Mafia Offer Boot Camp

The World's Leading Theory of Constraints experts on Marketing explain how most companies can dramatically increase sales.

Stop the Blah Blah Blah -- REALLY Differentiate Yourself to Get in More Doors, Get more Prospects, Increase Your Conversions, and Dramatically Increase Your Sales!

From:  Dr Lisa Lang & Brad Stillahn

Dear Business Owner,

Wouldn't it be great to triple sales to new customers in less than 10 months like Nigel discusses in this video? Nigel was a BIG skeptic, so listen to what he has to say.

A “Mafia Offer” sounds like something out of a movie, not something that could actually allow you to increase and control your sales. 

Initially Dr Goldratt defined a Mafia Offer as “an offer so good that your customers can’t refuse it”. I extended the definition as follows: “An offer so good that your customers can’t refuse it and your competition can’t or won’t offer the same.” 

It has also been referred to as an unrefusable offer or unrefuseable offer (URO) or a market offer.

Do YOU have a Mafia Offer now?

Let’s check.  If I am one of your best prospects, what would you say to convince me to do business with you?    

(write down your answers BEFORE you continue)

(I’ll give you my guess of what you said in a minute)

Many people confuse a Mafia Offer with a Unique Selling Proposition (USP), Value Proposition, or a Sustainable Competitive Advantage. 

At first blush, it would seem that a Mafia Offer IS similar to other terms you may have heard of like an irresistible offer, a touchstone, brand positioning, a sustainable competitive advantage (SCA), a customer value proposition, or a unique selling proposition (USP).  However, when most people are talking about these alternatives they are actually quite different from what I mean by a Mafia Offer. 

Mafia Offers are Different from USPs and SCAs

They basically take what you already do and state it succinctly and with more specificity aimed at one or a few of their customers’ problems or gaps in current market offerings. These alternatives can be Mafia Offers, but many times they are not. And even so, they are still better than nothing which is where most businesses start. 

Then there is the innovation camp that believes the only way to gain substantially more sales is to innovate better and faster, the stuff your customers want.  And some have even gone so far as to call your existing products, in your existing markets, a bloody red ocean due to all the fierce competition. 

In the book Blue Ocean Strategy the authors contend that it is NOT possible, in most cases, to sell more of your existing products in your existing markets.  So they layout a process for developing new products for new markets – a highly risky endeavor. 

Mafia Offers Do NOT Require an Innovation

Innovation is absolutely necessary for long term sustainability.  No question.  My issue with using innovation as your sole means for increasing sales is that --  it’s short lived.  How long do most innovations last?  How long does it take your competitors to copy?

And, new products and/or new markets are a risky proposition.  So if the majority of companies could have a Mafia Offer, why use innovation as your sole approach to increasing sales?

But if you have to innovate, the process they laid out in Blue Ocean seems like a very good one. 

Mafia Offers are NOT based on Price

And I would say the same thing about price.  Price reductions can also be copied very quickly and do not typically provide a sustainable advantage. 

Now, let’s go back to the list I asked you to make above – the why should I buy from YOU list. 

Here is a list of the typical answers: 

  • We provide great customer service
  • Our quality is outstanding
  • We innovate and/or help our customers to innovate
  • We have great employees
  • We deliver results
  • We have a very knowledgeable staff
  • We are responsive to our customers’ needs
  • We have a great reputation
  • Our customers trust us

These are NOT a Mafia Offer -- Don’t your competitors say the exact same thing? 

All good companies have these qualities or they wouldn’t be in business for long.  I call this the blah, blah, blah answer because that’s what it sounds like to your customers and prospects. 

A Mafia Offer is NOT a list of strengths, a cliché, subjective, or offered by the competition.  In addition, it is sold differently.  When you have a Mafia Offer, you are making a business proposal.    Everything changes. 

A Mafia Offer is an Offer to Your Existing Clients in Your Existing Markets

If you have attended one of my speeches you have probably heard at least one example of a Mafia Offer.  Here’s an example in case you haven’t heard one:

That Mafia Offer

·        Was developed for a regular company with its existing products in its existing markets.

·        This company had no particular competitive advantage or innovation – no patent, no unique technology, the same equipment as competitors, and similar employees. 

And yet, it was a not based on a price reduction, not easy for the competition to follow, and so good that most customers would accept it readily. 

Mafia Offers Are Possible for the Majority of Companies

The reason that most companies don’t know that they have one or know what it is, is because they just don’t know how to develop them. 

If you read Dr Goldratt’s book It’s Not Luck or one of the other Theory of Constraints (TOC) books, you read about how we use cause and effect logic (also called Theory of Constraints Thinking Processes) about your customers, your industry, and about your company to create the offer. 


We are a current customer of Dr. Lisa and I must say that the mafia offer that she gave us literally saved my business and helped us grow sales almost 100% since we started (1 year). We too are a small size business and it has worked well, in fact we have to be careful or we will oversell are capacity. Our customers love the offer and we are able to attract new ones with it. Our competitors hate us for our offer. I think we will help change our industry, because of the offer.

Grady Cope, Reata Engineering, Colorado

But It’s Not Easy 

Traditionally, to develop a Mafia Offer you had to hire a Theory of Constraints Expert and spend about 2 weeks creating your Current Reality Tree, your Future Reality Tree and then your Transition and Pre-Requisite Trees. 

And if you were not good at logic trees, then the consultant, who doesn’t know your business as well as you, was left to do it for you. 

As a Theory of Constraints consultant and engineer I’m very good at the logic trees.  In fact, I would say that they come easy to me.

However, as I worked with clients, I noticed that this was not true for the majority of the population.  I put a tree in front of some clients and their eyes just glazed over. 

Talk about a deer in the headlights!

Our Understanding of What it Takes to Develop a Mafia Offer Expands

While I was working with Dr Goldratt in Goldratt Consulting a couple things happened to my understanding and to the development of the Mafia Offers body of knowledge.

I watched Dr Goldratt do a number of what we called “2 hour meetings”.  In these meeting he would ask the CEO and his top 2 executives some questions.

The questions lead to answers that basically created the logic of a Current Reality Tree (CRT). 

Then Dr Goldratt suggested that they make a few changes.  He then explained, how these changes, if implemented, would lead to a Future Reality where the problems of their current reality would be gone. 

And everyone understood.

I performed about fifty “2 hour meetings” with the same result – complete understanding of the logic without a single tree in sight!

So – you CAN develop and uncover the underlying logic without putting the client through the torture of creating logic trees.  So that’s what we did.

The Mafia Offer Boot Camp is Born

We created a process where in 2.5 days using all the logic, without the trees and without templates, we can facilitate a client to uncover their Mafia Offer. 

We started by offering PRIVATE Mafia Offer Boot Camps for $20,000 plus travel.  And they worked great. 

In only two and a half days we helped clients (the deliverables):

·        Create their Mafia Offer

·        Create the collateral for their offer

·        And, create their implementation plan.

Then we provided 3 months of follow on coaching so that as clients started to put their plan into action they could continue to call on us for questions and support. 

This really helped ensure clients followed through on implementing their offer. 

Next, we decided to test a GROUP Mafia Offer Boot Camp.  We wondered if having 5 companies (no competitors of course) go through the process together would generate even better offers, better feedback, or even greater confidence that their offer would work. 

Each company brings up to 5 people and the cost was $10,000 per company plus the travel of their team to Denver or wherever it was.  This format was also a huge success. 

Each of the 5 companies walked away with the same deliverables listed above and received 3 months of follow-on coaching.  And while their offers weren’t better than the offers we developed in  PRIVATE boot camps they were just as good.

Both the PRIVATE and GROUP Mafia Offer Boot Camps are going strong, and you can still sign up for them.  Go to www.MafiaOffers.com for more information.  We found that both formats have their place and both deliver the results!


Dr. Lisa’s Mafia Offer Boot Camp (MOBC) helped us think like our customers. In fact, it’s counter-intuitive approach taught us how to understand and meet our customer’s true needs probably better then our customers understand their own needs themselves. The MOBC is a full immersion program in how to meet customer needs and avoid the negative effects from the way in which we sell to those customers. It provided us with the Best Tools and the Most Effective Process we’ve seen to drive greater sales. Meeting customer needs while eliminating the negative consequences associated with the transaction, transforms sales into a process of building partnerships between us and our customers. And partnerships drive greater sales, which increases revenue and maximizes our profitability. The MOBC approach is the Ultimate Weapon in Sales. In fact, I think Dr. Lisa should rename the MOBC the “USM”(the Ultimate Selling Machine)!

Mark MacKenzie, Aspectus Group, Colorado

YES, But My Team and I Can’t Spend 3 Days Straight!

Despite the success of GROUP and PRIVATE boot camps, there were some companies that could just not afford the time away.  For many companies it requires 4 days out of the office due to the travel time. 

So I was repeatedly asked …

Is there some way we can do this on-line?

And so it was born …

The ON-LINE Mafia Offer Boot Camp

The ON-LINE Mafia Offer Boot Camp is like a PRIVATE boot camp because you and your team are going through it alone, but it’s priced more like a GROUP boot camp.

The PRIVATE nature of it ensures you will NOT be sharing airtime with a competitor.   

What’s Included? 

This program includes all the training and coaching you need to create your offer, create the collateral for your offer, and to create your implementation plan.  This includes:

·        17 Video Training Sessions that walk you step-by-step through creating your offer, creating the collateral for your offer, and creating your implementation plan.

·        You will receive feedback on each and every session as you submit them.

·        There will be 4 private coaching sessions along the way (while you’re working on your offer) to ensure you are headed in the right direction.

·        Then after you have completed all the sessions and you have your Mafia Offer, you will continue to receive coaching as you begin to implement.  You will have UNLIMITED access to us by both email and phone so that you get all the guidance you need to increase sales with your Mafia Offer.

BONUS 1:  Access to Dr Lisa’s “Maximizing Profitability” speech so that you and your group have a shared experience and lay the ground work necessary to be successful with a Mafia Offer.  This bonus will be immediately available and should be watched prior to starting Session 1. 

BONUS 2: Access to Dr Lisa’s “The Psychology of Mafia Offers” webinar so you can really study what it takes to successfully present your offer to your customers and prospects.  This bonus will be available after you complete Session 13. 


I recently attended the Mafia Offer Boot camp held in Denver (June 2007). I am excited after completing the 3-day workshop. We developed a completely different sales presentation that succinctly describes the problems created by my industry and presents a low risk win-win solution for retailers, manufacturers and our company. By changing our pricing model and presentation we have created an outstanding opportunity for our customers and our company. Thank you again for your time and help in developing this logical and succinct presentation.

Richard Wright, Impact Merchandising

How it Works – Developing YOUR Mafia Offer 

This is accomplished with 17 video sessions that you and your team go through at your own pace.  Session 1 has a recommended meeting schedule.

All 17 Sessions are available on-line.  After you register you will be provided login and password information for our video portal. 

After each session you email us your completed assignment.  We will review each of your assignments and respond with any comments. 

After sessions 7, 10, 14, and 17 we have private coaching calls to make sure you’re headed in the right direction.  We typically use GoToMeeting for these calls so that we have a visual component available. 

You will have access to the 17 videos and coaching for 3 months. 

So let’s say you finish the 17 sessions and develop your Mafia Offer in about 2 weeks.  That leaves about 2 months and 2 weeks for coaching during your implementation.

That’s a lot of coaching!  We want to give you an incentive to quickly work through the sessions and then get on with increasing your sales! 

The Program Deliverables 

During the ON-LINE Mafia Offer Boot Camp, you …

1.     Create your Mafia Offer.

2.     Create the collateral for your offer.

3.     And, create the implementation plan for your offer (what you need to do BEFORE you go make your offer).

These are the same deliverables that we have for both the GROUP and PRIVATE boot camps.  Plus you also get the private coaching to help you implement your offer. 


Dr. Lisa has a very logical and interactive way to lead the group to the “truth”. The boot camp has been a great investment: it left us with a brilliant offer, a “mafia offer”, to attract a new group of customers and with a set of thinking-tools we have used to restructure the offer to our existing customer base. As a result, we have increased our sales 80% and have been able to move the constraint from the market back into the operations. Thanks Dr. Lisa!

Alessandro Bernacchia, Guntert & Zimmerman, Calfornia

To Get Started 

Choose your team who will participate in the boot camp.  Who should that be?  Anybody whose buy-in you will need to implement your offer.  This is typically your entire top management team – even operations.

That’s because Mafia Offer typically require operational changes.  If you could deliver your offer tomorrow, so could your competition, so expect to make some operational changes. 

Before you start working on your Mafia Offer, we lay a little ground work.  You and your team will go through our Maximizing Profitability workshop.  This will give everyone a common experience and lay the ground work for developing your Mafia Offer.   

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FAQs

Can I afford this? 

A price this reasonable is typically only an issue if you don't get the results.   As long as you’re willing to make the operational changes that your offer requires AND you actually make your offer, you will get results. 

Many of our clients have said that the analysis portion alone, where you gain deep understanding of your customers/prospects, is worth the price of admission. 

What if it doesn't work for me?

If after you complete Session 16, your implementation plan, you don’t think you can gain sales with your offer, just let me know and you will receive a full refund.

I can’t guarantee that your sales will increase because it’s up to you to take action.  But I can guarantee my process.  And if you don’t feel the offer you developed will work, simply let me know and I will issue you a full refund. 

OUR 100% GUARANTEE:  If after you complete Session 16 you are not happy, you can receive a full 100% refund.

 our guarantee

When can I sign up? 

You can sign up any time we have an opening.  If this page has an active “Add To Cart” button you can sign up. 

When we are full, the button will take you to our waiting list.  This happens whenever there are 10 companies in various stages of a boot camp. 

Because we provide private coaching to each company that participates we can only have 10 concurrent offers being constructed at any one point in time.   

If you’re on our waiting list, you will be notified as soon as a spot opens up. 

Can we work on more than 1 offer? 

Yes you can, BUT you will need to select only 1 for us to review and to provide you coaching on.  We recommend that you only work on one at a time. 

You are learning a process that you can use to create other offers for YOUR company (the same company). 

If you want to work on multiple offers at the same time, we recommend our PRIVATE boot camp.

Can I “share” this program with another company? 

No.  Each company must purchase a separate license to use our process. Each company can, once you’ve learned the process, use it an unlimited number of times to create additional offers for that same company. 

You are restricted from sharing any part of the Mafia Offer Boot Camp process outside your one company or offering a competitive product to the Mafia Offer Boot Camp.


The boot camp provided a step by step way to break down what your clients need, and then help you build a concept and offer that is irresistible to your clients and prospects. We landed a new $1 million account within 3 months of our boot camp. Now that’s an offer!

Paul Caravello, SVP Sales, New York

Payment -- How Much Does it Cost?

We are reducing the on-line/remote Mafia Offer Boot Camp price from $10,000 to $4995. You can pay $4,995 now or you can spread your payment over 4 months.  You pay $1,375 now and $1375 for the next 3 months ($5,500 total).  So you can order now and get started on YOUR Mafia Offer for only $1,375. 

We hope you’ll join us in this program, and invite us to be your coaches to help you grow your business. 

Wishing You Success,

"Dr Lisa" Lang

Inventor of the Velocity Scheduling System and the Mafia Offer Boot Camp

Brad Stillahn

Business Owner, Theory of Constraints Expert

P.S.  Remember... you get 17 video sessions and 4 PRIVATE coaching sessions ... followed by UNLIMITED additional private coaching until your 3 months have expired... Dr Lisa’s Maximizing Profitability speech... and Dr Lisa’s “The Psychology of Mafia Offers” webinar.  And it all comes backed by an unbeatable guarantee. 

[To pay without joining PayPal click the "Continue" link/button! or call 303-909-3343 to pay by payment plan!]

Who are “Dr Lisa” Lang and Brad Stillahn?

“Dr Lisa” is the foremost expert in the world on applying Theory of Constraints to Marketing and served as Dr. Goldratt's Global Marketing Director. She's an international speaker, author of 3 books, and the President of Science of Business, a Theory of Constraints consulting company.  She is recognized as one of the few TOC Experts worldwide by Dr. Goldratt, developer of the Theory of Constraints and author of the best selling business novel The Goal. In addition, Dr Lisa is currently serving on the Theory of Constraints International Certification Organization (TOCICO) Board of Directors.

Brad Stillahn, also a certified TOC expert, is the owner of Adstick Custom Labels.  Since, he has nicely offloaded the running of Adstick after a successful TOC implementation (and nice mafia offer – that example was his company!) and now works with Dr Lisa on helping other companies make more money.  He has served as Marketing Director of Menasha Corporation and is known for innovative thinking and is an identifier of erroneous assumptions. 

 

 

© Copyright 2009 Dr Lisa Inc, All Rights Reserved. Important Note: While I honestly believe this information to be useful and valuable, I cannot guarantee that you will get the same results that we’ve gotten (or that anyone in the program has gotten). Our results are not typical at all. All of this information should be considered “informational” in nature, and not as specific business, legal, or financial advice. If you invest in this program, you are taking full responsibility for making sure that any idea you use, implement, don’t implement, or integrate into your business is legal, ethical, and prudent. By purchasing this program or using any of the information on this site, you are also agreeing to hold me, my company, my clients, and their companies 100% harmless in the event that you lose money or are harmed in any way as a result of the use or lack of use of anything you’ve learned from this program, or our company. If you take me up on my 100% money-back guarantee, you must actually go through the entire program, complete and submit Sessions 1 - 16, and when you submit Session 16 homework you must notify me personally to ask for your refund.  This is only fair, considering the incredible amount of value I’m putting on the line. Facts and figures on this website are believed to be accurate, but are not guaranteed.