⚡ Get All Content for 20% Off ⚡

The 7 Elements of an Irresistibly Compelling Offer Converting window shoppers into buyers is just a matter of psychology.

By R.L. Adams

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Cecilie_Arcurs | Getty Images

The lifeblood of any business, at the heart of success in any endeavor, is the existence of a compelling and irresistible offer. Whatever it is that you decide to peddle, whether it's a product, service or information, the better you are at crafting the offer around it, the more likely you'll be to succeed.

The problem? Most entrepreneurs are lost when it comes to not only creating their offer, but also reaching the right target audience. However, the offer is key. It creates a gateway to untapped potential and profits and a path towards explosive business growth, one beyond even your wildest dreams. But getting there is no simple matter.

To create a compelling offer, you have to inherently understand a few things. You need to know your customer, right down to the tee. You also need specific knowledge about the business environment and your niche. And, of course, you need to know your competition. The better you know those three things, the more likely you are to create an offer that sizzles and is irresistible to the masses.

Related: Sell Anything With an Irresistible Offer Architecture

However, that's just the start. In my conversation with Nick Loise, president of GKIC, a marketing firm originally founded by copywriting legend Dan Kennedy over 25 years ago -- a company that's acutely focused on helping entrepreneurs and small businesses to succeed in a tumultuous online climate -- I discovered that there were actually seven keys to building a successful offer.

Loise tells me beyond the fundamentals of understanding your ideal demographics, business climate and competition, you need to approach things in a very specific manner if you're looking to create an offer that will sell on autopilot. While seemingly complex at first, the building blocks for an irresistible offer are relatively straightforward.

Now, keep in mind that this discussion presumes that you understand a few other crucial concepts -- things like sales funnels, email sequences and online marketing strategies and techniques will help you to boost visibility and drive traffic. However, once that traffic arrives, your compelling offer is going to help convert those so-called "window shoppers" into buyers.

Keys to building a compelling offer.

Overall, there are seven keys to building a compelling and irresistible offer. Each of them are important. Each of them need to exist if you're serious about succeeding in the business world. If you ignore any one of these seven keys, you're largely wasting your time, and you shouldn't expect to achieve any semblance of success.

Alternatively, if you pay homage to these seven keys, you can expect to gain saturation of your offer over time and to succeed. While the keys provide the framework, your execution here is critical. Take the time to really understand and implement your offer the right way, and you'll be on your way to market domination.

1. Be clear.

The first step in creating your irresistible offer is to be very clear about whatever it is that you're selling. Confused people will not buy from you. This is where your copywriting skills must come into play. Ensure that you develop and deliver a very clear and easily understood offer if you want people to purchase.

The best way you can do this is to accurately depict and convey the purpose of whatever it is that you're offering. Be specific about this. Don't use clouded words that don't properly relate the offer. Use numbers, dates or percentages to portray specifics of the offer while ensuring that the title is intriguing, relevant to your audience and that it makes a promise that can be delivered through whatever it is that you're peddling.

2. Offer great value.

Value in business has become less commonplace. Most people are trying to do the least amount of work for the greatest return when it actually needs to be the opposite. You need to deliver massive amounts of value in whatever you're offering. If you're just slapping something together expecting to turn a big profit, you might make some initial sales, but don't expect any consistency when your value falls short.

Offers that don't deliver value will be largely refunded, refuted and disputed. You don't want that headache on your shoulders. You don't want bad or negative reviews and press. Go out of your way to deliver massive amounts of value, and your offer will snowball. Remember, word-of-mouth spreads like wildfire. And negative publicity can burn your business for a lifetime.

Related: 6 Tips for Your Marketing and Sales Reps to Consistently Produce Value-Added Content

3. Deliver a discount or a premium.

You need to give your customers a reason to buy from you right there on the spot. To do that, you need to either offer a big discount or a premium. What bonuses can you load onto the offer that will make it absolutely irresistible to pass up? Put some serious thought into this.

Remember, the prospect's information and attention is extremely short. If they have an objection in their mind, you might not be able to easily overcome that without offering a premium service or a discount. This isn't about offering rock bottom prices; this is about making the offer irresistible by stacking on the extras.

4. Explain your offer.

People are naturally skeptical. No matter who you are or what you're selling, when people come across your offer, they'll need to be convinced. Whether you've built up a solid relationship with that person over time or not, you need to provide a very logical reason for your offer. What's it going to do for the prospect? What will they be able to achieve once they've purchased it?

This isn't rocket science, but it does involve careful communications. While the offer needs to be very clear as stated in the first key, it also needs to be thoroughly explained. Use bullet points laced with buyer psychology and slick sales copy. Your intention here isn't to trick them to buy, but to tell them why they absolutely must buy what you're offering.

5. Require immediate response.

Require an immediate response from your prospect. There needs to be some sort of scarcity principle attended to here. Maybe the offer's going to expire in a few days or hours. Maybe there's only a limited number of whatever it is that you're offering. Or just maybe it's something else.

Whatever it is, you have to require them to respond now. Convey that time is of the essence. Because, once they leave, you might never see them again. Why do you think car salesman work to get you to buy right away? They know that once you leave, the chances of locking in that sale plummet.

6. Include a strong call-to-action.

Your offer needs to include a very strong call-to-action. Tell the prospect what you want them to do. Imagine they're like a 10-year-old child, and they need to be instructed on the next steps. You've likely seen this on the most compelling offers out there, where it tells you what to do next. For example, click on the green "buy now" button, enter in your details, then download the product. Or something of that nature.

Use big, bold colors and buttons and try not to have too many elements that are clickable on a page. Remember, you want to help drive the prospect in an intended direction and not give them too many choices. This is also why you want to remove navigational elements and menus from offer pages.

Related: Learn How to Ask For the Sale

7. Provide a bulletproof guarantee.

If you want your offer to succeed, and you want to sell on autopilot, provide a bulletproof guarantee to the prospect, and reverse any risk involved. This will compel the prospect to take action when they believe that there's no risk involved. This is why you see 30-day guarantees of your money back on just about everything you buy. Smart marketers know the importance of providing these guarantees.

You simply need to take the risk out of the customer's hand, and put it into your hand. This also shows how confident you are that the customer is going to absolutely love whatever it is that you're offering.

R.L. Adams

Entrepreneur, software engineer, author, blogger and founder of WanderlustWorker.com

Robert Adams is a writer, blogger, serial entrepreneur, software engineer and best-selling author of dozens of technology, SEO, online marketing and self-development books, audiobooks and courses.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

The Remote Side Hustle a 43-Year-Old Musician Works on for 1 Hour a Day Earns Nearly $3,000 a Month: 'All From the Comfort of Home'

Sam Ziegler wanted to supplement his income as a professional drummer — then his tech skills and desire to help people came together.

Business News

Costco CFO Reveals Uncertain Fate of $1.50 Hot Dog and Soda Combo

CFO Richard Galanti reveals that the price will stay the same — but only "for a while."

Business News

The Most Unexpectedly Popular Side Hustle of the Decade Has Low Startup Costs and High Markups

A new report shows that vending machines are a popular investment — and the industry is set to grow up to $3 billion by 2031.

Marketing

Ever Wonder Why Certain Websites Rank Higher Than Yours? This SEO Expert Reveals The Secret to Dominating Search Results

It's often the smart use of SEO, now supercharged with AI, particularly in keyword optimization.

Business News

AI Is Impacting Jobs. Here Are the Gigs Affected the Most, According to an Analysis of 5 Million Upwork Postings

The researcher said in the report that freelance jobs were analyzed first because that market will likely see AI's immediate impact.

Leadership

Former Interrogator Shares 5 Behaviors Liars Exhibit and How to Handle Them

Five deceptive behaviors to look for and how to respond to those behaviors when you encounter them.