---
name: sales-page
description: "Writes high-converting long-form sales pages using the Problem-Agitate-Solution framework with benefit stacking, objection handling, social proof sections, and urgency elements. Use when a user needs a sales page for a digital product, course, service, or membership that converts visitors into buyers."
allowed-tools: Read Write Glob
metadata:
  author: matthewhitcham
  version: "1.0"
---

# Sales Page

## When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:
- Write a long-form sales page for a digital product, online course, coaching program, or membership
- Convert an existing product description into a persuasive sales page with a clear conversion structure
- Rebuild a sales page that is not converting (low opt-in, high bounce rate)
- Create a sales page for a launch, evergreen funnel, or standalone offer

**DO NOT** use this skill for short landing pages (under 500 words), opt-in pages, or product listings. This is for long-form sales pages that take the reader from problem-aware to purchase-ready.

---

## Sales Page Element Priority

Every sales page needs these elements. Build from CRITICAL down. Never skip a CRITICAL element.

| Priority | Element | Impact | Why It Matters |
|----------|---------|--------|----------------|
| **CRITICAL** | Headline + Subheadline | Conversion gate | 80% of visitors decide to stay or leave based on the headline alone |
| **CRITICAL** | Primary CTA (Buy Button) | Revenue driver | A confused or hidden CTA kills conversions regardless of copy quality |
| **CRITICAL** | Price Anchoring | Perceived value | Without anchoring, every price feels too high |
| **HIGH** | Benefit Bullets | Desire builder | Transforms features into reasons to buy |
| **HIGH** | Social Proof / Testimonials | Trust builder | Third-party validation outperforms self-claims 3:1 |
| **HIGH** | Guarantee / Risk Reversal | Objection crusher | Removes the #1 purchase barrier: "What if it doesn't work?" |
| **MEDIUM** | Objection Handling Section | Friction remover | Addresses silent doubts the reader will not voice |
| **MEDIUM** | Urgency / Scarcity | Action trigger | Moves readers from "later" to "now" |
| **MEDIUM** | FAQ Section | Clarity layer | Catches edge-case concerns that block the final click |
| **LOW** | About the Creator | Credibility supplement | Matters only if the reader is already interested |
| **LOW** | P.S. Line | Final nudge | Catches skimmers who scroll straight to the bottom |

---

## The PAS Framework

EVERY SALES PAGE FOLLOWS THIS ARC: PROBLEM, AGITATE, SOLUTION. DO NOT REARRANGE, DO NOT SKIP STEPS.

### Problem (Top 20% of the page)

Describe the reader's current painful situation in their own words. The goal is recognition: "This person understands exactly what I am dealing with."

**Rules:**
- **Name the specific pain**, not a vague category
- **Use the reader's language**, not industry jargon
- **Focus on one primary problem** even if the product solves many

**Incorrect:**
```
Are you struggling with your online business? Many entrepreneurs
face challenges when trying to grow. Our solution can help.
```

**Correct:**
```
You have spent the last 6 months building your course. The content
is solid. The platform is set up. But every time you check your
sales dashboard, it is the same number: zero.

You have tried posting on social media. You have sent emails to
your tiny list. You even ran a few Facebook ads that burned through
$300 with nothing to show for it.

The course is good. You know it is good. But nobody is buying.
```

### Agitate (Next 15% of the page)

Intensify the emotional weight of the problem. Show the reader what happens if they do NOT solve it. This is not about fear-mongering -- it is about making the cost of inaction clear.

**Rules:**
- **Describe the consequences** of staying on the current path
- **Stack the hidden costs** (time, money, opportunity, stress)
- **Make it personal** -- use "you" language, not abstract scenarios

**Incorrect:**
```
If you don't fix this, things could get worse. You might lose
money and feel frustrated. Don't let that happen!
```

**Correct:**
```
Here is what happens if nothing changes: three months from now,
you are still tweaking your landing page for the fifteenth time.
Six months from now, you start wondering if the whole "online
course" thing was a mistake. A year from now, that course is
collecting dust in your Teachable account while you go back to
trading hours for dollars.

Meanwhile, creators with half your expertise are pulling in
$10K months because they figured out the one thing you are
missing: a sales page that does the selling for you.
```

### Solution (Remaining 65% of the page)

Introduce your product as the bridge from the painful present to the desired future. This section contains benefits, proof, pricing, and the CTA.

**Rules:**
- **Transition smoothly** from agitation -- do not open with "Introducing..."
- **Lead with the outcome**, not the product name
- **Position the product as the vehicle**, not the hero -- the reader is the hero

**Incorrect:**
```
Introducing CourseBuilder Pro! Our amazing platform has 50+
templates, AI-powered copy assistance, and a built-in analytics
dashboard. Sign up today!
```

**Correct:**
```
What if your sales page could do the heavy lifting -- converting
cold visitors into buyers while you sleep, teach, or take a Tuesday
afternoon off?

That is exactly what Sales Page Blueprint gives you: a proven,
fill-in-the-blank system for writing sales pages that convert at
3-5%, built specifically for course creators who hate writing copy.
```

---

## Section-by-Section Guide

Build the sales page in this order. Each section has specific rules and examples.

### 1. Headline + Subheadline

The headline is the most important line on the page. It must pass the "Would I keep reading?" test.

**Formula options (pick one):**
- **Outcome + Timeframe:** "Launch a $10K Course in 90 Days Without a Big Audience"
- **Problem + Promise:** "Stop Guessing What to Write on Your Sales Page"
- **Proof + Curiosity:** "The Sales Page Framework Behind $2.3M in Course Sales"

**Incorrect:**
```
Welcome to Sales Page Blueprint
The Ultimate Course for Entrepreneurs
```

**Correct:**
```
The Exact Sales Page Framework That Turned a $497 Course
Into $147,000 in 9 Months

Without copywriting experience, a big audience, or paid ads.
```

**Rules:**
- Subheadline removes the biggest objection the headline creates
- Never use "Welcome to" as a headline
- Never lead with the product name -- lead with the outcome
- Keep headlines under 15 words

### 2. Benefit Bullets

Benefits are the engine of desire on a sales page. Use the benefit stacking technique to transform flat features into compelling reasons to buy.

**The Benefit Stacking Chain: Feature > Benefit > Outcome**

| Feature | Benefit | Outcome |
|---------|---------|---------|
| 12 video modules | Step-by-step system you can follow in order | Go from blank page to finished sales page in one weekend |
| Fill-in-the-blank templates | No staring at a cursor wondering what to write | Your page is done in hours, not weeks |
| Headline swipe file (50 formulas) | Proven headlines you plug your product into | First impression that stops the scroll and keeps readers on the page |
| Private community access | Get feedback before you publish | Launch with confidence knowing your page has been reviewed |

**Always write at the Outcome level. Never stop at the Feature level.**

**Incorrect:**
```
- 12 video modules
- Downloadable templates
- Private Facebook group
- Lifetime access
```

**Correct:**
```
- Go from blank page to published sales page in a single weekend
  (12 step-by-step video modules walk you through every section)

- Stop staring at a blinking cursor wondering what to write
  (fill-in-the-blank templates for every section so you just
  plug in your product details)

- Nail your headline on the first try instead of testing 20 duds
  (50 proven headline formulas from pages that generated $100K+)

- Launch knowing your page actually works before spending a dime
  on ads (get line-by-line feedback from the private community)
```

### 3. Social Proof / Testimonials

Social proof must be specific and results-oriented. Vague praise does nothing.

**Incorrect:**
```
"This course is amazing! I learned so much. Highly recommend!"
-- Sarah K.
```

**Correct:**
```
"I used the headline formula from Module 3 and my conversion rate
went from 0.8% to 3.2% overnight. That single change added $4,700
to my launch revenue."
-- Sarah Chen, creator of The Meal Prep Method ($497 course)
```

**Rules:**
- Every testimonial must include a **specific result** (number, timeframe, or measurable change)
- Include the person's **full name and context** (what they do, what they sell)
- Place testimonials **immediately after the section they validate** (headline testimonial after the headline section, results testimonial after the benefits section)
- If the user has no testimonials yet, use **beta reader quotes**, **screenshots of DMs/comments**, or a **case study from their own results**

### 4. Call to Action (CTA)

The CTA appears at least 3 times on a long-form sales page: after the benefit bullets, after social proof, and at the bottom.

**Incorrect:**
```
[Submit]
```

**Correct:**
```
[Yes -- Give Me the Sales Page Blueprint ($497)]
```

**Rules:**
- Button text starts with **"Yes"** or a **first-person action** ("Get My Copy," "Start Building My Page")
- Include the **product name and price** on the button or directly adjacent
- **NEVER use** "Submit," "Buy Now," "Click Here," or "Learn More" as button text
- Surround the CTA with a **micro-guarantee** ("30-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked")

### 5. Price Presentation

Anchoring is how you make the price feel like a deal instead of an expense. Always anchor before revealing the actual price.

**Incorrect:**
```
The price is $497. Click below to purchase.
```

**Correct:**
```
A professional copywriter charges $3,000-$5,000 for one page.
A copywriting course costs $2,000+ and months of study.
Sales Page Blueprint gives you the complete system for $497.
That is less than the cost of one failed Facebook ad campaign.
```

**Anchoring stack (use 2-3):** cost of hiring a professional, cost of other programs, cost of NOT solving the problem, or per-day breakdown ("Less than $1.37/day").

### 6. Guarantee / Risk Reversal

The guarantee removes the final barrier. Make it bold, specific, and unconditional.

**Incorrect:**
```
We offer a money-back guarantee.
```

**Correct:**
```
The "Blank Page to Sales Page" Guarantee

Go through the entire program. Use the templates. Build your
sales page. If you do the work and your page does not convert
a single visitor into a buyer within 60 days, email me and I
will refund every penny. No hoops. No forms. No questions.

You either get a sales page that converts, or you get your
money back. There is no third option.
```

**Rules:**
- **Name the guarantee** -- a named guarantee feels more real than a generic refund policy
- **Specify the timeframe** (30 days, 60 days, etc.)
- **State what they need to do** (if anything) to qualify
- **Emphasize "no questions asked"** -- any friction in the refund process kills the guarantee's power

---

## Objection Handling Section

Address the 3-5 most common objections directly on the page. Frame each as a question the reader is already thinking.

**Common objections by product type:**

| Product Type | Top Objections |
|-------------|---------------|
| Online course | "I don't have time" / "Will this work for my niche?" / "I've bought courses before that didn't help" |
| Coaching/membership | "What if I can't keep up?" / "How is this different from free content?" / "What if I need to cancel?" |
| Service/done-for-you | "How do I know you'll deliver?" / "What's the timeline?" / "What if I don't like the result?" |
| Digital product/template | "Will this work for my situation?" / "Is this just generic advice?" / "Can't I just figure this out myself?" |

**Format each objection as:**

```
"But I've bought courses before and never finished them."

This is not a 47-hour video library you will never open. Sales Page
Blueprint is built around ONE project: YOUR sales page. You follow
the modules in order, fill in the templates as you go, and walk out
with a finished page. Average completion time: one weekend.
```

---

## Example 1: Sales Page for a $497 Online Course

**Product:** Sales Page Blueprint -- a course teaching course creators how to write high-converting sales pages. Annotated to show PAS structure.

```markdown
# The Exact Sales Page Framework That Turned a $497 Course Into $147,000 in 9 Months
Without copywriting experience, a big audience, or paid ads.

[PROBLEM]
You built the course. The modules are recorded. But every time
you check your sales dashboard, it is the same number: zero.
You have rewritten your headline nine times. Still: crickets.

[AGITATE]
Every week you wait is another week of $0 sales. That is not
just lost revenue -- it is lost proof, lost testimonials, lost
momentum. Meanwhile, creators with half your expertise are
pulling in $10K months because they have a page that sells.

[SOLUTION + BENEFITS]
**Sales Page Blueprint** gives you the complete system:

- Go from blank page to published sales page in a single weekend
  (12 step-by-step video modules)
- Stop guessing what to write (fill-in-the-blank templates for
  every section)
- Nail your headline on the first try (50 proven formulas from
  pages that generated $100K+)

[CTA #1]
[Yes -- Give Me the Sales Page Blueprint ($497)]
30-day money-back guarantee. No questions asked.

[SOCIAL PROOF]
"My conversion rate jumped from 0.8% to 3.2% in the first week.
That single change added $4,700 to my launch."
-- Sarah Chen, creator of The Meal Prep Method

[PRICE ANCHORING]
A conversion copywriter charges $3,000-$5,000 for one page.
Sales Page Blueprint: one payment of **$497**.

[CTA #2]
[Yes -- Give Me the Sales Page Blueprint ($497)]

[GUARANTEE]
**The "Blank Page to Sales Page" Guarantee**
Do the work. If your page does not convert within 60 days,
full refund. No hoops. No questions.

[FAQ + CTA #3 + P.S.]
[Yes -- Give Me the Sales Page Blueprint ($497)]

P.S. — Every day without a working sales page is a day your
course makes $0. The templates take one weekend.
```

---

## Example 2: Sales Page for a $97/Month Coaching Membership

**Product:** The Launch Lab -- a monthly coaching membership for course creators who want hands-on guidance. Annotated to show PAS structure.

```markdown
# Get a Conversion Expert Reviewing Your Sales Page, Funnel, and
Launch Strategy Every Month -- for Less Than One Hour of Consulting
Cancel anytime. No contracts. No commitments beyond this month.

[PROBLEM]
You sit down to build your funnel and hit a wall: "Is my headline
strong enough?" "Why did my last launch only get 3 sales?" And
there is nobody to ask. No mentor. No copywriter on retainer.

[AGITATE]
That wall gets thicker. Every month guessing is a month of
underperforming launches, wasted ad spend, and creeping doubt
about whether this business model even works for you.

[SOLUTION + BENEFITS]
**The Launch Lab** gives you:

- Live monthly page reviews from a conversion specialist (not a
  peer review -- an expert review)
- Weekly hot-seat calls: bring your biggest question and get a
  specific answer in real-time (recordings available)
- Template vault updated monthly so you never start from scratch
- Private Slack community with 4-hour average response time

[CTA #1]
[Yes -- Start My Launch Lab Membership ($97/month)]
Cancel anytime. No contracts.

[SOCIAL PROOF]
"The feedback was so specific I rewrote my headline in one sitting.
My next launch did $8,200 -- my previous best was $1,400."
-- Priya Sharma, creator of Yoga for Desk Workers

[PRICE ANCHORING]
One hour with a conversion consultant costs $250-$500.
The Launch Lab: **$97/month**. That is one sale of almost any
digital product to cover the cost.

[CTA #2]
[Yes -- Start My Launch Lab Membership ($97/month)]

[GUARANTEE]
**The "First Month on Us" Guarantee**
If after 30 days you do not feel the membership has paid for
itself, full refund. No cancellation hoops, no guilt.

[FAQ + CTA #3 + P.S.]
[Yes -- Start My Launch Lab Membership ($97/month)]

P.S. — Your next launch is coming whether your sales page is
optimized or not. $97 buys you expert eyes before you hit publish.
```

---

## Pre-Delivery Checklist

Run every item before handing the sales page to the user.

```
## Pre-Delivery Checklist

- [ ] Headline leads with outcome or proof, NOT the product name
- [ ] Subheadline removes the biggest objection the headline creates
- [ ] PAS flow is intact: Problem > Agitate > Solution (in that order)
- [ ] Every benefit bullet follows Feature > Benefit > Outcome chain
- [ ] CTA button text starts with "Yes" or a first-person action verb
- [ ] CTA appears at least 3 times on the page
- [ ] Price is anchored against 2-3 higher alternatives before reveal
- [ ] Guarantee is named, time-bound, and states "no questions asked"
- [ ] Every testimonial includes a specific result and full attribution
- [ ] Top 3-5 objections are addressed directly on the page
- [ ] No "Submit," "Buy Now," "Click Here," or "Learn More" buttons
- [ ] No jargon the target buyer would not immediately understand
- [ ] Page reads at an 8th-grade level or below (short sentences, plain words)
- [ ] No unsubstantiated income claims or fake scarcity
- [ ] P.S. line restates the core value proposition for skimmers
```

---

## Recovery

- **User has no testimonials:** Use one of these substitutes: (1) screenshots of DMs, emails, or comments from beta users, (2) a case study from the creator's own results using the method, (3) a "charter member" offer where early buyers get a discount in exchange for a testimonial after they complete the program. Label substitutes honestly -- do not fabricate quotes.
- **User cannot articulate the problem their product solves:** Ask them to answer: "What was your buyer's life like the week BEFORE they found your product? What were they frustrated about, searching for, or failing at?" Use their answer to write the Problem section.
- **User wants to skip the Agitate section:** Explain that without agitation, the price will always feel too high because the reader has not fully felt the cost of inaction. Offer to write a mild agitation (consequences-focused, not fear-based) and let them approve it.
- **Price feels too high even with anchoring:** Add a per-day or per-month breakdown, a payment plan option, or a stronger guarantee to offset perceived risk.
- **User has a product with many different audiences:** Pick the ONE audience with the highest pain and purchase intent. Write the page for that audience only. A page that tries to speak to everyone converts no one.
- **If 3 revision attempts on any section do not satisfy the user:** Stop and ask the user to share a sales page they admire. Reverse-engineer its structure and tone, then apply that approach to their page.

---

## Anti-Patterns

**NEVER do these on a sales page:**

- **Leading with the product name** -- lead with the outcome, not "Welcome to CourseBuilder Pro"
- **Listing features without benefits** -- "12 video modules" means nothing; "finished sales page in one weekend" means everything
- **Using "Submit" as button text** -- always use action-oriented, first-person text
- **Skipping price anchoring** -- without context, every price feels expensive
- **Vague testimonials** -- every testimonial needs a specific, measurable result
- **Burying the CTA** -- place CTAs after every major section, not just at the bottom
- **Fake scarcity** -- "Only 7 spots left" on a digital product is dishonest and erodes trust
- **Writing in third person** -- sales pages use "you" and "I/we," never "customers will receive"
- **Wall-of-text paragraphs** -- no paragraph should exceed 4 lines; white space converts
