# Offers — Marketing Skill for AI Agents

An offer converts when its value clearly beats its price in the buyer's head — and value is governed by the value equation: (Dream Outcome × Perceived Likelihood of Achievement) ÷ (Time Delay × Effort & Sacrifice). To fix a stuck offer, score each of those four levers 1–10; the lowest is the binding constraint, and most stuck offers need more proof (perceived likelihood), not more features. A complete offer also has six components — core deliverable, bonus stack, guarantee, real scarcity/urgency, a repeatable name, and price plus payment structure — and skipping any one hurts conversion. Single-component fixes typically deliver a 10–40% lift; anyone promising 5x is selling something. Keep scarcity genuine and bonuses honest — fake timers and inflated "$50K in bonuses" torch trust.

> Maintained by Corey Haines · v1.0.0 · Updated 2026-06-16

Install: `npx skills add coreyhaines31/marketingskills`
Source: https://github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills/tree/main/skills/offers

## What's inside

**The playbook covers:** Before Starting, Core Philosophy, The Value Equation, The Anatomy of a Complete Offer, Reference Library, The Diagnostic Loop, When NOT to Use Offer-Design Tactics, Banned Vocabulary

### Reference library

- [Bonus Stacking](https://github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills/blob/main/skills/offers/references/bonus-stacking.md) — How to add bonuses that raise perceived value without devaluing the core offer.
- [Worked Examples — Before/After Offers](https://github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills/blob/main/skills/offers/references/examples.md) — Anonymized examples drawn from real engagements. Each shows the weak version, the diagnostic, and the strong version.
- [Guarantee Design](https://github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills/blob/main/skills/offers/references/guarantee-design.md) — A guarantee directly raises *perceived likelihood of achievement* (the buyer thinks: "they'll only offer this if they're confident") and lowers *effort & sacrifice* (less emotional risk). It's one of the highest-leverage levers in offer design.
- [Offer Anatomy](https://github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills/blob/main/skills/offers/references/offer-anatomy.md) — A complete offer has six components. Skip any one and conversion suffers — usually noticeably.
- [Offer Formats by Business Type](https://github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills/blob/main/skills/offers/references/offer-formats.md) — The right offer format depends on what you sell. The same six components (core, bonuses, guarantee, scarcity, name, price) get assembled differently by business type.
- [Scarcity & Urgency](https://github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills/blob/main/skills/offers/references/scarcity-urgency.md) — The reason to buy now, not later.
- [The Value Equation](https://github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills/blob/main/skills/offers/references/value-equation.md) — The single most useful frame for offer design. Originated in Alex Hormozi's *$100M Offers*; the underlying idea (multiply benefits, divide costs) is much older — direct-response copywriters have been doing it for a century.

## Key data

- 2. Total to less than 2x the price of the core offer. A $1K offer can comfortably have $1.5K in bonuses. A $1K offer with "$25K in bonuses" reads as a scam.
- 3. Does the buyer get it on day 1, or at a meaningful point in their journey? Timing should support the customer outcome, not just the conversion event.
- Refund rates can be 10–20%** — bake this into the math. If margin can't survive 15% refunds, restructure.
- The first 7 seconds determine the rest** — hook, then offer

## FAQ

### What is the value equation for an offer?

Value = (Dream Outcome × Perceived Likelihood of Achievement) ÷ (Time Delay × Effort & Sacrifice). The buyer compares that value to the price; if value beats price, they buy — no matter how good the copy is. To raise value you raise the numerator (name the real outcome, add proof and guarantees) or lower the denominator (faster first win, done-for-you, fewer decisions). Most "lower the price" requests are really "raise the numerator or lower the denominator" requests.

### What are the components of a complete offer?

Six: the core deliverable (framed as an outcome, not a feature list), a bonus stack that closes specific objections, a guarantee that reverses risk, real scarcity or urgency, a repeatable name, and a price plus payment structure. Most weak offers fail on bonuses, guarantees, or scarcity; skipping any one component noticeably hurts conversion.

### Why isn't my offer converting even though the copy is good?

Usually because the offer underneath the copy is weak, not the words. Run the value equation and score the four levers — the lowest is your binding constraint, and it's most often perceived likelihood (too little proof) rather than the dream outcome. Then audit the six components for a missing bonus stack, guarantee, or real scarcity. Fix one lever per iteration; expect a 10–40% lift, with two stacked iterations reaching 2–3x.

---
Canonical: https://marketing-skills.com/skills/offers