Just Ask These 3 Questions

Core business problem (old vs. new sales approach)

Old approach: “Offer the thing”

Web designers try to sell discrete services like:

• Website help
• Google Business Profile optimization
• SEO
• Facebook setup

Why it fails: many local businesses already have the basics (website + social profiles + Google Business Profile). Sales dynamic: the customer already has the asset, so the response becomes: “I don’t need you.”

New approach: “Ask questions / system”

Instead of pitching services, the seller asks three diagnostic questions to uncover gaps in the business’s marketing system.

---

The “3 questions” sales playbook (system-based positioning)

Use these three questions to uncover unmet needs:

1. Visibility / Demand Capture

   • Question: “Do you feel like you’re showing up when people are looking for you?”
   • Goal: Determine whether the business is discoverable enough in search/maps.
   • Typical response: “A little, but not as much as we want.”

2. Lead Nurturing / Conversion Flow

   • Question: “What about the people that hit your website but don’t buy or call on the first visit—do you nurture them back?”
   • Goal: Identify whether follow-up systems exist (retargeting, email, follow-up calls, etc.).
   • Typical response: “I don’t really know how / I’m not doing that.”

3. Customer Loyalty / Repeat Revenue

   • Question: “What about customer loyalty—do you bring existing clients back to buy again?”
   • Goal: Assess whether repeat-purchase mechanisms exist (offers, campaigns, retention process).
   • Typical response: “I don’t really know how / I’m not doing that.”

Positioning logic

• Old model: the buyer says they already have the website/profile → the seller “has nothing compelling.”
• New model: the buyer realizes they have the assets already, but lack system components → the seller can deliver measurable growth levers.

---

Business operations / execution emphasis (what drives map performance)

The speaker argues that Google Business Profile ranking power depends largely on the website, not just profile setup.

• Filling out fields, choosing service categories, and getting reviews helps.
• But the biggest ranking lever is the website.

Practical implication for delivery: Don’t position as “we’ll only optimize your Google Business Profile” if you can’t influence the website experience/content structure that impacts rankings.

---

Pricing, offer design, and revenue model (concrete numbers)

Three annual price points

To reduce buying friction and increase average deal size, offer only:

• $5,000/year
• $10,000/year
• $20,000/year

Revenue KPI (deal value expectation)

• “Every time we onboard a new client, we’re making at least $5,000 per year.”

Customer lifetime KPI

• Average client lifespan: almost 5 years
• (Implied: strong LTV potential, potentially including “extra” beyond year one.)

---

Sales performance claims and conversion process (targets/benchmarks)

Close rate from strangers (not referrals)

• At a networking group/event: about 1 in 3 are likely to say yes during initial interaction (speaker estimate).
• On a dedicated sales call (no proposal, minimal friction): expect the buyer to purchase the $10,000 package by the end of the call.

Deal mix expectation

• Many start in the middle tier ($10k).
• The sales process is designed to avoid long proposal cycles.

---

Actionable recommendations (how to apply immediately)

• Stop pitching service items first (website/GMB/Facebook/SEO as standalone offers).
• Lead with system diagnosis using the 3 questions:
  • Visibility (show up)
  • Nurture (re-engage non-buyers)
  • Loyalty (repeat purchases)
• Bundle services into outcomes tied to those system gaps (not to “assets” the customer already owns).
• Use the 3-tier annual pricing structure to simplify decisions and stabilize revenue.
• If selling “GMB optimization,” ensure the website is included in the work, since that’s where the speaker says most ranking impact comes from.

---

Metrics / KPIs explicitly mentioned

• Price tiers: $5k / $10k / $20k annually
• Onboarding revenue floor: ≥ $5,000/year per client
• Average client life: ~5 years
• Conversion benchmarks:
  • Networking interaction: ~1 in 3 likely to say yes (estimated)
  • Dedicated call: purchase expected by end of call (often $10k)
• No other quantified metrics were mentioned (e.g., CAC, churn, revenue growth rates).

---

Presenters / sources

• Lee Blue — founder of Double Stack, mentoring web designers and working with their clients through a community (speaker throughout the subtitles).