Build With AI

# 178 Don't start an AI automation agency in 2026 (do this instead)


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Grab the assessment report template I use to deliver $999 AI assessments (free): https://audittemplate.ai/

Grab the full Excalidraw diagram I show in this video depicting the AI Offer Ladder: https://app.excalidraw.com/l/4z8Z2Lyybfg/8FAvEjYbuGc 

This is the full AI offer ladder that I use to sell AI services, from a free mini assessment all the way up to a two thousand dollar per month concierge retainer and beyond. I walk through all three tiers of the ladder step by step: the free mini assessment that converts thirty to fifty percent of the time, the paid assessment that we charge $999 for, and the AI concierge model that is my primary income source right now. I also cover four à la carte builds you can sell on top of the ladder, with real examples and exact pricing from engagements we have actually closed. If you want theof this offer ladder plus the assessment report template, both are linked below for free.

Join our AI Operator Academy Community where we help entrepreneurs start and scale a profitable AI services business: https://www.skool.com/aioperatoracademy/about


Timestamps 

  • 00:00 – Intro: The three components of the AI offer ladder
  • 00:30 – The free mini assessment: What it is and how it works
  • 01:00 – Three levers of ROI: Effectiveness, efficiency, and quality
  • 01:30 – Meeting one: Discovery call and the magic wand question
  • 02:00 – Meeting two: Prescribing the fix
  • 02:21 – Download the Excalidraw diagram for free
  • 03:00 – Off-the-shelf tool vs. Claude Cowork vs. Claude skill: When to prescribe each
  • 04:00 – Closing the free assessment: Gauging appetite for paid help
  • 04:30 – Conversion data: 30 to 50 percent of free assessments convert to paid
  • 04:44Step Two: The paid assessment at $999
  • 05:30 – Annie: The voice agent that conducts the 45-minute interview
  • 06:30 – Building the report in Claude Design
  • 07:06 – Six parts of the paid assessment report
  • 07:30 – The effort versus impact matrix and quick wins
  • 08:30 – Quantifying ROI: Hourly Rate × Hours Saved − Tool Cost
  • 09:29 – The 30-minute walkthrough call and the upsell moment
  • 10:00 – Pricing progression: Free to $200 to $500 to $1,000
  • 10:30Step Three: The AI concierge retainer
  • 11:57 – Effective hourly rate: At $1,500/month is $1,000/hour
  • 12:30 – JotForm intake as a hard requirement before call one
  • 13:30 – Framework: AOA (Audit, Optimize, Automate)
  • 14:06 – The call cadence and Voxer between sessions
  • 15:30 – The Notion Hub as a renewal mechanism
  • 16:26 – Two Claude skills that fill out Notion and draft follow-up emails in 30 seconds
  • 17:00 – Concierge pricing: $1,000 to $2,000/month, capping at six clients
  • 18:00À La Carte Build 1: Process optimization at $3,000 to $5,000
  • 19:30À La Carte Build 2: Zapier or Make automation at $1,000 to $5,000
  • 20:00À La Carte Build 3: Knowledge system or custom GPT at $3,000
  • 21:00 – Case Study: Business broker custom GPT that cut 400 emails to 10
  • 22:00À La Carte Build 4: Speed to lead agent
  • 23:36 – Wrap-up and where to get the diagram and template



Key Points

The offer ladder has three tiers that build on each other. A free fifteen-minute mini assessment identifies one pain point and prescribes one tool. Thirty to fifty percent of those convert into a paid assessment at $999 that uncovers three to seven opportunities and delivers a full report. From there, clients can upsell into AI concierge at one to two thousand dollars a month.

The free mini assessment is a two-meeting process. Meeting one is pure discovery for fifteen minutes. Between calls you research the bottleneck and find a tool. Meeting two you prescribe the fix and gauge appetite for paid help with three simple questions.

The paid assessment report has six parts: executive summary, effort versus impact matrix, recommended tool stack, four-day quick wins plan, upsell opportunities for heavier builds, and a financial ROI slide that quantifies their monthly savings in dollars.

The AI concierge model is two 45-minute calls per month where you run the AOA framework on every bottleneck: audit the manual process, optimize by cutting unnecessary steps, automate with a Claude skill. Two Claude skills handle the entire back end in thirty seconds.

The math on concierge is compelling. At $1,500 per month for ninety minutes of call time, the effective hourly rate is $1,000 per hour. Capping at six clients means the maximum workload is nine hours of calls per month.

Four à la carte builds can stack on top of the ladder: process optimization at three to five thousand dollars, Zapier or Make automation at one to five thousand, knowledge system or custom GPT at three thousand, and speed to lead agents that drive revenue directly.


Links Mentioned

Futurepedia: https://www.futurepedia.io
There's an AI for That: https://theresanaiforthat.com 
JotForm: https://www.jotform.com 
Voxer: https://www.voxer.com
Fathom: https://fathom.video


If this episode was valuable to you, it would mean a lot if you left a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It helps more entrepreneurs find the show.


FIND ME ON SOCIAL:
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coreyganim/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreyganim/ 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@coreyganim


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Build With AIBy Corey Ganim

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