A practical field guide

Clarify the offer you’re building

An offer is easier to discuss when you can say what it includes, who it is for, and the problem it addresses. Use these steps to shape a working description, then revise it as you learn more.

Start with your best current answer. This is a thinking tool, not a promise of a particular business result.

The six steps

  1. Choose a specific customer and situation

    Name the kind of person or organization you can describe clearly, then picture one moment when they might need help.

    Questions to write through

    • Who is dealing with this situation?
    • What is happening when the need comes up?
    • What makes this person or organization a useful place to start learning?

  2. Describe the problem in the customer’s terms

    Write down the difficulty they are trying to handle before describing your solution. Prefer the words they use over broad labels or inside language.

    Questions to write through

    • What is hard, slow, confusing, costly, or still unresolved?
    • What have they already tried, if you know?
    • What would they say they need help with?

  3. State the deliverable and its scope

    Explain what the customer receives and how you provide it. Make the boundary visible so the offer does not sound larger or more certain than it is.

    Questions to write through

    • What will you make, do, teach, provide, or help decide?
    • What is included, and what is outside the offer?
    • What would the customer be able to point to at the end?

  4. Describe the value you intend to provide

    Connect the deliverable to why it may matter to this customer. Describe an intended benefit or useful change without presenting it as a guaranteed result.

    Questions to write through

    • What could become clearer, easier, or more manageable?
    • What does the offer help the customer do or consider?
    • What depends on the customer’s circumstances or follow-through?

  5. Separate what you know from what you assume

    Mark each important belief as something you have heard or observed, or something you still need to learn. Keep notes tied to their source; do not turn a hunch into proof.

    Questions to write through

    • What have people actually said or done that relates to this problem?
    • Which part of your offer is still an assumption?
    • What evidence would help you understand the assumption better?

  6. Choose one small next question

    Pick a low-pressure way to learn from someone who fits the customer description. Ask about their experience before asking them to agree with your solution.

    Questions to write through

    • What is one open question you can ask about the problem?
    • Who could you ask, and what is a reasonable next step?
    • What answer would cause you to revise your offer statement?

Put it together

A working offer statement

Fill in the first three blanks from your worksheet. Add the scope and intended value once you can describe them clearly.

I offer [offer] for [target customer] who is dealing with [problem]. It includes [deliverable and scope] and is intended to help by [value, without a guaranteed outcome].

Keep the brackets as prompts until you have your own details to put there.

Before you share it

  • Can a specific customer recognize who the offer is for?
  • Is the problem described plainly, without claiming more than you know?
  • Can someone tell what is included and what is still uncertain?
  • Have you chosen one useful question to learn what to improve?

Clarity is a working draft. Keep what is supported, label what is still an assumption, and update the statement when you learn something relevant.