Page 102 · Module 04, Sell Like a Pro · this screen continues that page
All 108 frameworksPAS - Problem Agitate Solve
Your marketing copy explains what you do but creates no emotional urgency. Prospects
The prompt
Copy & paste readyLabelsReplace theseSwap the role below
Who should run this prompt
Module role profileWho should prepare and run your sales conversations? Every stage of a sale requires a different mindset. The person who writes great cold outreach thinks differently from the person who closes enterprise deals. The buyer's procurement officer thinks differently from both. Use internal roles to prepare and execute. Use outside perspectives to find the objections, hesitations, and real decision criteria before they surface in a live conversation.
Choose any role to drop it into the prompt above. Only the highlighted opening clause changes — the rest of the prompt stays exactly as printed.
◆◆◆◆◆ → ◆ seniority, board level down to specialist◈ outside the organisation
How to make any role sharper
- Add years of experience: "...with 15 years in enterprise SaaS" produces different depth than just the title.
- Add what they care most about: "You care most about [X]" shapes every word of the output.
- Add their communication style: "Be direct. Flag risks first. No jargon." changes the tone entirely.
Use this when
The problem it solvesread it, understand it, and still do nothing. The information is there, the feeling isn't.
How the framework works
From the printed pagePAS is a direct response copywriting framework popularised by Dan Kennedy and widely used across sales pages, cold emails, LinkedIn posts, and pitch decks. Problem: name the specific pain the prospect feels. Agitate: expand the consequences - what happens if this problem goes unsolved? What does it cost them in time, money, reputation, or opportunity? Solve: present your solution as the logical answer to the agitated problem. The Agitate step is where most founders stop short, they name the problem but never make the reader feel its weight.
The method, in four moves
Do these in orderName the problem in the exact language your customer uses, not your language.
In the Agitate step, go one level deeper than the obvious consequence.
The Solve step should feel like relief, not a pitch.
Test PAS as your email subject line, LinkedIn opening line, and website headline. Write copy that creates urgency without manipulation The Agitate step works best when it names a second-order consequence, not just the direct pain but what that pain causes next. 'You're losing deals' is a problem. 'You're losing deals, and your best salespeople are starting to question whether the product is the issue' is agitation. That second sentence hits differently. PRO TIP
Where the framework comes from
Dan Kennedy — PAS framework, Direct Response copywriting methodology
Pairs well with
As printed with this frameworkModule 04 — Sell Like a Pro
Build a machine that turns cold strangers into paying customers.
11 frameworks, printed on pages 91–112.
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