---
name: tripwire-offer
description: "Creates low-ticket tripwire offers with pricing strategy, delivery mechanism, and upsell path. Use when you need to convert leads into buyers with a small first purchase."
allowed-tools: Read Write Glob
metadata:
  author: matthewhitcham
  version: "1.0"
---

# Tripwire Offer

## When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:
- Design a low-ticket ($7-$47) offer that converts leads into first-time buyers
- Create the sales page copy and delivery plan for a tripwire product
- Map the tripwire into a larger product ladder with upsell paths
- Define pricing psychology that makes the offer feel like a no-brainer

**DO NOT** use this skill for core offer pricing, free lead magnets, or high-ticket sales pages. This is specifically for low-cost entry offers designed to create buyers.

---

## Core Principle

THE TRIPWIRE'S JOB IS NOT PROFIT — IT IS TO CHANGE SOMEONE FROM A LEAD INTO A BUYER, BECAUSE BUYERS ARE 10X MORE LIKELY TO BUY AGAIN THAN PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER PURCHASED.

---

## Phase 1: Brief

### Required Inputs

| Input | What to Ask | Default |
|-------|------------|---------|
| **Core offer** | "What is your main product/service?" | No default — must be provided |
| **Core offer price** | "What does your main offer cost?" | No default — must be provided |
| **Lead magnet** | "What free content do you currently offer?" | PDF guide or checklist |
| **Audience pain point** | "What immediate problem can you solve for cheap?" | Derived from core offer topic |
| **Delivery format** | "What format works best? (template, mini-course, tool, swipe file)" | Digital download |

**GATE: Confirm the brief before designing the tripwire.**

---

## Phase 2: Tripwire Design

### Product Concept

Design the tripwire offer based on these criteria:

1. **Solves one specific problem fast** — not a comprehensive solution, but an immediate quick win
2. **Directly related to the core offer** — buyers should naturally want the bigger product next
3. **High perceived value, low price** — should feel like stealing at the price point
4. **Instant delivery** — no waiting, no drip. Immediate access after purchase.

### Tripwire Framework

```
## Tripwire Offer Design

**Product name:** [Name that implies value and speed]
**Format:** [Template pack / Mini-course / Swipe file / Tool]
**Price:** $[7-47]
**Perceived value:** $[100-500]
**Delivery:** Instant download / immediate access

**The Quick Win:** What specific result does the buyer get?
**The Gap:** What will they need next? (leads to core offer)
**The Bridge:** How does this product naturally lead to wanting more?
```

### Product Ladder Positioning

```
Free: [Lead magnet] → $0
Tripwire: [This offer] → $17
Core: [Main offer] → $297
Premium: [High-ticket] → $997+
```

**GATE: Approve the tripwire concept before writing sales copy.**

---

## Phase 3: Write Sales Copy

### Tripwire Sales Page Structure

1. **Headline** — states the quick win and the price
2. **Pain point** — 2-3 sentences on the problem this solves
3. **Solution intro** — what the tripwire product is (1 paragraph)
4. **What's included** — bullet list with value stacking
5. **Price anchor** — show the perceived value, then reveal the low price
6. **CTA button** — "Get Instant Access for $17"
7. **Guarantee** — 30-day money-back, no questions asked

### Copy Rules

- Keep the page short — 300-500 words total. Low-ticket offers need low-friction pages.
- Use value stacking: list each component with its individual value, then total it up.
- Price should feel absurd compared to the value listed.
- No long-form sales letter. This is not a high-ticket page.
- Single CTA button, repeated twice (after value stack and after guarantee).

### Value Stack Example

```
Here's everything you get:

✓ 25 Email Subject Line Templates (Value: $47)
✓ Open Rate Tracking Spreadsheet (Value: $27)
✓ Send Time Cheat Sheet (Value: $17)
✓ Spam Word Blacklist (Value: $17)

Total value: $108
Your price today: $17
```

---

## Phase 4: Polish

### 1. Upsell Path

Define what happens after the tripwire purchase:
- Thank you page with immediate upsell offer (core product at discount)
- If declined → downsell or payment plan option
- Post-purchase email sequence nurturing toward core offer

### 2. Delivery Setup

- File hosting / course platform configuration
- Purchase confirmation email with access link
- Automation: tag buyer, remove from lead nurture, add to buyer sequence

### 3. Metrics to Track

- Tripwire conversion rate (target: 5-10% of leads)
- Average order value (with upsells)
- Core offer conversion rate from tripwire buyers vs. non-buyers
- Cost per acquisition vs. tripwire revenue (breakeven or better)

---

## Anti-Patterns

- **Pricing too high** — a $97 product is not a tripwire. Keep it under $47 to minimize purchase friction.
- **Unrelated to core offer** — if the tripwire topic has nothing to do with your main product, buyers will not upgrade.
- **Overdelivering** — if the tripwire solves the entire problem, there is no reason to buy the core offer. Solve one piece.
- **No upsell path** — a tripwire without an upsell is just a cheap product. The value is in the buyer relationship it creates.
- **Complex delivery** — instant access only. If they have to wait for a login email or drip content, friction kills the experience.

---

## Recovery

- **No core offer yet:** Design the tripwire as a standalone product and plan the core offer. But warn that a tripwire without an upsell path limits its strategic value.
- **User wants to charge $97+:** That is not a tripwire — it is a core offer. Recommend extracting one component to sell at $17-27 as the true tripwire.
- **No lead magnet exists:** Recommend building the lead magnet first. The flow should be: free content → tripwire → core offer.
- **Digital product fatigue in their niche:** Suggest a templates or tools format instead of another course or guide. Practical assets convert better as tripwires.
