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- Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
- Kategorie: Fachliteratur
- Sprache: Englisch
NATIONAL BESTSELLER
Proven framework to propel your organization into a top market position
Endless Customers delivers a proven framework for businesses to become the most trusted and recognized brands in their markets by harnessing the power of developing the right content, website, sales activities, technology, and culture of performance. When executed correctly, this framework enables marketing, sales, and leadership teams to sync up on a business strategy that is transformative to the organization's growth, creating long-term success—and endless customers.
An evolution of Marcus Sheridan's first book, They Ask, You Answer, the Endless Customers model has been enriched by years of practical application, hundreds of case studies, and recognizing the monumental impact AI is having on business and the buyer's journey. In this book, readers will learn about:
- Becoming the most trusted and known brand in their market, leading to more consistent lead flow and sustainable business growth
- Creating a culture of sales and marketing that is built to last, in a time when digital transformation and AI are changing the world of business and buying as we know it
- Promoting organizational change by investing in the right people in the right seats so as to evolve to a NEW way of effective sales, marketing, and brand growth
With all of the real-world examples, tools, and frameworks you need to immediately put theory into practice, Endless Customers earns a well-deserved spot on the bookshelves of ambitious business leaders, executives, managers, and entrepreneurs seeking to make their businesses household names in their industries.
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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025
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Table of Contents
Cover
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Preface:
Endless Customers
: Evolving Beyond
They Ask, You Answer
Introduction
SECTION 1: Preview of the Endless Customers System™
1 Why Customer Acquisition Is Harder Than Ever—And How to Fix It
Why Are You Experiencing These Frustrations?
A Shift in Mindset
Preview: The 4 Pillars of a Known and Trusted Brand
Preview: The 5 Components of Endless Customers
Is Endless Customers Right for You?
Where Endless Customers Works Best
The Journey Ahead
Notes
2 The 4 Pillars of a Known and Trusted Brand
Ostrich Marketing: The Enemy of Trust
Understanding The 4 Pillars of a Known and Trusted Brand
3 Navigating the Era of Zero-Click
The New Reality of Zero-Click
Why Signals Matter in a Zero-Click and AI-Driven World
How to Build a Brand That's Impossible for Humans and AI to Ignore
The Path Forward: Redefining Success Metrics Beyond “Website Traffic”
Notes
SECTION 2: Say What Others Aren't Willing to Say
4 The Big 5
The Big 5
Say What Others Aren't Willing to Say
5 Topic 1: Cost and Price
How One Article Generated More Than $35M in Sales
How to Create “The Perfect Pricing Page”
The Future of Online Pricing Is Here
6 Topic 2: Problems
What Could Go Wrong with Metal Roofs?
7 Topic 3: Versus and Comparisons
8 Topic 4: Reviews
Get Intentional About Reviews
Create Your Own Product Reviews
What Does the Perfect Review Look Like?
9 Topic 5: Best in Class
Best (Company) Near Me
One Final Note on Best-in-Class Content
10 Getting Started with The Big 5
Start with a Content Brainstorm—And Use AI to Do It
Focus on Your Core Product or Service First
Create Your Content
Build a Backlog of Content, Publish, and Never Stop
Expand to Other Mediums
SECTION 3: Show What Others Aren't Willing to Show
11 The Future of Video and Becoming a “Media Company”
Becoming a “Media Company”
Overcoming Personal Biases with Video
12 Videos That Move the Sales Needle: The Selling 7
Video 1: Cost and Price Videos
Video 2: The 80% Video
Video 3: Product/Service-Fit Videos
Video 4: Landing Page Videos
Video 5: Customer Journey Videos
Video 6: Bio Videos
Video 7: The Claims We Make Video
13 YouTube's Importance for Endless Customers
YouTube: The Search Engine You're Overlooking
Why YouTube Is About More Than SEO
How to Treat YouTube Like Your Website
Produce Episodic Content to Repurpose Across Different Channels
14 The Structure for Videos That Capture and Excite
For Long-Form Videos: The Video 6
15 The Power of Vertical Video on Social Media
Make Them Click and Make Them Stick with The Sticky 5
Why Does Virality Even Matter?
Note
16 Getting Started with Video
The Selling 7: Planning Videos and Preparing Your Team
Training the Team for On-Camera Performance
Using AI to Enhance Video Production and Repurposing
Publish, Repurpose, and Extend Your Reach
SECTION 4: Sell How Others Aren't Willing to Sell
17 Empower Buyers Through Self-Service
What Is a Self-Service Tool?
Give Buyers Control: The 5 Types of Self-Service Tools
Pulling Back the Curtain: Great Examples of Self-Service Tools
Note
18 Sell Faster and Better with Assignment Selling
Assignment Selling
Why Your Sales Process Matters
Defining Your Sales Process
Four Steps to Creating an Effective Sales Process
How to Implement Assignment Selling in Your Sales Process
The Assignment Selling Script
Moving Forward: Creating a Culture of Assignment Selling
How CSI Accounting & Payroll Boosted Their Average Sale Price by 39.7% with Assignment Selling
19 Building a Powerful Sales Culture Behind the Scenes: SMEs and Revenue Teams
The Impact of Sales SMEs
Working as a Unified Revenue Team
What Makes an Effective Revenue Team?
A Word of Warning
SECTION 5: Be More Human Than Others Are Willing to Be
20 Keeping the Human Element Intact
Personal Brands Are More Important Than Ever
The Call to Show Your Face and Share Your Soul
Leaders Must Lead the Charge
The Authentic 15
Looking Ahead
21 Create a More Human Website with Better Messaging
Ineffective Messaging Is Costing You More Than You Know
Get Your Message Right: The Power of Story
How to Craft Your Message with the StoryBrand BrandScript
Nail Your First Impression with a Strong Homepage Hero
Update the Rest of Your Homepage to Build Trust and Guide Action
Be Consistent with Your Messaging Across all Platforms
Take Action
Note
22 Connect Deeper with More “Human” Content
Why Human Content Is More Important Than Ever
The Seven Cues of Human Content
Final Thoughts: Connecting with Human Content
23 The Future of Digital Humans in Customer Engagement
Immediate Transparency
Authentic Voice and Knowledge Base
Clear Purpose and Role Definition
Consistent Experience
Ethical Boundaries
User Control and Choice
Quality Monitoring and Updates
Technical Implementation
Privacy and Security
Continuous Improvement
Looking Ahead
SECTION 6: A Call for Disruption
24 Why Disruption Matters
Why We Resist Disruption (and Implementing Endless Customers)
Overcoming Resistance and Creating a Culture of Disruption
Disrupting Beyond The 4 Pillars
The Path Forward
SECTION 7: Putting It All Together
Chapter 25: Putting The 5 Components of Endless Customers into Action
The Right Content
The Right Website
The Right Sales Activities
The Right Technology
The Right Culture of Performance
26 Measuring and Tracking Your Success with Endless Customers
The Endless Customers Scorecard™
What Your Score Means
The Endless Customers Typical Journey™
27 Accelerating and Sustaining Your Success
The Importance of a Coach
The Power of Community
The Pride Cycle: Why Giants Fall
The Anatomy of a Fall
The Graveyard of Giants
Breaking the Cycle
Your Challenge
Acknowledgments
About the Author and IMPACT
For Additional Help and Information
Index
End User License Agreement
Guide
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Preface: Endless Customers: Evolving Beyond They Ask, You Answer
Introduction
Table of Contents
Begin Reading
The Pride Cycle: Why Giants Fall
Acknowledgments
About the Author and IMPACT
Index
End User License Agreement
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Praise for Endless Customers
“From the first moment I heard Marcus speak about the principles of Endless Customers, I knew it was exactly what we needed to take each one of our different businesses in Mazzella Companies to the next level. And although I knew it would work, I never imagined this system would have such a profound influence on how well we’ve become known in our industry. Today, Mazzella is the leading voice in each of our spaces, driving incredible awareness, leads, and business. Everyone knows who we are. As a fellow business owner, I can tell you this system works. Follow it.”
—Tony Mazzella, CEO, Mazzella Companies
“In 2021, after 30-plus years of operating in a very specific way, we made a bold shift away from high-pressure sales tactics and gimmicky marketing offers. I was initially fearful of the potential negative impact on our leads and sales, but the Endless Customers System provided a clear and actionable roadmap for this transition. Since then, we've experienced a significant increase in qualified leads and higher close rates, proving that trust-based marketing truly works.”
—Ryan Shutt, CEO, Southwest Exteriors
“Marcus Sheridan is not only a home run keynote speaker at my events but also a valuable contributor to three of my books. His insights consistently deliver practical, actionable, and transformative strategies. Endless Customers is yet another testament to his ability to steer businesses toward long-lasting success.”
—Joe Pulizzi, bestselling author of Content Inc. and Epic Content Marketing
“I’ve long been a superfan of the forward-thinking principles Marcus preaches. Now he's evolved their perspective into this comprehensive, easy-to-follow system. The best kind of content builds trust first, then drives results. Endless Customers shows you how.”
—Ann Handley, Chief Content Officer, MarketingProfs and WSJ bestselling author of Everybody Writes
“Endless Customers delivers far more than marketing advice—it's a blueprint for business transformation. At Applied Educational Systems, implementing these principles revolutionized how we earned customer trust and delivered value. The results spoke volumes: we went from virtually no organic leads to generating 30,000 leads annually in our niche market, generated $27 million in revenue directly from our content, grew revenue 5.5 times, and earned five consecutive spots on the Inc. 5000 list. This book isn't theory—it's a proven path to sustainable growth, even in specialized markets.
—Jim Schultz, former CEO, Applied Education Systems, and Vistage Chair
“Before implementing the principles of Endless Customers, our digital presence just wasn't cutting it. Our website was filled with fluffy content written by various freelancers, and it didn't fulfill our buyers' needs. Today, we're bringing in more than $270k per month from organic leads and have seen a $1 million increase in revenue.”
—Dave Owens, Director of Marketing and Sales Management, RoofCrafters
“As someone who has lived and breathed the principles of Endless Customers, I can attest to its transformative power. I was able to build unprecedented authority in my industry, increasing leads by 2,942% and doubling our business. In fact, the success was so profound that we were able to acquire an entire franchise, expanding our reach and impact beyond what I ever imagined. Additionally, the Endless Customers movement has profoundly impacted our company culture by getting the entire team aligned and working toward the same goal, fostering a sense of shared purpose and collaboration.”
—Mark Massey, Owner, RetroFoam of Michigan
“Endless Customers isn't just a book—it's a career-defining playbook. As someone who's grown from marketing manager to CMO, I can attest that the principles in this book have been instrumental in my professional journey. I've had the privilege of implementing the Endless Customers System at two different companies, and both are still fully embracing these principles today because of the results they continue to see.”
—Kendall Guinn, CMO, LV Collective
“Endless Customers is the definitive guide for how you can meet more of your perfect customers earlier, earn their trust and help them repeatedly choose you over your competition. If you lead a business and have not yet embraced the core lessons in this book, then you are about to be really mad at yourself for not getting started earlier. It’s the honest cheat code for new client acquisition.”
—Phil M. Jones, Creator of Exactly What to Say
“The principles put forth in Endless Customers and They Ask, You Answer provided us with a formulaic approach to content marketing success. It helped us prioritize and execute a written and video-centric marketing strategy that enhanced our SEO efforts and increased monthly website visitors nearly 500% in the first 12 months. This traffic continues to be a significant source of leads and revenue for our business.”
—Dan Godla, Founder and CEO, ThoroughCare
“Endless Customers laid the foundation to transform our small local roofing company into the leading source of roofing information across the United States. This book will completely change how you approach marketing and selling in ways guaranteed to make you stand out from the competition. After five years of following the system, I can honestly say it’s been one of our better investments!”
—Bill Ragan, President, Bill Ragan Roofing
“Smart marketing is about help, not hype. Endless Customers gives you the roadmap to create content that solves problems, builds trust, and wins revenue. Recommended!”
—Jay Baer, author of The Time to Win: How to Exceed Customers’ Need for Speed
“Implementing the Endless Customers System has been transformative for our company. Not only has it empowered our leaders to develop new skills, but it has also fostered a culture of growth and collaboration throughout the entire organization. We’ve made a significant shift toward a more client-centric approach by focusing on education and transparency. As a result, we’re building stronger relationships with our clients and seeing incredible ROI. Endless Customers has been a game-changer for Custom Built.”
—Michael Flory, Owner, CEO, and Visionary, Custom Built
“For years, we struggled with how to stand out in an HVAC industry that was jam-packed with competition. Fast forward to now, Endless Customers has changed how we do business. Our competition doesn't like it. We're raising the standard 10-fold in the industry. Since going all-in on Endless Customers, Fire & Ice can trace more than $1 million in revenue directly to organic sources.”
—Scott Merritt, Owner, Fire & Ice Heating and Air Conditioning
“Marcus knocked it out of the park! He's enhanced the They Ask, You Answer methodology and provided all of us with a clear roadmap to Endless Customers. I'm also using this book to train my AI tools to elevate our standards in content, video, and sales effectiveness.”
—Keven Ellison, VP of Marketing, AIS
THEY ASK, YOU ANSWER 3.0
ENDLESS CUSTOMERS
A PROVEN SYSTEM TO BUILD TRUST, DRIVE SALES, AND BECOME THE MARKET LEADER
MARCUS SHERIDAN AND THE TEAM AT IMPACT
Copyright © 2025 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved, including rights for text and data mining and training of artificial technologies or similar technologies.
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.Published simultaneously in Canada.
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ISBN: 978-1-394-28278-4 (cloth)ISBN: 978-1-394-28279-1 (ePub)ISBN: 978-1-394-28280-7 (ePDF)
Cover Design: Joe RinaldiAuthor Photo: Courtesy of the Author
This book is for the disruptors—the oneswho dare to reimagine their industries,challenge convention, and lead with honestyand boldness, proving that mediocrityis never the only option.
Preface:Endless Customers: Evolving Beyond They Ask, You Answer
The world changed forever on November 30, 2022.
That was the day when millions of people first experienced ChatGPT and suddenly realized that everything we thought we knew about information, search, and the internet was about to be transformed. In that moment, I knew that my previous book, They Ask, You Answer, needed to evolve into something bigger—much bigger.
Back in 2017, when I first published They Ask, You Answer, I shared what seemed like an impossible story: how my swimming pool company went from the brink of bankruptcy during the 2008 crash to becoming the most visited pool website in the world. Eventually, we even expanded into manufacturing with dealers across the nation. The book's message—a radical commitment to answering (online) every single customer question with unprecedented honesty—resonated far beyond what I could have imagined, touching more than 100,000 businesses worldwide.
But that was just the beginning.
What we're experiencing now isn't just another technological shift—it's a fundamental reimagining of how humans interact with information. Every business owner and leader must ask themselves, “If we live in a world where artificial intelligence (AI) can instantly generate answers to any question, what does it truly mean to be trusted? How do we stand out when everyone has access to the same tools and information?” The answers to these questions aren't just important—they're existential to your business.
Endless Customers isn't just an evolution of They Ask, You Answer—it's a complete reimagining of what it means to build trust and attract customers in the AI era. While the core philosophy remains the same—an obsession with understanding and serving your buyer—the methods, strategies, and thinking must be exponentially more ambitious.
This book introduces a proven system that transcends platforms, technologies, and trends. It's not about adapting to ChatGPT or whatever comes next—it's about positioning your business to thrive in any future, using principles that will remain relevant regardless of how dramatically the landscape changes.
Our team at IMPACT has seen these principles work wonders for our diverse group of clients worldwide, and they can work for you, too.
The businesses that will dominate the next decade won't be the ones with the best AI tools or the biggest marketing budgets. They'll be the ones who dare to think differently about trust, transparency, and customer relationships. They'll be the ones willing to do what their competitors won't even consider. They'll be the ones who understand that in a world of infinite information, trust becomes the ultimate currency.
The path to becoming one of these businesses isn't easy. It requires more than simply answering customer questions—it demands a fundamental shift in how you think about your relationship with your market. But for those willing to embrace this change, the reward is nothing less than what the title promises: Endless Customers.
You're opening this book because you sense that the old ways of doing business are fading. You're right. The principles in these pages will show you how to build a business that doesn't just adapt to the AI revolution but leads it—a business that becomes so trusted, so essential to its customers, that growth becomes inevitable. And ultimately, it becomes a business that transforms into the most known and trusted voice in its market.
The future belongs to those who are brave enough to reimagine what's possible. It is my great hope you will join them.
Introduction
Steve Sheinkopf was in trouble.
The kitchen appliance industry was going through a major shakeup, and retailers were struggling to stay afloat. His company, Yale Appliance, a family-owned retailer based in Boston, was no exception. For nearly a century, Yale Appliance had served its community. But between the explosion of ecommerce, big-box stores squeezing margins, and constant supply chain issues, it was hard for Steve to make the headway he wanted with his business.
He had been trying to get traction with online content and other marketing efforts, but what he was doing was falling flat. Nothing seemed to be working. Having dedicated his career to growing the family business, Steve worried that if he didn't crack this code, he would face the same fate as so many of his competitors who were downsizing or closing up shop.
That's when Steve came across the concepts in my previous book, They Ask, You Answer. Intrigued, he reached out, and before long we were on the phone discussing his business. He wanted to understand why his efforts weren't gaining more traction online. After a short conversation, the reason became incredibly clear. “If you want more customers, you need to stop doing what every other appliance retailer is doing,” I told him. “Start giving your buyers what they want—not what you want, but what they need to feel confident and informed.”
I explained further. “That means obsessing over their questions, fears, worries, and concerns. Answer every single question honestly and transparently, right there on your website, for everyone to see.”
Then I pushed him to think bigger. “Tackle topics your competitors are afraid to touch. Break the unwritten rules of your industry. When you focus solely on empowering your buyers with the information and experience they crave, something incredible will happen: You'll earn their trust. And when you earn their trust, you earn their business. Do this consistently, and you'll capture the market's attention, transform your company, and see numbers you never imagined.”
Many CEOs have reached out over the years, but none have taken action like Steve. At the time, I had no idea how seriously he would take my advice. But it sparked a transformation that still stuns me almost a decade later.
Steve set out on a relentless mission to become the most known and trusted brand in the entire home appliance space. He wanted anyone in the market for a new appliance to find him, learn from him, and ultimately trust him enough to make a purchase.
First, Steve declared his mission to his company. He even went as far as mandating that if you work for Yale Appliance, you have a responsibility to help create content. He knew his sales team fielded hundreds of questions daily, and he knew they had the answers that helped his customers buy.
Next, Steve realized that for this mission to succeed, he had to stop viewing his business as just an appliance store. Instead, he had to see it as a “media company” leading the way in buyer education for all things home appliances. He also understood that this effort couldn't simply be outsourced to an agency—it had to come from within his organization, with the expertise and perspectives coming directly from him and his team. So he invested in the right internal resources to make it happen.
After that, he worked closely with his team to brainstorm all the questions customers had asked them, creating a content calendar that would last well over a year. Then, they got to work. They started answering every single one of those questions thoroughly and publishing at least three new articles a week, all while continually adding new content ideas to the backlog.
Steve left no stone unturned when it came to answering questions. He shared what people were saying about products after they'd bought them, compared options with honest pros and cons, and openly discussed pricing, warranties, and whether products were worth the investment based on specific needs.
Recognizing the power of video, Steve expanded to YouTube and social media. He understood that video did more than answer questions—it built human connections and revealed things never seen before in his industry.
After a few years, Steve had published hundreds of articles and videos. But one of his gutsiest moves came when he decided to answer a question every buyer had: Which appliance brands are serviced the least?
Think about it. When people buy a new appliance, they're often replacing one they're tired of repairing. Steve had access to data from 40,000 service calls each year and knew exactly which brands held up best—and which didn't.
But he also understood the risks. Publishing this information could upset major brands like Wolf, GE, and Bosch, potentially straining critical vendor relationships.
Should he take the chance?
Ultimately, Steve remembered his guiding philosophy: If he wanted to earn his market's trust, his priority had to be giving buyers what they wanted to know.
So he did something that sent shockwaves through the appliance industry. He published an article on his website revealing the number of units sold for each brand the previous year, along with the number of service calls required for each. Reading this article, you'd learn not only which brand was the least serviced (congratulations, Gaggenau!) but also which brand topped the list for service calls. (I'll let you Google that one.)
Gutsy? Yes.
Courageous? Absolutely.
Worth it? Without a doubt.
The article has been read more than one million times on the Yale Appliance website. It has generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales revenue—not to mention the immense trust and brand awareness it created for his business.
Its success was undeniable. Steve now produces a yearly article and video series on this topic, transparently sharing the previous year's data and letting the facts speak for themselves. A decade into living the principles of They Ask, You Answer (now Endless Customers), Steve continues to evolve, constantly pushing the boundaries of what's possible in sales and marketing.
Before implementing these principles, Yale Appliance was a $37 million company with one store. Since then, it has grown into a $100-million-plus operation with four stores, thriving through a pandemic and increasing margins year after year in an ever-more competitive industry.
Extraordinary, isn't it?
Steve and Yale have become one of the most known and trusted brands in the appliance industry—all because he had the courage to do what no one else in his space was willing to do, even though buyers were clearly asking for it.
Well done, Steve. You are, without question, the ultimate industry disruptor.
Steve's story is a testament to what's possible when you focus on empowering your customers. And it's a challenge—to every business leader, every brand, and every marketing and sales team:
Be bolder.
Be braver.
Be more disruptive.
And always be willing to give buyers what they need.
A Note from the Author
Thank you for picking up a copy of Endless Customers. If you're reading this and feel inspired, or if you have questions about how to implement these ideas in your business, don't hesitate to reach out. I'd love to hear from you.
You can contact me directly at [email protected]. I'll do my best to respond personally and quickly. I look forward to hearing from you!
SECTION 1Preview of the Endless Customers System™
Customer acquisition today isn’t simply about having a great product or service. Buyers are more informed, more skeptical, and more impatient than ever—while attention spans are shorter, competition is fiercer, and trust in brands is at an all-time low. On top of that, search engines and social media platforms now excel at keeping users on their sites, creating a “zero-click” environment that can starve you of traffic and leads.
But here’s the good news: These challenges also present a massive opportunity.
In this section, we’ll explore why businesses are seeing stalled deals, shrinking website traffic, ineffectual outsourcing, and increasingly elusive brand recognition—and, more importantly, how to turn the tide in your favor. You’ll learn:
How shifts in buyer behavior have transformed the sales process into a self-service, “touchless” journey.
Why the competition for trust is the real battle—and how to win it.
Why Google’s evolution toward zero-click search is forcing brands to rethink the way they reach and engage prospects.
How you can stand out in an oversaturated market by empowering your buyers, embracing transparency, and demonstrating credibility at every touchpoint.
Whether you’re struggling to grow your business or determined to maintain your lead, this section sets the stage for the frameworks, strategies, and mindset shifts you’ll discover in Endless Customers—a proven roadmap to creating a brand so known and trusted that new business flows naturally to you.
So buckle up.
It’s time to reimagine what real customer acquisition looks like in the modern age.
1Why Customer Acquisition Is Harder Than Ever—And How to Fix It
Acquiring new customers is tougher than ever.
If you're like most business leaders, you might be asking yourself, “Why is it so hard? We've poured our hearts and souls into building this company. We've got a product or service that's better than our competitors. We've set up systems, refined our processes, and consistently deliver on our promises to customers. So why is it so difficult to bring in new business and grow?”
Or maybe you're on the other side of the fence. Your business is doing well, maybe you’re even outperforming your competitors right now. You've built something solid, and you're seeing results. But you know you can be doing even better. You know the market changes fast, and you're thinking, “What do we need to do to protect our position to stay ahead?”
If either of these sounds familiar, you're not alone. Whether you're struggling to grow or want to protect your current success, many businesses are facing similar challenges when it comes to customer acquisition.
Chances are, you're experiencing one or more of the following frustrations:
Stalled deals.
The deals sitting in your pipeline take longer and longer to close—if they close at all. It feels like every decision is drawn out, and you're left wondering if you'll ever get a commitment.
Declining website traffic and lead generation.
You used to generate consistent traffic from search engines, driving qualified leads into your funnel. But that traffic has slowed down. Leads aren't flowing in like they used to, and the ones that do trickle in aren't as qualified.
Losing to competitors.
Even though your product or service is superior, you're watching potential customers choose the competition—often without even speaking to your team. It stings when you know your company offers something better, yet you can't seem to get that message across.
Ineffective outsourcing.
You've hired an agency to run your marketing, investing significant resources into the partnership. The results, however, are underwhelming. The leads you were promised simply aren't there, and the return on investment (ROI) is nowhere near what you expected.
You
'
re not a “known and trusted” brand.
Sure, you've been in business for a while, but for some reason your brand in the market just isn't standing out. You can't seem to grab the world's attention, despite your best efforts.
These frustrations are widespread in the business world, and there are clear reasons why so many companies are feeling stuck.
Why Are You Experiencing These Frustrations?
First, there 's a massive trust deficit.
Consumers have been burned too many times. Whether it's false advertising, under-delivered promises, or bad customer experiences, trust in brands is at an all-time low.1 People are afraid of making a mistake, so they're more cautious and skeptical than ever. They're questioning everything before they buy.
Can you relate?
If you're like most people, you've likely experienced this in your own life. For this reason, it's not just about having a great product anymore; it's about earning trust—and lots of it. If buyers don't trust that you'll deliver on what you've promised them, it doesn't matter how good your product is—they won't buy.
Second, search engines and social media have changed the game.
For more than 20 years, you could count on Google to drive traffic to your website. People searched, they clicked on the results, and if you were ranking well, you got traffic.
Not anymore.
Today's search engines are packed with distractions: ads disguised as organic results, featured snippets, and AI-generated overviews that keep users on the results page instead of driving them to your website. The consequence? Organic traffic, once a reliable source of growth for many businesses, is rapidly drying up. And as AI evolves, the shift toward a “zero-click” search experience is accelerating, delivering users exactly what they need without ever leaving the search results page.
This means you can no longer build your house solely on Google.
And it's the same with social media. Today, when you create a post that includes an external link, it simply won't reach as many people. These platforms are only interested in one thing—holding visitors as long as possible to boost ad revenue—and the longer people stay, the more ads they see.
Third, buyers are more informed than ever and demand answers.
The way people buy has fundamentally shifted. Research shows that, on average, 80% of the buying process, whether it is business to business (B2B) or business to consumer (B2C), is completed before a prospect even talks to a salesperson—and that percentage keeps climbing.2 During this time, buyers are diligently gathering information by researching, comparing options, reading reviews, and narrowing down their choices.
Essentially, buyers today are info-vores—and they expect to be fed the information they're craving.
Fourth, buyers want control and the option for self-service.
They're looking for a buying process that requires minimal interaction with a salesperson—what we call a “touchless buying experience.” This means they prefer to research, compare, and even make purchasing decisions on their own terms, only engaging with sales when they're fully ready and comfortable. They won't wait for a response, they refuse to jump through hoops, and they expect the process to be easy and frictionless. And when they do reach out, they expect a seamless transition from their independent research to a productive sales conversation.
If your team isn't ready to meet your buyers where they are—by giving them what they want, when they want it, and how they want it—you risk losing them. And once they're gone, they're not coming back.
Fifth, the competition (and noise) is fierce.
There's more content being produced now than ever before. Every brand, big or small, is vying for attention. The noise is deafening. And when you combine that with impatient attention spans and content fatigue, it becomes harder to break through. People are tuning out quickly, and if you don't capture their attention in those first few seconds, they're gone.
Sixth, the post-pandemic world brings new challenges.
Companies are facing rapid market swings, with one quarter bringing a surge of new business, and the next, crickets. For many, it's a rollercoaster of unpredictability. B2B companies especially are seeing tighter budgets and prolonged decision-making cycles. This stop-and-go rhythm is making it harder than ever to plan, forecast, or grow with any consistency.
Finally, most content (and marketing in general) is unoriginal, boring, and lacks soul.
This is a hard truth for many businesses to accept. The majority of company-generated content being created today simply isn't very effective. It doesn't truly answer the real questions buyers have about your products or services. Instead, it's generic, bland, and often too self-serving.
This criticism extends beyond content and applies to much of the corporate marketing that exists in the world today. If we're being honest, most marketing campaigns are incredibly boring, stale, and entirely risk-averse.
If followed correctly, the Endless Customers System™ is the antithesis of this “lowering of the bar” that plagues so many businesses and marketing departments today. In contrast, it pushes brands to raise the bar and dare to be different, putting the customer, honesty, and transparency at the center of everything you put out into the world.
A Shift in Mindset
When you put all of these factors together, it's no wonder why businesses are struggling. There's a disconnect between what businesses think buyers need and what buyers are actually looking for.
The good news? It doesn't have to be this way.
Yes, the landscape has changed, but that also means there's a huge opportunity for those willing to adjust, adapt, and do things differently.
Your business can stand out.
You can market better and build trust.
You can create content that resonates with prospects, addresses their real concerns, and moves them through the buying process without all the friction they're currently experiencing.
You can do all of this and experience continual success.
But this requires a shift in mindset.
Companies can't keep doing what worked five or even two years ago. Buyers are smarter, more informed, and more skeptical than ever. They expect authenticity, speed, and a seamless, hassle-free experience. The brands that will succeed in the future are the ones that embrace these changes head-on.
To successfully implement the principles of this book, the mindset of your company (especially your leadership team) must be as follows:
Buyers are more informed, demanding, and impatient than they've ever been, and they're not going back.
Our company must evolve to meet these buyers where they are or risk being left behind.
We must do what it takes to become the most known and trusted brand in our space.
We need to be willing to do things no one else in our industry is doing and become true disruptors in our space.
To achieve all these things, we must think and operate like a “media company.”
This book will give you two foundational frameworks (as well as a series of supporting tools):
The 4 Pillars of a Known and Trusted Brand.
This is a guiding series of statements your business must adopt in order to reframe your mindset.
The 5 Components of Endless Customers.
These form a clear roadmap to turn this mindset into proven actions that will build a trusted, recognized brand and generate an endless flow of new business and customers.
Let's quickly introduce you to both of these elements.
