1993. Frozen cookie dough business.



Average opening order: $50. Free convection oven cost: $200.

My accountant thought I'd lost my mind.

"You're literally paying customers to buy from you!"

He was right. And wrong.

While I lost $200 upfront, I understood something he didn't: customer lifetime value.

Average customer worth over time? $5,000.

I was investing $200 to make $5,000. That's a 2,400% return on investment.

But here's the real genius: the free oven solved my customers' biggest problem.

Pizza parlors didn't want to waste valuable oven space baking cookies. They needed that space for pizza—their primary revenue driver.

By giving away convection ovens, I eliminated their constraint while creating massive value.

This strategy transformed our profit margins by allowing us to charge premium prices. When you solve real problems, price becomes irrelevant.

The Compelling Offer Formula

1. Identify the customer's real problem (not just what they think they need)

2. Create value that exceeds your cost but solves their constraint

3. Structure the offer to improve your revenue growth long-term

Why This Works for Any Business:

Most companies focus on features and benefits. Winners focus on customer constraints and problems.

When you remove barriers to success, customers pay premium prices for the privilege.

The Strategic Mindset Shift:

Stop thinking transactionally. Start thinking transformationally.

Your offer should make prospects think: "I'd be crazy not to take them up on that!"

Smart business optimization means investing upfront to dominate lifetime value.

That cookie dough business? It opened doors internationally and generated millions in bottom line growth.

All because I was willing to lose money to make money.

What constraint could you eliminate for your customers?