The doc IS the offer
In the infamous words of Bugs Bunny, “What’s up, doc?”
Well Bugs, it turns out a whole lot is up with the doc. The offer doc, that is.
One of the most important steps I go through with clients on my Buyability Blueprint program is validation. It’s where we take v1 of the offer we’ve built together and get it front of actual clients and prospects to see what they think.
This is important because it:
a) tells us what’s clear and unclear about their offer
b) tells us which bits of messaging resonates or doesn’t
c) tells us if anyone actually wants this thing
But it feels like overkill to design a proper website or landing page for these purposes. And not everyone will agree to an actual call. So it’s tricky to get feedback. It’s also harder to iterate and tweak things as that feedback comes in.
Enter the OFFER DOC.
A simple google doc (other platforms are available) where you outline the offer in a way that lets people instantly understand what it is, why they need it, and how it works.
In other words, the offer becomes the doc. The offer IS the doc.
Okay sounds cool, how does it work?
After writing these offer docs for dozens of clients, I’ve learnt the most effective way of communicating them. Ultimately, the offer doc is making an argument in favour of your offer. And like any good argument it needs a solid structure. It needs to flow logically from one point to the next.
The main sections covered in the offer doc are:
→ Hero
→ Symptoms
→ Problem
→ Solution
→ Process
→ Proof
→ FAQ
→ CTA
Maybe that sounds like a lot but each one is designed to propel the prospect to the next one.
Let’s break down each section at a time…
The HERO section
Despite being the first section somebody reads, it’s usually the last section I write. Why? Because this is a crystal-clear summation of your messaging. Your offer in a couple of sentences. So not only is it the most important bit to get right, but it’s also massively influenced by what comes after.
In the header, you want to either confront the main problem you solve or outline the main outcome you deliver. That choice really depends on who you’re talking to, what motivates them more, and which is more interesting to talk about.
Underneath that header is a couple of sentences that essentially lay out the crux of your offer. The pain you relieve, the main gist of the offer. So that even if they read nothing else they at least have a general idea of what this is.
That’s why it’s best to write this bit last. Because once you write the other sections you’ll know the most important things to include up here.
The SYMPTOMS section
A lot of consultants make the mistake of jumping straight in at the deep end and talking about their offer. But doing that misses arguably the most important part: how your offer is framed.
What I mean by that is out of the 3 D’s of buyability (desired, different, decisive) two of those are focused more on how you set up the offer to show people need it, than they are the offer itself.
If you can’t first convince someone they need what you’re offering, then the specifics of that offer are dead on arrival.
So we start the framing process by talking about the symptoms. In other words, what are your target clients currently experiencing that you’re going to fix for them? This means they’ll instantly recognise themselves as being in the exact situation you’re here to help them with.
Which leads nicely to…
The PROBLEM section
… then you can introduce the underlying problem. Explain exactly why they’re experiencing those symptoms. That’s how you take ownership of their situation. By putting words to it. By explaining how they got into this mess.
But don’t blame them! That’s just going to make them defensive. Instead, blame the old way of solving this problem. That might be another service provider. It might be outdated advice. It might be that DIY isn’t cutting it anymore. The idea is to make out that what used to work might no longer be working. It’s not their fault, it’s just what happens.
This also has the added advantage of covering off the second D (different). Because you’re now directly contrasting your solution with this old solution.
Which leads nicely to…
The SOLUTION section
… where you can now explain how you’re going to solve this pesky problem once and for all. Because now you’ve earned the right to talk about you and your offer. You’ve framed it nicely by explaining the symptoms and problem, so now you can introduce your solution.
You need to do two things in this section. Firstly, you need to actually make sure you explain what you’re proposing to do. Don’t be too clever about this. Just say it as it is. If you’re going to optimise their landing page, then say that.
Secondly, you need to contrast this solution with the default solution. In the previous section you should have explained the limitation of the old way and how that’s actually making the problem worse. Now you can show how your solution overcomes those limitations and provides the actual relief from the problem.
Which leads nicely to…
The PROCESS section
… in which you can finally get all of the technical details of your offer off your chest. Because I know you’ve been dying to.
This could also be called an APPROACH section or HOW IT WORKS. Basically, it’s laying out exactly what to expect from your offer. A step-by-step breakdown of your process, the selling points of your approach, the deliverables they get, the timeline, what kind of engagement (sprint, program, retainer, etc) this actually is.
All of the details a prospect will need to know go into this section.
And it culminates in what I like to call an OFFER BOX because I apparently lack an imagination. It’s a portioned off box that literally sums up the offer. Give it a name. Add a sentence to sum it up. Add a list of what’s included. And then show the price. Simple.
Which leads nicely to…
The PROOF section
… where you can follow up the details and price with some evidence that you can actually deliver. This is important because there might well be a bit of sticker shock once you show your price. And so some well-placed testimonials or results here can help alleviate that.
Make sure any testimonials are directly linked to the problem you solve and not just generic crap like “Joe did a good job.”
And try to make sure the testimonials are from people like your target clients. There’s no use telling a big tech client you can solve their problem if the only other time you’ve solved it is for a local pet food brand.
And then we come to the penultimate section…
The FAQ section
… which is actually really important. The FAQ is one of the most read sections of a landing page, and with good reason, because it’s often where you can instantly get the answers you need.
Think about any objections or concerns or details you’ve missed so far, and stick them in here. It means you can just answer their questions without having to be too slick or clever with your words.
Before we end up at…
The CTA section
… which was inevitable really. This is where you reiterate the problem you solve and/or the main outcome you help them achieve. And then clearly explain the next steps they take if they’re interested. Maybe they book a call. Maybe they fill in an application form. Maybe they just pay. Whatever it is, make that clear and provide a link so they can do it.
And we’re done.
Hold on, isn’t this like a landing page layout?
It is. By design. Because this offer doc is essentially a work-in-progress landing page. And once you’ve tested, tweaked, and validated it, you can then transplant the messaging across onto your site as an actual landing page if you’d prefer. (And I recommend you do.)
Oh, and before you go… I have a bonus gift for you.
It’s a google doc that has the template I just walked through there for you to use. It also has an example offer doc for my own offer so you can see how it all comes together.
You can grab it using the button below…
Enjoy!