THE

ANTI-COMMODITY
FORMULA
HOW TO ATTRACT YOUR IDEAL CLIENTS
AND CUSTOMERS, CHARGE MORE THAN
YOUR COMPETITION, AND BUILD A
BUSINESS THAT YOU LOVE.
 THE SECRET TO ATTRACTING YOUR IDEAL
CUSTOMERS AND EARNING 3X, 4X OR EVEN 5X
THE “INDUSTRY AVERAGE” CAN ALL BE FOUND
IN THE ANTI-COMMODITY FORMULA

Here’s a bold claim that’s true:

As of this moment, you may be running a business that is at direct odds with the goals you
have set for yourself.

Here’s why…

Unless you’ve taken thoughtful, purposeful steps towards fighting against what I call “the
downward pull” you’ve slipped into a style of sales messaging and promotion that is hurting
you more than it’s helping. Even if you are making sales and closing deals.

In essence, you’ve pulled the wool over your own eyes. You may be generating revenue and
thinking you’re a super-entrepreneur without realizing the long term negative effects that
your sales copy and positioning are having on your business. You are riding a wave of success
now, blind to the reality that you are about to come crashing into some pretty sharp rocks.

If it sounds scary, that’s because it is. I have the scars to prove it (more on that later).

If you’ve ever studied economics (one of my favorite subjects) then you know that there exists
a thing called a commodity. A commodity is something like copper, or lumber, or corn. It is an
entire marketplace made up of nearly indistinguishable product variations. 


Corn is corn is corn, right?

Well here’s where things get really interesting – and very important for you:

When you shop for corn in the grocery store, what do you look for? For most, it’s price. Most
grocery store shoppers are looking for the cheapest deal on corn they can get.

For most business owners (especially information marketers), that is how they run their
business.

They use copy templates, steal other people’s ideas, and simply join the herd of other
Internet Marketers trying to make a living selling information. They make no effort to be
different.
They are just another ear of corn on the shelf.

And that’s where “the downward pull” comes into play.

Every business owner on earth has felt this. It’s the pull towards reducing price in hopes of
earning more sales. Or making any sales.

“The downward pull” is a mean trick that your brain plays on you when you aren’t doing as
well as you’d hoped. It happens a lot to new entrepreneurs who just want to make that first
sale. It happens with seasoned entrepreneurs when the leads start drying up. It all starts with
doubt.

Deep down, we all have doubts about the value of our product or service. Even in the best of
times when the challenges are few and far between. “Is it really worth $97?” “Is it really all that
different from what is already out there?” “Am I really such an authority/expert that I can charge
this much?”

Our initial reaction to these questions (partly out of fear/partly out of laziness) is to try and
compete on price. “Oh, if I just lower my prices then it will be so clear that my product is the
better choice.”

And when things get really bad, we think that a price decrease will result in an immediate
flood of new customers and cash.

But that is a false idea. And a dangerous one.

Because once you succumb to “the downward pull”, it gets harder to get out because “the
downward pull” leads to commoditization. You become almost indistinguishable from your
competition. And then the pressure really builds to compress your price.

Here’s what happens:

1st. You lower your prices hoping that will result in more customers

2nd. It does.

3rd. It turns out these customers are actually more expensive* to obtain, so your operating
costs shoot through the roof. Your profit begins to dwindle.

4th. Now that your profits are shrinking, you panic and lower prices even more, hoping for
another cash injection.

5th. Now you are over stretched and your profits have been depleted. You no longer have the
time or financial resources to serve your best customers so they leave. You are left with the
customers who only buy cheap. When you try and launch a high priced program (one that
you used to be able to sell with ease) you get angry emails from your list who are used to
seeing falling prices.

6th. So, you start dropping prices even more. Or you start trying to figure out how many $7
products it’s going to take to make a living. Or you just lose your mind.

*Price shoppers are difficult customers. They require more convincing before purchase (read:
more expensive marketing). They require more hand holding post purchase (read: high
customer service costs). They are rarely satisfied. They are unlikely to be prepared for your
coaching/training. They are less likely to complete and/or follow-through on instructions you
might provide. They are more likely to leave negative reviews on products they slightly don’t
like than positive ones on products they love. They are just awful.

This is life without the Anti-Commodity Formula, and it’s a life I lived for 3 straight years until I
had a nervous breakdown.

MY $821,044 PER YEAR MISTAKE

I once ran a copywriting business called FreelanceCopywriterMike.com 



You may have seen the ads floating around Facebook.
Out of fear, lack of self-confidence, and having not yet discovered the Anti-Commodity
Formula, I positioned myself as a low cost copywriter for hire. I commoditized myself on
purpose.

Literally, I searched the market to determine what other people were charging, then cut that
number by half. My thinking was, “if other copywriters charge that much, I’ll charge half and
get twice as many clients.”

And that’s exactly what happened.

For 3 straight years I spent thousands per month on Facebook advertising to push my
position as a low cost copywriter. And for 3 straight years, I got twice as many clients as any
other copywriter living. I was even named “the most prolific copywriter of our generation”.

But it was hell.

For every decent client that came through my doors, I had 10 awful, diva, rude, cheapskate
clients. And I had to take those other 10 clients on, because without them, I would have
starved. Facebook ads kept rising, month after month. I was saturating my own marketplace. I
was making less and less on each new client.
And very few of these clients came back for seconds because very few of these clients had
real businesses, or any real intent on starting an actual business.

To make matters worse, I would often write sales letters for people who had no idea how to
drive traffic, or nurture a lead. They would take my copy, purchase low cost solo emails from
junk providers, and then complain very vocally in marketing forums about how terrible my
copy was.

I spent many sleepless nights running that business.

I’ve seen this in the health and fitness niche as well when I worked with several fitness clients
of mine. They would attract these clients who really didn’t want to lose weight, or gain muscle,
or jump higher. Their clients would fork over the money, not get the results because they
weren’t ready to improve, and then whine and complain all over the Internet about how
terrible of a trainer so-and-so was.

It happens in every industry. It’s probably happening to you right now.

Frustrated by this in my own business, one day I sat down to calculate how much money I had
lost by not charging the AVERAGE in my marketplace.

It turns out, that had I charged what most copywriters charge, and done the same number of
sales letters (read: the same amount of work), I could have added an additional $2,476,500
over the 3 years that I ran that business.

Two weeks after finding that out, I closed my doors to new clients and went back to the
drawing board.

And that’s when I discovered the Anti-Commodity Formula.

LIFE AFTER APPLYING THE

ANTI-COMMODITY FORMULA
Before I tell you what the formula is, let me show you what it did for me once I found and
applied it:

‣ Within 3 months of applying the Anti-Commodity formula I was able to consistently

sell my services for 5x what I had before…

‣ Sales actually became MORE consistent and I found myself turning away 60%+ of
applicants to work with me because I was hitting my revenue goals working fewer
hours and I wanted to keep it that way…
 ‣ Within 6 months I was contacted out of the blue by SUCCESS Magazine to write for,
then eventually direct their new emerging digital division…

‣ I cut my work hours from 60+ hours a week, to a more reasonable 35 per week (taking
Friday – Sunday off completely)…

‣ I now only work with clients who have established businesses, can get massive results
from my copy, and who energize and inspire me when we work together…

In short, I now earn more money getting results for people I like, while working less hours.

It sounds like a bold claim, and had I not experienced it myself I’m not sure I would believe it
either.

But the change didn’t come overnight. And it required some thinking, some deep soul
searching, and a lot of study.

But it worked. And it has worked for every client that I’ve tried it on since.

And that’s huge.

BIG LESSON:

Positioning, public opinion, and your perceived value are all manufactured. They are created, not
bestowed upon you by the masses.

You are not a commodity.

And that’s good news for you.

It means that re-invention is not only possible, it’s a requirement for success in business these days. If
you’ve made the same mistakes I have in the past and commoditized yourself, there is a way out.

Keep reading to find out the simple steps required to get out of the commoditized zone and start
charging what you are worth, attracting your dream customers and clients, and running a business
that you enjoy.
 SO, WHAT EXACTLY IS THE FORMULA?

It’s this:

OO =
D C + S EI +
he A nt i - C o m mo d i t y
T
For mula

It’s long, and looks complicated.

I told you this took work, but luckily, it’s easy work. And it’s fun. And it makes you money.

It’s worth learning.

Let me break it down for you:

DC = Dream Client/Customer

SEI = Statement of Emotional Intent

OO = Obscene Offer

When you have these 3 pieces in place, and you’ve put some thought into them, you’ll be
surprised at what changes occur in your business.
Your copy will not only write itself (because you’ll have the high converting language and
ideas at your ready), but it’ll be the highest converting copy you’ve ever written. You’ll be able
to craft offers from your current product and service line that will not only attract a large
number of people, but they’ll attract the BEST kind of people.

In short: All the parts that suck about your business right now will melt away. The hard stuff
becomes easy, and your customers will love you for it. 



All you have to do is spend some time getting this formula right.

So, let’s do it together right now.

THE MOST OFT FORGOTTEN PIECE OF SUCCESS

THE DREAM CLIENT

If you want to build a dream business, build other people’s dreams for them.

You know that to be true.

Just imagine having the confidence to charge what you are worth because you know
that what are delivering will bring someone’s dream to life. 



Let me give you a personal example:

When I started charging higher prices for sales copy, two things occurred:

1. I started being able to devote more thought and energy to each piece of copy
I wrote.

2. Because of that, I was able to write really good stuff. The kind of stuff that took
low performing businesses and turned them into high profit companies.

In other words, when I started charging the right prices, I was able to deliver bigger
results. The kinds of results that people dream about when hiring a copywriter.
 BIG LESSON: Jim Rohn once said, “ To get what, help other get what they want.
You’ve probably heard that before, but have you ever thought to use it in your sales copy and
promotions?

In the book My Life In Advertising by Claude C. Hopkins (pioneer of measureable advertising) he

makes the point that all good advertising is simply offering service.

Too many advertisements declare loudly, “Buy my service or product, not my competitor’s product!”
The problem is that this declaration is clearly a sales message, and there isn’t a person alive who
likes to be sold to.

The key then is to go to the blank page with service on the mind. “How can I communicate with my
prospect that I want to help them?” “How can I show them that this product or service will help
them?”

You don’t need a lot of copywriting tricks or formulas when you start writing with this in mind. A
decent offer and the ability to communicate your desire to help will result in great results every time.

But before you can get there, you have to ask yourself, “Whose dreams can I make come
true?”

If you can figure that out, you’ll never go hungry again.

Let’s go through that exercise right now:

Step 1. Problems, Problems, Problems

Take out a sheet of paper.

Be honest with yourself and complete this simple statement:

“I am confident in my ability to help someone solve the following problems:”

List as many as you can confidently solve. Can you help them balance a checkbook? Great.
Can you help them lose 5 pounds in the next 3 weeks? Awesome. Can you help them double
their revenues inside of 3 months? Wonderful.

Write them down, but only the ones that you feel supremely confident in being able to
provide.

If you don’t feel confident about any, then you have one of two problems:
 a. You need to develop your own skillsets a bit more until you have something to offer to
people. A solution to their problems.

b. You are being too hard on yourself. If this is the case, then you need outside help.
Email 10 of your friends/coworkers/etc. and ask them what kinds of problems you are
good at solving. Believe them when they answer you – they have no incentive to lie.
Use those as your answers.

Next, I want you to pick 3 from your list. Just 3.

These 3 are the biggest, most profound problems that you can solve.

Sure, you can change a lightbulb, and that’s a great solution for someone who doesn’t have
the ability. But if you have the skillset and knowledge and experience to bring someone out
of a deep depression…

… that’s solving a big, profound problem.

Pick your top 3. Write them down.

Step 2. It’s About Them, Not You

Now that you have 3 big problems, I want you to list ALL of the characteristics of someone
who is able to overcome those problems with your help.

In other words, if you wanted to help me lose 10 pounds in the next 30 days, what kinds of
characteristics do I need in order for your help to be effective? Do I need to be able to obey
your instructions without question? Do I need to have discipline to stop eating ice cream at
1am (true story)?

What are the qualities that I need as your student to ensure that I am successful?

You know that it takes two people to create a success. The teacher and the student. It’s a
synergistic combination. I didn’t realize this until almost too late as a copywriter. My copy is
gold in the hands of someone with a mind for business. It’s coal in the hands of a hobbyist.

Write down the characteristics required for someone to be successful in solving a problem
that you can help them with.

Get down as many as you can.

Now choose 5. The central ones. The ones that really, really matter.
Step 3. Get Clear

This is the best part.

In one sentence, describe the results that someone will experience if they have the right
characteristics and you have confidently helped solve their problem.


Let me give you an example if I were a personal trainer:

Losing ten pounds in 3 weeks without having to change their diet.

If I were a dog trainer:

Their dog would be able to sit, stay, and come on command in less than a week, no matter
how misbehaved their dog was prior.

Is this making sense?

The idea boils down to this:



When all the stars align, and you are able to work with your dream client, solving a problem
of theirs that you are supremely confident you can solve, what happens?

THE HIDDEN BENEFIT OF DISCOVERING

YOUR DREAM CLIENT

It seems so obvious an exercise doesn’t it?

Figure out who you can help, how you can help them, and what that looks like.

But I would venture to guess than 85% of all businesses in operation right now have never sat
down and actually gone through the process of figuring it out. Having written for over 1,500
clients in 3 short years, I feel confident in that estimation.

And here’s how that helps you:

If you can figure out who your Dream Client/Customer is, and how you can help them, and
what they get as a result…

… you can do something that 85% of your competition simply can’t do…
… and that is: Attract your DCs.

You see, when you can articulate precisely what results you can help people achieve, and
what they must do to achieve those results, then Dream Client/Customer attraction is
automatic. It’s like sending out a Bat Signal, or putting up a fly trap. They can’t help but be
attracted to you.

Pretty cool, right?

Well, we’re just getting started.

Take a look below at the DC Statement. Fill it in with the information that you’ve just
uncovered.

MY DC STATEMENT
I am confident in my ability to help solve the following problems:

1. [INSERT PROBLEM]

2. [INSERT PROBLEM]

3. [INSERT PROBLEM]

And by focusing my marketing sales and messaging around proving my ability to solve those
problems, I will attract my Dream Client who is…

‣ [INSERT CHARACTERISTIC #1]

‣ [INSERT CHARACTERISTIC #2]

‣ [INSERT CHARACTERISTIC #3]

‣ [INSERT CHARACTERISTIC #4]

‣ [INSERT CHARACTERISTIC #5]

Together, with their help and my solution, we will be able to achieve results for my Dream Client.
After working with me/buying my products, my Dream Client will be able to:

‣ [INSERT RESULT]

And that is more than enough to sustain my business and build the life I want. By helping others
achieve specific goals, I will achieve my own.
 HOW TO SELL LIKE TONY ROBBINS
YOUR STATEMENT OF EMOTIONAL INTENT

FACT: People are NOT logical buyers...

Except when it comes to commodities.

When the only difference between Option A, and Option B is price, then the logical mind
kicks in. And the logical mind will ALWAYS choose the cheaper option.

This is how a “race to the bottom” occurs. Do you really want to “win” that race? What do you
get? To be the lowest priced guy or gal in town? Great, now you can’t even afford to pay
yourself, but at least you “won” the “race to the bottom”, right?

IMPORTANT: This might be the most important breakthrough of your

business life.

Unless you want to compete on price, you need to be more illogical about your sales message.

Consider the reality of the marketplace:

‣ Yes, people will purchase from your competitor just because they like your
competitor’s haircut better. (Don’t believe me? Then why does the hair and makeup
industry exist in TV Land?)

‣ Yes, they might purchase an inferior product just because they feel politically aligned
with the vendor.

‣ Yes, they will pay extra to buy from their child’s best friend’s dad.

And the crazy part is… they do it all subconsciously. This decision making process occurs on
the emotional level.

Your job is to shift from the logical reasons your product is awesome (aka: the “race to the
bottom” method) towards the emotional reasons your prospects buy anything at all.

Your job is to create messaging that speaks to the subconscious level. Because that’s where
90%+ of all selling occurs. In the deep lizard brain.
 AMYGDALA

a·myg·da·la
/əˈmiɡdələ/ noun. a roughly almond-shaped mass of gray matter inside each cerebral hemisphere,
involved with the experiencing of emotions.]

We are in the age of commodity, and the race to the bottom. Walmart. Cookie cutter services
outsourced to lower waged, overseas people. Taco Bell.

The anti-dote to this phenomenon is uniqueness.

Stand out in your market.

Attraction marketing isn’t done through logic. It’s an emotional attraction that occurs between
a buyer and seller.

Competition really only exists in the commodity space. Tony Robbins has ZERO competition.
The people below him are fighting for second place, not his spot. How does he do this?
Watch Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru. Count how many minutes you spend watching that
film crying. He isn’t trying to get you to think, he’s trying to get you to feel.

And that’s why Tony Robbins has no competition. He is the master of getting people to feel.

You can achieve similar results, it just requires a little introspection, and consistent application
of the Anti-Commodity Method.

Here’s what I need you to do in order to start selling emotionally:

Step 1. Think of your Dream Customer.

Step 2. Give him or her a made up name. Do it.

Step 3. Imagine your dream customer in the depth of their

suffering. Remember, only think about their suffering as it relates
to the things you can help with from the exercises above.

Step 4. Write down everything they are feeling during their darkest
moments facing the thing you know how to help them with.

Step 5. Write down all of their negative self-talk and limiting beliefs
that are holding them back.
Now fill in the blanks here:

MY STATEMENT OF EMOTIONAL INTENT

“Dear [Made Up Name Of Dream Customer],

I know that in order to help you, I need to speak to you in a way that you will respond. I cannot use
logic because your problems don’t feel logical to you. They are confusing, terrifying, and frustrating.
All feelings.

That’s why, when I want to reach you, I will talk about how I can help you overcome:

‣ [EMOTION #1]

‣ [EMOTION #2]

‣ [EMOTION #3]

And when I talk to you, I will understand that you are thinking:

‣ [SELF TALK #1]

‣ [SELF TALK #2]

‣ [SELF TALK #3]

And I will craft messages that take that into account. I will no longer ignore what you are thinking
and feeling right now. Instead, I will purposefully write and communicate directly to where you are
today.

Does that seem a little New Age to you?

It isn’t. This is the sales and marketing landscape we are competing in today.

Think about how powerful this tool is in creating videos, content, emails, and sales copy.
Imagine being able to talk directly to your prospect in a way that they feel, not relying on
logic, but cutting right to the heart of the matter.

You can’t do that unless you go through exercises like these and flesh out these details. It’s
work, but it’s good work.


Here’s an example from my business:
 MIKE SHREEVE’S STATEMENT OF EMOTIONAL INTENT
“Dear Carl, 



I know that in order to help you, I need to speak to you in a way that you will respond. I cannot use
logic because your problems don’t feel logical to you. They are confusing, terrifying, and frustrating.
All feelings. 



That’s why, when I want to reach you, I will talk about how I can help you overcome:

‣ The fact that you hate the business you are running right now because you never have any free
time to spend with your family. You like running your own business, but you hate that it’s taken
over your life.

‣ That sick feeling in your gut that at any moment your business is going to collapse. That the
leads will stop flowing in and you’ll stop making sales. The fear of it all going to pot.

And when I talk to you, I will understand that you are thinking:

‣ “I really can’t add another thing to my plate right now. This is already too much. How am I
supposed to keep up with everything?”

‣ “How can I trust anyone to actually deliver what they say they will. I’ve worked with so many
disappointing vendors/service providers. Does this generation just not know how to work?”

‣ “I want to sell, but I don’t want to sound salesy.”

And I will craft messages that take that into account. I will no longer ignore what you are thinking
and feeling right now. Instead, I will purposefully write and communicate directly to where you are
today.

This is such a powerful building block for creating content and writing sales copy.

Think about it:

If I wanted to build an entire content funnel with just my Statement of Emotional Intent,
here’s how I’d do it…

First, I’d write 3 blog posts.

The first, would be me telling my story about running FreelanceCopywriterMike.com, about

how much I hated it, what changes I made, and what the results were. That would talk directly
to my DC’s emotion of their growing hatred of their own business. They would recognize
themselves in my story. They would become emotionally attached to me. 



For the second, I would create a blog post sharing a case study of how I generate consistent
leads in my own business time and time again. Or I might even write a blog post about how
to stay agile and adopt new technologies so that I never get left behind. This would talk
directly to my DC’s fear of his business going bust overnight. I would be providing a content
based solution to his emotional need. It’s like giving someone a hug when they are upset.
And it works.

For the third, I would create a piece titled “Warren Buffet’s ‘Gold Biscuits’ Secret for Hiring
Good Copywriters”. It would talk about what to avoid, and how to tell if a copywriter is good
or not. I’d tie it in with a personal story from Warren Buffet to gain implied celebrity status and
bring in a broader audience. This would talk directly to the conversation already going on in
the head of my DC surrounding his mistrust with vendors/freelancers.

I would pixel all of this content, and run $10/day to each. I’d let the market decide which one
was the winner (best CPC and most engagement etc.), then I’d pour $30/day into that one
piece.

I would then retarget that piece with a webinar (or direct to an Obscene Offer which we’ll talk
about later). Topic of the webinar? “How To Sell Without Being Salesy: A conversion formula
for non-scammy types.” This would talk directly to the conversation going on in my DC’s head
about… well… I’m sure you get it by now.

By the time someone showed up to my webinar, they would already be emotionally attached
to me. They would feel connected, even if only on the subconscious level, in the same way
you are connected to your family and friends.


Consider this:

There are 6 billion+ people on the planet, yet you have chosen a select few (probably less
than 25) whom you consider “close friends and family”.

Who are these people? They are the people you are most emotionally connected to. There is
a strong likelihood that you are emotionally connected because of conversations you’ve had
with them and things they’ve done for you.

Just like the conversations I would have with my DC through blog posts, and the things I’d do
for them by solving their emotional pain via content delivery.

See how easy this is? And how powerful it can be for your business?
 THE HIDDEN BENEFIT OF YOUR
STATEMENT OF EMOTIONAL INTENT

There’s something else here at play that’s important to understand.

It’s the core of the Anti-Commodity Formula.

To charge higher prices, and attract dream customers, you need to stand out. But what does
that really mean?

Does that mean you need to be the loudest? No.

Does that mean you need to be everywhere? No.

Does that mean you have to be the cheapest? Hell no.

It means that you must be memorable. It means that your Dream Prospect thinks about you
even when you aren’t directly in front of them.

The fastest way to accomplish this is to strike an emotional connection with your prospect.

Here’s a cheesy way to think about it:

You go to Paris. You’re standing on a bridge. You look across to another bridge down the river
and you see her. Perfect hair, piercing eyes, flirtatious smile. For a brief moment you are
caught up in time.

Then the crowd pushes past and she disappears, enveloped in the throng of people.

For the next week you can’t stop thinking about her. It almost drives you mad until one night,
when you go down for coffee and cigarettes at the café across the street. There she is, sitting
alone at a table, reading.

What do you do?

You throw caution to the wind and walk straight up to her and ask if she’d like to join you for
coffee.

But why? Why would any logically thinking person do something so rash and out of
character?
Because of the emotional connection that occurred on the bridge. The instant attraction.

This can happen with your business. Your prospective customers can feel such a powerful
emotional connection to you through your content (emails/videos/sales letters/webinars/
direct mail/whatever) that they throw caution to the wind and run into your arms.

It sounds crazy, I know, but it works. To be frank, I’ve never seen it not work. What I have seen
are emotionless businesses trying to shove logic down people’s throats when all they want
(what they are desperate for) is a strong emotional connection.

Figure out how to communicate with your prospects emotionally and you’ll win every time.
Your Statement of Emotional Intent will help get you there.

60% OF BUSINESS SUCCESS

COMES FROM THIS ONE THING
YOUR OBSCENE OFFER

Ed Meyer was an important pioneer of direct response marketing (what we’ve been talking
about so far). He had a rule that I’ve lived by for the past 18 months that has drastically
increased my income and my ability to create more income from scratch.

It goes like this:

40% of all successful marketing campaigns come from how good the offer is.

Another 40% of all successful marketing campaigns come from how receptive the list is to
the offer.

The final 20% of all successful marketing campaigns come from how well the sales copy and
graphics were created.

For those interested in achieving an uber-efficient business, you’ll notice that working on the
quality of your offer is TWICE as effective in driving sales as working on the sales copy itself.

Considering how influential the offer is to determining list reception, it’s safe to assume that
60% of all the money you ever make will come as a direct result of the thought you put into
creating your offer.

The Offer is perhaps the most important piece to your marketing puzzle (way more important
than your sales copy… and that’s coming from a guy who makes his living writing sales copy!).
Here’s a quick example to illustrate the point.

Offer A

“I’d like to invite you to my house. We’ll play ping pong for a minute in my garage, and my wife
will even bring us some pink lemonade halfway through our game.

But before we can play ping pong, I need you to help me clean out my garage. It’s full of old
junk.

Also, I broke my arm last week so I can’t actually help you or play ping pong. I just need you to
come clean my garage.”

Offer B

“I’d like to invite you to my house. I have a bag full of $10,000 in cash with your name on it.

That is all.”

OBSCENE OFFERS

Sadly, most businesses operate with an Offer A.

“Here’s a bunch of really cool content. Come on into my brand, it’s gonna be awesome!”

“Ok, now that I’ve got you hooked with some content, here’s something you don’t really need
that you have to pay for to keep getting cool stuff from me! Yay! #winningatbusiness”

They hook with the good stuff, then drop the garbage offers on you once you’re sucked in. If
you like low conversions do business that way.

Here’s how I (and my clients) do things:

We create what I call Obscene Offers.

An Obscene Offer is something so valuable that it makes you – the product creator – panic a
little.
Here’s an example from my own business:

When I was running my nightmare business, I ran traffic straight to a sales page. From that
sales page people would contact me via email and I’d send them an invoice before even
really looking at their project.

Now, I run simple content funnels to a strategy session. I’ve tripled my income, work with WAY
better clients on average, and am working significantly less than ever before.

The key is in how I run strategy sessions. In my offer to traffic.

Everyone and their dog is running strategy sessions right now. They are hot because they
work. But remember, this is the Anti-Commodity Formula. We don’t want to be like everyone
else.

So, how did I find a workaround? How did I utilize a method that was overcrowded, but one
that still worked?

I pay people to attend my sessions.

That one simple twist has made all the difference in the world.

Here’s how it works:

People sign up to talk to me for 30 minutes. They pay nothing to do so.

On my sign up page, I tell them that we’ll spend time together looking for ways to add at least
another $10k/month to their existing business. If I can’t find a way for them to add $10k/
month within that 30-minute session, or they take my plan, implement it, and don’t see ANY
bump in revenue within 60 days…

… then I’ll pay them $250. No questions asked.

I have run more than 100 strategy sessions under this model and have only had to pay out
twice. This strategy has earned me well into the high six figures in net income. A $500 gamble
to earn a decent return.

HOW TO UNCOVER YOUR OWN OBSCENE OFFER

You don’t have to be as obscene with your offer as I am.

Chances are, you probably shouldn’t be. I’ve done it this way because it speaks so powerfully
to my Dream Client’s #1 emotional fear/concern: “Who can I trust?” I also sell high ticket
services so I can afford the occasional $250 payout to attract my Dream Clients.

I’ve created an emotionally compelling offer that speaks directly to my DC. It reaches out and
grabs them by the throat. They can’t look away because it touches them deeply, emotionally,
way down there in their lizard brain.

And that’s all you have to do too.

Go back to your Statement of Emotional Intent. Look at the conversation going on in your
prospect’s head. Look at their emotional state of mind. Look at how you can help them.

Then start digging.



Here’s what I suggest to clients:

Step 1. Find your top 10 competitors/people you want to be like.

Step 2. Find their 10 best offers. How can you tell what their best
offers are? Choose the one that speaks directly to you.

Step 3. Now, for every single one of these offers, ask yourself the
question, “How can I raise the emotional stakes on this offer?”

This is huge.

You aren’t asking, “How can I create more value?” because compounded bulk value isn’t
obscene - it’s an overrated IM trick that is working less and less. People see through it
because it plays to logic and not emotion.

Obscene is high emotional stakes. Obscene is when the prospect thinks, “I literally have
nothing to lose, and everything to gain. I’m going for it. It’s time to fix my problem.”

Let me give you some real life examples:

Not Obscene: 30 Day Meal Plan for Weight Loss

Obscene: This 30-day meal plan is so habit forming and delicious, that we guarantee you’ll
eat it 21 days out of 30 or you’ll get the next month totally free!
Emotional High Stakes: Self talk that sounds like this, “I can’t ever follow through on my diets. I
just can’t stay consistent. I must be a loser because I have no willpower.”

Not Obscene: Facebook Advertising Services

Obscene: We’ll lower your ad costs by 25% and double your leads within 45 days or you pay
nothing until we do.
Emotional High Stakes: Fear of business folding overnight because they can’t keep up with
Facebook ads changes

Not Obscene: 30 Day Money Back Guarantee

Obscene: Double Money Back Guarantee
Emotional High Stakes: Self talk that sounds like this, “I don’t know who I can trust these days.
Everyone seems like a scammer.”

Are you seeing how powerful it is to reframe your offers this way?

If you’re still struggling to come up with an Obscene Offer for your business, here’s a little
formula to help:

OBSCENE OFFER FORMULA

“I promise that I’ll get you [INSERT RESULTS YOU ARE CONFIDENT YOU CAN ACHIEVE FOR THE
RIGHT PERSON], or I’ll [INSERT A PUNISHMENT FOR YOURSELF THAT SPEAKS TO AT LEAST ONE
EMOTION FROM YOUR STATEMENT OF EMOTIONAL INTENT EXERCISE]”

To check your formula, ask: What are the emotional high stakes here?

Plug a few of your ideas into that formula until you find one that works for you and your
business.

THE HIDDEN DANGERS OF

OBSCENE OFFERS

Obscene Offers require a strong stomach and the belief in yourself to carry out and
accomplish what you are promising. I still sometimes get nervous when taking a new strategy
call.

That’s why we did the Dream Customer exercise. Obscene Offers only work for the people
who possess the characteristics you described in that exercise. For my example, I only work
with people who have the ability and willingness to implement whatever I tell them to do in
the strategy sessions. I weed out the people who don’t possess those characteristics through
an application form, negative bias email follow up copy, and sometimes a quick personal
email to check on some things they submitted in their form.

The key here is to only offer things you can confidently provide. I never make promises I can’t
keep, obscene offer or not.

There is always a temptation to create a Crazy Offer. Something like:

Get 42 hours of my best teachings that will guarantee overnight success in just 2 minutes a
day!

Having written for 1,500 clients, and now having access to millions of dollars in testing data
through my work with SUCCESS Magazine, I can tell you with 100% accuracy that Crazy Offers
suck. They attract the WORST type of clients and customers, and they almost never sell as well
as people think they might.

Remember, an Obscene Offer is an offer built around an emotional core. It’s the offer that
speaks directly to your DC’s greatest fear, embarrassment, and/or pain. It doesn’t have to be
crazy, over the top, or unrealistic. It just has to be emotionally true.

One of my favorite advertisements of all time is from a small plumbing company in some
town somewhere. I can’t even remember where I saw it, or if it’s even a real ad, but it goes
something like this:

JOE’S PLUMBERS 

OUR PLUMBERS SMELL GOOD
OR YOUR MONEY BACK

How is that for an Obscene Offer?

It might not be an emotional issue for you, but for Joe’s DCs, a plumber that doesn’t smell like
their neighbors backed up toilet just might be powerful enough for Joe’s phone to be ringing
off the hook with new business.

Don’t underestimate creativity in building your Obscene Offer, and don’t forget to test.

Remember, 60% of your lifetime revenue will come from the time you’ve spent developing
your offers. It’s worth doing.
 YOUR VERY OWN 

ANTI-COMMODITY FORMULA

Now that you’ve been through all 3 of the exercises, it’s time to put them all together.

I’ve created this tear out for you so that you can print out your own Anti-Commodity formula
and stick it near your desk. Whenever you sit down to create an offer, or build out your sales
messaging, you’ll be able to look at this for reference and create powerful, pinpointed copy
that speaks powerfully to your prospect.

When you do that, you’ll be able to attract better clients and customers, you’ll be able to
charge much more, and you’ll build a business that you love. I guarantee it.

MY ANTI-COMMODITY FORMULA

MY DC STATEMENT

I am confident in my ability to help solve the following problems:

And by focusing my marketing sales and messaging around proving my ability to solve those
problems, I will attract my Dream Client who is…

Together, with their help and my solution, we will be able to achieve results for my Dream Client.
After working with me/buying my products, my Dream Client will be able to:

And that is more than enough to sustain my business and build the life I want. By helping others
achieve specific goals, I will achieve my own.
 MY STATEMENT OF EMOTIONAL INTENT
“Dear ,



I know that in order to help you, I need to speak to you in a way that you will respond. I cannot use
logic because your problems don’t feel logical to you. They are confusing, terrifying, and frustrating.
All feelings. 



That’s why, when I want to reach you, I will talk about how I can help you overcome:

And when I talk to you, I will understand that you are thinking:

And I will craft messages that take that into account. I will no longer ignore what you are thinking
and feeling right now. Instead, I will purposefully write and communicate directly to where you are
today.

MY STATEMENT OF EMOTIONAL INTENT

“I promise that I’ll get you , or I’ll

WHAT TO DO NOW
You’ve got your Anti-Commodity Formula. Congrats!

Now you have the foundation for creating compelling, tight, emotionally driven sales
messaging. You have the key to unlock better clients and customers, getting paid what you
are worth, and building a business that energizes and motivates you every day.

I encourage you to spend time everyday reviewing the conclusions you’ve made from
completing this exercise. You’ll find that the more you apply this, the more feedback you’ll
receive. Use that feedback to tweak build better promotions over time.
You can use this formula to write you own sales and messaging, or you can send it your
copywriter. Tell him or her, “here’s what I want you to base the copy on.”

What you’ll discover is that your copywriter is able to better represent you, your brand, and
your goals. You’ll start getting better results, both in total sales, and in the types of clients and
customers that you attract.

This is not theory. This is fact. I’ve done it for myself, and I’ve been doing it for my clients for
the past 18 months. It works.

And it’s so easy to do.

Here’s to sticking out amongst the crowd and building a business that lasts,

Mike “The Anti-Commodity Crusader” Shreeve