Your Prospects Have Questions... Are You Answering Them?

In a world overflowing with businesses fighting for attention, how do you stand out? What if the secret isn’t being better than your competitors, but being different—radically different?

In this week's podcast, I had the privilege of sitting down with Marcus Sheridan, the author of They Ask, You Answer, to explore the bold and disruptive strategies that transformed his swimming pool company from the brink of bankruptcy into the most visited pool website in the world. But Marcus didn’t just share a business success story; he revealed a mindset shift that every leader, marketer, and entrepreneur needs to hear.

Marcus’s philosophy is simple, yet revolutionary: Answer the tough questions your customers are asking—before your competitors do. Be radically transparent, even if it feels uncomfortable. By tackling your audience’s biggest fears and uncertainties head-on, you don’t just build trust—you dominate the conversation.

The They Ask, You Answer framework is built on one powerful idea: if your customers have a question, you answer it—fully, honestly, and without hesitation. It sounds simple, but it’s a game-changer for businesses. When I was running River Pools during the economic crash in 2008, they were on the verge of bankruptcy. Marcus realized that customers were turning to the internet for answers about pools, and no one in our industry was addressing their biggest concerns. So, he made a decision: River Pools was going to answer every question, no matter how difficult, on their website. Cost? They talked about it. Problems with certain pool designs? They addressed those. They even compared their products to local competitors, giving them recognition in our content—something no one else dared to do.

It was a bold move, but it worked. By being radically transparent and openly discussing everything from pricing to pros and cons, even mentioning and reviewing competitors, they built trust. That transparency positioned us as the go-to experts in the industry. Small businesses, especially those in competitive markets, can thrive using this framework. When you become the trusted source of information—when you’re willing to talk about what no one else will—you differentiate yourself from competitors. It’s not about being the loudest; it’s about being the most trustworthy."

But the episode goes far deeper than marketing. We dive into the heart of leadership, uncovering the power of asking the right questions, the ones that unlock breakthroughs in your team and in yourself. Marcus also shares his insights on the future of AI, its impact on trust, and why businesses need to adopt an abundance mentality to truly thrive.

A big takeaway for me, is his belief that innovation often stems from moments of extreme pressure. When his business was on the brink of collapse, Marcus didn’t just scramble to survive—he saw it as an opportunity to rethink everything about how his company interacted with customers. He credits that moment of crisis as the catalyst for discovering that the true competitive advantage lies in how a business communicates and connects with its audience. It wasn’t about reinventing pools—it was about reinventing trust. For Marcus, it wasn’t enough to just be a good salesperson or marketer; you had to fundamentally understand what your customers needed and how to communicate it in a way that builds lasting relationships. It’s a reminder that sometimes the best innovations don’t come from having all the answers, but from asking the right questions at the right time.

Are you ready to shake things up and lead in a way that others won’t? This episode will challenge everything you think you know about trust, leadership, and what it takes to stand out in today’s noisy world. It’s not just about survival—it’s about being the rule breaker that changes the game.

Hit play and discover how asking the right questions can unlock the future of your business.

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