Sheridan Marcus. They Ask You Answer: A Revolutionary Approach to Inbound Sales, Content Marketing, and Today's Digital Consumer

Wiley, 2017. — 357 p. — ISBN: 1119312973, 9781119312970.A revolutionary marketing strategy proven to drive sales and growth They Ask You Answer is a straightforward guide to fixing your current marketing strategy. Regardless of your budget, you are almost certainly overspending on television, radio, and print ads, yet neglecting the number-one resource you have at your disposal: the Internet. Content marketing is no longer about keyword-stuffing and link-building; in fact, using those tactics today gets your page shuffled to the bottom of the heap. Quality content is the key to success, and you already have the ingredients in-house. This book shows you how to structure an effective content strategy using the same proven principles that have revolutionized marketing for all types of businesses, across industries.Author Marcus Sheridan's pool company struggled after the housing collapse; today, they're one of the largest pool installers in the U.S., turning away millions of dollars in business they simply cannot accommodate every year. How did he manage it? He answered questions. This book shows you how Marcus's strategy can work for your business, and how to use your keyboard to bring customers through the door.Boost your company's web presence with methods that work Build a level of trust that generates customer evangelism Leverage your in-house resources to produce winning content Utilize tactics that work, regardless of industry or sector When people have questions, they ask a search engine. If you have answers, the right content strategy will get them to the top of the search results and seen by millions of eyes every day. Drop the marketing-speak, stop "selling," and start answering. Be seen as an authority, not just another advertisement. They Ask You Answer describes a fresh approach to marketing and the beginning of big things for your business.ForewordA Very Different Way of Looking at Business, Marketing, and Trust
The Fall
How I Became a “Pool Guy”
2001 to 2008: The False Economy
2008: The Wheels Start to Fall Off
A Massive Buying Shift and the Blur Between Sales and Marketing
This Book Won’t Work for You If …
The Discovery of They Ask, You Answer
They Ask, You Answer Defined
Brainstorming the Questions You Are Asked Every Day
Putting It into Action
The Ostrich Marketing Strategy
The CarMax Effect
The Beginnings of CarMax and a New Way to Sell
Putting It into Action
The Discovery of The Big
The Big 5, Topic 1: Pricing and Cost: Why We Must Talk About Money
“Every Solution Is Different”
“Our Competitors Will Find Out What We Charge”
“We’ll Scare Customers Away”
How One Article About Money Generated More Than $6 Million in Sales
Putting It into Action
Case Study 1: High-End B2B Technology Company Generates More Than $8 Million in Additional Revenue
About Segue Technologies
The Snowball Begins
Segue Technologies’ Astounding Growth
Improving the System to Produce Content
The Big 5, Topic 2: Problems: How to Turn Weaknesses into Strengths
Addressing the Elephant in the Room
How Talking About Our Problems Generated More Than $1 Million in Revenue
Putting It into Action
Case Study 2: An Equipment Financing Company Becomes a Digital David and Conquers the Industry Goliaths
About Smarter Finance USA
Smarter Finance USA Embraces They Ask, You Answer
Smarter Finance USA Focuses on Educating Small Business Owners Searching for Equipment Loans Online
Smarter Finance USA’s Educational Content Pays Off in a Big Way
The Big 5, Topic 3: Versus and Comparisons
The Results
Putting It into Action
The Critical Need for Unbiased Content
Disarmament: The Quickest Way to Build Trust
The Big 5, Topics 4 and 5: Reviews and Best in Class
Putting It into Action
Using Reviews to Establish Yourself as an Expert
The Impact of Discussing Competition
Putting It into Action
Case Study 3: Small Retail Appliance Store Dominates Online and Makes Millions
About Yale Appliance
A CEO Becomes Head of Business Development
Yale Appliance Tackles the Tougher Questions
Yale Appliance’s Success with Inbound Marketing
The Competition
The Bad Fits
The Customer
How They Ask, You Answer Saved River Pools and Spas
The Impact of They Ask, You Answer on Sales Teams
How Great Content Is a Total Game-Changer for Sales Teams
The 7 Major Benefits of Sales Teams Embracing They Ask, You Answer
A Dramatic Discovery
Assignment Selling
An Example of Assignment Selling in Action
The Special Rights of the Teacher
What Homework Can Tell Us About a Prospect
How One Remarkable Couple Changed My Perspective on the Power of Content to Sell
Content Never Sleeps
How to Use Assignment Selling to Avoid Common Pitfalls
How to Use Assignment Selling to Determine Compatibility
Case Study 4: How a Healthcare Startup Became the Thought Leaders of an Entirely New Industry
About Health Catalyst
Phase 1: Uniting the Marketing and Sales Silos
Phases 2 and 3: Live Webinars and Events
Success and Plans for the Future
Implementation and Making It a Culture
The Power of Insourcing and Using Your Team to Create Incredible Content
Case Study 5: How Block Imaging Embraced a Culture of Insourcing
The Silos Must Be Eliminated
Understanding the What, the Why, and the How
Starting Off They Ask, You Answer with a Bang: Company Workshops
Principle 1: Buyer Expectations Have Changed
Principle 2: The Way Search Engines Work
Principle 3: The Way Consumers Search and The Big 5
Principle 4: Group Brainstorming of Content Ideas
Principle 5: The Impact Content Can Have on the Sales Process and Closing Rates
Principle 6: The Reason Why Everyone’s Voice, Talents, and Knowledge Are Critical for Success
Principle 7: The Editorial Guidelines Going Forward
Principle 8: A Look into the Future
The Content Manager: Qualities to Look for, How to Hire One, and More
Someone Must Own It
Choosing the Right Leader of Your Content Marketing Efforts
Trained Journalists May Be a Perfect Match for Your Content Marketing Needs
How to Make Sure Your Potential Content Manager Is the Right Fit for Your Company and Brand
The Importance of Having the Right Tools: Measuring Return on Investment, the Power of HubSpot, and More
1. The Continuous Ability to Measure ROI of Your Digital Marketing Efforts
2. The Ability to Track Lead Behavior and Use This Advanced Intelligence Throughout the Sales Process
3. The Ability to Test Your Website
Creating a Culture of Video… In-House
We’re All Media Companies and the Visual Sale
The Selling 7: 7 Videos That Will Immediately Impact Sales and Closing Rates
The Selling 7, Video 1: The 80 Percent Video
Putting It into Action
Common Questions Regarding the 80 Percent Video
The Selling 7, Video 2: Bio Videos for Email Signatures
Common Questions Regarding Bio Videos
The Selling 7, Video 3: Product and Service Fit Videos
Common Questions Regarding Product and Service Fit Videos
The Selling 7, Video 4: Landing Page Videos
Common Questions Regarding Landing Page Videos
The Selling 7, Video 5: Cost and Pricing Videos
Common Questions Regarding Cost and Pricing Videos
The Selling 7, Video 6: Customer Journey Videos
Common Question Regarding Customer Journey Videos
The Selling 7, Video 7: “Claims We Make” Videos
Common Questions Regarding “Claims We Make” Videos
Personalized Video for Email: A More Human Approach to Direct Digital Communication
1. Choose a Simple Technology
2. Show Your Team Exactly How to Use It Until They’re Proficient
3. Teach the Power of More Effective Subject Lines
4. Learn How to Create the Perfect Thumbnail
5. Stick to the “Don’t Stop” Rule
6. Leaders Must Set the Tone with Their Internal Communications
How to Hire an In-House Videographer
Identifying Personality Traits of a Videographer
What a Good Videographer Candidate Should Demonstrate
Extra Interview Questions for Your Videographer Candidates
A Simple Video Assignment as Part of the Interview Process
Team Buy-In on Video, Performance Tips, and Long-Term Success
1. Don’t Stop
2. But You Can Do It Again
3. The 3-Second Smile
The Problem with Scripts
Getting Buy-In and “Embracing the Messy”
Case Study 6: How a Lifting and Rigging Company Became the Ultimate Example of They Ask, You Answer Success and Culture
Mazzella’s Initial Approach to They Ask, You Answer
Their Commitment Began to Pay Off
Mazzella’s Success Came Down to Hiring the Right People
Why Insourcing Outperforms Outsourcing Every Time
There Are No Silos at Mazzella
Educating Customers, Employees, and Entire Industries
The Results
How to Build the Perfect They Ask, You Answer Website
Real-Time Conversations Are Changing How They’re Asking and We’re Answering
The Way We Communicate Has Fundamentally Changed
What Is Conversational Marketing and Where Did It Come From?
You Can’t Dictate the Buying Process
How to Start Conversational Marketing for Your Business
Your Questions Answered About Conversational Marketing
Self-Selection: The Next Phase of Search, Sales, and the Way We Buy
Wix: A Classic Case Study on Giving Buyers What They Want in Real-Time
How to Use Self-Selection Tools for Your Business
Common Questions Regarding Self-Selection Tools
Website Priority 1: Proper Homepage Design and Messaging
Homepage Layout
Website Priority 2: Obsess Over Honest Education
Website Priority 3: Premium Education
Website Priority 4: An Equal Mix of Textual and Visual Content
Website Priority 5: Self-Selection Tools
Website Priority 6: Social Proof
Website Priority 7: Site Speed
Your Questions Answered
“How Do I Find More Time to Make This Work Within My Organization?”
Create Blog Posts from Emails That Answer Questions Very Well
Start Talking to Yourself Out Loud. A Lot.
Participate in Blogathons or Videoathons with Employees
Hire a Content Manager Yesterday
Remember That Insourcing Is a Very Big Deal
Learn How Each Employee Best Communicates and Run with It
Turn on the Camera and Hit Record
Stop Doing the Thing That Does Not Bring the Greatest Returns
Is It Really About Time, or Is Something Else Going on Here?
“How Long Will It Take They Ask, You Answer to Work?”
Content Marketing the “Right” Way
5 Stages of Content Marketing Success
“Are Content Marketing and They Ask, You Answer Just Fads?”
What Is Content Marketing Exactly?
“How Can I Keep My Team Engaged in the Content Process?”
10 Ways to Keep Your Employees Motivated to Participate in Content Marketing
“I’ve Been Told If We’re Not Adding Anything New to the Conversation, Then We Shouldn’t Be Talking About It — Is That Right?”
“Can I Just Hire an Agency to Do This for Me?”
“How Can We Afford to Do This?”
A Revolutionary Marketing Strategy
End of Book Resources
Appendix 1 Get Your Scorecard Grade Yourself on They Ask, You Answer Right Now
Appendix 2 More They Ask, You Answer Resources
They Ask, You Answer Scorecard
Real-World Results
They Ask, You Answer Playbooks
Recommended Digital Sales and Marketing Software and Tools
Free Templates and Downloads
Recommended Books and Further Reading
Appendix 3 Accelerate Your They Ask, You Answer Success with IMPACT
Consulting
Workshops
IMPACT Live
IMPACT EliteAbout the AuthorEnd User License Agreement