bonus-stack

name	bonus-stack
description	Design bonus stacks that increase perceived value without increasing fulfillment cost — 3-5 bonuses with name, description, perceived value, actual cost, and core offer complement rationale using RMBC principles.
model	sonnet
user-invocable	true

bonus-stack

Purpose

Design bonus stacks that increase perceived value without increasing fulfillment cost. Bonuses are the leverage in an offer — they add perceived value at a fraction of the actual cost, tipping the buyer's internal math from "maybe" to "yes." The best bonuses aren't random giveaways; they address a specific objection, complement the core product's mechanism, and feel expensive while costing almost nothing to deliver. This skill produces 3-5 bonuses with names, descriptions, perceived values, actual costs, and explicit rationale for why each one belongs in the stack.

Inputs

Input	Required	Description
core_product	Yes	What the main product is, its mechanism, what transformation it delivers
price_point	Yes	Price of the core product — bonuses must feel proportional
target_audience	Yes	Who the buyer is — their objections, desires, and what they'd pay for separately
fulfillment_constraint	Yes	One of: digital_only (no physical shipping), physical_ok (can include physical items)

Execution Protocol

Step 1 — Load Framework Context

Read rmbc-context/SKILL.md to load RMBC framework definitions. Bonus design is an RMBC exercise — Research reveals which objections bonuses must kill, the Mechanism determines which bonuses naturally extend the "why it works" story, the Brief sequences bonuses for maximum perceived value, and Copy names each bonus to feel like a standalone product.

Step 2 — Map the Objection Landscape

Before designing bonuses, identify the buyer's top 5 objections at the point of purchase. Every bonus must kill at least one:

Objection Type	Example	Bonus Strategy
"Will it work for ME?"	Skepticism about personal results	Case study guide, assessment tool, personalization element
"I don't have time"	Implementation overwhelm	Quick-start guide, templates, checklists that reduce time to value
"What if I get stuck?"	Fear of confusion or complexity	FAQ resource, troubleshooting guide, community access
"Is it worth the money?"	Value skepticism	Bonus that would cost more than the product if purchased separately
"I can find this free"	Commodity perception	Unique/proprietary bonus that isn't available anywhere else
"I've tried X before and it failed"	Past failure baggage	Differentiation guide showing why this approach is different

Step 3 — Design Each Bonus

For each bonus (3-5 total), define all of the following:

Bonus Anatomy

Field	What It Is	Example
Name	Branded, benefit-loaded title	"The 7-Day Quick-Start Blueprint" not "a guide"
Type	Category of deliverable	Digital guide, template, checklist, video training, community access, live session
Description	2-3 sentences: what it is + why it matters for their outcome	Focuses on transformation, not features
Perceived Value	What a buyer would expect to pay for this if sold separately	Must be defensible — could you sell this standalone?
Actual Cost	What it costs you to create and deliver	One-time creation cost amortized across all buyers
Value Multiplier	Perceived Value / Actual Cost	Higher = better leverage. Target: 10x+
Objection Killed	Which specific buyer objection this neutralizes	Must map to the objection landscape from Step 2
Core Offer Connection	How it extends the main product's mechanism	Must reinforce, not distract from, the core mechanism

Bonus Type Selection Guide

Type	Perceived Value	Creation Cost	Delivery Cost	Best For
Digital guide/PDF	Medium ($47-197)	Low (4-8 hours)	Zero	Any product — fastest to create
Template/toolkit	High ($97-297)	Low (2-4 hours)	Zero	Products with implementation steps
Checklist/cheatsheet	Medium ($27-97)	Very low (1-2 hours)	Zero	Quick-start items, fast wins
Video training	High ($197-497)	Medium (1-2 days)	Zero	Courses, info products, coaching
Community access	High ($97-497/mo perceived)	Low ongoing	Low (moderation time)	Subscriptions, programs
Live session/call	Very high ($297-997)	Medium (your time per cohort)	Zero	High-ticket, coaching, premium

Step 4 — Sequence the Stack

Order matters. Bonuses should be presented in this sequence:

1. Fast-start bonus — Reduces time-to-value, addresses "I don't have time" objection
2. Deep-value bonus — Highest perceived value, addresses "is it worth the money" objection
3. Differentiation bonus — Unique to this offer, addresses "I can find this free" objection
4. Support bonus — Reduces implementation risk, addresses "what if I get stuck" objection
5. Surprise bonus (optional) — Unrelated delight that exceeds expectations

Step 5 — Validate the Stack

Criterion	Test	Pass
Total perceived value	Sum all bonus values	Must be 3-5x the core product price
Total actual cost	Sum all creation + delivery costs	Must be under 15% of core product price
Objection coverage	Map bonuses to objections	Top 3 objections must be addressed
Mechanism alignment	Does each bonus reinforce the core mechanism?	No bonus should contradict or distract
Fulfillment constraint	All bonuses match digital_only or physical_ok	No physical bonuses if constraint is digital_only
Standalone test	Could each bonus be sold on its own?	If not, the perceived value claim is weak

Output Format

## Bonus Stack: [Core Product Name]

**Core Product Price:** $XX
**Fulfillment Constraint:** [digital_only / physical_ok]
**Target Audience:** [ICP summary]

---

### OBJECTION MAP

| # | Objection | Addressed By |
|---|-----------|-------------|
| 1 | [objection] | Bonus [#] |
| 2 | [objection] | Bonus [#] |
| 3 | [objection] | Bonus [#] |
| 4 | [objection] | Bonus [#/Core] |
| 5 | [objection] | Bonus [#/Core] |

---

### BONUS 1: [Bonus Name]
**Type:** [bonus type]
**Perceived Value:** $XXX
**Actual Cost:** $XX (one-time creation) / $X per unit delivery
**Value Multiplier:** XXx

[2-3 sentence description — what it is + why it matters]

- **Objection killed:** "[specific objection]"
- **Core offer connection:** [how it extends the mechanism]
- **Sequence position:** Fast-start — gets them results in [timeframe]

### BONUS 2-5: [Same format]

---

### STACK ECONOMICS

| Component | Perceived Value | Actual Cost |
|-----------|---------------:|------------:|
| Bonus 1: [name] | $XXX | $XX |
| Bonus 2: [name] | $XXX | $XX |
| Bonus 3: [name] | $XXX | $XX |
| [Bonus 4-5 if applicable] | $XXX | $XX |
| **Total Bonus Value** | **$X,XXX** | **$XX** |
| **Core Product** | **$XXX** | — |
| **Total Stack Value** | **$X,XXX** | — |
| **Customer Pays** | **$XX** | — |
| **Bonus Value Multiplier** | **XXx** | — |
| **Total Stack Ratio** | **X:1** | — |

---

### VALIDATION
- Total bonus value vs core price: [X:1 — pass/fail]
- Total actual cost vs core price: [X% — pass/fail]
- Top 3 objections addressed: [pass/fail]
- Mechanism alignment: [pass/fail]
- Fulfillment constraint met: [pass/fail]
- Standalone test: [pass/fail for each bonus]

Quality Criteria

• Every bonus must kill a named objection — bonuses that don't address a specific "why not buy" are filler

• Perceived values must be defensible — could you sell this bonus standalone at the stated price?

• Actual costs must be realistic — don't claim zero cost for a video series that takes 2 days to produce

• Value multiplier (perceived / actual) should be 10x+ per bonus — below 5x means poor leverage

• Total bonus value should be 3-5x the core product price — below 3x and the stack doesn't feel generous

• No bonus should contradict or distract from the core product's mechanism

• Fulfillment constraints must be respected — digital_only means no physical items, no exceptions

• Each bonus must have a branded name — "Bonus 1: A PDF" doesn't add perceived value

• Specificity gate: Every claim in the copy must include a number, name, or timeframe — no "get results" or "improve your business"

• Mechanism quantification: When referencing the mechanism, include at least one specific data point (number, timeframe, study reference)

• Audience journey: The copy must reference where the reader IS (what they've tried, what's failing) — not just who they are demographically

• Proof diversity: Use at least 2 different proof types (testimonial, statistical, authority, case study) — do not rely on a single proof mode

• Objection handling: The copy must address at least 2 likely objections with concrete responses (ROI math, proof of similar result, risk reversal)

Related Skills

• Run /offer-stack to integrate bonuses into the full offer architecture with guarantee and urgency
• Run /guarantee-writer for the risk-reversal element of the offer
• Run /mechanism-ideation to ensure bonuses extend the core mechanism
• Run /lander-copy to write the sales page that reveals the bonus stack
• Run /ab-test-plan to test different bonus configurations
• Validate with /rmbc-copy-audit

Attribution

Generated using RMBC framework by Stefan Georgi. Learn more: copyaccelerator.com/join