Simple Marketing For Smart People: The One Question You Need to Win Customers without Gimmicks, Hype, or Hard Selling

The argument-based approach also boosted my confidence—a change my audience noticed. They were looking for more than information. They wanted guidance from someone willing to take a stand, and constructing content as an argument for a particular viewpoint does more than share information—it creates clarity and conviction.

Don’t attach your identity to the details and complexity of your topic. Your value goes far beyond that.

believe one reason for this is because smart people are dedicated to finding the truth, and the field of marketing isn’t exactly known for its honesty. That’s a turnoff to smart people.

creating change requires selling our ideas. And so many smart people are turned off by selling. Many readers of this book, perhaps yourself included, have had a bad experience with a salesperson that tainted their association with sales forever.

When it comes to your area of expertise, you have a preferred way of doing things. Every smart person I’ve met does. It’s time to stand behind your methodology and argue for it publicly. To do so will involve making claims. But as we covered, you also need proof. When you speak on your recommended approach, don’t just say, “Here’s what I recommend.

To make it as business owners, we must ask: • What stage is my reader at? • What’s their readiness for the next step? • What is that next step or milestone? • How can I meet them where they are?

The Ladder of Importance will help you combat the curse of knowledge. It will help you surface what you’ve been taking for granted. Too many smart people are out there teaching detailed tutorials on extremely niche questions instead of teaching what’s fundamentally important.

I was responsible for everything in my business—designing the slides, keeping track of time, managing the Q&A, and you know, teaching the course. While it was exhilarating to pursue my passion, the burden of having to do it all myself felt like a crushing weight on my shoulders.

Billy Broas