Free guide · Black Friday 2026
The Black Friday Offer Cookbook
12 offer recipes that aren't a discount
So here's the thing. People don't need a bigger discount to buy in November. They need a reason to buy now. Being first is a reason. A gift they actually want is a reason. Here are 12 of them, each with the steps and what it costs you.
- 12 recipes, sorted Before, During and After
- What each one costs you, next to a plain discount
- A prompt on every page you paste into ChatGPT or Claude to write the email
Free. No card. About 30 seconds.
Founder of ThriveWorks360. About 14 years to reach $10 million, then nearly $30 million in about 3 more.
What's inside
Pick three recipes. That's your November.
- 12 recipes, one page eachWhat you need ready, the steps, and the math on a $100 product, so you can compare.
- Sorted by saleFour for Before, four for During, four for After.
- A prompt on every pagePaste it into ChatGPT or Claude with your store link, and it drafts that offer's email and text.
- The 3 to never use, and the 60-second pickThe offers that teach your best customers to wait, and three questions to choose yours.
The 12 recipes
A reason to buy now, for every part of your season.
Four recipes for each sale. Pick one from each column, and that's your November.
- 01First pick on limited stockThe colors, sizes or sets that will sell out, before anyone else sees them.Costs you nothing. Full price holds.
- 02The early dropA new product or color goes to your early list first, before the public sees it.Costs you nothing. Full price holds.
- 03Priority access to your best sellerEvery size, color and scent, while it is all still on the shelf.Costs you nothing. Full price holds.
- 04The back-in-stock list, firstYour sold-out hero comes back, and your early list gets the link first.Costs you nothing.
- 05Free gift with any orderOne useful item, free, no spend minimum.Costs you the gift's cost.
- 06The set they can't buy laterA bundle that exists for this sale only.Priced to clear your floor.
- 07The founder's setYou pick the pairing, you say why, and it goes out under your name.Your call. Best at full price.
- 08Double points or store creditSpend now, get credit that only spends with you in January.Costs you nothing today.
- 09Ships first, before the rushTheir order goes out first, with a ship-by date you control.Costs you nothing on price.
- 10Free shipping, no minimumOnly if you normally charge for it.Costs you the shipping line.
- 11The personal touchA handwritten note, gift wrap, or a pairing picked by you.Costs you minutes, not margin.
- 12Returns through JanuaryGift buyers are nervous buyers. Take the nerves off the table.A small return rate, not a price cut.
The 3 you shouldn't use
- A deeper discount than your Black Friday weekend. It teaches your best customers to wait.
- A code anybody can find. If it leaks, it was never first pick.
- A countdown you don't plan to honor. One fake deadline costs you the list.
The 60-second pick
Three questions for every recipe, then check it against your floor.
- Which one costs me the least and feels like the most?
- Can I deliver it without adding work to a week I'm already behind in?
- Would my best customer tell a friend about it?
A reason to buy that isn't price
Which one would you rather give away?
Cost us $7. Lists at $39.99. The buyer sees the $39.99.
On a $250 product, it gives away $62.50 from every order.
Gift cost and list price: our brand's Shopify checkout records, November 2025. The $250 product is an example. One brand, not a promise.
Who made this
Hey, I'm Nathan.
I ran a consumer products brand as CEO. It took about 14 years to reach $10 million, then nearly $30 million in about 3 more. And for a long time I thought our customers wouldn't buy until Black Friday. To be honest with you, I was wrong.
These recipes come out of what we changed. Our November went up 63%, and 59% of that Black Friday month sold at full price. That's one brand, not a promise about yours, but it's why I'd reach for a better reason to buy before a bigger discount.
You've got this.Nathan Erznoznik · Founder, ThriveWorks360
You sell products online
Shopify or your own store. A shop that also sells online works too.
You care about margin
You want a Black Friday that still makes money after the offer.
You'd rather not guess
At your offer, your dates, or what it really costs you.
Questions
Questions owners ask
Is it free?
Yes. No card and nothing to cancel. You tell me where to send it, and it's yours to keep.
How long does it take?
About 10 minutes to pick your three. Each recipe is one page, so you only read the ones you'll use.
I already planned a Black Friday discount. Should I drop it?
No, keep it. To me, the big weekend is the 17%. Use one recipe for the sale before it and one for the sale after it, so the weekend isn't carrying everything.
Will customers still buy if I don't cut my prices?
Your past customers already like what you sell, so in general they're the easiest people to sell to at full price. At a brand I ran, 59% of the Black Friday month sold at full price. That's one brand, not a promise about yours, but it's why the Cookbook starts there.
What are the prompts?
Each recipe ends with a prompt you paste into ChatGPT or Claude. Add your store link, and it drafts that offer's email and text. You check every number before it goes out.
The Black Friday Offer Cookbook
Keep your price. Give them a better reason.
12 recipes, sorted Before, During and After, each with what it costs you. Pick three tonight, and every part of your November has its own reason to buy.
- Free
- Yours to keep