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Alex Winter

By Alex Winter

Jan 8, 2025

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Lead Generation Marketing Strategy Executives and Leaders Endless Customers Podcast
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Lead Generation  |   Marketing Strategy  |   Executives and Leaders  |   Endless Customers Podcast

What Are The 4 Pillars of a Known and Trusted Brand? [Endless Customers Podcast Ep. 82]

Alex Winter

By Alex Winter

Jan 8, 2025

View the full transcription of this episode.

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This transcript has been generated by AI and not checked for accuracy. 

Marcus Sheridan
0:00:00
So there's four things that's gonna change your business forever. We call it in the book, the four pillars of a known and trusted brand. And here are the four. Number one.

Alex Winter
0:00:19
Welcome back to Endless Customers. I'm your host, Alex Winter. And today we're joined by a keynote speaker, a partner here at Impact, and a best-selling author, Marcus Sheridan. Welcome back to the show, my friend.

Alex Winter
0:00:29
Here we go.

Marcus Sheridan
0:00:30
Here we go.

Alex Winter
0:00:30
Let's dive into it.

Marcus Sheridan
0:00:31
Let's do it. We got the meat and potatoes today, so I'm excited about that.

Alex Winter
0:00:34
I'm excited about this, too. We're gonna get into the weeds. For everyone out there listening and watching, in a previous episode, we talked about endless customers and how it's evolved from They Ask, You Answer, the new They Ask, You Answer 3.0,

Alex Winter
0:00:45
and the book Endless Customers. So if you don't know about that, you haven't heard about it, check out that episode. But today, we are talking about the four pillars of a known and trusted brand. So let's let's get into it. Let's talk about these four pillars and why it's important for businesses.

Marcus Sheridan
0:00:58
Well, when I wrote endless customers, and you know, we said, Hey, we want to make sure that this is a system, a system, like iOS that someone can follow. So if you want something to be a system, it's gotta have structure to it, right? Not just a bunch of theory, not just a bunch of recommendations thrown out there.

Marcus Sheridan
0:01:24
A really clear system. Well, four pillars in this case of a known and trusted brand, very clear on the surface, like, okay, I get that pretty quickly and you know the book is rooted in in principles just like they ask you answer was you know and I wanted to

Marcus Sheridan
0:01:46
create something that is built to last we see change happening so fast right now there's a lot of books that are outdated in what seems like minutes so just because the speed of everything that's right yeah so true so we needed these pillars to stand the test of time. At a minimum five years, which doesn't sound like much, but I could see a revised Endless Customers in five years, but I kept saying to our entire team at Impact

Marcus Sheridan
0:02:14
as we were working on this together, I'm like, it's gotta be good for at least five years. Now, nobody can say if anything's gonna be good in five years at this point. But these pillars, because they're principle-based, I believe that is absolutely the case. So that's a preface to this conversation.

Marcus Sheridan
0:02:33
I think it's important to mention because anytime you embrace something major as a business, you do want to know is it built to last. And in those customers, the system is very much built to last. So what are the four? And then I guess we can just go into each one individually. Sounds good.

Marcus Sheridan
0:02:51
And I'll just let you hit me up with whatever.

Alex Winter
0:02:53
Well, and I like what you're saying too, just to interject, fundamentally speaking, there are certain principles that will stay no matter what, that are gonna be around forever. Building trust is one of those principles, right?

Marcus Sheridan
0:03:04
It doesn't matter what happens to tech, doesn't matter what happens to AI, doesn't matter what happens to Google.

Alex Winter
0:03:09
Or what, question mark, whatever is gonna be coming

Marcus Sheridan
0:03:11
around the corner. Or whatever that next thing is. We know platforms will come and go. We know principles will not. So that's why we build around principles. You might build it on a platform,

Marcus Sheridan
0:03:25
but you build around principles. They're your guiding light when it comes to what you should be doing with your business. Certainly with sales and marketing. Certainly with the buyer of today, the buyer of tomorrow. Okay, so what are the four pillars

Marcus Sheridan
0:03:40
of a known and trusted brand? Yeah, let's get into it. Pillar number one, you gotta be willing to say what others in your market, in your industry aren't willing to say, specifically online. So, say what others aren't willing to say.

Marcus Sheridan
0:03:55
Now, if you're familiar with they ask, you answer, that probably sounds somewhat familiar, so we're gonna get into that. Number two, you got to be willing to show through video what others in your space aren't willing to show. Pillar three, you need to be willing to sell in a way that others in your space aren't

Marcus Sheridan
0:04:14
willing to sell. Pillar four, you need to be more human because if everything is happening with tech and AI, then others in your space are willing to be so it's say show sell and Be more human than anyone in your space now before we go on and explain each one Alex

Marcus Sheridan
0:04:37
One thing that's always interesting to me is when I'm now I'm speaking to an audience. I'll say okay So before you even get started how many of you in this room can honestly say that you're talking about showing, selling, and being more human than 95% of your competitors online, and you're doing it consistently. And usually, 1% or less raise their hands.

Marcus Sheridan
0:05:03
I've seen it, yeah.

Alex Winter
0:05:04
I've seen you ask this question on stage in a room full of people, and you ask them to raise their hands, who's doing it, and there's not a lot of hands that go up.

Marcus Sheridan
0:05:11
You just don't really see it. Yeah. And so immediately, this cries for being different, which in the book we call disruption. Disruption underpins these four pillars. Okay.

Marcus Sheridan
0:05:26
Which is essential if you're gonna become known, if you're gonna be found, if you're gonna be trusted. And so now I guess, let's just dive into these pillars because I know people are thinking, alright, I want examples, and so let's play it.

Marcus Sheridan
0:05:42
Let's do it.

Alex Winter
0:05:43
Alright, so let's go into pillar one.

Marcus Sheridan
0:05:45
Yep, so say what others aren't willing to say. This is, and again, if you've read The Ask, You Answer, it's not so new, but we try, in the book, we push it out even further. We still have the big five. The big five has been as relevant, you know, it's relevant today as

Marcus Sheridan
0:06:05
it was 10 years ago in terms of what people want to know. What do they want to know? They want to know how much is it cost, they want to know what are the problems, the negatives, the issues with it, objections, fears, all those things, like any negative phrase that they could think about that product or that service. We want to know this before we buy. Our fears take over us when we're looking at spending a lot of money. And so the great companies, they lean into those fears, those objections,

Marcus Sheridan
0:06:33
and they don't allow them to come up without having addressed them already. They get in front of them. So we've got cost or pricing questions. We've got problems slash fears, objections. Then we've got comparisons. People love to compare online.

Marcus Sheridan
0:06:49
That's never going away. You love to compare, you want to know the difference between this brand, that brand, this product, that product, that method, this method. I mean, we love to compare. Number four, reviews, we're obsessed with reviews. The thing about reviews though is we want to know the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Marcus Sheridan
0:07:04
We don't just want the good. And then finally, five, best. Best, most, top, there's lots of, any time there's an extreme of anything. What's the best insert whatever there? Yeah, and if you think about how many times you've gone online and research best plus another phrase Totally or top plus another phrase, but it's not just that phrase. It's any anything that denotes an extreme. So in terms of like Let's say a dishwasher you might research the

Marcus Sheridan
0:07:29
quietest Dish dishwasher, that's an example of an extreme. It's not the best right, but it's a different type of search. It falls under that best umbrella, though. So cost, problems, comparisons, reviews, best, those are the big five. Those are the big five.

Marcus Sheridan
0:07:46
They continue to dominate. They're gonna dominate for a long time. Now, the issue that some people have is that AI is now affecting how much you can be found in terms of search. What was so great about the big five,

Marcus Sheridan
0:08:01
other than the fact that, you know, customers want to know these things, when they come to your website, they're fed, they're satiated and your trust just really just increases so much, is that, well, it was essential for increasing the traffic on your website. Now, it can still do that, but we don't want to build our house on Google alone. And so that's why we need to go beyond, because so much of the focus of the Ask You Answer

Marcus Sheridan
0:08:33
was just on the big five. So now we've got to say, okay, the big five are still there, they still matter, we're still going to pay attention, we're still going to produce text-based content, yes, but we've got to go beyond that.

Marcus Sheridan
0:08:47
And when we're doing that, and we're using AI, we've got to be careful, right, because you want to make sure that it is your stories, your experiences, your voice, and not some voice of a million other voices online that were crammed together and created by AI. One other thing about what we see now when it comes to AI and content production. And I've said this from the beginning, and it's happened,

Marcus Sheridan
0:09:19
and that is, just because a company has a tool that could produce all this content doesn't mean they will. And that's because it requires guts, it requires courage, it requires audacity to do, to talk about, to say what others in your space aren't willing to say. And so you being the one that teaches the industry

Marcus Sheridan
0:09:42
all about pricing and value and what drives cost up and down and you being the one that addresses all the objections that they might feel, right, and that everybody has been saying and been thinking, but you're not afraid of that elephant, you go after the elephant.

Marcus Sheridan
0:09:59
This is the stuff that, just because you got the tool doesn't mean you're using it. And so we gotta keep that in mind. It still makes you an outlier to talk about these things. But one of the issues I would say with They Ask, You Answer was that some people perceive the Big Five to be just text.

Marcus Sheridan
0:10:15
But the Big Five is very much text, video, like YouTube, very much social media. It should be guiding your social strategy as well, I mean, across the board. So when we talk about say, say what others aren't willing to say,

Marcus Sheridan
0:10:32
still very, very much rooted in the big five.

Alex Winter
0:10:35
Yeah, and the big five is critical, and it comes back to authenticity for me. It's like you need to be authentic in order to differentiate and disrupt.

Marcus Sheridan
0:10:43
It's authenticity, it's radical transparency, it's all the things that, you know, if you talk to any company, they say we're rooted in authenticity. I'm like, okay, yeah, but do you talk about these things on your website? You know, the most common questions you get from buyers all the time?

Marcus Sheridan
0:11:00
They're like, well, you don't understand. No, no, no, I do understand. What I understand is you're trying to control the buying process and that's not what the buyer wants. Right. And so don't sit here and claim to be incredibly authentic and transparent and honest and yet you're not even willing to just

Marcus Sheridan
0:11:18
generally discuss pricing in your industry. I'm not saying that you got to give exact price again we've never said that before but you got to be willing to talk about and teach them what defines value and give them a sense for things and help them know am I in the game or not. Like these are things that we should be doing and many companies today still are not. To me that's inexcusable. That should, it just shouldn't happen, Alex,

Marcus Sheridan
0:11:41
but it's still happening. So that's the first pillar.

Alex Winter
0:11:45
One is it's a major drive. It's a red flag for consumers. Like if I see that, I'm not gonna make a purchasing decision with that company. I'm gonna go to a company or a different website or a different place that is gonna give me

Alex Winter
0:11:55
the answers that I need, the transparency that I want. That's just how it is and I think that's how a lot of consumers buy and operate when they're looking for things. So that's just a fact.

Marcus Sheridan
0:12:05
That's a fact. It is what it is. You can use the facts to your advantage and the trends to your advantage or you can deny their existence. I just have found it doesn't really help to deny reality and so if you lean into it, it can become an advantage.

Marcus Sheridan
0:12:19
Even if it feels like a disadvantage, it can become an advantage.

Alex Winter
0:12:21
Nice. So let's get into the second pillar. Yeah.

Marcus Sheridan
0:12:24
Yeah, this is great. I'm loving this. So show what others aren't willing to show.

Alex Winter
0:12:27
Okay.

Marcus Sheridan
0:12:27
If you think about it, okay, we have got to stop thinking we have a secret sauce when we don't. You need to say, I have to show the thing, whatever the thing is. Now, we talk specifically in the book about what's called the Selling 7 and these are seven types of videos that drive the best results in terms of sales team and humanizes your brand and helps you so very much. And you know, there's a couple that we can talk about.

Marcus Sheridan
0:13:04
One of them is cost videos, okay, very powerful. But the thing about a cost video, a cost video, a lot of times people think videos should be short because there are times when they merit longer explanations. If you've got a product or service that is complex when it comes to pricing, which is most business by the way, it doesn't make you unique, that makes you normal. If you're going to create a video on that that's explaining what drives cost up, what drives cost down,

Marcus Sheridan
0:13:33
why some companies are expensive, why some companies are cheap, roughly where do you fall? Those five fundamental things there. Well, I mean, that is going to take you five, ten minutes at least. And what I did this time with Endless Customers, this book, is I talked even further beyond those five things. Like, what else could you talk about when it comes to cost and price?

Marcus Sheridan
0:13:55
For example, can you talk about financing and payments and how people can manage that. Can you talk about long-term cost versus short-term investment, like in the difference between the two? So there's all these components that make up the perfect cost piece of content, right? Whether it's article, whether it's a video, etc. So that is one major video that every company should have, should be on your socials, should

Marcus Sheridan
0:14:24
be on YouTube, and it should go into the detail that the book talks about. And I'm really proud of that section of the book because it is a step up from what I taught people discussing cost was before and it really gives that further detail that today's buyer, hungry, hungry buyer wants. So that's just one example of showing what others aren't willing to show.

Alex Winter
0:14:48
I love the examples that you put in the book though because We hear it time and time again when we say cost and price and you have to discuss cost and price People like cringe people don't want to talk about it They want it and they say we're different and they give all the excuses and the reasons and this and that and the truth is No matter what your excuse is your customers want it. They need it. So that's right It doesn't matter what your opinion is. You have to give the people what they want. That's what it comes down to. Yeah, you know another

Marcus Sheridan
0:15:12
Example, I'm pretty sure it's in the book, is when we started manufacturing fiberglass pools with my swimming pool company, we were the first manufacturer that showed the entire manufacturing process. In fact, we created a series of,

Marcus Sheridan
0:15:27
I think it was eight videos, average length was about 10 minutes long, so it's like 80 minutes, 80 minutes of video just showing you how we made our pools, which somebody listening to this might say, that is just way too much. Nobody's got the patience for that today or the attention span for that today.

Marcus Sheridan
0:15:46
It's total BS because if you're getting ready to spend $100,000, $200,000, whatever, on a swimming pool, you better believe that you're willing to watch 80 minutes worth of video. And what we saw as a result of those videos is that we kept having people reach out and say, you know, you were the only manufacturer that was willing to show us how you made the thing. And so that created such demand in the marketplace.

Marcus Sheridan
0:16:14
It was very different. There was a huge disruption to the industry. Other manufacturers were complaining to me, like, I can't believe you're showing this, and I'm thinking, you know, you're dumb for not showing it. It was obvious to me.

Marcus Sheridan
0:16:25
But still, do you think most manufacturers in the fiberglass pool space have shown specifically how they manufacture their pool? Most haven't, because they still believe it's secret sauce. Ridiculous. We know it's Thousand Island dressing, right? So it's like you move past that and you say, it is what it is.

Marcus Sheridan
0:16:43
I'm going to show it to you. And so the secret becomes the fact that you're showing it. That makes you so unique. That makes you, as Seth Godin said back in the day, a purple cow in the field that immediately gets noticed because it's so very, very different.

Marcus Sheridan
0:16:57
So that is show, and there's so many other examples, of course, in the book, but you have to think like a media company. And a media company has a mindset, and we talk about this in the book, of every single thing you do in business

Marcus Sheridan
0:17:13
potentially is a story that you could show. The big mindset shift is not just passing it by, but it's actually showing it. Perfect case in point, today we were creating videos. I know every single day I'm going to share something online, especially, for me it's LinkedIn.

Marcus Sheridan
0:17:32
By the way, if you're not connected with me on LinkedIn, you should be, and so just let me know. Go to LinkedIn, say, hey, Marcus, I wasn't connected to you before, I've repented of my sins, and now let's connect. Because I understand that I'm essentially a media company

Marcus Sheridan
0:17:54
that speaks to organizations, teaches organizations around the world how to connect deeper, win trust, and create endless customers. That's what I do. Now, if I'm a media company, I'm always looking left and right,

Marcus Sheridan
0:18:16
up and down, for the next opportunity. So today, when we were shooting video, of course I'm like, hey, can you record what we're doing, show what they see on camera, but show what the scene looks like, because this is what the market is interested in.

Marcus Sheridan
0:18:36
Yeah, like the behind the scenes. The behind the scenes, the story. Problem is, a lot of people, Alex, would do a shoot, they would get the shoot done and say, oh, that was great, we did our videos, but you missed a great story.

Marcus Sheridan
0:18:52
So a media company sees the story in everything. People ask me all the time, how do you come up with great content on LinkedIn all the time? Because I'm a media company, I'm always looking, I'm a reporter, man.

Marcus Sheridan
0:19:07
I'm looking for my next story. That's how you gotta think.

Alex Winter
0:19:10
That's a great analogy, I love that.

Marcus Sheridan
0:19:12
So, pillar number two, show what others aren't willing to show.

Alex Winter
0:19:16
Pillar number three.

Marcus Sheridan
0:19:17
Pillar number three, I'm very excited about because I feel like I do a better deep dive in this book on this subject, which is sell in a way that others aren't willing to sell. Now, the primary element that makes this so different is the evolution of self-service.

Marcus Sheridan
0:19:35
And I talked about self-service in They Ask, We Answer, second edition, but it has really taken a step up since then. And specifically, we talk about five different forms of self-service on your website.

Marcus Sheridan
0:19:47
So we've got self-pricing tools, like estimators, calculators. We've got self-assessment tools, which give you a score. We've got self-selection tools, which allow you to make a choice. We've got self-configuration tools which allow you to build the thing that you're looking to buy.

Marcus Sheridan
0:20:07
And then you've got self-scheduling tools which allows you to schedule time with a salesperson. In the book, we talk about the power of these tools. 75% of all buyers today say they would prefer to have a seller-free sales experience.

Alex Winter
0:20:23
A touchless experience.

Marcus Sheridan
0:20:24
That number is growing. So if this number keeps on growing, what does it mean in terms of sales and marketing? It means we have a mega trend, we better lean into it, not resist it, not fight it, not say oh gee, but if we do these tools online and on our website, then that will affect our sales process and our sales team doesn't want us to do that. Well, the only reason they say,

Marcus Sheridan
0:20:51
I don't want you to do that, is because they're ignorant of the benefits. If they understood the benefits, they'd be like, please, please. Sign me up. I mean, we've had now at Impact,

Marcus Sheridan
0:20:59
a bunch of companies that we've built some of these pricing calculators, pricing estimators for, and it has blown up the number of leads they've gotten, and the sales team is like, this is the greatest. We love this.

Marcus Sheridan
0:21:12
But you know, if you had just said before that, hey, we're gonna put a pricing estimator on the website They'd be like well Don't do that because that's gonna mess us up you see the only reason why they're saying that is out of ignorance And so you know this is why we have to go into organizations and teach them the what the how and the why and then like Okay, sure we should do that right so self-service

Marcus Sheridan
0:21:32
mega mega trend taking over industries I'm very excited about it. I am all in on it. And of course, I even created a tool that allows people to build pricing estimators literally in minutes called PriceGuide.ai, which is taking off, right? And so we talk about that in the book, but this is a mega trend for selling in a way

Marcus Sheridan
0:21:54
that others aren't willing to sell. We've got some other components in that section of the book as well in terms of if you look at they ask you answer, we talked about assignment selling. So now we've got assignment selling on steroids. Before assignment selling was pretty generic. It was essentially how to give an assignment one time. Now what we do is we help write out their entire sales process, and how to integrate effective content

Marcus Sheridan
0:22:31
for your assignment selling in each one of those stages. So we show it much better, we explain it much better, and it will help you see, okay, so although you might have been quote doing assignment selling before and integrating content into the sales process so as to eliminate some of those redundant questions. Now the mindset is before every single stage of the sales process, what content could I send them

Marcus Sheridan
0:22:57
that could help make this more efficient, more effective, you know, more speedy, you know, more comfortable, more trust, all those things.

Marcus Sheridan
0:23:05
Right, all the things.

Alex Winter
0:23:06
All the things.

Marcus Sheridan
0:23:07
So we talk about that, and I do touch a little bit on just some of the issues with sales training too and how, you know, it's just a lost art. We just don't have enough sales training today. Companies have to get over themselves. They've got to do a lot more sales training.

Marcus Sheridan
0:23:20
It's a big problem. It is.

Alex Winter
0:23:21
And we've talked about this a lot on the show and off the show as well, where people think that they're the cat's meow. They have it dialed in and they don't need any extra help. And it's it couldn't be farther from the truth.

Marcus Sheridan
0:23:31
Yeah, they're they're a broken pencil without lead. And they have no idea, you know, like they're literally thinking they're creating like masterpieces, when in reality the canvas is blank. We see that a lot, and it's a big problem. So that's the third pillar, sell in a way

Marcus Sheridan
0:23:47
others aren't willing to sell. And man, that is really, when you talk about lead generation, self-service, it addresses, one of the big promises, this book's gonna help you address that big problem of I'm not getting enough leads,

Marcus Sheridan
0:24:05
enough qualified leads. Sales cycles are too long. My goodness, it's going to help address that problem.

Alex Winter
0:24:12
And shorten those sales cycles. Big time. Oh yeah. And the coolest part is it's a win-win for both sides. It's a win-win for your customers, but it's also a win for your sales team too. It benefits everybody.

Marcus Sheridan
0:24:20
Everybody wins. It's great. We love that. It's a beautiful thing. So that's number three pillar. Number four pillar.

Marcus Sheridan
0:24:26
Pillar number four? Is be more human than others in your space are willing to be. Now, this one, it's a bit of a culmination of the other three because if you're showing what others aren't willing to show and you're doing it with your people,

Marcus Sheridan
0:24:40
that's a major part of it. But, you know, look at it like this. If you're doing one-to-one video in your sales approach, which still today, most sales teams are sending text-based email, like as a standard. Still?

Marcus Sheridan
0:24:53
Most, like 90-ish percent, Alex.

Alex Winter
0:24:55
Do they still send mail in the video box?

Marcus Sheridan
0:24:58
Yeah, right, right. That's what it feels like at this point. Oh, man. And it's so contrary to common sense. Yeah. Because we say, I wanna make human connections,

Marcus Sheridan
0:25:07
but we only send letters, we don't send images, and we don't send videos. It's nonsensical, right? We say, people misunderstood the email. Okay, well, that's what text does. Maybe you should send a video.

Marcus Sheridan
0:25:19
Video is faster if it's a longish email. You can send a video way faster if you're really answering a question that requires some explanation.

Alex Winter
0:25:28
And you catch the tone. That's the best part about video is what can be misconstrued in a text or in a piece of copy. You might misread it or misinterpret it, but if you can hear somebody say it, you get it immediately.

Marcus Sheridan
0:25:38
So that's one piece of the more human. The other side of this is, it's not just your sales team. You as a CEO have to step up. You need to say, my personal brand matters. Which is bigger in terms of brand? Elon or Tesla?

Alex Winter
0:25:55
Elon.

Marcus Sheridan
0:25:56
Without a doubt. Way bigger. Without a doubt, way bigger, without a doubt. And so you see this across the board where we want to do business with Colonel Sanders. And so if you don't have a Colonel Sanders, what are you?

Marcus Sheridan
0:26:15
You're a roof, otherwise known as Pizza Hut, right? That's not good. And so you need a face with your organization and CEOs, leaders, need to develop their brands. Especially if you're gonna say, we're a media company and I want my team to be embracing video.

Marcus Sheridan
0:26:36
If you're not eating that, come on. You gotta eat your own dog food. So that's gonna be a big part of this going forward. Leaders need to build their brands and humanize the company brand in the process. So we talk about that, we didn't talk about that in They Ask, You Answer, we lean into

Marcus Sheridan
0:26:57
that quite a bit more. So those are the four pillars of a known and trusted brand. And what's great is there's a lot of examples in the book, right? And so we really explain it out to you. And the other thing too is we've got a companion guide that's not in the book, but it's online,

Marcus Sheridan
0:27:16
that it shows you a ton more examples of each one of these things. And so, you know, if you read the book and then you follow the companion guide, you'll be like, man, I have, man, I see this. It's not like I'm just like, when do I start?

Marcus Sheridan
0:27:29
How do I do this? You're gonna see it. You're gonna see a ton of examples. You're gonna be able to start it today. That's why it's a system. That's why it's like EOS except it's for sales and marketing if you're doing EOS

Marcus Sheridan
0:27:41
This is the book for you. You're gonna love it. You're gonna love it because it really design the same way They go hand in hand

Alex Winter
0:27:46
I love how how well they integrate with each other because EOS is really like getting your company your goals your structure Yeah, that's set correctly so that you have everything in place there And then this is the next step of like cool now that you got that built It's time to lean into your sales and your marketing, do it the right way and work a system that's, time and time again, the proof is in the pudding. We have the stories, you have to go check it out people because when business owners

Alex Winter
0:28:10
and businesses work this system, the results are exponential. Some of them I almost can't even believe the results. It's shocking.

Marcus Sheridan
0:28:17
It really is.

Marcus Sheridan
0:28:18
It's crazy. And what I'm excited about within those customers is the way we set up the journey, you can get immediate results, especially because of this self-service phenomena. So if you're hurting right now, this system will help you immediately and it's going to help you long-term. You want to go into it with a long-term mentality, but it can help you immediately to resolve

Marcus Sheridan
0:28:41
some of the issues that your business is having with lead flow. That to me is very, very exciting.

Alex Winter
0:28:44
Excellent.

Alex Winter
0:28:45
I'm excited too. And so for people out there listening, where can they get this book? How do they get the system? How do they get their hands on it? What's the next step for them to take?

Marcus Sheridan
0:28:53
Just go to endlesscustomers.com and if you pre-order the book, you get some bonuses which is pretty cool. So, you want to take advantage of that. So again, it's endlesscustomers.com.

Alex Winter
0:29:02
Marcus, thank you so much for being on the show and sharing these insights.

Marcus Sheridan
0:29:05
My pleasure.

Alex Winter
0:29:06
Exciting times. Exciting times, my friend. All right. For everybody out there watching and listening, this is Endless Customers. For everybody out there watching and listening, this is Endless Customers.

Alex Winter
0:29:10
episode.

About this Episode:

In a world where platforms evolve overnight and marketing tactics shift by the minute, one advantage remains rock solid: Trust.

Whether you’re leading marketing at a B2B firm or running a fast-growing service business that’s relied on referrals, you’ve probably felt the shift. What used to work—ads, trade shows, cold calls—is no longer enough. Buyers expect more. They expect you to be the most helpful, honest voice in the room.

The Endless Customers System™ (the next evolution of They Ask, You Answer) is built to make your business the most known and trusted voice in your market.

On this episode of Endless Customers, Marcus Sheridan, partner at IMPACT and author of Endless Customers (formerly They Ask, You Answer), joined us to introduce a framework that helps companies cut through the noise: The 4 Pillars of a Known and Trusted Brand. These pillars are designed to help businesses navigate today’s challenging landscape by focusing on what truly matters—standing out, building trust, and driving sustainable growth.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by changing algorithms, the proliferation of AI, or just the sheer volume of competition, this framework offers clarity and direction.

Why standing out is harder than ever

Visibility used to be easier. With a decent website and a few Google Ads, you were in the game. Today? Buyers are smarter, more skeptical, and moving through the sales process with almost no need to talk to you at all.

Marcus put it bluntly: “People are slower to convert, slower to fill out forms, and they’re doing more research before they even reach out.”

That’s the trust deficit in action.

Add in AI-generated content flooding search results, shrinking organic reach on social, and a buyer who’s comparing you against ten tabs at once, and suddenly, your marketing isn’t just competing. It’s drowning.

And that’s the real problem. Not your email open rates. Not your ranking for one keyword. The real issue is how you’re connecting, or failing to connect, with your audience.

Here’s the good news: the brands that commit to doing what others won’t? They’re still winning. Big time. That’s where The 4 Pillars of a Known and Trusted Brand come in.

The 4 Pillars of a Known and Trusted Brand: A framework for earning buyer trust

These aren’t one-time tactics. They’re long-term behaviors that position your business as the go-to in your space.

 

The 4 Pillars of a Known and Trusted Brand
  1. Say what others in your space aren’t willing to say.
  2. Show what others in your space aren’t willing to show.
  3. Sell in a way others in your space aren’t willing to sell.
  4. Be more human than others in your space are willing to be.

Each of these pillars builds on the others. Together, they create a customer experience so strong that your brand becomes the go-to source in your industry. Now, let’s dive into each of these four in greater detail, starting with what it really means to say what others won’t.

Pillar #1: Say what others aren’t willing to say

It’s a story we’ve heard many times. Businesses are creating content, yet the needle isn’t moving. Why aren’t our marketing efforts generating qualified leads (or any leads at all)? Is the stuff we’re doing actually working and helping to generate revenue?

For more than 90% of these cases, the reason is clear: Companies aren’t talking about what buyers want to know.

And what do they want to know? Every question. Every fear. Every concern. When they’re searching for this information online, that’s what they’re trying to figure out.

The problem is that most companies start by creating content for "casual lookers" those people still far from making a buying decision or worse, for people who aren’t even in the market at all. Content targeting casual browsers will take much longer to yield measurable results and won't drive the sales opportunities you need.

So how do you get your content to generate real sales opportunities right now, and not in a year from now?

You flip the strategy. You start creating content for actual buyers—people who already know they’re in the market for what you offer and are closest to purchasing. By addressing their specific questions, worries, fears, and objections, you’re not only giving buyers exactly what they want, but you’re doing the same for AI.

When companies address these topics openly and honestly, they drive more leads and sales than any other subject matter. We call them The Big 5TM.

The Big 5

Once you learn about them, you’ll realize two things:

  1. The Big 5TM are the epitome of "Say what others aren’t willing to say."
  2. You’ve always known you should be addressing these topics—because they mirror exactly how you research as a buyer.

Here’s what they are:

  • Cost and Price: Everyone wants to know what they can expect to pay. They also want to understand what constitutes value. This is universal.
  • Problems: Every desire to buy comes with a set of fears. What could go wrong? What are the drawbacks?
  • Versus and Comparisons: It’s how we make decisions—we compare.
  • Reviews: The good, the bad, the real. People want social proof and transparency.
  • Best in Class: Even if they don’t buy the "best," they want to know what the top options are.

Think about your own buying process. These are the topics you search for. Yet, most businesses avoid them.

They'd rather be like ostriches, metaphorically sticking their heads in the sand. We call this Ostrich Marketing.

Not smart. Especially in an age where every answer is a click away.

When you fail to address The Big 5TM online, your buyers go elsewhere. And often, that means your competitors.

This pillar is about radical transparency. If you want to earn trust, stop dodging the tough questions. Start publishing the answers buyers are actively searching for.

Done correctly, this creates a user experience your competitors can't match. You build trust before the first conversation ever happens.

Why most companies avoid these topics (and why you shouldn't)

Let’s take pricing as an example. In many industries, pricing is notoriously opaque. Your competitors might avoid discussing costs because they think it gives them leverage. But by being upfront, even if it’s just sharing a range, you immediately position yourself as transparent and trustworthy. Buyers appreciate that.

Marcus shared a story about a pool company he worked with. Initially, they were afraid to post pricing online. They assumed people would be scared off by the high cost. Instead, it had the opposite effect. Transparency turned them into a trusted resource and significantly increased their leads.

Think about the tough questions your customers are asking: “What are the downsides of your product?” “Why should I choose you over a competitor?” By answering these head-on, you’re not just meeting their expectations—you’re exceeding them.

This pillar isn’t just about being transparent, it’s about becoming the go-to source buyers trust when it matters most.

When you publish content around the tough questions, you:

  • Remove friction from your sales process
  • Attract higher-quality, better-fit leads
  • Reduce the time your team spends repeating the same answers
  • Signal confidence in your solution and your customer fit.

You stop playing defense and start owning the conversation. So, ask yourself:

  • What are the questions your competitors are too afraid to answer?
  • What are the objections your sales team hears but your website never addresses?
  • What would your buyers search for if they didn’t trust you yet?

That’s where you start.

Answer those questions clearly, directly, and publicly, and you’ll do what most companies won’t.

You’ll earn trust before the first call ever happens.

Pillar #2: Show what others aren’t willing to show

Video is transforming the world as we know it. Businesses that use it effectively are experiencing incredible growth. Those that ignore it? They’re being left behind.

And this trend isn’t slowing down.

The brands that win with video don’t just add it to their homepage. They build a culture around showing what others hide. They give buyers access to their people, processes, and perspectives.

Look at Opes Partners, a property investment company in New Zealand. They launched a YouTube show called The Deal. Real estate developers pitched new properties to the Opes team, answering hard questions on camera, just like Shark Tank. They showed their full vetting process, the kind of transparency most companies avoid.

That show grew their audience. But the bigger story? The Deal eventually evolved into The Property Academy Podcast, now the most listened to business podcast in New Zealand.

That’s the power of showing what others won’t.

“If a customer asks it, you should have a video for it,” Marcus says. “That’s how you make them feel seen and heard.”

Start with The Selling 7, the most effective video formats we’ve seen across hundreds of businesses.

  1. The 80% Video: Answer the most common buyer questions in one video
  2. Bio Videos: Personal intros for your team to add trust and warmth
  3. Product/Service Fit Videos: Who’s a good fit, and who isn’t?
  4. Landing Page Videos: Increase conversions by reinforcing key messaging
  5. Cost and Price Videos: Break down how your pricing works
  6. Customer Journey Videos: Share real stories of transformation
  7. Claims We Make Videos: Prove your big promises with real evidence

Each of these videos answers the questions buyers are already asking. And when they can see your answers instead of just reading them, trust builds faster.

Why most companies don't do this (and why you must)

For most teams, video feels intimidating at first. The moment someone suggests filming, the usual excuses start rolling in:

  • “We’re not good on camera.”
  • “We don’t have the right equipment.”
  • “We don’t have time.”
  • “We’re waiting until our website is ‘ready.’”

What’s really behind the hesitation? Perfectionism. The fear of judgment. The pressure to make it “look professional.”

Buyers aren’t looking for perfection. They’re looking for real. They want to know who they’re working with, what the experience will feel like, and whether they can trust you to follow through.

The best place to begin? Look at your sales conversations. What are the ten questions your team hears in almost every call? That’s your content plan. Record a short video answering each one.

Once you have those videos, put them to work. Use them on your website. Share them in follow-up and assignment selling. 

And this isn’t just marketing’s job. Sales reps, customer service teams, and company leaders all have voices buyers want to hear. When buyers see and hear from your team, something shifts. They feel more connected. More confident. More ready to move forward.

When video becomes part of how you communicate, everything changes.

Buyers stay on your site longer.
Sales calls become shorter and more productive.
Deals close faster because trust is already in place.
And your team becomes more approachable and memorable simply by being seen.

We’ve seen businesses cut their sales cycles in half just by sending one personalized video before the first meeting. Others saw a dramatic drop in ghosting once buyers received a short, friendly walkthrough of what to expect next. 

It wasn’t flashy. It was human.

Pillar #3: Sell in a way others aren’t willing to sell

The future of sales is here, and it’s all about giving a sense of control to the buyer.

Today’s buyers aren’t avoiding salespeople because they dislike them. They’re avoiding them because they want to feel prepared. They want to make informed decisions on their terms. When they finally talk to someone, they want it to be worth their time—not a rehash of basic info they could’ve found on their own.

This leaves businesses with a choice. They can fight this trend—or they can embrace it. They can amplify the human element of selling while also enabling buyers to make progress on their own.

That’s what modern selling is about. Giving buyers more control, more clarity, and more confidence in their decision-making.

How do you do that? Start with self-service.

Self-service is a powerful way to let buyers move at their own pace. Tools like pricing calculators, configurators, and self-assessments let them explore and evaluate without pressure. These experiences, hosted right on your site, let buyers get the answers they need without having to talk to someone first.

In other words, you’re replacing what used to be a sales call with a better digital experience.

But there’s more. Assignment Selling takes them one step further. Turning your content into a trust-building asset that your sales team can use proactively.  Sale reps send content like videos, articles, or your self-service tools as “homework” before a sales call. When prospects consume that content beforehand, they come into the meeting informed, aligned, and ready to talk specifics. That means:

  • Fewer objections
  • Faster decisions
  • Less time wasted on the wrong fit

For example, imagine a prospect books a call and immediately receives:

  • A short video explaining your pricing model
  • A comparison guide outlining your service versus competitors
  • A customer story from someone in their same industry

By the time the call happens, they already trust you—and you’re talking strategy, not surface-level info.

This is how top-performing sales teams are selling faster, with less effort, and winning better-fit deals.

What's holding most sales teams back?

Old habits. Change is uncomfortable. 

Giving buyers more control can feel risky, especially if your sales culture is rooted in traditional, pitch-first methods.

But here’s the truth: Self-Service Tools and Assignment Selling don’t replace your team—they amplify them

When buyers show up more informed, sales reps can focus on solving, not selling.

It also makes room for better-fit conversations. Buyers self-qualify earlier. Your team stops wasting time on low-probability leads. And the entire process feels more collaborative.

Rethinking your sales process might feel risky, especially if it means stepping away from traditional methods. But Marcus reminded us that the greatest rewards often come from taking bold steps.

To modernize your sales approach, start here:

  1. Identify key points of friction in your sales process
  2. Add at least one Self-Service Tool to your website
  3. Map out your assignment selling content to the stages of your sales process
  4. Train your team to lead with education

When you do this well, buyers feel more in control and more confident.

 

Pillar #4: Be more human than others are willing to be

While technology races forward, something else is quietly slipping away: real, human-to-human connection.

The rise of automation and AI has made business faster and more efficient—but it’s also made it easier to sound generic, robotic, and forgettable. Buyers feel it. And they’re tuning out.

That’s why this pillar matters more than ever.

People buy from people they trust. And people trust those they can relate to—those with personality, empathy, and perspective.

Marcus puts it simply: “Your ability to show empathy, authenticity, and care will always be your greatest asset. That’s what buyers remember.”

AI isn’t the problem. Misusing it is.

Too many businesses are publishing AI-generated content without adding anything human. No voice. No point of view. No lived experience. The result? Content that could’ve come from anyone. Which means it connects with no one.

It’s not just forgettable—it’s costing you trust.

Today’s buyers aren’t just looking for answers. They’re looking for signs that there are real people behind your brand. People who understand their problems. People who can help them avoid mistakes. People who stand for something.

That’s what sets you apart.

Being more human isn’t about being overly casual or emotional. It’s about making your brand feel like it has a pulse. 

Here’s what this pillar looks like in action:

  • Your team appears in videos, sharing real stories and experiences
  • Your website copy sounds like a conversation, not a brochure
  • Your sales reps use personalized 1-to-1 videos to build trust early
  • You speak with perspective
  • You’re not afraid to take a stance or show personality in your content

Personal brands beat company brands in the trust game. Buyers follow people, not logos.

That’s why this pillar isn’t optional. It’s a trust multiplier.

Use technology to amplify, not replace. AI can help you personalize campaigns, draft emails, and scale production—but it’s your stories, your tone, and your insights that bring it to life.

And sometimes, it’s the smallest personal touch that leaves the biggest impression.

After delivering a keynote, Marcus sent short, personalized video messages to attendees who had engaged during the session. The feedback? Overwhelming. Several people said that the message, not the talk, not the slides, was the most memorable part of the event.

It took just a few minutes. But it made people feel seen, heard, and valued.

That’s what it means to be more human.

Start small.

  • Add faces and bios to your website and social media
  • Record short videos for proposals or post-sale follow-ups
  • Include your perspective in every article, every video, and every touchpoint
  • When you use AI, guide it with your voice—not the other way around

Ask this as your gut check: “Does this feel like it was made for someone—or made by a system?”

That one question can reshape your tone, your process, and your connection with buyers.

In a world of automation, being unmistakably human isn’t a weakness—it’s your most powerful differentiator.

Why principles outlast platforms

One of the most compelling parts of Marcus’s message is his emphasis on principles over tactics.

Tactics come and go. Platforms rise and fall. Algorithms shift. What works on LinkedIn today might flop next month. The hot new AI tool will eventually get replaced.

But what doesn’t change?

Buyers still want clarity.
They still want to feel understood.
And they still want to trust the people they’re doing business with.

“People will always want to do business with companies they trust,” Marcus said. “The way we deliver that trust may change, but the need for it never will.”

That’s why the Four Pillars matter. They’re not tied to one channel, one technology, or one industry. They’re grounded in human behavior—the stuff that doesn’t change, no matter what the next marketing trend looks like.

These aren’t just strategies. They’re how you future-proof your business.

Whether you’re selling complex software or custom closets, these behaviors help you rise above the noise. They build trust that lasts longer than any ad campaign. And they help you navigate change without losing your identity.

When your foundation is built on trust, the tactics become flexible—but the mission stays the same.

 

Stand out by being brave

The Four Pillars aren’t easy. They ask more of you than most strategies do.

They require courage—to publish content your competitors avoid.
They demand vulnerability—to show your process, your pricing, your people.
They call for real change—to move away from outdated sales methods and lifeless content.

And yes, that kind of change can feel uncomfortable. But as Marcus reminds us, “The discomfort of change is far less painful than the discomfort of staying stagnant.”

Because the truth is, the brands that break through aren’t the ones doing what’s safe. They’re the ones doing what others won’t.

“Rule breakers become the rule makers,” Marcus said. “If you want to stand out, you’ve got to be willing to break the rules that no longer serve your industry.”

That’s the spirit behind the Four Pillars.

They aren’t just a playbook for growth—they’re a blueprint for becoming the most trusted voice in your market.

That’s how you stop chasing customers and start attracting them.

Not sure where to begin? Start with the easiest trust-builder: Answer one tough question your competitors won’t. Publish it. Share it. Track the response. Then, keep going.

Connect with Marcus

Marcus Sheridan is a writer, speaker, and business expert who’s worked with companies all over the world. Marcus is the author of They Ask, You Answer and Endless Customers.

Connect with Marcus on LinkedIn

Learn more about Endless Customers and pre-order the book!

Keep Learning

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Endless Customers is a podcast for business owners/leaders, marketers, creatives, and sales teams who want to build trust, attract the right buyers, and drive sustainable revenue growth. 

Produced by IMPACT, a sales and marketing training organization, we help companies implement The Endless Customers System by focusing on the right strategies and actions that build trust, educate buyers, and generate more leads.

Interested in sponsorship opportunities or joining us as a guest? Email awinter@impactplus.com.

Facing a challenge in your sales and marketing? Schedule a free coaching session with one of our experts and take the step toward business growth.

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