All right, so step one of this process is we want to codify the ascension ladder. And I say codify because ideally if you're getting started you have an idea of the thing that you want to sell, or if you're actively in business, you know the thing that you are selling. Right, so what is that core product? What's that thing that you most want to sell? So what we're gonna do is we're zooming in on this area right here. Now I know it might make more sense to start here and move through the progression, but we wanna begin with the end in mind. So we're gonna begin at what most people would consider to be the end. We wanna say, okay, if this is our goal, if we wanna make sure we're in this position, down on one knee saying will you marry me, right, then we're acknowledging that. So what is that for you? Now, a critical lesson to think of at this point is if you're asking for the order and the answer is in doubt, you're asking too soon. There is a reason that your core product, your core off...

ering, your core service, your flash, the thing that you most want to sell, right, maybe if you were a photographer it's a complete session, going out there and shooting somebody's wedding. Maybe if you have an e-commerce site, it's somebody spending at least $100, coming back and buying multiple purchases or buying, joining a discount club, whatever your thing is. If it's a SAAS offering, then it's somebody actually subscribing to SAAS, so whatever it is, it's stage six. So I hope that you see some comfort in the fact that if what you're doing hasn't been working, it's likely been because you've been asking too soon. It's not that your product or service is broken, it's not that your offer is broken. You just might be asking a little bit too soon. Now the other thing I want emphasize in this time is that ascension doesn't have to stop. It's the reason we visualize this box as a ladder. It's the reason we visualize it as a ladder. So when we look at it, the number one thing I'd suggest to people is give them more of what they already got. So if you only have one product, if you only have one thing to sell, then that's it. Your lifetime customer value is fixed, and you're always gonna be limited from an investment perspective in terms of how much can you spend to acquire a customer based on what they give you that one and only transaction. So if you have a product, if you have a service, that's great. Now we need to think about how can we add more onto it? And the best way to add more on to what you already have is through speed, automation, and access. Speed, automation, and access. So, thinking about what is it that I'm offering. How can I give it to people faster? And the simplest thing in the world is expedited shipping if you're selling an e-commerce product. Right, that's an ascension. That's essentially what Amazon offered in Prime. Right, you're getting free shipping, free next-day shipping. You're getting it faster. And then there's automation. Maybe you're showing them how to do something, but the upsell, the thing that you offer after, is now that you know how to do this, do you want me to just do it for you? Ikea will never do this, but if they would give me the opportunity to buy somebody to come and actually set up the furniture in my home, I would pay for that, 'cause it's automated. Right, I gotta do it myself, I'm terrible. I got shelves that, like, look like this, and it's not supposed to. It's not like some cool Norwegian thing, I just screwed it up, right? And then finally, access. People will pay more to be able to touch the cloth. So, I'm just putting this out here for now. If you're trying to think of what are some ways that you can add to your offering, think about it in those concepts. So if you've got your core offer, then maybe you offer a faster version, maybe you allow them to cut in line, if you've ever been to Disney World, right, they've the Fast Pass. So you pay this much to get in the long line, you pay a little bit more to go in the shorter line. That's what first class is all about, right, speed, automation. Can you just do it for them? And then finally, access, finally access. We have to get over this idea that if we sell to our customers, they're gonna think that we're pushy and obnoxious. As long as you're delivering value over and above what you asked for in that transaction, they're getting a positive return on that investment. They should want to keep doing business with you just like if you're kind of fun to hang out with, you shouldn't be afraid to ask somebody if they want to go out on another date. That's not being pushy. They had fun, you had fun, let's keep doing it again and again and again. All right, never forget this is a relationship. We wanna keep that relationship moving forward. Okay, so for now, we're not gonna spend a lot of time talking about it, but for now, just what's your core flagship offer? And how are you gonna continue to deliver value after that first transaction? Just think about that. We gotta have a sense of where we want to end up if we want to have a sense of how we're gonna get there. We gotta begin with the end in mind. So think about that. Take a moment and really, really think about that, that particular part. I'll give you an example. So for us at DigitalMarketer, our core offer is DigitalMarketer Lab. It's our subscription, and I think some of you in this room are Lab members, at least one person? But then we also offer Elite, which is on a higher level of Lab. They get more stuff, they get increased access. We have events, events where people can come out, and then there's Mastermind and consulting-type groups. So that's DigitalMarketer's ladder of ascension. What is it for you? Maybe, again if it's a SAAS offering, it's adding additional seats. Just beginning to think what is that for you? That's step one, we gotta know where we wanna end up if we're gonna figure out how to get there.

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Ryan Deiss

Ryan Deiss (pronounced "Dice”) is cofounder and CEO of DigitalMarketer.com, the leading provider of digital marketing training and certifications to small and mid-sized businesses. Ryan is also the founder and host of the Traffic & Conversion Summit, the largest digital marketing conference in North America, and the creator of the "Customer Value Optimization" methodology.

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Ratings and Reviews

Mike Brown

Amazing content and very well delivered. Ryan was great at covering high level strategies while providing tangible action-items! Totally recommend this class. Thanks to Ryan and Creative Live :)

Jennifer

This was a great course - truly engaging and actionable! I am a professional photographer and would highly recommend this course to anyone who maps out their own marketing strategies. This was the first time I heard Ryan Deiss present, I'm excited to watch his other courses!

a Creativelive Student

Amazing course, the best on Digital Marketing

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Codify Your Ascension Ladder

Codify Your Ascension Ladder

Lesson Info

5. Codify Your Ascension Ladder

Lessons

Class Introduction

The Real Goal of Marketing

The Value Journey Explained

How To Map a Value Journey