luckiest-co 1.0.1 → 1.0.3

package/skills/luckiest-offers/references/examples.md

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+# Worked Examples — Before/After Offers
+
+Anonymized examples drawn from real engagements. Each shows the weak version, the diagnostic, and the strong version.
+
+---
+
+## Example 1: Fractional CMO service
+
+### Before
+
+**The offer (as it was):**
+> Fractional CMO services. $15K/month. We'll help you grow.
+
+**Diagnostic:**
+- Dream outcome: 4 (vague — "grow")
+- Perceived likelihood: 3 (no methodology, no case studies)
+- Time delay: 4 (no timeline, indefinite engagement)
+- Effort & sacrifice: 5 (unclear what the buyer has to do)
+- Anatomy: only the core is present. No bonuses, no guarantee, no scarcity, no name.
+
+**Lowest binding constraint:** perceived likelihood. Buyers don't believe an unnamed service will deliver.
+
+### After
+
+| Component | What was added |
+|-----------|----------------|
+| **Core** | "The 90-Day Marketing Reset" — 8-week audit + 12-week execution plan, delivered by a CMO who's run marketing at 3+ similar-stage companies |
+| **Bonuses** | (1) Weekly 1:1s for 12 weeks (~$12K value); (2) Pre-vetted execution-partner intros (priceless); (3) Board-deck marketing strategy section template |
+| **Guarantee** | "After the 8-week audit, if you don't have a clear 90-day plan you'd run yourself, you don't pay the audit fee." |
+| **Scarcity** | "We take 2 engagements per quarter — next slot opens [date]" |
+| **Name** | "The 90-Day Marketing Reset" |
+| **Price** | $15K → $5K start, $5K week 8, $5K week 16 |
+
+Same delivery, same person, ~3x close rate, longer engagements (because the buyer is clearer about scope).
+
+**Lesson:** the price didn't move. The structure did.
+
+---
+
+## Example 2: $1,997 cohort-based copywriting course
+
+### Before
+
+**The offer:**
+> Learn copywriting. $1,997. Includes 6 modules and Slack access.
+
+**Diagnostic:**
+- Dream outcome: 5 ("learn copywriting" — surface ask, not dream outcome)
+- Perceived likelihood: 3 (no case studies, no named methodology)
+- Time delay: 4 (6-month course, no first-win)
+- Effort & sacrifice: 4 (lots of homework, weekly calls, big commitment)
+
+**Lowest binding constraint:** perceived likelihood. Buyers don't believe THEY can do it.
+
+### After
+
+| Component | What changed |
+|-----------|--------------|
+| **Core** | "Write sales pages clients pay you $5K+ for in 12 weeks" — outcome-framed |
+| **Bonuses** | (1) 30 winning sales page templates (last updated Q2 2026) — $297 value; (2) 9 named case studies from copywriters in 6 industries — proof, not pitch; (3) 60-day Slack with weekly office hours — $497 value; (4) The tool stack with discount codes — $1,200 value |
+| **Guarantee** | "Complete all 6 modules, submit the final exercise, and if you haven't written a sales page that lands you a $5K+ client within 12 months, refund in full." |
+| **Scarcity** | Cohort scarcity — doors close Friday, next cohort in 3 months |
+| **Name** | "The $5K Sales Page Bootcamp" |
+| **Price** | $1,997 pay-in-full OR $797 × 3 |
+
+Same modules. Same instructor. ~4x conversion. Lower refund rate (conditional guarantee qualifies).
+
+**Lesson:** rename the outcome, add proof, install a real scarcity mechanic.
+
+---
+
+## Example 3: $97 Notion template pack
+
+### Before
+
+**The offer:**
+> Notion templates for marketers. $97. 20 templates included.
+
+**Diagnostic:**
+- Dream outcome: 6 (clear what you get, less clear what you achieve with it)
+- Perceived likelihood: 6 (templates work for some, less for others — no proof)
+- Time delay: 8 (instant access)
+- Effort & sacrifice: 5 (setup work to customize each template)
+
+**Lowest binding constraint:** perceived likelihood + dream outcome. "Will these actually save me time, for *my* setup?"
+
+### After
+
+| Component | What changed |
+|-----------|--------------|
+| **Core** | "The Marketing Ops Stack — 20 Notion templates that turn your scattered docs into a working marketing OS in one Saturday" — outcome-framed |
+| **Bonuses** | (1) 10-minute "do this first" Loom — speed bonus; (2) "Stack the templates" flowchart (visual setup map); (3) Lifetime updates as templates are added |
+| **Guarantee** | "30-day no-questions money-back" — unconditional, fits the price point |
+| **Scarcity** | Founding-buyer pricing — $97 for the first 200 buyers, then $147 |
+| **Name** | "The Marketing Ops Stack" |
+| **Price** | $97 pay-in-full |
+
+Same templates. ~2x close rate from the same traffic. The differentiator was the "in one Saturday" outcome anchor and the Loom that proves the speed claim.
+
+**Lesson:** for low-priced info products, the dream outcome and a fast first-win are the levers. Don't over-engineer the guarantee.
+
+---
+
+## Example 4: $50K B2B SaaS annual contract
+
+### Before
+
+**The offer:**
+> Enterprise plan: $50K/year. Includes unlimited users, all features, dedicated support.
+
+**Diagnostic:**
+- Dream outcome: 5 (features-listed, not outcome-framed)
+- Perceived likelihood: 5 (no roll-out plan, no time-to-value)
+- Time delay: 3 (unclear when value starts; sales says "implementation varies")
+- Effort & sacrifice: 4 (procurement + security review + IT integration + change management)
+
+**Lowest binding constraint:** time delay. Enterprise buyers can't tolerate "implementation varies."
+
+### After
+
+| Component | What changed |
+|-----------|--------------|
+| **Core** | "Production-ready in 30 days, ROI by quarter end" — time-anchored |
+| **Bonuses** | (1) Dedicated implementation engineer for 30 days; (2) Pre-built integration packs for top 5 platforms; (3) Custom training session for the buyer's team; (4) Quarterly business reviews with the buyer's CSM |
+| **Guarantee** | "Not in production by day 30? You don't pay until you are." SLA-based. |
+| **Scarcity** | Capacity-based: "We onboard 4 enterprise accounts per quarter. Next slot starts [date]." |
+| **Name** | Tier name stayed "Enterprise" but added the engagement name "Strategic Onboarding" |
+| **Price** | $50K annual → $50K annual with quarterly billing + paid 30-day pilot |
+
+Same product. ~30% higher close rate, 50% shorter sales cycle. The pilot + SLA combination removed the procurement objection.
+
+**Lesson:** for enterprise B2B, time-to-value IS the offer. Solve it explicitly.
+
+---
+
+## Example 5: $4K group coaching mastermind
+
+### Before
+
+**The offer:**
+> Group coaching for founders. $4K/quarter. Includes 12 calls and Slack.
+
+**Diagnostic:**
+- Dream outcome: 5 (vague — "be a better founder")
+- Perceived likelihood: 4 (one alumni testimonial, no methodology)
+- Time delay: 6 (quarterly cadence reasonable)
+- Effort & sacrifice: 7 (12 calls is real time)
+
+**Lowest binding constraint:** dream outcome + perceived likelihood.
+
+### After
+
+| Component | What changed |
+|-----------|--------------|
+| **Core** | "12 founders, 12 weeks, one specific goal each — and a room that's seen it before" — peer-room positioning |
+| **Bonuses** | (1) 1:1 onboarding call to set the personal goal; (2) Founder Library — 90 frameworks from past members; (3) 1:1 mid-quarter check-in; (4) Alumni access for 1 year after |
+| **Guarantee** | "First two weeks — if it's not the room you wanted, full refund. After that, you're in." |
+| **Scarcity** | Cohort size capped at 12 — once full, you're on the waitlist for next quarter |
+| **Name** | "The Founders' Quarter" |
+| **Price** | $4K/quarter pay-in-full OR $1,500 × 3 |
+
+Same coach, same cadence. Higher close rate. Notably: members renew at ~70% (was ~35% before) because the "alumni access for 1 year" bonus changed the buying decision frame from "quarter" to "year."
+
+**Lesson:** for coaching, the room IS the offer. Position the room, not the curriculum. Renewal-friendly bonuses lock in long-term LTV.
+
+---
+
+## Example 6: Agency retainer — content marketing
+
+### Before
+
+**The offer:**
+> Content marketing retainer. $8K/month. 4 articles per month + SEO strategy.
+
+**Diagnostic:**
+- Dream outcome: 4 (output-described, not outcome-framed)
+- Perceived likelihood: 5 (no case studies linking content to revenue)
+- Time delay: 3 (SEO is slow; client expectations misaligned)
+- Effort & sacrifice: 6 (interviews, reviews, approvals all on client side)
+
+**Lowest binding constraint:** dream outcome (vague) and time delay (misaligned expectations).
+
+### After
+
+| Component | What changed |
+|-----------|--------------|
+| **Core** | "We own the content engine. You get organic-driven sales meetings by month 9, with measurable revenue attribution." — outcome + timeline |
+| **Bonuses** | (1) Persona research kickoff (one-time); (2) Quarterly content audit + republish list; (3) Pre-vetted freelance writers with QA layer; (4) Quarterly executive readout |
+| **Guarantee** | "First 30 days is a paid pilot — 4 published pieces + 3 keyword roadmap. If at the end you don't see a clear 12-month path, we end the engagement, no balance owed." |
+| **Scarcity** | Capacity-based: "We take on 3 retainer clients per quarter. Next slot is [date]." |
+| **Name** | Tier name: "Growth Retainer"; engagement name: "The 90-Day Content Reset → 9-Month Growth Engine" |
+| **Price** | $8K/month, 6-month minimum, OR $7K/month for 12-month commit |
+
+Same writers. Same SEO methodology. ~2x close rate. 60% of pilots convert to 12-month commits.
+
+**Lesson:** for slow-cycle services (SEO, brand, content), the offer has to address the timeline explicitly. "Trust us, results in 6 months" doesn't sell; "paid pilot → milestone at day 30 → ramp" does.
+
+---
+
+## Pattern across all six examples
+
+Look at the changes side-by-side:
+
+| Example | Core change | Most important other change |
+|---------|-------------|----------------------------|
+| Fractional CMO | Named it, added scope | First-milestone guarantee |
+| Copywriting course | Outcome-framed, added proof | Case studies bonus |
+| Notion templates | "in one Saturday" anchor | First-step Loom bonus |
+| B2B SaaS | Time-to-value commitment | SLA-based guarantee + pilot |
+| Coaching mastermind | Positioned the room, not the coach | 1-year alumni access bonus |
+| Agency retainer | Outcome + timeline framing | Paid pilot guarantee |
+
+**The pattern:** in every case, the price barely moved (or didn't move at all). What moved was the *structure* of the offer — naming, framing, guaranteeing, sequencing.
+
+The price is the comparison. The value is the offer.

package/skills/luckiest-offers/references/guarantee-design.md

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+# Guarantee Design
+
+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.
+
+The wrong guarantee hurts more than no guarantee. Pick the type that matches your business model.
+
+## The eight guarantee types
+
+| Type | What it promises | When it works | When it backfires |
+|------|------------------|---------------|-------------------|
+| 1. **Unconditional money-back** | "Refund anytime within X days, no questions" | Low-priced info, high-trust audience | High-priced/high-touch; refund risk eats margin |
+| 2. **Conditional money-back** | "Refund if you complete X and still don't see Y" | Courses, programs requiring effort | Sophisticated buyers; harder to honor publicly |
+| 3. **Better-than-money-back** | "If it doesn't work, full refund + $X" | Confident delivery, ample margin | If you fail; the few failures explode publicly |
+| 4. **Service-level / SLA** | "If we don't deliver X by Y, your money back" | Productized services, agency work | Vague SLAs you can't measure |
+| 5. **Performance-based** | "Pay only when X happens" (rev share, results-based) | Sophisticated B2B, high-confidence delivery | Long cycles, hard-to-attribute outcomes |
+| 6. **Anti-guarantee** | "No refunds. Make sure you want it." | Premium audiences, mature buyers | Confused / first-time buyers; reads cold |
+| 7. **Outcome-or-extension** | "If you don't get X by Y, we continue free" | Coaching, services with extendable time | Open-ended cost; choose with care |
+| 8. **Comparison guarantee** | "Beat [competitor]'s result or refund" | When you can credibly compare | When you can't measure the competitor cleanly |
+
+---
+
+## Picking the right one
+
+Decision tree:
+
+1. **What's your buyer's biggest perceived risk?**
+   - "What if it doesn't work?" → money-back family (1, 2, 3)
+   - "What if you don't deliver on time?" → SLA (4)
+   - "What if I pay and get no results?" → performance-based (5) or outcome-or-extension (7)
+   - "Is this real or scam?" → comparison or specificity-based (8)
+
+2. **What's your refund tolerance?**
+   - Can absorb refunds at scale → unconditional (1)
+   - Need to qualify refunders → conditional (2)
+   - Confident enough to add a bonus on top → better-than-money-back (3)
+   - Can't afford refunds at all → anti-guarantee (6) or no guarantee + strong proof
+
+3. **What's your buyer sophistication?**
+   - Premium / mature buyers → anti-guarantee can work; "we don't do refunds" reads as confidence
+   - First-time-in-category buyers → strong refund guarantee; they need permission to try
+   - Sophisticated B2B → SLA or performance-based; they expect commercial terms
+
+4. **How measurable is the outcome?**
+   - Clean and measurable → performance-based, comparison, or outcome-or-extension
+   - Fuzzy / subjective → money-back family with a conditional gate (you completed the work)
+
+---
+
+## Examples by business type
+
+### Course / cohort
+
+**Strong:** "Complete all six modules within 60 days, submit the final exercise, and if you haven't [specific outcome] we refund in full." Conditional on effort, clear on outcome.
+
+**Weak:** "100% money-back guarantee." No conditions = refund magnet for buyers who never engaged.
+
+### Coaching / consulting
+
+**Strong:** "After the first two sessions, if you don't think the engagement will deliver, we end it and refund the unused balance." Mid-engagement off-ramp builds trust.
+
+**Weak:** "Satisfaction guaranteed." Means nothing.
+
+### Productized service / agency retainer
+
+**Strong:** "First month is a paid pilot. At the end, if you don't see [specific milestone], you don't pay for month 2 and we end on good terms." Clear gate, clear out.
+
+**Weak:** "We'll work until you're happy." Open-ended cost. Don't.
+
+### High-ticket info product (community, mastermind)
+
+**Strong (premium audience):** "No refunds. The application process is rigorous because the value is real. If you're not sure, don't apply yet." Anti-guarantee works here.
+
+**Weak (premium audience):** Generic 30-day refund. Reads cheap.
+
+### Low-ticket info product (template, swipe file)
+
+**Strong:** "30-day no-questions refund." The transactional bar is "I bought it, looked at it, didn't want it." Unconditional fits.
+
+**Weak:** No guarantee. The buyer's risk is too high for the price.
+
+### SaaS
+
+**Strong:** Free trial *or* annual-prepay-with-money-back-in-first-30-days. Reduces friction without locking in unhappy users.
+
+**Weak:** "Cancel anytime" alone — not a guarantee, just standard SaaS terms.
+
+### Direct response / paid traffic
+
+**Strong:** Double-your-money-back or comparable risk inversion. Direct-response buyers expect risk-reversal-heavy offers.
+
+**Weak:** Vanilla 30-day refund. Doesn't differentiate from every other ad on the platform.
+
+---
+
+## Writing the guarantee
+
+The guarantee text matters. Patterns that work:
+
+**Specific terms:**
+> If, after completing the first 4 weeks of the program, you can't point to one specific business outcome you've achieved, email us and we'll refund 100%.
+
+**Confident tone:**
+> We know this works. If it doesn't for you, we don't want your money.
+
+**Acknowledge the awkwardness:**
+> Guarantees feel slimy. Here's ours anyway: if you do the work in modules 1–3 and don't see meaningful traction, we refund.
+
+**Patterns that don't work:**
+
+- "100% satisfaction guaranteed!" — generic, low-trust
+- "Lifetime guarantee" — meaningless without conditions
+- Multiple stacked guarantees — sophistication-collapsing
+- Guarantees full of legalese — buyers skim and assume the worst
+
+---
+
+## Common mistakes
+
+### Promising more than you can deliver
+
+"Double your revenue or your money back + $1,000." If even 1 in 50 buyers fails and gets the bonus refund + writes a public review, the offer is permanently damaged.
+
+Stress-test: what happens if 10% of buyers invoke the guarantee?
+
+### Conditional guarantees with too many conditions
+
+"Refund if you watched all 24 modules, completed the 6 exercises, attended every live call, and posted in the community at least once per week."
+
+Buyers read this as "they made it impossible to actually get a refund." Trust drops.
+
+Two conditions max. Three only if they're closely related (e.g., "completed the course AND submitted the final project AND emailed us a question").
+
+### Hiding the guarantee in the fine print
+
+If your guarantee is your strongest perceived-likelihood lever, *put it on the sales page in 24pt text*. Move it above the buy button.
+
+### Forgetting to test it
+
+Re-read your guarantee text every six months. The wording that worked a year ago may now be undermined by something you've changed about your offer.
+
+### Treating guarantees as a substitute for proof
+
+Strong proof + weak guarantee > strong guarantee + weak proof. Order matters. Build proof first, then layer on the guarantee.
+
+---
+
+## The honest case for NO guarantee
+
+Anti-guarantees ("no refunds, this is final") work when:
+
+- Buyer sophistication is high
+- Application or qualification process precedes the sale
+- Price is premium-to-luxury
+- Brand is established
+- Proof is overwhelming
+
+What you're saying: "We don't need a guarantee because the work is real, the buyer has self-qualified, and we won't engage in transactional refund games."
+
+The wrong audience reads this as cold or scammy. The right audience reads it as confidence. Know your buyer.
+
+---
+
+## The diagnostic
+
+When auditing an offer with no guarantee (or a weak one), ask:
+
+1. **What's the buyer's actual risk?** Make it concrete. ("$2K and I might not get more clients.")
+2. **What guarantee structure reverses that specific risk?** Match it to one of the eight types.
+3. **What's your honest refund tolerance?** Calculate refund rate × refund cost; can you sustain it?
+4. **Does the guarantee match your audience sophistication?** Premium buyers want anti-guarantee; first-time buyers want unconditional.
+
+Most offers don't have the wrong guarantee — they have *no* guarantee at all. Adding any guarantee is almost always a lift. Adding the right one is the lever.

package/skills/luckiest-offers/references/offer-anatomy.md

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+# Offer Anatomy
+
+A complete offer has six components. Skip any one and conversion suffers — usually noticeably.
+
+## The six components
+
+| # | Component | Question it answers | Where it fails |
+|---|-----------|---------------------|----------------|
+| 1 | **Core deliverable** | What do they get? | Too vague, or pitched as features instead of outcome |
+| 2 | **Bonus stack** | What else do they get that makes the core feel undervalued? | Either no bonuses, or inflated/fake bonuses |
+| 3 | **Guarantee** | What happens if it doesn't work? | None, wrong type, or over-promising |
+| 4 | **Scarcity / urgency** | Why now, not later? | None, fake, or destructively manipulative |
+| 5 | **Name** | What is this thing called? | Generic, internal-jargon, or no name at all |
+| 6 | **Price + payment structure** | What do they pay and how? | Single number with no payment flexibility |
+
+---
+
+## 1. Core deliverable
+
+The thing they actually get.
+
+### Define it as an outcome, not a feature list
+
+- **Feature-pitched (weak):** "6 modules, 24 lessons, weekly calls, private community."
+- **Outcome-pitched (strong):** "A working customer-acquisition system that brings 5 qualified leads per week within 60 days — built with you, not handed to you."
+
+The features still matter — buyers want to know what they're getting — but the *frame* is the outcome. Features support the outcome, they don't replace it.
+
+### Define the scope explicitly
+
+What's in. What's out. What's optional. Buyers buy clarity; ambiguity erodes perceived likelihood.
+
+Example scope statement:
+```
+Includes:
+- 90-day program with weekly live calls (recorded)
+- Private Slack with daily founder access
+- 12 fill-in-the-blank templates
+- 1 90-minute strategy session with a senior strategist
+
+Doesn't include:
+- 1:1 calls outside the strategy session
+- Implementation of the work (you/your team does this; we coach)
+- Tools and software (you provide; we recommend specific stacks)
+```
+
+### Match the depth to the buyer's stage of awareness
+
+Sophisticated buyers want the methodology and scope. New-to-category buyers want the dream outcome and proof. Read your audience.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Bonus stack
+
+What you add to make the core feel undervalued at the asking price.
+
+Bonuses do three jobs at once:
+1. **Raise perceived value** of the total offer
+2. **Lower perceived risk** — even if the core underdelivers, "I got X for free"
+3. **Close specific objections** — each bonus can target a different buying objection
+
+### How to construct bonuses
+
+For each major objection your buyer has, add a bonus that closes it:
+
+| Objection | Targeted bonus |
+|-----------|---------------|
+| "I don't have time to implement this" | Done-for-you setup, day 1 |
+| "I don't know which tools to use" | Pre-vetted tool stack with discount codes |
+| "What if I get stuck?" | 30-day async support |
+| "I'm not sure my team will buy in" | Stakeholder pitch deck for your team |
+| "I've tried something like this before and it didn't work" | Case study of someone in your exact situation |
+
+A 4-bonus stack that closes 4 specific objections converts massively better than a 4-bonus stack of generic "extras."
+
+### Don't inflate
+
+"$50,000 in bonuses!" on a $500 offer reads as scam. The asymmetry destroys trust.
+
+Bonuses should:
+- Have a stated value the buyer can verify (compare to a comparable product)
+- Total to less than 2x the price (e.g., a $1K offer can have ~$1.5K in bonuses comfortably)
+- Be things you'd actually sell separately if you wanted
+
+For the full bonus-stacking framework, see [bonus-stacking.md](bonus-stacking.md).
+
+---
+
+## 3. Guarantee
+
+What happens if it doesn't work.
+
+A guarantee directly raises perceived likelihood of achievement (the buyer thinks: "they'll only offer this if they're sure"). It also lowers effort & sacrifice (less emotional risk).
+
+The wrong guarantee can hurt:
+- Over-promising guarantees attract refund-seekers
+- Generic "100% guaranteed" with no conditions reads as legally unenforceable
+- No guarantee at all signals you're not confident
+
+The right type depends on your business model, refund risk tolerance, and buyer sophistication. For the full taxonomy, see [guarantee-design.md](guarantee-design.md).
+
+---
+
+## 4. Scarcity / urgency
+
+The reason to buy now, not later.
+
+Two flavors:
+- **Scarcity** — limited *quantity* (cohort size, seats, inventory, batch)
+- **Urgency** — limited *time* (cohort deadline, season, bonus expiry)
+
+The bar: **the scarcity has to be real.** Fake countdown timers and "only 3 spots left" lies work once and torch trust permanently. The internet is small; you will be caught.
+
+Common honest scarcity formats:
+- Cohort closes Friday (because the cohort actually starts Monday)
+- Founding-member pricing for the first 20 customers (because you're capacity-constrained)
+- Seasonal product or service (because demand is seasonal)
+- Bonus expires at launch end (because the bonus is your time)
+- Capacity-based service tier (because you literally can't take more clients)
+
+For full guidance on creating real scarcity, see [scarcity-urgency.md](scarcity-urgency.md).
+
+---
+
+## 5. Name
+
+What this thing is called.
+
+A named offer beats an unnamed offer for three reasons:
+1. **Repeatability** — buyers can tell their friend about it
+2. **Distinction** — a name makes it a *thing*, not a generic service
+3. **Pricing power** — branded offers can charge more than the same delivery sold as a service
+
+### Naming patterns that work
+
+- **Outcome-named:** "The 30-Day Activation Sprint" — names what they get
+- **Methodology-named:** "The VAULT Framework" — names how you do it
+- **Identity-named:** "Founder Marketing OS" — names who it's for
+- **Compression-named:** "5-Day Cohort" — names the timing/structure
+
+### Naming patterns that don't work
+
+- **Generic descriptors:** "Marketing Coaching Program" — forgettable
+- **Internal jargon:** "Tier 2 Standard" — buyer can't repeat
+- **Course-bro:** "The Money-Making Machine" — pattern-matches to scam
+- **Pun-overload:** "GrowthGoGetter" — reads as low-status
+
+### Practical test
+
+Can a buyer text a friend: "I just signed up for *the [name]*. It's $X and you get [one-line outcome]"? If yes, the name works. If no, rename.
+
+---
+
+## 6. Price + payment structure
+
+The price is the obvious part. The structure is the underrated part.
+
+### Price isn't a number, it's a comparison
+
+Buyers compare the price to:
+- The dream outcome (does this get me the result I want?)
+- The next-best alternative (what else could I buy?)
+- The cost of doing nothing (what does the status quo cost me?)
+- Other items in your own catalog (anchor pricing)
+
+You can move price perception without changing the number by:
+- Showing the cost of doing nothing more vividly
+- Anchoring against a higher-priced alternative
+- Sequencing other items in your catalog at higher prices first
+
+### Payment structure is its own lever
+
+Same total price, different structures convert very differently:
+
+| Structure | When it works | Trade-off |
+|-----------|---------------|-----------|
+| **Pay in full** | High-trust buyers, lower price points | Highest perceived commitment, smallest buyer pool |
+| **Pay in 2-4 installments** | Mid-range price, hesitant buyers | More buyers, payment defaults |
+| **Monthly subscription** | SaaS, ongoing services | Annuity revenue, churn risk |
+| **Pay-after-results** | High-confidence delivery, sophisticated buyers | Cash flow lag, fewer disputes |
+| **Down payment + balance on delivery** | Services with milestone-based delivery | Balance risk on backend |
+| **Free trial → paid** | Low-friction SaaS, info products | Conversion drop-off |
+
+Often the right move isn't lowering price — it's adding a payment plan. Same $6K price, "$6K today" vs "$2K × 3 monthly" converts very differently.
+
+---
+
+## Putting it together: an example
+
+A B2B fractional CMO service.
+
+| Component | Weak version | Strong version |
+|-----------|--------------|----------------|
+| **Core** | "Fractional CMO services" | "8-week marketing audit + 90-day execution plan, delivered by a CMO who's done it for 3+ similar companies" |
+| **Bonuses** | None | (1) 1:1 weekly check-ins for 90 days; (2) pre-vetted execution-partner introductions; (3) board-deck for marketing strategy section |
+| **Guarantee** | None | "If after the 8-week audit you don't have a clear 90-day plan you'd run yourself, you don't pay the audit fee" |
+| **Scarcity** | None | "We take 2 engagements per quarter — next slot opens [date]" |
+| **Name** | "fCMO Consulting" | "The 90-Day Marketing Reset" |
+| **Price** | "$15K, paid up front" | "$15K → $5K to start, $5K at week 8, $5K at week 16" |
+
+Same delivery. Same person. Different offer. Different conversion.
+
+The point: most "we need to lower our price" conversations are actually "we have one of six components missing or weak" conversations.