Why Your 2026 Offers Aren't Converting: This AI Prompt Reveals the Truth (With Real Examples)

I thought my offer was clear.

Then I asked AI to pretend to be my ideal client and react to it.

The first thing it said?

"What exactly counts as a funnel cleanup?"

😳

Oh.

When You Realize You've Been Confusing People This Whole Time

Here's what happened:

I've been offering a "Fix-It" package for Kit email systems—where I clean up one broken funnel, fix automations, handle deliverability setup, and get creators unstuck from the email mess they've been avoiding.

I charged $1,600 last year and made sales. Clients got results. But something kept nagging at me.

I'd have conversations where people seemed interested but didn't book. Or they'd hesitate before saying yes. Or they'd ask questions that made me realize they didn't fully understand what they were getting—even though others had already bought.

So I did what I tell my clients to do: I stress-tested my own offer.

I used an AI prompt that goes beyond the typical "write me a sales page" approach. This one role-plays as your ideal client and tells you what they're actually thinking when they read your offer.

I pasted in my offer details, described my ideal client (established business owners with messy email lists they're avoiding, broken automations, tags from 2022 they don't remember creating), and asked AI to react honestly.

What came back made me squirm.

What My "Ideal Client" Said About My Offer

The AI, speaking as someone considering my Fix-It package, said things like:

"What exactly counts as a funnel cleanup? Is that one funnel or multiple? What if I have 6 different opt-ins tangled up?"

"14 days feels fast—does that mean she's only spending 2 hours on my account?"

"Is this a one-time fix or will I need ongoing help? I need to know this actually solves something."

Yikes.

I thought I was being clear. People bought at $1,600 despite the confusion, not because the messaging was clear. And I was probably losing prospects who ghosted because they couldn't figure out what they were actually getting.

My pricing was comfortable but didn't reflect the transformation. My scope was fuzzy. My timeline created doubt instead of confidence.

The gap between what I thought I was communicating and what prospects were hearing? Huge.

And honestly? This was hard to see. When you're deep in your own business, you assume people understand what you mean. You think your offer is obvious. You believe the value speaks for itself.

It doesn't.

What Actually Changed (And Why It Matters for Your Offers)

Once I saw what prospects were really thinking before they bought, I restructured everything:

1. I Got Brutally Specific About Scope

Before: "Fix-It package for Kit email systems"

After: "One Primary Funnel Fix (up to 6 emails/automations)" with examples: Welcome sequence overhaul, re-engagement campaign, broken automation repair, abandoned funnel resurrection.

People can picture it now. They know what they're getting.

The lesson: Just because people buy doesn't mean your messaging is clear. You might be losing prospects who disappear because they don't understand the scope. And that confusion costs you sales you'll never even know about.

2. I Extended the Timeline (Counterintuitively)

Before: 14-day turnaround

After: 21 days

My current clients were always happy with 14 days. But the AI revealed what prospects were thinking before they bought: "14 days feels rushed—is she cutting corners?"

The extra week builds trust during the decision-making process. It signals thoughtful work, not rushed execution.

The lesson: Your current clients might be satisfied, but unclear messaging creates hesitation for prospects. You're losing sales before people even book a call. The questions they never ask are killing your conversion rate.

3. I Raised My Prices and Communicated Transformation

Before: $1,600, focused on deliverables (strategy session, technical fixes, final walkthrough)

After: $2,400, focused on outcomes (clean working funnel, clear tags, emails that get delivered, confidence to email their list, a system they understand how to maintain)

I was pricing based on what felt comfortable, not on the transformation I was delivering.

The lesson: Price for transformation, not tasks. If your client re-engages their cold list and makes one $5K sale, your service paid for itself twice over. The people who see that value won't hesitate at the higher price. The ones who only see the task list were never your ideal clients anyway.

What Is Second-Order Thinking (And Why It Matters)

This is the key to why this prompt works so well.

First-order thinking asks: What happens next?

Second-order thinking asks: And then what?

Here's an example with pricing:

First-order thinking: "If I lower my price, more people will buy."

Second-order thinking: "If I lower my price, more people might buy initially... but then what? Do I attract clients who can't afford ongoing work? Do I devalue my expertise? Does it become harder to raise prices later? Do I burn out delivering high-value work for low pay?"

See the difference?

First-order thinking stops at the immediate effect. Second-order thinking follows the ripples.

Most of us make business decisions based on first-order thinking because it's faster and feels safer. But the consequences show up later—in confused clients, failed launches, pricing we regret, or offers that don't convert as well as they should.

This AI prompt uses second-order thinking to help you see those ripples before you launch.

It shows you:

• How prospects will feel when they read your offer

• What questions they have that you're not answering

• What doubts are making them hesitate or ghost

• How they'll feel 3 months after working with you

• What frustrations might emerge that you didn't anticipate

It's like having a focus group without recruiting 20 people. Real Examples from My Clients

I ran this same prompt with three creators in my coaching group. Here's what surfaced:

Example 1: The "Resource" Problem

A life coach with a small but engaged email list (61% open rate!) wasn't getting clients from her emails.

When we ran the prompt, the AI revealed: "People see you as someone who knows stuff—a resource—but you're not connecting the dots that you can solve their problems."

Her reaction: "That's exactly it. I'm sharing information, but I'm not speaking to their pain points."

The pivot: Stop leading with what she knows. Start leading with the transformation. Instead of "Here's an article about parenting challenges," try "Are you exhausted by the same fights with your teenager? Here's what actually works."

What this means for you: If your emails get opened but don't convert, check whether you're positioning as an educator or a problem-solver. People hire problem-solvers.

Example 2: The "Why Now?" Problem

A movement coach with high email open rates launched a 5-email offer sequence. Almost nobody bought.

The prompt revealed it wasn't the offer—it was timing. The AI pointed out: "Why should I sign up NOW versus next month? What makes this urgent for me?"

Her response: "That was harsh reality I didn't want to look at, but it's really accurate."

The pivot: Instead of offering drop-in sessions "whenever," tie them to specific life events. "Do you have a speaking event coming up? This movement session prepares your body so you show up grounded and confident."

What this means for you: Without a "why now," people stay in "maybe later" mode forever. Even if they love your work, they'll wait until some vague "right time" that never comes.

Example 3: The "Inside Someone Else's Brain" Problem

This one was interesting—someone managing email marketing for a technical expert. The challenge: "How do I write emails when I don't fully understand his ideal client?"

The solution the prompt revealed: Use transcripts from Q&A calls and office hours. Let the AI extract pain points directly from what people are actually saying.

The pivot: Stop trying to guess. Use real customer language from real conversations.

What this means for you: If you work for someone else or you're new to your niche, transcripts are gold. They show you exactly what people care about, in their own words. How to Actually Use This Prompt

Here's what you need:

1. Rough notes about your ideal client

Just brainstorm for 10 minutes:

• What's their current situation?

• What have they tried that didn't work?

• What frustrates them about your topic?

• Why might they be skeptical of your offer?

Don't make it perfect. Just get thoughts on paper.

2. Your offer details

What are you offering? What does it cost? What's included? How long does it take?

Even if it's rough, that's fine. The AI will help you see what's missing. 3. The basic prompt structure

You are a Voice of Customer GPT simulating perspectives for my [describe your business]. Without real transcripts, use second-order thinking to role-play as my ideal client: [describe your target customer in detail].

Business idea/offer: [paste your offer details here].

First, immediate reactions as the customer: Emotional state, pain points, and initial benefits/drawbacks (with quotes in their voice).

Then, second-order effects: Long-term ripple effects, like changes in loyalty, behavior, or frustrations resolved/created.

Analyze overall:
1. Specific needs & frustrations with current systems
2. Desired transformation
3. Messaging opportunities using their exact language
4. 3–5 strategic suggestions for my offer

You can use this with ChatGPT, Claude, or any AI tool you prefer.

4. Look for these specific things in the output

• Pain points you didn't address - What are they worried about that you never mentioned?
  

• Questions that reveal confusion - Where did your explanation lose them?
  

• Language they use - Copy these phrases for your sales page and emails
  

• Objections you need to handle - What's stopping them from buying?
  

• The gap - Where's the disconnect between what you think you're saying and what they're hearing?
  

5. Refine and test again

Update your offer based on what you learned. Run it through the prompt again. Keep going until the simulated reactions feel right.

The Email Marketing Connection

When you run this prompt, you don't just get offer feedback. You get the raw material for your entire email funnel.

The pain points become your subject lines:

• "Is your email list sitting there like a goldmine you're not touching?"

The objections become your welcome sequence:

• Email 2: "What if I email and everyone unsubscribes?"

• Email 3: "I don't know what to say after all this time"

The transformation language becomes your calls-to-action:

• Instead of "Book a call," try "Let's get your email system working so you can stop avoiding your list"

This is why some emails convert and others don't.

It's not about clever subject lines or perfect timing. It's about whether you're speaking to what's actually going on in your reader's head.

Most email marketing feels generic because it's written from the business owner's perspective: "Here's what I offer, here's why it's great."

But your reader isn't thinking about your offer. They're thinking about their problem. Their fear. Their last failed attempt.

When your emails meet them there—in their actual experience—that's when things shift.

This prompt helps you get there, even without customer interviews or years of experience.

What I Wish Someone Had Told Me

Here's what I wish someone had said years ago:

You can't see your own blind spots. And that's okay.

It doesn't mean you're bad at business. It just means you need outside perspective.

For a long time, I thought asking for help or admitting confusion meant I wasn't ready. Like I should have it all figured out first.

That's nonsense.

The most successful people I know actively seek feedback. They test ideas before launching. They pivot when something's not working instead of white-knuckling through it.

They're not more talented. They're just more willing to look directly at what's not working.

And here's the thing about AI tools like this prompt: They remove some of the vulnerability from getting feedback.

It's not a person judging your offer. It's not a client ghosting you. It's a tool showing you the gaps so you can fix them before anyone else sees them.

That's powerful.

AI gives you a safe space to see your work clearly.

If You Try This, Here's What Might Happen

Fair warning: You might discover things you don't want to know.

You might realize your pricing is too low. Or that your messaging is confusing. Or that the offer you've been trying to sell has a fundamental flaw you never saw.

That's going to feel uncomfortable.

But here's what happens next:

You fix it. You clarify the messaging. You restructure the offer. You address the objections. You raise your prices to match the value.

And then you launch again, but this time with confidence. Because you've already stress-tested it. You've already seen the potential problems and handled them.

Your next launch doesn't have to be another "What went wrong?" moment.

It can be: "This is working exactly how I thought it would."

That shift—from confusion to clarity—is worth the discomfort.

What Now?

If you're refining a 2026 offer right now, try this approach.

You don't have to use AI if that feels overwhelming. You can also:

• Ask a trusted friend to role-play as your ideal client

• Interview a few people who fit your target audience

• Look back at past sales calls and notice where people got confused

The method matters less than the willingness to look.

But if you want to try the AI route, I've made it easy for you.

Want the Full Toolkit?

I've packaged this Voice of Customer prompt + 6 other strategic AI prompts into a free guide:

The Calm Strategist's Toolkit: 7 AI Prompts to Build Smarter Email Offers in 2026

These aren't "write me an email" prompts. They're thinking tools—the same frameworks I use when helping creators map Kit systems, clean lists, and refine offer ladders.

The toolkit includes:

• Voice of Customer Simulation (the one I used)

• Pre-mortem Analysis (fail-proof your ideas before launch)

• SCAMPER Brainstorming (creatively evolve stale offers)

• Feynman Technique (simplify convoluted messaging)

• Eisenhower Matrix (prioritize from your customer's view)

• Plus 2 more strategic frameworks

One More Thing

If you try this prompt and discover something uncomfortable about your offer (like I did), that's good news.

It means you're seeing the problem before your next launch reveals it.

And if you're realizing you need more than just strategy—if you need someone to actually go into your Kit account and fix the technical mess—that's what I do.

I'm Kit Approved Expert who helps established creators turn insights like these into working email systems.

But whether you work with me or not, use this prompt. Stress-test your offers. Get comfortable with uncomfortable feedback.

Your 2026 launches deserve better than guesswork.

About Kathy Farah

Kathy is a Kit Approved Expert and technical email marketing strategist who helps established online creators fix their broken email systems and build funnels that actually work. She specializes in the technical side of email marketing—the deliverability setup, tag cleanup, and automation fixes that most email marketers don't want to touch. Learn more about working with Kathy.

P.S. If you've already tried this prompt and discovered something surprising, I'd love to hear about it. Connect with me on LinkedIn—I'm always curious what people find when they dig into their offers like this.