. Demonstrating ROI: For high ticket SaaS, emphasize the cost savings or revenue generation your software will deliver. For instance, a B2B SaaS platform might highlight how clients saved 30% in operational costs by using their software to streamline processes.
3. Building trust through expertise: Offer educational content, such good documentation, webinars, white papers, or personalized consultations, to showcase your industry expertise. A creative agency might present a case study demonstrating how a previous campaign increased client revenue by X%.
4. Offering personalized solutions: High ticket sales often require customization. A SaaS provider might offer a custom onboarding and integration package for an enterprise client, or a creative agency might create a custom digital strategy that aligns with the client's unique goals.

Why high ticket sales are important for your business

Selling high ticket items isn't just about making more money per sale. It’s about building better connections with clients, offering greater value, and positioning your business as a premium choice.

Here's why high ticket sales matter:

• Larger profit margins: Fewer sales, bigger returns.
• Highly qualified clients: People willing to invest in high ticket products tend to be serious about solving their problem.
• Customer loyalty: High ticket buyers often become repeat clients when they see long-term value. This means less churning customers each month.

By focusing on high ticket offers, you can make more money while working with clients who appreciate quality. Sounds great, right?

What do high ticket buyers look for?

High ticket buyers are different compared to low-ticket shoppers. Understanding their mindset is important in order to close sales.

Key traits of high ticket buyers:

• Value over price: They care more about the solution than the cost.
• Efficiency-focused: They want streamlined processes and don’t have time for drawn-out negotiations.
• Relationship-oriented: Trust and personal connections are key to closing the sale.
• Authority to decide: They usually have the budget and decision-making power to say "yes" or "no" quickly.

Understanding what these clients value will allow you to better tailor your pitch and close the deal faster.

Building trust with high ticket clients quickly

Trust is the foundation of any high ticket sale. This is because the buyers need to feel confident that your solution is worth their investment. Both in time and money.

Ways to build trust fast:

• Personalized communication: Tailor your pitch to address their unique problems.
• Clear expectations: Be transparent about timelines, costs, and deliverables.
• Show proof: Share client testimonials, case studies, and real-world results to demonstrate success.
• Offer value upfront: Provide educational content, free consultations, or personalized demos to build trust early on.

Example:
If you’re selling a $5,000 executive coaching program, offer a free 30-minute session where the client can experience your coaching firsthand. In this time, ask about their specific challenges and provide actionable advice. This personal touch not only shows your expertise but also builds immediate trust.

Best sales strategies for selling high ticket products and services (with examples)

Selling high ticket offers requires a more sophisticated approach. Here are some strategies that work well for high ticket sales, along with examples to demonstrate how to apply them.

1. Pre-qualify leads

Ensure that your prospects are a good fit before you invest time in lengthy discussions. Use questionnaires or discovery calls to filter out those who may not be ready for a high-ticket purchase.

Example:
If you're selling a $10,000 web development package, start with a free discovery call where you ask questions about the client’s budget, timeline, and project needs. This helps you assess if they’re a serious buyer and if the budget matches your offer. You can also setup a call booking form where you ask questions that help you qualify the prospect.

2. Focus on value, not features

High ticket buyers aren’t interested in a long list of features—they want to know how your product or service will solve their problems and deliver quantifiable results. It’s therefore important to frame your offering in terms of the value it creates, rather than just a technical specification of features.

Example:
Instead of saying, "Our project management software has task automation and real-time collaboration features," position it as, "Our project management solution will save your team over 10 hours a week by automating repetitive tasks and improving team communication, so you can focus on hitting deadlines and growing your business."

By focusing on the outcome and ROI (time saved, improved efficiency), you're speaking directly to what high ticket buyers care about most: how your solution will help their business.

3. Offer limited-time incentives

Create a sense of urgency by offering time-sensitive incentives. This can encourage hesitant buyers to take action without feeling too much pressure.

Example:
For a $3,000 digital marketing course, offer a 10% discount for buyers who sign up within the first week of their consultation. The value remains, but the incentive can influence them to close faster.

4. Follow up strategically

High ticket sales often take longer to close, so follow up consistently with added value. But don’t just check in. Offer additional resources or insights to keep them engaged.

Example:
After an initial consultation, send the prospect a custom report analyzing their specific pain points and how your solution can help. This shows you're interested in their success, not just the sale.

5. Use video calls or in-person meetings

In these times when there so much digital information and noise online. Whenever possible, opt for face-to-face interaction, whether virtually or in person. It helps you build a stronger connection and demonstrates commitment.

Example:
For a $25,000 consulting package, offer an in-person or Zoom strategy session instead of just emailing a proposal. This interaction adds a personal touch and allows you to answer their questions in real-time instead of back and forth emails.

Mistakes to avoid when closing high ticket sales

Even experienced salespeople can make mistakes when it comes to high ticket sales. These are some of the things you should avoid:

• Being overly aggressive: High ticket buyers will walk away if they feel pressured. They are not bargain shopping, they're trying to solve an important problem.
• Ignoring their concerns: Address every question and concern before moving to the close.
• Underestimating the follow-up: Don’t let the lead go cold. High ticket deals take time, so be patient, yet persistent.
• Overpromising on results: Manage expectations realistically to avoid disappointing clients later on. It's better to overdeliver.

Example:
Imagine you’re selling a $15,000 enterprise software solution. If you overpromise on how quickly the software will integrate into their system and it ends up taking twice as long, your client will be frustrated, potentially damaging your relationship. Always set realistic timelines and expectations from the start.

High ticket sales for early stage startups

Early stage startups can often can advantage of these strategies to get their first paying customers and get a better understanding of their target customers' problem. Hopping on a call gives you a lot of invaluable information that you miss out on using other growth strategies like SEO or ads.

Why you need a simple CRM solution for high ticket sales

When you're managing high ticket sales, staying organized and maintaining personalized relationships with prospects is critical. A simple, streamlined CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system like Wobaka can make all the difference in closing high-value deals efficiently.

Why a simple CRM is essential:

1. Track interactions effortlessly: High ticket sales often involve multiple touch points—emails, calls, meetings, and demos. A simple CRM allows you to keep track of every interaction in one place, ensuring nothing slips through the cracks.
2. Manage a longer sales cycle: High ticket deals usually take time. With a CRM, you can set reminders for follow-ups, track where each prospect is in the sales pipeline, and ensure consistent engagement throughout the sales process.
3. Personalize communication: High ticket buyers expect a personalized experience. A CRM helps you keep detailed notes on each client's needs, pain points, and preferences, allowing you to tailor your messaging and offers specifically to them.
4. Boost productivity: The simpler the CRM, the more time you’ll save on administrative tasks. By automating reminders and tracking conversations you'll have more time to focus on what really matters. Building relationships and closing deals.

Example of using a simple CRM for high ticket sales:

Let's say that you're selling a $30,000 annual consulting service. A simple CRM can remind you when to send follow-up emails and track your interactions. This helps you make sure that you never lose momentum or miss an opportunity.

Conclusion: high ticket sales takes time, but it's worth it

High ticket sales require a good understanding of your clients, a personalized approach, and patience. It may take longer to close a sale, but when you do, the rewards are significant. By focusing on building trust, emphasizing value, and avoiding common mistakes, you'll position yourself to close more high ticket deals and grow your business with fewer but more profitable clients.

This guide has hopefully given you a great start on mastering high ticket sales. I hope you enjoyed it. For further reading, check out the book recommendations below.

Recommended book: SPIN Selling

One of the most effective frameworks for high ticket sales is SPIN Selling by Neil Rackham. This methodology is perfect for complex sales where building trust and uncovering buyer needs is crucial.

SPIN stands for:

• Situation: Understand the client’s current situation.
• Problem: Identify the problems they face.
• Implication: Highlight the consequences of not solving those problems.
• Need-Payoff: Show how your solution delivers value.

Why SPIN Selling is great for high ticket sales

High ticket sales, especially in SaaS or creative services, often involve long sales cycles and multiple decision-makers. The SPIN Selling approach helps you lead thoughtful conversations by asking the right questions, helping clients realize the value of your offer themselves. This consultative approach builds stronger relationships and reduces the pressure to "sell."

Additional recommendation:

• "The Challenger Sale" by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson: Teaches how to take control of the sales conversation, which is ideal for high-value deals.