High-Ticket Programs: The Good, The Bad, and The Profitable

Dustin: [00:00:00] if you've never invested in yourself, you've never invested in a. coaching program, a mastermind, again, even like a course or even a book, right? there's lots of ways to invest in yourself. Do it always with a very intentional mindset that you want to be the best case study you can be.
And I guarantee you, it will bring you great things.
Welcome to the seven figure lead podcast. I am really excited today to bring you a solo episode that is going to show you how you can guarantee you get an ROI from [00:01:00] any high ticket program, whether that be coaching, masterminds, done for you services, how can you guarantee an ROI? And this came up because of a recent LinkedIn post I made where I was sharing Some of the investments I've made in my own business and personal development.
So last year in 2023, I invested about 50, 000 in different coaching programs and group programs this year, about halfway through 2024. I've already spent more than 50, 000. it's been a little different, focus this year because I'm scaling and investing really heavily in our community. However, the same approach applies.
And so when you're considering a coaching program or a one on one coach or joining a mastermind. even a course, the question you should ask is how can I become the number one case study for this program? And I really feel like that
has been a secret to my success and the way that I've got an ROI literally on everything I've invested in.
Because if you can. Position yourself, do the work and become the number one [00:02:00] case study or just, a featured case study for a program. There's many, many ways that can benefit you. So what I wanna go through today are three very specific real world examples, using myself and a client to show you exactly how this is done.
So the first one goes back all the way to fall 2022. I was actually launching my very first podcast Profits Accelerator Group, and there's a gentleman in that group. His name is John Meese. And he's actually been interviewed on this show. So if you want to go back and hear from John, he's really, really smart about creating online education businesses, turning your wisdom into wealth.
So as I met John, he was launching his own program and we decided to invest in each other's programs. So I was in his program. Accelerator. He was in my accelerator. They had very different focuses and we both, I think, became very featured case studies for each other and the results that we got, this has continued on.
And so the reason this was really top of mind. And one of the reasons I wrote the LinkedIn post was I was recently in [00:03:00] Boise, Idaho for craft and commerce. So crafting commerce is an amazing, great conference, put on my convert kit. And John Meese, my friend now has the opening keynote at this year's craft and commerce.
And so. he had invited me and I, it was right before we left for Italy, which was a recent topic of an episode here, that whole trip is not really great timing to go. However, he said, you know, I'd mean a lot to me if you were there, I think you'll get a lot of benefit. And I said, this is a conference I've always wanted to go to.
And so worked it out with my wife and family and was able to squeeze in a quick trip to Boise. So lo and behold, John is giving the opening keynote, aircraft and commerce first morning. Third of the way into the presentation, there's a picture and it's John and I actually in my mastermind group earlier this year, in T shirts and shorts.
It was a fun photo, some time that we spent together but he used that photo to talk about me and how I had used the serve to sell framework. That he teaches and he's just written a book about to grow my seven figure business. so he's highlighting me as a case study. He's like, Hey, you [00:04:00] know, Dustin's been with me since the beginning.
He is my most successful student. he was very transparent. I'm his client. I'm in his mastermind and we have our own strengths. But like, I have learned this framework from John. On how to sell through service and specifically how to do like, what would people call quote unquote sales calls?
he calls them serve calls and he's got a very specific approach to it and it's something I really endorse and use. So I've literally sold, probably 1. 5 million of programs using that framework and it goes all the way back to the beginning. so he's featuring me and he's talking about me as a case study.
I was like, this is really kind. This is really neat. And of course the rest of the conference, I got people are introducing themselves to me and they recognize
me when I introduced myself to them and it was really fun. he actually has a chapter in his book devoted to seven figure leap as a case study.
So again, I think it's fair to say I'm one of John's top case studies. so. There's lots of goodwill and this was very recently. So who knows what will ultimately come of it. But in this specific example, I wanted to share that. I came back from Italy [00:05:00] to a message on LinkedIn from a guy named Marcus, who I didn't actually meet at all in Boise.
And the message was, Hey, I've. Follow you on LinkedIn for a while. I was at craft and commerce when I heard your story from the stage with John Meese, I had to look into what you're doing and I really want to be in your program and he joined my program. So it just goes to show being a case study has lots of benefits.
again, I think there's gonna be a lot of residual benefits to already have been John's become a great referral partner. I've trained in his groups and gotten clients that way he's trained in my group and gotten clients that way and we have a very good symbiotic relationship, but that grew very specifically by me applying what he taught me, , showing up to every call, doing the work, helping other people in the group, every chance I got.
And that's what I mean by become the best case study of the people you're investing in. Number two is a guy named Sean Anthony. If you're on social media, I follow him really on LinkedIn. Primarily he's the king of email and this was actually [00:06:00] going into 2023. So right after I was leaving John's group, I was looking for my next thing to invest in.
And I said, I could really do better with email. And so I joined a group coaching program with Sean. I think it was like 3, 500 and small group. I think there were eight people in the group and I showed up. Showed up to recall. I tried to ask good questions. I tried to contribute where I could to help the group.
I started having one on one meetings with some of the other members just to see if I could help them or they could help me just to develop relationship as I was launching my own accelerator and seeing the power of community and relationship building. I made that a real intention of being in Sean's group.
And there were eight people in that group. Six of them went on to become clients in my own high ticket flagship program, the podcast profits accelerator. So you may think, well, that's kind of cruddy, right? Like you went into Sean's group and quote unquote, stole his clients. Well, I didn't steal his clients at all.
We do very different things. I actually serve them in a very big way. I Made myself example. I was just showing like, Hey, here's how, here's [00:07:00] an email. I'm going to send out today that Sean taught us last week. And here's the results that I expect. Right. And I report back. So showing people what I was actually doing with the program that I was in, including Sean and Sean really appreciated that.
And he's like, this is super. helpful because you're being an example, you're doing the work. And if you think that Sean was resentful to the fact that six of his people joined my program, the fun, funnest, best part of the story is that Sean joined my program too. Sean Anthony, who I super admired. became my client pretty much 100 percent because of how I showed up in his program.
Okay, so this is again a great example. He literally had a call with him this week. We've become friends again. Referral source. I refer people to him. He refers them to me. He's in our alumni network. Now, John Mises and my mastermind. So they've become deep in relationships, but I could have easily been a fly on the wall.
I could have come in, showed up with my camera off on the zoom calls, done the work, but not share the results. I didn't do that. I said, no, I'm [00:08:00] here. I'm devoted. I invested in this and I want to get everything I can get out of it. And I want to let Sean know because I appreciate him and I want to respect him and show up and be the best case study I can be.
And that has continued to pay dividends from the relationship with Sean Anthony. The third one I want to go through is a client of mine, who of course now I've become their client. You can hear a lot of trends there. , as I invest in people, a lot of times they invest in me. And sometimes that happens in reverse order to Cassie Shea.
Who has been interviewed on this podcast. In fact, she interviewed me in the very first episode. She holds a very special place for me and for this brand. And she really has given me a lot of clarity about what we're building here as seven figure leap. Well, guess where I met Cassie, Sean, Anthony's group.
So I was in the group with her and I really just, I liked her. She had a spark about her, a spunk. She written a book and she was struggling a little bit with what to do with strategy. everything Sean was teaching was awesome, but she had some kind of offer related things. And I said, yeah, happy to get on a call.
And so we had a call and I just helped her and [00:09:00] she was very gracious about that. And so a little bit later, she said, you know what? I could really use help with lead generation. I love doing interviews. And she joined my accelerator. So in 2023, she became a client and here's the part though. If she became my best case study at that time, was in like week two of the program, I'm talking very, very early on.
We'd had a hot seat session where basically. one of the members of the accelerator group is in a spotlight, And they're talking about a struggle or an opportunity and the other members and myself are giving them insights and feedback and clarity and just helping them move forward. Cassie is an amazing action taker.
And. To the credit of the members, she got incredible advice, and we basically helped her form a high ticket offer and a front end offer in like 15 minutes on this call. And we said, we really think, you with your unique ability and the things that you offer. what if you put this out and it super resonated with her and other people in the group are like, that's, I like that a lot.
I think this would be a very [00:10:00] valuable offer around revenue operations. So I leave the state it's a Friday, Saturday, I can't remember which day.
I'm in Orlando at Podfest at this conference. So I've had the Accelerator calls on Monday and Thursday with Cassie and the rest of the group. literally, I can remember it like it was yesterday. I'm walking through this conference room and at that time we were on Slack, now in circle, but at that time we were on Slack and I'm getting these messages from Cassie, very excited.
It's like, I've made 18, 000 this week. And I'm like, what are you talking about? And she said, yeah. I'm asking her and I think we had some audio notes going back and forth. And so what it turned out was the offer that was created, the high ticket offer and the front end offer and the front end offers like 1, she had went to someone in her network and said, I have this new offer and they bought her high ticket offer that week.
And then a member in the group who, you know, we had helped her create these offers said, I think this front end offer is amazing. I have people in my program that I think would really benefit from it. And he made two [00:11:00] referrals. So she sold two front end offers and her high ticket offer. All in the first week after having this hot seat.
And the testament is to Cassie that she took action. She was not shy about it. And she told me literally, I'm going to be her best case study. it was a stretch for her financially to join the program at that time because she was, re imagining her business and she was shifting some things and the cash flow wasn't as strong and I say, Oh, I believe in you.
I think I know that you can, you can make this work. And so she basically, you know, doubled her ROI two weeks into the program, I stopped what I was doing. I went and I got on zoom with her and I say, can we just like capture this moment? This is amazing. We actually have that.
if anyone wants to see it, I'm happy to share like. She explained in detail from the hot seat, like what, what did she experience in the hot seat? And then the four days after that, what does she do to take action to collect 18, 000 in her business bank account from something she learned literally four days later?
that is an example of being a massive action taker and being the best case study. And she went on over the course of 90 [00:12:00] days to make. Multiple, multiple tens of thousands of dollars from that offer. I mean, of course he was doing a podcast guesting and you know, all the other things we teach, but honestly the one hot seat, about 15 minutes of the program, gave her probably like a five or six ROI in the first 90 days, which is insane.
but that is the power of being the best case study. So if you go in and you invest in a program, including mine, like I would love for you to come and invest in mine and be one of our top case studies. Of course, I'm going to talk about you and let's just pretend this is you working with me because I can tell you personally, this is what I do for people when they take massive action.
The Cassius of the world. I talk about them, I want everyone to know about them. I introduced them to people. Why? Because I'm proud of them. And also, honestly, it makes me look good, right? Like it elevates my status because I want to celebrate the success of my clients. And whenever they're very open and.
forthcoming about their success and they're willing to talk about it and share it. Of course, I want to feature them. So you've seen in previous episodes of this podcast, [00:13:00] me talking to people, not just about, my program and what happened, but if that's part of the story, if they've been a client, of course, I'm going to talk about that.
Like, tell me about your results. What was your ROI? And these best students get massive our lives, we guarantee everyone gets an ROI, but it's the best of the best. The people who want to be in that top 10 percent who are going to get like really special attention from me or for any.
Mastermind leader, coach, course creator, right? Because we want to celebrate that success. I mean, this, goes all the way back when I very first got into digital marketing in 2014, I went down to Austin, Texas. I was in this event with digital marketer. I bought this 2000 program that I had no business buying.
I was still a full time engineer at the time. It was called the machine. This is like elaborate email funnel sort of program, and I learned a ton and I gave them a glowing testimonial. It was just like, Hey, I'm Dustin. Like, here's what I did with this program. Here's the results. I sent it to them and you know what happened before I went down to that event, I was contacted and they said, like, we want to celebrate your [00:14:00] success.
You're amazing. we're going to select you into a VIP version of this event. We're not going to charge you any extra. I had to go down the day before the actual event and spend an entire day in the offices of digital marketer meeting, like people I super admired workshopping. I, it was my marriage business at the time and it was, I mean, it's something now you'd probably pay 20, 000 for this experience and I got it by taking the program, making the investment.
Doing the work, getting results. And this is the part where so many people miss miss miss out. I shared the results back to the company that I got them from. And is that simple? And now Ryan Dice, who was there in that building or in that room leading the day was on this podcast, several months ago.
It's just, amazing. So I have countless examples. If I'm going to invest in someone like to help me as a consultant or to help me build a great community or to be in their group coaching program, I want to do the absolute best I can do to [00:15:00] get success. For the ROI for me, and then I'm going to tell them all about it and I'm not doing it, I'm doing it also to support them.
And so they have testimonials and things too, because I feel very passionate about like giving first and when you give first, the law of reciprocation takes over and you're always going to benefit from that. Right? So if I can give them great feedback, example, case study, testimonial, you know what they're going to want to do?
Share it. And they're going to tell other people about it. And they're going to talk about me and my program and how I applied it. And that's going to generate more interest. And what I do, and you're going to really accelerate my ROI, just like the opening story with John Meese, right? Like it was only through taking action and developing that relationship by, respecting him enough to do what he asked me to do in his program and giving him feedback on it and showing him what I did.
Now I'm a featured case study and all of this stuff. He wrote a chapter of his book about me, talked about me on stage. I've gotten more than one client, but you know, Marcus specifically all from being the best case study that I can be. So that's my encouragement to you. for one, you should really look at [00:16:00] if you're choosing the right programs and you're investing with people that you can trust, then you should look at it as an investment.
You'll notice I use the word investment throughout this episode. I didn't talk a lot about cost and expense. These are investments. And when you view something as an investment, then you then part of that is. Applying yourself to get a return on your investment, the ROI, and let them know it. And it's a really great virtuous cycle.
So I hope this is helpful to you. I hope you can, if you've never invested in yourself, you've never invested in a. coaching program, a mastermind, again, even like a course or even a book, right? there's lots of ways to invest in yourself. Do it always with a very intentional mindset that you want to be the best case study you can be.
And I guarantee you, it will bring you great things. So if you want to find out more about what we do and you want to become one of our top case studies, and let me feature you on this podcast, and let me feature you when I'm on stages. And when I write a book, I would love nothing more than that. The first step to get started is simply to go to seven figure leap.[00:17:00]
com. Click on there to schedule a consultation. You're going to talk with one of us about your business, your goals. And we're going to talk about whether. We can help you or whether maybe I say, Hey, you should talk to Cassidy. You should talk to John and you should talk to Sean Anthony, right? Because that's how we operate.
It's always in service to you. We want you to get the best results for what you need right now. And if that's us, I won't be shy to let you know, we can help
you. We'll guarantee your results. If we do take you on as a client with the full intention that I want you to 50 X your ROI and be one of our top case studies.
So until next time, take care, this is Dustin Reikman signing off.