Packaging Your IT Strategy Consulting Services

Why Package Your IT Strategy Consulting Offerings?

Moving away from purely hourly billing models offers significant advantages for IT strategy planning consultants:

• Increased Profitability: Packaging allows you to price based on the value of the outcome (e.g., a clear technology roadmap, reduced risk, improved efficiency) rather than just the time spent. You can capture a greater share of the value created.
• Client Clarity and Confidence: Packaged services are easier for clients to understand. They know exactly what they are getting, the scope of work, and the fixed investment upfront. This builds trust and reduces scope creep debates.
• Streamlined Sales Process: Instead of custom-building proposals from scratch every time, you offer predefined solutions. This speeds up the sales cycle and makes your business more scalable.
• Differentiation: Clearly defined packages can help you stand out from competitors who still rely on vague hourly estimates.
• Improved Project Management: With a defined scope, managing projects becomes more predictable and efficient.

Defining Your Core IT Strategy Services

Before you can package, you need to identify the distinct services you offer. Think about the specific problems you solve for clients in the IT strategy space. Common areas include:

• IT Infrastructure Assessment & Optimization
• Cloud Strategy & Migration Planning
• Cybersecurity Strategy & Risk Assessment
• Digital Transformation Roadmapping
• Vendor Selection & Management Strategy
• Technology Cost Analysis & Budgeting
• Strategic IT Planning & Governance

Break down each of these areas into concrete deliverables and outcomes. What does a client get at the end of an infrastructure assessment? A report with recommendations? A prioritized list of projects? A presentation to the board? Defining these outputs is crucial for building packages.

Structuring Tiered Packages (Good-Better-Best)

A powerful strategy for packaging IT strategy services is using tiered pricing, often referred to as Good, Better, and Best (or Bronze, Silver, Gold). This provides clients with options based on their budget and needs, leveraging pricing psychology principles like anchoring (the middle tier looks most attractive) and choice.

Here’s how you might structure tiers for an ‘IT Strategy Assessment’ service:

• Good (Basic Assessment): Focuses on foundational analysis. Deliverables might include: High-level review of current state, identification of critical gaps based on brief interviews/documentation review, executive summary report with 3-5 high-priority recommendations.
• Better (Comprehensive Assessment): Builds upon the ‘Good’ package with deeper analysis and more detailed outputs. Deliverables might include: Everything in ‘Good’, plus detailed interviews with key stakeholders, deeper dive into specific technology areas (e.g., cloud readiness, security posture), detailed report with prioritized recommendations mapped to business objectives, cost estimates for recommendations, initial roadmap outline.
• Best (Strategic Partnership Assessment): The most comprehensive offering, often including elements of implementation planning or ongoing support. Deliverables might include: Everything in ‘Better’, plus detailed implementation plan for top recommendations, vendor evaluation criteria/support, workshops with leadership teams, 3-6 months of follow-up advisory support, custom dashboard outlining strategic progress.

Price these packages based on the value each tier delivers, not just the hours you estimate they’ll take. For example, a Basic Assessment might be priced at $7,500, a Comprehensive at $18,000, and a Strategic Partnership at $35,000+ (these are illustrative examples and should be based on your costs, market rates, and the value you provide).

Adding Flexibility: Bundles and Add-Ons

Once you have your core tiered packages, consider offering related services as bundles or optional add-ons. This allows clients to customize their solution further and increases your average deal value.

Examples of add-ons for IT strategy packages:

• Detailed TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) analysis for recommended solutions.
• Custom policy or governance framework development.
• Stakeholder workshops or training sessions.
• Ongoing strategic advisory retainers (e.g., monthly or quarterly check-ins).
• Specific technology deep-dives (e.g., AI integration strategy, IoT strategy).

Clearly define what each add-on includes and its price. Bundles could combine a core strategy package with a commonly requested add-on at a slightly discounted price compared to buying separately.

Presenting Your Packaged Pricing Effectively

Having well-structured packages is only half the battle; presenting them clearly to clients is crucial. Static PDFs and spreadsheets can often look cluttered and make comparing options difficult.

Consider modernizing your pricing presentation. Tools exist that allow clients to interact with your packages, select tiers and add-ons, and see the total price update in real-time. This provides transparency and a professional, modern experience.

For comprehensive proposal software that includes e-signatures, contracts, and full proposal generation, you might look at tools like PandaDoc (https://www.pandadoc.com) or Proposify (https://www.proposify.com).

However, if your primary goal is specifically to modernize how clients interact with and select your pricing options in an easy-to-configure format, PricingLink (https://pricinglink.com) offers a dedicated, affordable solution. PricingLink specializes in creating interactive, configurable pricing links (like a product configurator for services) that clients can explore, select options (tiers, add-ons, quantities), and submit for lead qualification. It doesn’t handle contracts or full proposals but excels at making the pricing selection process clear and engaging, which is ideal when packaging IT strategy services with multiple options.

Pricing Your Packaged IT Strategy Services

Determining the right price for your packages is critical. While cost-plus is a starting point (cover your time, overhead, and desired profit margin), the most effective method for IT strategy consulting is value-based pricing.

• Value-Based Pricing: Focus on the tangible return on investment (ROI) or value the client receives from your strategy. Does your recommendation save them $100,000 annually in operational costs? Does it prevent a potential $500,000 data breach? Your price should be a fraction of that value. This requires a thorough discovery process to understand the client’s specific pain points and potential gains.
• Market-Based Pricing: Research what other IT strategy consultants in your niche and geographic area are charging for similar scoped projects or packages.

Don’t be afraid to charge premium prices for high-value packages. Clients hiring IT strategy consultants are typically looking for expert guidance to make significant decisions, and they are willing to invest in the right expertise. Ensure your pricing aligns with the perceived value and your position in the market.