How to Design an Offer that Actually Sells
If i had to choose any part of the offer journey process as my fave, it would probably be offer design (just don’t tell the others!).
IDK if it’s the quick dopamine hit of creating a shiny new offer that people respond to or it’s just getting to flex my creative muscles again but i love creating offers—for my own brand and for my clients.
Now, creating an offer doesn’t mean insta sales, unfortch (I wish!). They don’t always come if you build it. That’s why there’s a bit of an art (read: strategy) to creating the kind of offers that someone would be willing to join your waitlist for.
So let’s walk through the 3 steps I follow every single time I design an offer for my catalogue (or my client’s) so you can position your offer as covetable and waitlist-worthy right from the jump.
Step 1: Start with Empathy
Creating an offer worthy launching (what I deem a “covetable offer”) starts with deeply understanding who your ideal client is and what they’re going through.
An offer designed without empathy at the center is just pretty. It may catch someone’s eye but it won’t make ‘em stick around long enough to book or buy from you. That, my friend, comes from making your people feel like you’re inside their head. From connecting with them so specifically that they feel like you made that offer exclusively for them (which, you kind of have).
Think about it: if you’re looking to buy sneakers, would you go with the brand who build their shoes with comfort and design in mind to make sure you actually want to wear them, or would you go with the brand whose shoes just look cute?
9/10 you’ll probably go for the brand that feels like they’ve walked a mile in your shoes (I had to…🤭) over the brand that just feels like a vibe.
As a self-proclaimed shoe-aholic, that1/10 is reserved for the shoes that are so cute, comfort be damned. BUT what usually happens is I don’t wear them nearly as much, if at all, as adorable shoes I can bop around the city in.
For an offer to really capture hearts (& credit cards 👀), there needs to be a clear before and after transformation your ideal client can see themselves in. One of the best ways to brainstorm what this might look like is through Empathy Mapping.
Dave Gray first created the Empathy Map over a decade ago, with the newest version being an even more helpful exercise to empathize with your audience.
I use a new Empathy Map for every offer idea I have—yes, it’s kind of tedious and yes, it’s actually this important. Even if your ideal client doesn’t necessarily change from offer to offer, subtle differences can completely alter how you deliver a solution.
Starting with an Empathy Map makes sure whatever offer you create is rooted in your person, before anything else. Every section of the Empathy Map helps you formulate the question, “What problem are they currently going through that I can help solve?”
Step 2: Solve the Problem
You now know what’s going through your ideal client’s head at the height of their situation. Next, it’s time to create a solution that helps solve their problem.
If Step One was all about answering the Who (am I helping?) and What (are they going through?), Step Two is articulating the Why (should they care?) and How (will I deliver?).
All four are necessary to design a covetable offer.
Here are six questions to help you get to the bottom of your Why & How.
What does my solution add to or help my ideal client avoid in their life?
What exactly about your ideal client’s problem inspired you to create your specific solution?
What does their life look like 3 months after they’ve experienced your solution?
How does your audience learn and/or digest content best?
What formats feel exciting to you right now?
What formats feel within your capacity right now?
Understanding what you’re excited to launch is so underrated in the space because I think creatives feel like they’re beholden to certain forms that have worked for others. But the more you enjoy what you’re launching, the more you’ll actually show up to promote it. Which brings us to …
Step 3: Make Your Offer Covetable
This is where piqued curiosity becomes “take my money!!!”
Now that you’ve got the offer, it’s time to actually talk about it.
The goal here is to make your offer cool—so cool your dream client wants it before they even know what it is.
So how do you do that? You lead with the transformation in a way that feels on-brand, personal.
For example, my signature Brand Mag isn’t just a “brand messaging guide” we both know would collect dust on your desktop. It’s positioned as a brand messaging resource so good you won’t wanna put it down.
When you feel excited about your offer, your people will feel that, too.
If you want support positioning your offer, Fit Check is a self-led creative exercise designed to make sure your offer looks hella good heading out the door on your website, in your IG bio, on your sales page.
Think of Fit Check less as a template to follow and more an exploratory practice to help you build trust in your own voice and define your personal taste (the very thing AI can’t replace). Because while I could hand you a swipe file and call it a day, teaching you how to think like a copywriter and design your offer(s) from a place of genuine self-expression will be your edge when it comes to connecting meaningfully with your people on the internet.
Inside Fit Check, I share 4 unique positioning angles (what I cutely dub “base layers” for obvious reasons) to help you articulate ~vibes~ into sellable words and test what resonates with your audience.
Recap
The strongest offers in the game have three things in common:
they know what their ideal clients are dealing with
they have a unique solution to support their people
they know how to talk about it to make their audience crave it
And if that last step feels a little uncomfy, fair. Writing is hard.
That’s why I created Fit Check. And if you want my eyes on your copy, I’ve got a few “Styling Session” heavily discounted. Add the session to your order and I’ll personally review and provide feedback to make sure your outfit offer pops.
