Ask

The Counterintuitive Online Formula to Discover Exactly What Your Customers Want to Buy, Create a Mass of Raving Fans, and Take Any Business to the Next Level

by Ryan Levesque

4.3(1,870 ratings)

13 min read

Brief overview

This book describes a proven system for identifying your customers’ most pressing needs and delivering precisely what they want. Through a selective questioning process and personal anecdotes, the author shows how targeted surveys, smart segmentation, and genuine communication can spur deeper trust and higher conversions. Readers will discover how to refine their marketing messages, overcome objections, and leverage upselling opportunities with remarkable results.

Introduction

Have you ever felt unsure about what your customers truly want? Many business owners assume they know, but they might be off the mark. It’s as if we’re all answering questions nobody asked. That’s where Ryan Levesque’s Ask Formula comes in.

Rather than guessing, this approach dives into the why behind each purchase decision. By asking the right questions and listening carefully, you’ll discover hidden motivations. You save countless hours and dollars that might otherwise be wasted on ineffective strategies.

Ryan’s journey began with a relentless curiosity, honed by personal hardships. From struggling with severe health issues to leaving a secure job, he learned that effective communication can transform a fragile startup into a well-oiled machine.

Across 23 different markets, his method has repeatedly proven that you don’t need flashy ads or huge budgets; you just need to speak to real concerns. This overview sets the stage, showing how a personal touch can address your customers’ deepest needs.

Asking the right questions opens doors you didn’t even know existed.

A Life-Changing Revelation

Ryan’s breakthrough idea is rooted in a near-death experience. Diagnosed with a life-altering condition, he realized how precarious things can be when you don’t know what’s going on beneath the surface. Just as he consulted experts to figure out his health, he began consulting his customers about their needs.

He took a corporate route initially, working in finance and living overseas. While it looked perfect from the outside, he felt a deeper calling. Personal freedom and the promise of entrepreneurship drew him in. That was when direct, helpful communication started driving his success.

Friends introduced him to creative ways of earning money online, and he noticed a gap: too many marketers push products without first learning what people really want. Ryan flipped the script by asking people about their frustrations and tailoring solutions accordingly.

This revelation proved that if you can start a conversation with empathy and honesty, you can lead customers toward beneficial outcomes. That lesson fueled his obsession with using surveys to unearth deeper insights.

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What is Ask about?

"Ask: The Counterintuitive Online Formula to Discover Exactly What Your Customers Want to Buy, Create a Mass of Raving Fans, and Take Any Business to the Next Level" by Ryan Levesque offers a transformative approach to customer engagement. Traditional marketing often relies on blasting audiences with information, presupposing what they want. However, Ryan challenges this with a simple yet profound approach: directly ask customers about their desires. Through his systematic method, readers learn to harness surveys and communication to not only understand customer needs but to deliver solutions directly aligned with those desires.

Central to this book is the unique 'Ask Formula,' a meticulous series of steps from understanding deep-rooted customer frustrations to crafting tailor-made solutions. Levesque introduces specific strategies such as targeted surveys, segmentation, and communication techniques, enabling marketers to pare down complex data into actionable insights. This streamlined process not only clarifies customer expectations but also builds a loyal clientele, turning passive visitors into raving fans.

The book stands out as it advocates empathy in competitive business environments. By taking the time to genuinely listen to potential clients, businesses can create products and services that naturally fit their market, minimizing guessing games and maximizing satisfaction. More than a sales tactic, it's a shift in thinking that invites dialogue rather than dictation.

Review of Ask

Ryan Levesque's "Ask" is a refreshing departure from the generic noise dominating the marketing space today. The book's key strength lies in its granular focus on customizing engagements, urging businesses to connect with consumers as individuals rather than statistics. This approach is not a dramatic overhaul, but an organic build upon existing customer interactions, encouraging honesty and authenticity.

What sets this book apart is its prioritization of clear, actionable strategies over convoluted, theory-heavy content. Readers immediately benefit from practical steps detailed by Levesque: beginning with the Deep Dive Surveys to unearth real customer challenges, followed by the strategic implementation of personalized offers that seamlessly transition into higher sales.

The writing style is an engaging mix of anecdotal insight and professional advice. It's accessible and relatable, designed to equip marketers, business owners, and entrepreneurs with a toolkit to enhance conversion rates and customer experiences. Levesque effectively bridges theory and practice, making his methodology applicable to both novices and seasoned marketers alike.

For businesses ready to elevate their customer relationships, "Ask" delivers a compelling blueprint. It favors long-term customer satisfaction over fleeting sales spikes, nurturing a loyalty that withstands market fluctuations. Highly recommended for those tired of the status quo in digital marketing.

Who should read Ask?

Entrepreneurs and small business owners seeking to refine their approach to customer engagement and increase sales.
Marketing professionals eager to move beyond conventional strategies and explore new customer-centric methodologies.
Customer service managers looking for innovative ways to understand and address consumer needs more effectively.
Product developers in need of deeper insights into customer requirements to better tailor their offerings.
Business strategists aiming to harness data-driven insights into practical, impactful business decisions.

About the author

Ryan Levesque is the CEO of The ASK Method Company and a #1 national best-selling author. He is known for his book "Ask: The Counterintuitive Online Formula to Discover Exactly What Your Customers Want to Buy, Create a Mass of Raving Fans, and Take Any Business to the Next Level," which was named by Inc. as the #1 Marketing Book of the Year. He has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Forbes, and Entrepreneur, and over 250,000 entrepreneurs subscribe to his email newsletter offering business advice. He is also the co-founder of bucket.io, a leading marketing funnel software for entrepreneurs, and has written another notable book, "Choose."