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pastor

Design & creation

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Updated 10-15 23:44

About this skill

PASTOR Framework — Long-Form Sales Copy

Ray Edwards' shepherd framework: lead people like a caring guide to a solution that genuinely helps. The name comes from "pastor" = shepherd — not selling to someone, but guiding with them.

Core principle: PASTOR is PAS with a soul. It adds story, transformation, and offer architecture to the PAS skeleton. Use copy-frameworks for short-form; use PASTOR when you have room to convert.

Before writing: Check storybrand-marketing. The BrandScript gives you Module 2 (External/Internal/Philosophical problem), Module 3 (Guide empathy/authority), Module 6 (Success vision), and the Controlling Idea. PASTOR's six sections map directly to SB7.

Phase 0: Prerequisites

Always complete before writing PASTOR copy:

  1. BrandScript — See storybrand-marketing. Know the character's desire, the villain, the three problem layers, the guide's empathy/authority, the plan, the stakes.
  2. Customer research — Know the exact words customers use to describe their pain (reviews, interviews, support tickets). PASTOR's P and A sections must use their language.
  3. Offer architecture — Know what you're selling, the price, the bonuses, and the guarantee before you write the O section. See offers skill + references/hormozi-grand-slam.md.

The 6 PASTOR Sections

P — Problem (Person + Problem)

Goal: Establish immediate relevance. Show the reader you understand their world.

Two questions to answer:

  1. WHO are you speaking to? (specific person, specific situation)
  2. WHAT specific challenge do they face right now?

Technique:

  • Open with the customer's problem in their language, not your framing
  • The more specific the problem, the stronger the identification
  • Maps to storybrand-marketing Modules 1-2: Character + External Problem

PQRR research method (pull from reviews, forums, interviews):

  • Problems: What frustrates them most?
  • Questions: What do they Google about this?
  • Roadblocks: What have they tried that didn't work?
  • Results: What outcome do they desperately want?

Prompts:

  • "If you're [specific person] struggling with [specific pain]..."
  • "If you've ever [specific painful experience]..."
  • "You're [specific role] and every [day/week] you're dealing with [specific friction]..."

A — Amplify

Goal: Intensify emotional stakes. Make the reader feel unsettled enough to want a solution.

This is PAS's "Agitate" turned up. Don't just repeat the problem — escalate it using:

  1. Cost of inaction: "Every month you wait, [specific consequence]..."
  2. Social/competitive cost: "While you're stuck with [problem], your [competitors/peers] are..."
  3. Identity cost: "And what does this say about you as a [role/person]?"
  4. Compound effect: "The problem doesn't stay the same — it grows. In 6 months, [scenario]."
  5. Statistics and facts: Vivid, specific numbers that make the consequence real

Rule: "People buy for two reasons — fear and desire." The Amplify section serves fear. The Transformation section (T) serves desire. Both must be present.

Prompts:

  • "And every [month/year] you don't solve this, you're losing [specific amount/opportunity]..."
  • "The real cost isn't just [surface problem]. It's [deeper consequence] — and [identity impact]."

S — Story / Solution

Goal: Transition the reader from problem-focused to solution-oriented thinking.

Present a narrative — personal story, client success story, or hypothetical scenario — that shows the journey from Problem/Amplify to relief.

Why story works: It activates different neural pathways than pure logic. Story builds identification: "That could be me." It reduces resistance by making the solution feel earned rather than sold.

Story arc structure:

  1. The before state: The character in the same position as the reader
  2. The turning point: What changed, what they discovered, or what they tried
  3. The result: The specific transformation that followed

Three story types:

  • Personal story ("I was exactly where you are...")
  • Client story ("A client of mine, [name], came to me with...")
  • Hypothetical ("Imagine you wake up tomorrow and...")

The pivot (critical transition sentence):

"That's when I realized... [lead into the solution]."

The Solution part introduces your product as the mechanism:

  • Name it
  • Explain how it works (mechanism, not feature list)
  • Connect it directly to the amplified problem

T — Transformation

Goal: Paint the vivid "after" state — both practical and emotional outcomes.

Key principle: "People are not buying the stuff you are selling; they have an interest in the transformation they'll get out of it." — Ray Edwards

They don't want a workout program. They want a slim figure and energy.

Three dimensions of transformation (maps to storybrand-marketing Module 6):

  1. External — Tangible, measurable outcome ("You'll [specific result in specific timeframe]")
  2. Internal — Emotional state ("You'll finally feel [specific emotion]")
  3. Philosophical — Identity shift ("You'll be the kind of person who [identity statement]")

Testimony/social proof belongs here: Real transformation stories that prove the outcome is achievable — not abstract credentials, but specific before/after evidence.

BAB (Before-After-Bridge) template for Transformation section:

[Before]  "Where you are now: [painful specific reality]"
[After]   "Where you'll be: [sensory, emotional future state]"
           — External: [specific measurable outcome]
           — Internal: [how they'll feel]
           — Philosophical: [who they'll become]
[Bridge]  "[Product] is what takes you there."

Prompts:

  • "Imagine [time period] from now when [vivid sensory success scenario]..."
  • "Here's what [client name]'s life looks like today: [specific transformation]"
  • "You'll finally [specific emotional outcome]"

O — Offer

Goal: Present exactly what you're selling with clarity and stacked perceived value.

This is where you stop telling the story and show the product. Be direct and specific.

Offer architecture (see offers skill + Hormozi in references):

  1. Core product — What it is, what it includes, how it's delivered
  2. Bonuses — Each bonus solves the next problem the customer will have after using the main product
  3. Price anchoring — Compare to the cost of inaction or the cost of alternatives
  4. Perceived value stack — List everything with individual values, then reveal the actual price

Pricing presentation formula:

  • State the cost of not solving the problem (time, money, opportunity)
  • State the "standard" price / competitor price
  • State the investment (your price)
  • Justify: why this price makes sense given the transformation

Gotchas:

  • Never lead with price — lead with value first
  • The offer section should feel like a revelation after the story, not a commercial break
  • Be transparent — no hidden fees, no bait-and-switch

R — Response

Goal: Invite action, handle objections, and push against procrastination.

Three components:

1. Call to Action (Direct CTA)

  • Specific and clear: "Click the button below to [outcome]"
  • Repeat the core transformation in one sentence before the CTA
  • See copywriting → references/cta-formulas.md

2. Objection handling / FAQ

  • Address the top 3-5 objections your audience has
  • Format as direct questions with honest answers
  • Common objections: "Is this right for me?", "I've tried things before", "I don't have time", "Is the price worth it?", "What if it doesn't work for me?"

3. Guarantee

  • State it clearly and prominently
  • Conditional guarantee (results-based) > unconditional (money-back) for perceived confidence
  • Never use fake deadlines — they destroy credibility. Real scarcity only.

4. P.S.

  • Restate the single most powerful benefit
  • Remind them of what they lose by not acting (future-pace the pain, not fake urgency)
  • One more nudge: "If you're still reading, you already know this is for you."

PASTOR vs. Short-Form Frameworks

PAS AIDA PASTOR
Length 3 sentences–1 page 1 paragraph–3 pages 3–20 pages
Best for Ads, social, email General purpose Sales letters, webinars, VSLs
Story None None Core component
Offer architecture None None Built-in (O section)
Objection handling None Conviction variant Built-in (R section)
Key differentiator Speed and punch Universal coverage Transformation + full close

Format Applications

Sales Letter

Follow PASTOR section-by-section. See: references/sales-letter-template.md

Webinar Script (60-90 minutes)

PASTOR maps perfectly to a webinar structure:

  • P: Opening hook + "Who this is for" (5 min)
  • A: "Here's what's at stake" (10 min)
  • S: Your story / case study (15 min)
  • T: The future they can have (10 min + teaching content)
  • O: The offer stack (10-15 min)
  • R: CTA, Q&A, objection handling, guarantee (10-15 min)

See: references/webinar-script.md

Video Sales Letter (VSL)

Same as webinar but compressed to 10-20 minutes. Each PASTOR section = one visual act.

Quality Checklist

Before submitting any PASTOR copy:

  • P: Is the person named specifically? Is the problem in their language?
  • A: Does the amplification go beyond repeating the problem? Is there at least 2 agitation angles?
  • S: Is there a real story with a specific character arc? Does it create identification?
  • T: Are all three dimensions of transformation covered (external, internal, philosophical)?
  • T: Is there at least one specific testimonial or case study result?
  • O: Is the offer crystal clear? Does it include bonuses, price, and guarantee?
  • O: Is the perceived value greater than the price before the price is revealed?
  • R: Is the CTA specific? Are top 3 objections addressed? Is the guarantee prominent?
  • R: Does the P.S. future-pace without fake urgency?
  • BrandScript consulted for controlling idea, empathy statement, and success vision?

Gotchas

  • Rushing to the offer: Readers who don't feel understood (P+A not landing) will not trust the offer. Fix the problem section before anything else.
  • Generic story: "A client came to me and their business was struggling" = not a story. Name them, name the specific obstacle, name the specific outcome with numbers.
  • Transformation without proof: Painting the After without testimonials = hope. Testimonials make the transformation feel real and achievable — not just inspiring.
  • Vague CTA: "Click here to learn more" fails. "Click here to get [specific transformation] — [guarantee]" converts.
  • No P.S.: The P.S. is read more than most of the letter. Never skip it.
  • Making the brand the hero: The customer is the hero. Your product is the bridge. The guide (you) exists to serve the hero's journey — not to take center stage.

Related Skills

  • storybrand-marketing ⭐ — Messaging foundation. BrandScript supplies P, T, and controlling idea.
  • copy-frameworks — Short-form alternative (AIDA/PAS/BAB) for ads, emails, social posts
  • funnel-blueprints — Which funnel type this sales letter lives in (Sales Letter Funnel, Webinar Funnel, VSL Funnel)
  • value-ladder — Offer sequencing strategy (where on the Value Ladder this offer sits)
  • offers — Offer architecture for the O section (bonuses, guarantee, pricing, Grand Slam structure)
  • emails — Soap Opera Sequence (email follow-up that reinforces the PASTOR conversion)

Reference Files