1장
Revolutionizing Business Through Radical Transparency
When Marcus Sheridan's fiberglass pool company was on the brink of collapse during the 2008 recession, he made a desperate discovery that would not only save his business but transform it into an industry leader. With five canceled contracts in 48 hours and an overdrawn bank account, Sheridan realized something profound: consumers were no longer making buying decisions based on traditional marketing-they were researching extensively online before ever contacting a company. This revelation led him to develop "They Ask, You Answer," a business philosophy that has since been adopted by thousands of organizations worldwide and is now taught in universities. The New York Times even featured his approach with the headline: "A Revolutionary Marketing Strategy: Answer Customers' Questions"-highlighting the ironic truth that something so fundamentally simple could be considered revolutionary in modern business. Since its first publication in 2017, Sheridan's book has become known as "the Bible of content marketing," with companies reporting millions in additional revenue after implementation. What makes this approach so powerful isn't complex technology or expensive strategies-it's the radical commitment to transparency, education, and putting customer questions at the center of all marketing and sales efforts.
2장
The Fundamental Shift in Consumer Buying Behavior
Today's consumers make approximately 70% of their buying decision before ever speaking to a company representative-a dramatic increase from just 20-40% a decade ago. This shift has fundamentally altered the relationship between sales and marketing, yet most businesses continue operating with outdated models that prioritize sales departments over marketing efforts. When financial troubles hit, marketing is typically the first budget cut, while sales teams are the first to expand during growth periods. This misalignment creates a growing disconnect between organizational strategy and actual buyer behavior, often resulting in decreased market effectiveness and lost opportunities.
The internet has democratized information access, transferring power from salespeople to consumers. Where buyers once relied on sales representatives for product information, they now expect to find comprehensive answers online before initiating contact. Modern consumers research extensively through multiple channels - company websites, social media, review platforms, industry forums, and comparison sites. This shift applies universally across B2B and B2C markets, with products and services previously thought impossible to sell online - from industrial equipment to professional services - now being purchased sight unseen. Even complex, high-value transactions increasingly begin with digital research rather than personal relationships.
Companies that resist this change often hide behind the "we're different" phenomenon-the universal belief that their business is uniquely exempt from these trends. Sheridan has polled audiences worldwide and found that 100% believe their business is somehow different, driven by a psychological need to feel special. This resistance manifests in various ways: maintaining outdated sales processes, limiting online information, or insisting on traditional face-to-face selling models. However, all businesses fundamentally operate on the same currency: consumer trust. Whether B2B, B2C, service or product-based, local or national, trust remains the common denominator for success.
The businesses thriving in this new landscape have recognized that becoming the most trusted voice in their industry-a position surprisingly vacant in most fields-is the ultimate competitive advantage. This requires abandoning "ostrich marketing" (burying one's head in the sand and avoiding difficult questions) and instead embracing radical transparency that addresses every customer concern, even when uncomfortable. Successful organizations are creating comprehensive content libraries, addressing pricing openly, discussing competitors fairly, and acknowledging product limitations honestly. This approach builds credibility through authenticity and aligns with how modern buyers make decisions.
The shift demands a fundamental restructuring of traditional marketing and sales roles. Forward-thinking companies are investing heavily in digital content creation, educational resources, and transparent communication channels. They're training sales teams to serve as consultative experts who add value beyond what customers can find online, rather than acting as primary information gatekeepers. This evolution requires organizations to develop new metrics for success, focusing on engagement and trust-building rather than traditional sales metrics alone.
3장
The Big 5: Content Topics That Drive Revenue
After implementing his content strategy for six months, Sheridan analyzed his website data and discovered five content categories that consistently generated the most traffic, leads, and sales. These became known as "The Big 5":
1. Pricing and Costs: Less than 10% of businesses (excluding e-commerce) address pricing on their websites, regardless of whether they're B2B or B2C. Companies typically justify this omission with three excuses: "every solution is different," "our competitors will find out what we charge," and "we'll scare customers away." These objections miss a crucial point: consumers aren't necessarily expecting exact figures, but they do want transparency about what drives costs up or down. When Sheridan published an article addressing fiberglass pool pricing, it generated over $6 million in sales over time-literally saving his business.
2. Problems: Consumers worry more about what might go wrong than what will go right. They search for negative information and potential issues before purchasing. By addressing product limitations honestly, businesses can build tremendous trust. Sheridan's article "Top 5 Fiberglass Pool Problems and Solutions" generated over $1 million in sales by acknowledging potential drawbacks while explaining solutions and benefits for the right customers.
3. Versus and Comparisons: Buyers obsessively compare options before making decisions. When Sheridan published "Fiberglass Pools vs. Vinyl Liner Pools vs. Concrete Pools: An Honest Comparison," he became the first in his industry to address this common question directly. The article ranked first for numerous comparison search terms and generated hundreds of thousands in revenue while significantly reducing time wasted with "bad-fit" prospects.
4. Reviews: Consumers trust third-party opinions more than company claims. When Sheridan wrote an article titled "Who Are the Best Pool Builders in Richmond, Virginia" listing five competitors he genuinely believed were excellent (deliberately excluding his own company), it established River Pools as an industry expert without explicitly claiming expertise. The article ranked first for "Best Pool Builders Richmond, Virginia" searches and generated $150,000 in sales its first year.
5. Best in Class: Buyers love rankings and understanding how options compare. Creating "best of class" content positions companies as knowledgeable industry experts with broader perspective beyond their specific offerings.
The paradox of The Big 5 is that while consumers obsess over these topics, most businesses deliberately avoid addressing them online. This creates an enormous opportunity for companies willing to embrace transparency.
4장
Assignment Selling: Using Content Throughout the Sales Process
Content marketing isn't just about passively posting information online-it must be strategically integrated throughout every stage of the sales process. Sheridan discovered a powerful correlation between content consumption and buying behavior through careful tracking and analysis: prospects who read 30+ pages on his website before their first sales appointment would buy 80% of the time, compared to just 25% for those who didn't reach this threshold. This dramatic difference in conversion rates highlighted the critical importance of prospect education before sales interactions.
This insight led to the development of "assignment selling"-the strategic use of educational content throughout the sales process. Rather than immediately scheduling quotes when prospects called, Sheridan would send them carefully curated educational materials, including detailed installation videos, comprehensive buying guides, comparison charts, and frequently asked questions documents. Prospects were asked to review these materials before appointments, creating better-informed buyers and more productive sales conversations. This preparation allowed meetings to focus on specific needs and solutions rather than basic education.
The approach transforms salespeople into trusted advisors who earn the "special rights of a teacher"-the authority to ask prospects to complete preparatory work before meetings. This elevated position shifts the dynamic from traditional selling to consultative guidance. When prospects claimed they didn't have time to review materials, Sheridan would confidently explain that uninformed customers typically have poor experiences, make regrettable decisions, and aren't good fits for his company. He backed this stance with real examples of past customer experiences, both positive and negative.
This bold approach yielded three possible outcomes: prospects would either complete the assigned content, demonstrating serious interest; reschedule until they could review the materials; or self-disqualify-all positive results that prevented wasting time with price-focused buyers. The company tracked these outcomes meticulously, finding that prospects who completed their "homework" asked more sophisticated questions, had shorter sales cycles, and required fewer follow-up meetings.
The data conclusively confirmed this approach's effectiveness: fewer than 5% of prospects who skipped their "homework" but still wanted quotes ever became customers. Those who did complete the assignments closed at dramatically higher rates and reported higher satisfaction levels post-purchase. Assignment selling thus serves multiple functions: it qualifies prospects, educates buyers, shortens sales cycles, improves closing rates, and reduces post-sale support issues. Many companies have since adopted this methodology, customizing the content and assignments to their specific industries and buyer journeys.
5장
Creating a Culture of Content: The Four Essential Keys
For content marketing to succeed, organizations need four essential elements that work in harmony to create lasting transformation:
1. Buy-in from top to bottom through education: Everyone from C-suite executives to front-line employees must understand what content marketing is, how it works, and why it matters. Successful implementation requires comprehensive workshops that help teams grasp the philosophy and see its potential impact on their specific roles. This includes practical training sessions, case studies from successful companies, and role-specific examples showing how each department contributes to content success. Regular lunch-and-learn sessions, quarterly updates, and internal newsletters help maintain momentum and showcase wins.
2. Insourcing by utilizing company employees: While many organizations outsource content production to agencies, this approach rarely captures a company's true brand voice and deep industry expertise. The most successful practitioners tap into existing employees' knowledge to produce educational content, leading to more authentic, buyer-centric materials. Subject matter experts from engineering, customer service, sales, and product development become valuable content contributors. This approach not only produces better content but also creates internal advocates, improves employee engagement, and builds stronger relationships with customers who appreciate genuine expertise. Companies like IBM and Microsoft have successfully implemented employee advocacy programs that turn thousands of employees into content creators.
3. A dedicated content manager who owns the effort: Without someone whose sole responsibility is driving the content strategy, other priorities inevitably take precedence. A successful content manager's weekly duties include creating multiple content pieces, managing email marketing, analyzing metrics, handling social media, producing premium content, enhancing the website, continuing education, and meeting with sales teams. This role requires expertise in editorial planning, content creation, distribution strategies, and analytics. The content manager also serves as an internal consultant, helping different departments align their content efforts with overall business objectives. They need authority to make decisions, access to resources, and direct lines of communication with leadership.
4. The right tools to calculate ROI: Businesses need proper tools to track success, measuring everything from visitor sources to lead generation to closed sales. This includes implementing comprehensive analytics platforms, CRM integration, attribution modeling, and content scoring systems. Tools like Google Analytics, HubSpot, or Salesforce allow organizations to track content performance across multiple channels, measure engagement metrics, and attribute revenue to specific content pieces. Regular reporting should include both leading indicators (traffic, engagement, shares) and lagging indicators (leads, sales, customer lifetime value).
Many companies have tried content marketing and failed because they treated it as just another marketing initiative rather than a comprehensive business philosophy. Success requires long-term commitment, adequate resources, and patience. Organizations that implement all four keys can achieve remarkable results, often seeing 3-5x higher engagement rates and 2x better conversion rates compared to traditional marketing approaches. Companies like American Express, Red Bull, and HubSpot demonstrate how building a true content culture transforms not just marketing but the entire organization's approach to customer relationships and business growth.
6장
The Visual Sale: Building a Video-First Organization
As video consumption continues to dominate online behavior, businesses must adapt their content strategies accordingly. Cisco projects that video will account for 82% of all consumer internet traffic by 2022, yet most business websites contain only 0-10% video content-creating a significant opportunity gap.
This reality requires a fundamental mindset shift: "We are all media companies, whether we like it or not." This means recognizing that your business is a media company that happens to sell your particular product or service. The core philosophy behind this approach is "Unless we show it, it doesn't exist"-acknowledging that modern buyers need to see, not just read about, what you offer.
To implement this approach effectively, Sheridan developed "The Selling 7" framework-seven video types that generate the quickest results:
1. The 80 Percent Video: Addresses the 70-90% of questions that are identical across sales calls, allowing prospects to arrive at meetings better informed.
2. Bio Videos: Humanize your business by allowing potential customers to see, hear, and know team members before the first meeting.
3. Product and Service Fit Videos: Honestly address both who would benefit from your product and who wouldn't, building trust through candid assessment.
4. Landing Page Videos: Address the four major fears people experience when submitting information online: privacy concerns, fear of spam, worry about sales calls, and uncertainty about what happens next.
5. Cost and Pricing Videos: Comprehensively address all factors that drive costs up or down, discuss marketplace comparisons, and explain your value proposition.
6. Customer Journey Videos: Follow the "hero's journey" format showing a customer's initial problem, their journey with your company, and their successful outcome.
7. 'Claims We Make' Videos: Transform empty assertions into demonstrated truths by visually proving what makes your company different.
For businesses embracing video as fundamental to their future, hiring a full-time videographer is becoming as essential as having a sales manager. The ideal candidate must be a cultural fit who can serve as your company's visual storyteller, with strong interpersonal skills to work effectively with employees who may be camera-shy.
7장
Building the Perfect They Ask, You Answer Website
Two major shifts in buying behavior have fundamentally transformed website functionality: the growing expectation for real-time conversations and the increasing demand for self-selection tools. Today's consumers expect immediate answers through live chat, chatbots, and messaging platforms rather than waiting hours or days for emails or phone calls. They also demand sophisticated personalized recommendations tailored to their specific situations, with search queries including phrases like "for me" and "best for" exploding by 120 percent in just two years. This shift reflects a broader trend toward personalization in the digital marketplace.
To create an effective They Ask, You Answer website that meets these evolving demands, focus on these seven critical priorities:
1. Proper Homepage Design and Messaging: Address visitors' primary concerns in their language before introducing your company. Count how many sentences use "you" versus "we" or "our"-the ideal ratio is at least 5:1 in favor of customer-focused language. Your homepage should immediately answer: What problems do you solve? Who do you serve? Why should visitors trust you? Include clear calls-to-action that guide visitors to their next steps.
2. Obsess Over Honest Education: Gather your team and brainstorm the top 25 questions prospects ask, then assess how many are actually answered on your website through text or video. Include pricing information, product comparisons, potential problems, and competitor analysis. Create detailed FAQ sections for each product or service category. Address negative topics head-on to build trust.
3. Premium Education: Offer comprehensive "premium content" like ebooks, buying guides, templates, and webinars for buyers who want deeper information. These resources should be easily accessible but may require email signup to access. Create content bundles around specific topics or buyer personas. Include downloadable checklists, comparison charts, and decision-making frameworks.
4. Equal Mix of Textual and Visual Content: Every major page should include at least one video specific to its subject matter to accommodate visual learners. Incorporate infographics, product demonstrations, explainer videos, and customer testimonial videos. Use screenshots, diagrams, and process flows to illustrate complex concepts. Ensure all visual content is mobile-responsive and properly optimized.
5. Self-Selection Tools: Create interactive experiences that help customers make choices among your products or services, providing personalized recommendations. Implement product configurators, assessment tools, ROI calculators, and interactive comparison charts. Use branching logic in forms to guide users to relevant solutions. Include budget estimators and requirement analyzers.
6. Social Proof: Include customer journey videos, testimonials, case studies, and reviews throughout your site to build credibility. Feature industry awards, certifications, and partnership badges. Share specific metrics and results achieved for clients. Create detailed case studies that outline problems solved, solutions implemented, and measurable outcomes.
7. Site Speed: Ensure your website loads quickly, as 40 percent of consumers abandon sites that take more than three seconds to load. Optimize images and videos, leverage browser caching, minimize code, and use content delivery networks. Regularly test loading times across different devices and connections. Monitor and improve Core Web Vitals scores.
The fundamental principle for successful website design remains: "Would I want this if I were the buyer?" View your site through your customers' eyes, not your business perspective. Regularly conduct user testing and gather feedback to identify areas for improvement. Track key metrics like time on site, conversion rates, and engagement levels to measure effectiveness. A customer-centric website will naturally stand out in a digital sea of mediocrity and self-promotional content.
8장
Implementing They Ask, You Answer: Timeline and Results
Companies understandably want to know when they'll see results from implementing They Ask, You Answer. Creating a culture of listening, teaching, and acting takes significant commitment but delivers tremendous value when done right. The realistic three-year journey to content marketing success follows five key stages:
1. Months 1-3: Hit 'publish,' get the sales team engaged, and implement assignment selling immediately. While building the "content machine" takes 30-90 days, immediate victories come from using new content in the sales process as soon as it's created.
2. Months 2-5: Searchers and search engines realize you exist. Once you demonstrate consistent content production, both audiences take notice. Your SEO improves with better keyword rankings, and Google indexes your site more frequently.
3. Months 3-6: Lead generation increases significantly. Tracking lead sources becomes critical-knowing which content pieces bring visitors who become customers allows you to measure value and refine your strategy.
4. Months 4-18: Generate sales and revenue. While sales cycles vary by industry, content-driven sales should occur within the first year. During this period, sales teams should increasingly integrate content throughout the prospect's buying journey.
5. Months 18-36: The snowball effect begins. Initially, establishing a successful digital sales and marketing program feels like pushing a snowball uphill. However, with persistence, the snowball eventually reaches the summit and begins rolling downhill, gaining momentum and growing beyond expectations.
The case studies in the book demonstrate these results are achievable regardless of industry or company size. Yale Appliance transformed from one store to three, increasing sales from $37 million to over $120 million annually with margins up 5% in an industry known for razor-thin profits. Mazzella Companies saw a 600% increase in website traffic, 650% increase in monthly leads, and nearly $20 million in additional sales revenue within 18 months. Health Catalyst's website traffic grew from a few thousand monthly visitors to over 115,000 in just two years.
9장
The Ultimate Question: Can You Afford Not To Do This?
As we conclude, you might wonder: "How can we afford to do this?" Yet companies that have successfully implemented They Ask, You Answer quickly shift from worrying about costs to considering additional investments-hiring more content managers or videographers. This transformation in thinking occurs because they witness firsthand the dramatic impact on their bottom line through increased leads, shorter sales cycles, and higher conversion rates.
The three major expenses suggested-a full-time content manager, a full-time videographer, and ROI measurement tools-typically cost the equivalent of hiring just one salesperson. While this might seem substantial initially, consider the math: A single salesperson can only handle a limited number of conversations per day, whereas content and videos work 24/7, reaching thousands of potential customers simultaneously. Could a single salesperson generate the financial impact that companies like Yale Appliance, Mazzella, and Block Imaging achieved through They Ask, You Answer? Not in a million years. Yale Appliance, for instance, grew from $8 million to over $100 million in revenue while reducing their marketing costs as a percentage of sales.
This approach delivers incredible scale by adding positions that most companies wrongfully consider "marketing expenses" rather than "sales drivers." Content managers and videographers become revenue generators, producing materials that directly influence buying decisions and shorten the sales cycle. The ROI becomes evident as prospects arrive better educated and ready to buy, having already consumed your educational content. And these trends aren't slowing down-since 2017, They Ask, You Answer has only grown in importance, creating an ever-widening gap between adopters and laggards. Companies implementing this approach report 50-70% of their sales being influenced by content before the first conversation.
Digital is the great equalizer. Small companies with compelling content regularly outrank industry giants on Google, and businesses with authentic video content build trust faster than those relying on traditional advertising. Those willing to shift their mindset can leapfrog larger competitors, while those ignoring buyer behavior changes face frustration and potential ruin. Companies like River Pools demonstrated this by dominating their market despite being a small local business, simply by answering questions thoroughly and honestly.
So don't ask if you can afford to do this. Instead, answer these harder questions: "What if we don't act?" "What's the cost of inaction?" "Can we afford NOT to do this?" Consider that your competitors are likely already moving in this direction, and every day of delay widens the digital trust gap between you and your market leaders.
The essence of They Ask, You Answer isn't revolutionary in principle-there's nothing groundbreaking about answering customer questions honestly. Yet in practice, it absolutely is revolutionary because so few businesses are willing to embrace this level of transparency. Most companies still hide from difficult questions, avoid discussing pricing, and refuse to acknowledge their competitors or weaknesses. As Sheridan concludes: "Follow your instincts: be the best teacher in the world, obsess over customer questions, answer with fierce honesty, and win their trust." The companies that embrace this philosophy aren't just winning today; they're building sustainable competitive advantages for tomorrow.
