You’ve heard the phrase thrown around for years.

Experts tout it as the Holy Grail of marketing.  The one thing, that if you could just get it right, would allow you to sell with ease.

No, it’s not your Unique Selling Proposition (USP).  It’s not your brand message, and it’s not your “avatar.”

Instead, we’re talking about your offer.  

In particular, having an “irresistible” offer.

How to Sell Ice to Eskimos

Across the country, salespeople with slick tongues are touted as being able to “sell ice to Eskimos.”

And while it makes for a nice compliment, selling ice in the frigid arctic is quite easy…if you have the right offer. 

Let me explain.

Meet Iggy the Igloo builder.   

Quickly after arriving in Alaska, Iggy realizes he can build two-story, double insulated igloos with a built-in fishing hole and killer glacier views.

Cramped into tiny one-bedroom igloos, the locals go wild over the idea of having a two-story space.  Not to mention being able to shed those blubber blankets if his double insulation approach works.

And his Polar Bear Proof windows?  

A no brainer.

How Experts Sell With Ease

With the locals unable to resist his offer, Iggy’s business explodes.  His clients refer left and right, he gets a great response every time he runs ads, and he sells with no arm twisting, manipulation, or shenanigans whatsoever.

As you can see here, there is plenty of money to be made selling ice to Eskimos.  And I think we can all agree that ice in the Arctic is a much bigger commodity than business coaching in the West.

So how is it that – despite having a much more attractive offer – most coaches still struggle to sell their programs?

The One Question

Six months ago, my mentor proposed a framework for creating truly irresistible offers.  In particular, he laid out a simple criteria anyone could follow to create one.

Ready?  Here it is:

“To make your offer irresistible, it needs to be different in a way that is meaningful to your prospects.”

On the surface, this criteria seems both too easy…and much too abstract.  “Different in a way that’s “meaningful” to my prospects?  Of course, my program is different! What the heck does that even mean?”

Sadly, this inability to understand what their prospects would find “meaningful” is exactly why most coaches struggle when it comes time to sell.

Where the Battle is Won

In the world of heavy hitting direct response, it’s said that “The battle is won in the trenches of market research.”  

Which ties in perfectly with what we’re talking about here.  Why?  Because effective market research is the key to creating an irresistible offer.  

Sadly, most business owners (coaching or otherwise) refuse to take time to understand their audience truly. 

And who’s to blame?  

Market research is tedious, time-consuming, and doesn’t lead to a (direct) ROI.

Fortunately, taking just a little bit of time to differentiate your offers from the competition can pay dividends for years.  

Case in point:

My highly embarrassing (yet very profitable) throat situation.

Real Life Example

I can’t believe I’m saying this publicly, as only six people on the planet know this about me, but screw it: I have dysphagia.  Also known as the “Choking Disease.”

Meaning, my esophagus is narrower than most people’s.  As a result of this, I can’t swallow most pills and can easily choke on my food if I don’t chew it properly.  

Now, while this condition is rare, it’s commonly known in the supplement world that most people hate swallowing horse pills, especially among the elderly (who have weaker throat muscles, resulting in them too choking). 

The problem?  

Up until recently, most vitamins – and all liquids/gels – came in pill form.  Most of them big fat horse pills.  Which I, other dysphagia sufferers, and many elderly people refused to consume.

Different in a Way That’s Meaningful

Fortunately, someone had the bright idea of condensing these supplements into high-concentration tinctures.  The result?

I can now get my daily dose of vitamins, etc. with a few drops of liquid under my tongue…no choking or gagging required.  

Which brings us full circle.  

Because these tinctures are different from the competition (tongue droppers) in a way that is extremely meaningful to me (no choking), these companies have me locked in for life – and I LOVE them for it.

Conclusion

In marketing, it’s commonly said that “your market and your offer are responsible for 85% of your success.”

Nowhere in this phrase do we see any mention of a company’s branding, copy, social media following or website.  Instead, it’s the offer – and the people you’re selling it to – that determine how easy (or difficult) it will be to sell your program.

So while most coaches put their focus on slick sales scripts, killer copy, and advanced “funnels,” that stuff’s the icing on the cake.

Because once you have a killer offer, you won’t need layers and layers of complexity to sell it.  

Just ask Iggy.