4 questions every business owner must answer before spending a single dollar online
I’m on what has to be my 20th read of Dotcom Secrets, and I say “read” loosely because at this point it’s more like a playbook I refer back to. It’s one of my favorite books, second only to Russell Brunson’s Expert Secrets, and every time I go back to it I pull something new out of it.
Last week I talked about the Value Ladder and why every business needs one. If you missed it, head over to my “blog” HERE and give it a read. This week, I’m continuing the series and diving into what Russell calls the Secret Formula, and specifically, the 4 core questions you need to answer before you do anything else online.
The 4 Questions You Can't Skip
Before you run an ad, build a funnel, or post a single piece of content, Russell says you need to answer these four questions honestly:
Who is your dream customer? Where can you find them? What bait can you use to attract them?
And the BIG one…
What result do you want to give them?
That last question is the one most people rush past, and it’s where everything falls apart. More on that in a second.
Stop Thinking "Everybody" Is Your Customer
When most people answer “who is your dream customer,” they say something vague like “entrepreneurs” or “small business owners.” That’s not a dream customer. That’s a crowd.
Your dream customer has specific fears, specific desires, and a specific problem keeping them up at night. The more clearly you can picture that person, the better everything else works.
Think about it this way, if you’re selling a skin cream, you could technically sell it to anyone. But maybe your dream customer is specifically someone dealing with psoriasis. I have psoriasis, and I can tell you firsthand: I don’t want just any cream. I want the one that actually addresses my flare-ups. That level of specificity is what separates marketing that converts from marketing that just exists.
Your Bait Is Your Lead Magnet
Going back to my weekend off, this is a strategy you need to implement.
I realized that the reason I used to get caught up and overwhelmed was a lack of foresight.
Now, I look at the calendar weeks ahead. I knew the hockey tournament was coming, so I batched my work beforehand.
Don’t let life surprise you. Whether it’s a holiday or a family visit, build your work schedule around your life, not the other way around.
Are you ready to plan your next weekend off?
Stop Selling. Start Transforming.
Now here’s the mindset shift that makes everything click: the fourth question isn’t “what product do you sell?” It’s “what result do you want to give them?”
You’re not selling a cream. You’re selling clear skin within 3 days. You’re not selling a course. You’re selling confidence, a promotion, or a business that finally works. The moment you shift from selling a product to delivering a transformation, your messaging changes completely, and so do your results.
How the Formula Feeds Your Funnel
When you know your dream customer, you know your bait. Your bait gets them into the front of your funnel. But here’s what a lot of people miss: getting someone onto your list is just step one. The next stage is the bridge, something that takes that new lead and turns them into a lifelong customer.
That bridge is your story. And next week, I’m going to break down exactly how to script it, how to tell it, and how to use it to move people from cold leads to loyal buyers.
Stay tuned, it’s one of the most powerful tools in the whole book.
This Week's Quote
"People don’t want to buy a quarter-inch drill. They want a quarter-inch hole."
