Are you thinking about writing a book or already on your publishing journey? Have you thought about how you’ll use your book to boost future sales of your products or services?
It’s easy to look at a book as just a way to “get your name out there” or a way to build your paid speaking career, but it can be so much more. When used as a tool in a well-developed marketing strategy, a book can be an essential ingredient for getting you in front of your target audience, opening the floodgates for product and online course sales.
If you want to know how to package your book into an irresistible offer that buyers can’t ignore, keep reading.
What is an irresistible offer?
An irresistible offer is the value you promise to give a potential buyer in exchange for their transaction (e.g., purchase, download, sign-up). It is not the product or service itself but the solution it will provide that meets the customer’s need(s).
For example, the function of watches — outside of being an accessory — is to tell time. Yet watch brands present buyers with irresistible offers based on their perceived benefit.
Below, we’ll consider two watch brands. This example may seem unrelated to a book offer, but they are essentially the same.
Let me show you why.
Even if you don’t wear a watch, you know what it is and its purpose. Consider the Timex Reader which retails for $53.00 and the Tag Heuer Carrera Chronograph Skipper watch for $6,750.
They both tell time, but each brand presents two completely different offers.
If you want to know what a brand’s offer is, look closely at the wording used on their sales pages.
In the example of Timex, everything is about convenience, dependability, brand recognition, and great value. Who doesn’t like a great deal? The offer is a watch that you can depend on that’s also easy on the wallet.
Here’s a snapshot of their product page description.
The page is simple, clear, and focuses on the benefits of purchasing a Timex watch. There are no frills or fancy wording, just the basics. What you see is what you get.
And, for a well-known brand that has been around for decades, it’s enough.
In contrast, the Tag Heuer Carrera Chronograph Skipper watch offers buyers innovation, luxury, and exclusivity.
You can see that its product page attracts a different type of buyer.
The images are bold and colorful. Use your mouse to click the top button of the watch and the second hand will stop moving. Click again for it to restart. Or, select a video view to immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of how wearing the watch can make you feel.
For Tag Heuer, it’s all about the experience.
Again, the basic function for both watches is the same: to tell time. But their offers and positioning appeal to two very different customer types.
So your first step is to identify and solidify your book positioning.
When doing this — and later creating an offer centered around your book — remember that not all buyers are created equal.
You want to identify a group of people who have a specific problem (for example, they want to tell time AND have a status symbol on their arm). Then, you want to write a book about their pain points, offering up a high-level solution. You can then build a more comprehensive solution off the back of the original teachings.
There can be 100 books on the market about parenting or starting an online business, but the most successful ones know their audience and create an offer that speaks directly to them.
For example:
- Parenting books for single fathers
- Parenting books for couples who have adopted
- How to start an online business as a single mother
- How to start a truly passive online business
See how these are still generally in the same categories but are tailored to 4 very distinct groups of people?
It’s worth noting that not every successful book has a well-defined offer, but the ones that take the time to understand their reader and create an offer based on their needs have a better chance of success and sustained growth over time.
We find this is especially true for first-time authors or those who don’t already have a large following.
What are the 5 parts of an irresistible offer?
There are several components that you can add to and subtract from your core offer to make it irresistible, but on the foundational level, these five areas are critical to your offer’s success.
- Addresses pain points: An offer is only irresistible if it presents a solution to the buyer’s problem.
- A frictionless experience: Signing up, purchasing, downloading, or subscribing to it is simple. It can also include a money-back guarantee and/ or payment plans.
- Psychological triggers: Something that pulls the buyer in by tapping into their feelings.(e.g., FOMO (e.g., fear of missing out, scarcity)
- Obvious value: How the buyer will benefit should be obvious. They should understand clearly how their need or needs will be met.
- Connection: Buyers are smart. Most can tell the difference between hype and a company that cares. Testimonials and reviews are a great way to show social proof and build brand trust.
How a book gives you a competitive edge
Learning how to create a compelling offer includes knowing when and how to leverage certain assets. Your book is the ultimate competitive advantage. It is an opportunity for you to establish your credibility and get buyers to trust you. It’s also a great TOFU (Top of Funnel) asset that can take a cold lead (a potential buyer who doesn’t know much about your product) to a warm one (a customer who is positioned to make a purchase).
In the above example, your book will be your free or low-cost lead magnet. The thing that initially attracts your ideal customer. You’ll then use an automated book funnel to “funnel” those readers into your other services or products. (We can’t get into the deep details of a successful marketing funnel in one blog post, but we do teach this from beginning to end in our Market Your Book program.)
A book that’s written with the needs of your readers in mind will build trust and help push them in your direction. Books are intimate in that they can quickly create a feeling of connection between the reader and the “you” that they get to meet in your book’s pages.
The results are twofold: Not only can a book offer them peace of mind and an immediate solution, but it can also position you as an authority in your industry space.
Your potential customers are smart, and the marketplace is flooded with options. A well-written book that’s marketed strategically can significantly increase the number of potential buyers who find your offer.
Let’s take these two popular nonfiction books as examples.
The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel was published in 2020, has sold over six million copies, and has more than 57K reviews on Amazon.
The Total Money Makeover Updated and Expanded: A Proven Plan for Financial Peace by Dave Ramsey has sold over seven million copies* and has over 21K reviews on Amazon since being published in May of 2024.
Both books have topped best-seller lists. But only one book has a distinct offer. Let’s review.
Although The Psychology of Money was released in 2020, the book wasn’t highlighted on the author’s website until 2022, after over a million copies had been sold. Here is a screenshot of the homepage (ref: Wayback Machine July 16, 2022)
Based on the information on the website, it’s unclear what the book is about or who it’s for. The focus is more on the author’s authority and why you should trust him. There’s nothing wrong with this approach, especially if you are trying to build authority in the marketplace, but to be clear, this strategy is about positioning and building trust.
The offer is unclear.
Author Morgan Housel did a great job of self-promotion with the release of his book by doing the podcast rounds, speaking engagements, and sparking interesting conversations around the psychology of money.
You could surmise that the offer is to think differently about money. But how strong or clear is the offer really?
Morgan’s “offer” meets one of the five parts of an irresistible offer shared above (number three “psychological triggers,”), but the other four are not well defined.
He repeated this strategy with his newest book, Same as Ever: A Guide to What Never Changes. The only information provided is the book’s image next to his first book. Although you can find the book’s descriptions on the sales pages of book websites, having it wherever your book (e.g., your website) is listed is a smart choice to reduce customer friction.
Morgan Housel’s books appeal to a specific audience type: those interested in the conversation surrounding the things that matter, not necessarily the practical application of strategies.
It will be interesting to see if his newer book will have the same explosive sales as the previous one without a defined offer.
On the other hand, Dave Ramsey’s offers are crystal clear.
He knows his audience well, and he speaks to them directly. He has crafted an offer that checks off all the boxes:
You’ll notice on Dave Ramsey’s website that his team has gone to great lengths to speak directly to their ideal customer profile (ICP) by creating product pages that are easy to navigate, offer value, and clearly and precisely point out the book’s benefits.
In the product description, the offer is outlined as:
One of Dave Ramsey’s best money books, The Total Money Makeover, has been updated and expanded in this special 20th anniversary edition. It features the simplest, most straightforward game plan for completely changing your finances. And, best of all, these principles are based on results, not pie-in-the-sky fantasies. This is the personal financial reset you’ve been looking for. (Ramseysolutions.com)
If you want a solid example of how to build out an offer for your book, take a look at Dave Ramse’s book page for inspiration.
For another well-crafted, irresistible book offer, take a look at the landing page for Atomic Habits by James Clear.
Related:
- Our Atomic Habits Book Review
- 50 Life-Changing Atomic Habits Quotes
- 15 Books Like Atomic Habits to Read Next
*It’s unclear if the seven million copies sold are total sales, including the first edition, or just the updated version.
How to create an irresistible offer in 5 steps
Step 1: Determine your ideal buyers’ pain points.
We buy things to fill a need whether it’s emotional, physical, or psychological. Knowing the why behind a buyer’s purchase decision is critical to creating a product that they can’t resist.
Step 2: Make sure that your offer delivers a solution to their pain point(s).
Specificity is key.
An irresistible offer isn’t about making everyone happy. It’s about having a laser focus on who your product or service is for and speaking directly to them. When describing your offer, speak directly to their specific problem and show how it can provide a solution.
Step 3: Develop a marketing plan that sets you up for success.
This means researching your product or service market and understanding where you are positioned.
Where does your ideal buyer hang out? What are your competitors doing? What is the industry forecast? What makes your offer different from all of the other offers on the market?
Create a marketing plan for your offer that uses questions as a foundation.
Step 4: Write and publish a book that solidifies your credibility.
You can find a lot of information online about what it takes to make an irresistible offer, but not many put a book into the framework. Everyone’s not going to take the time to write a book.
Be different. Get a competitive edge by putting your expertise on display.
If you’re thinking to yourself, “I want to write a book, but I don’t know where to start,” reach out to us. We’d be happy to guide you – or to ghostwrite your book for you!
Step 5: Keep what works, discard the rest, and keep fine-tuning.
Creating an irresistible offer is an ongoing process. Even a great offer can take time to gain momentum.
In this interview with marketing expert Amy Porterfield, she discusses how she refined her offer over time to create an irresistible offer with a huge return on her investment. At time stamp 7:33, she talks about when she decided to stop creating new offers (courses) and focus on streamlining the offer that she already had on the table.
How to support an irresistible offer framework
While having an irresistible offer can be a powerful tool for engaging potential buyers, keeping them engaged is key.
Here are a few different ways to capture their attention:
- Stay consistent. Buyers look for stability when engaging with a brand and buying its products. Sometimes the difference between a good offer and a bad offer is in your ability to keep your messaging consistent. Even if your products or services grow, what you offer your target customer should be consistent. Your offer isn’t the product or service itself. It’s what your buyers can expect to receive as a benefit of engaging with you or your brand.
- Offer social proof. It’s one thing to make a promise and another one entirely to have customer testimonials that say you made good on those promises. According to Spiegel Research Center: As products begin displaying reviews, conversion rates escalate rapidly. The purchase likelihood for a product with five reviews is 270% greater than the purchase likelihood of a product with no reviews.
- Engage. Offers that convert have to be more than just words. Great copy will only take you so far. It may get a customer’s foot in the door or even a sale, but if the connection is missing, promotional efforts will eventually lose steam and fall flat. Customers want to know that they are more than just a dollar sign to add to your bottom line. Taking the time to communicate with your potential buyers to let them know that their voices are heard will go a long way toward establishing your position in the marketplace.
Why you need an irresistible offer
We’ll be honest, the marketplace is crowded.
Companies compete relentlessly for buyer attention, which means that even now, your potential buyers are being flooded with choices. They are inundated with endless noise on social media, TV, and overflowing inboxes.
As buyers, it’s getting easier to ignore the chatter, especially when it all looks and sounds the same. The best offers are the ones that grab a buyer’s attention and refuse to let go. For this to occur, it takes more than copy-pasting what others are doing. It requires a thoughtful and strategic effort to get to know your customer and then translate the value of your product or service into language that presents a unique solution.
You can have the best product or service in the world, but if no one ever sees it or hears about it, it doesn’t matter. And, if you’re going to take the time to tell someone about your product or service, wrap it in an irresistible offer that they can’t ignore. Ultimately, it’s about clearly and concisely telling your potential buyers how they will benefit from what you offer.
Buyers have to be wooed (at least most of them!) before they’ll give you their hard-earned money or consider a transaction with you worth the effort. Which is why having a book as an initial attention-grabber and free gift to them consistently works.
Understanding the formula for creating an irresistible offer will allow you to duplicate the process and apply it consistently whether you’re creating copy for a landing page, launching a webinar, developing an email series, or promoting a launch on social media.
The most important thing to remember is that an irresistible offer is just as much a part of your brand as the colors on your website or the graphics that you use.
It’s also a critical part of a successful business model that you can’t afford to ignore.
If you are serious about growing your business and want to use a book to help you nurture your potential buyers, then talk to one of our team members who can give you ideas for turning your passion into an irresistible offer that produces results.