The Offer Is Everything
Great copy can't save a weak offer. But a strong offer often succeeds despite mediocre copy.
Your offer answers the question: "Why should I talk to you instead of ignore this email?"
Anatomy of a Strong Offer
1. Specificity
Vague: "We help companies grow revenue"
Specific: "We help SaaS companies increase trial-to-paid conversion by 15-30%"
| Vague Offer | Specific Offer |
|---|---|
| Improve efficiency | Reduce support tickets by 40% |
| Save money | Cut AWS costs by $50k/month |
| Grow faster | Add 100 qualified leads per week |
2. Relevance to Them
Your offer must connect to their situation:
- Their industry's challenges
- Their company's growth stage
- Their role's priorities
- Their current initiatives
Bad: "We help companies with marketing automation"
Good: "I noticed you're hiring SDRs - we help sales teams book 2x more meetings with the same outbound volume"
3. Credibility (Social Proof)
Why should they believe you?
| Type | Example |
|---|---|
| Similar company | "We helped [competitor] achieve X" |
| Specific metric | "Average client sees 23% improvement" |
| Notable logos | "Trusted by Stripe, Notion, and Figma" |
| Third-party | "Featured in Forbes, rated 4.9/5 on G2" |
4. Risk Reversal
Remove the risk from their decision:
- Free trial or pilot
- Money-back guarantee
- Pay-for-performance pricing
- "15-minute call, no pitch"
Offer Frameworks That Work
The Quick Win
"I'll show you X that you can implement today, whether we work together or not."
Works because: Provides immediate value, low commitment
The Audit/Analysis
"I analyzed your [website/process/strategy] and found 3 opportunities worth $X."
Works because: Specific to them, demonstrates expertise
The Comparison
"Here's how you compare to [competitor] on [metric]."
Works because: Triggers competitive instinct
The Shortcut
"We've already done X - I'll share what we learned."
Works because: Saves them time and effort
Testing Your Offer
Before sending 1,000 emails, test:
- Send 100-200 emails with your offer
- Measure reply rate - expect 2-5% for good offers
- Analyze replies - what resonated?
- Iterate - strengthen what works
Common Offer Mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Feature-focused | Lead with outcome, not features |
| No proof | Add specific metrics or logos |
| Too much risk | Offer guarantee or pilot |
| Not relevant | Connect to their specific situation |
| Too vague | Add numbers and specifics |
Key Takeaway
Your offer is your "why should I care?" answer. Make it specific, relevant, credible, and low-risk. Test before scaling.