Are you curious if Sabri Suby's Sell Like Crazy has any merit?
So I purchased the book to make sure you didn't.
This post will discuss the pros and cons of Sell Like Crazy.
The best part?
A summary of each chapter is included as well.
Before we get started, a little about me
So you can see who is behind the scenes
Who is Sabri Suby?
Sabri Suby, the owner of King Kong is a digital marketing agency that is based in Australia but serves clients all over the globe.
He was raised in a single-parent household, where his mother held three jobs to support him and his siblings.
Suby was clearly inspired by his mother's hard work.
He wanted to help others and began to look for creative ways to make money, starting at age 8 by churning butter in a local shop and juggling at his local market.
Suby applied at 16 for his first sales job, along with 30 others.
He was accepted along with 2 other members, but he quickly became the worst member of the sales team of 13 members.
Suby was told by his boss that he would be fired in 7 days if sales don't improve. Suby knew he needed to make a change.
So he did.
Suby refused to let the objections he received from his callers stop him. He began to fight back, challenging them to buy.
His numbers rose as fast as the sun rises in a sky and reached the highest sales team record.
Suby, a young Grant Cardone sales rep, commanded the top position at 17 and brought home approximately 2k per week.
He would later start King Kong Marketing Agency, which he quickly grew from an individual operation to employing many people in a matter of years.
Let's move on to today.
What's Sabri Suby doing these days?
Sabri has helped you to 10X your marketing agency and is now a well-known figure. He was featured in Foundr magazine:
Sell Like Crazy - Sabri Suby - Summary
Step 1: Think Like a Billionaire
This is Sabri's mind chapter.
Being a successful entrepreneur starts with having the right mindset.
This is a new concept that you may not have heard before.
It's everywhere.
Suby's approach to mindset was something I liked. He doesn't go on about useless mumbo-jumbo.
Suby cuts through the fat and asks the question:
"What do billionaires do?"
He's not trying to emulate Bill Gates or Warren Buffet, but he does drop the following truth:
Billionaires made it to the top by only investing in assets that offer a positive return.
It could be,
"Yo man that is a great statement. But how practical is it?"
Bro, don't rush ahead. We're on the right track.
Suby makes a generalization about billionaire investments and then he looks in to how they snipe every moment of the day.
He asks the pivotal question:
Key Question in Chapter 1.
"Are billionaires?" Checking emails and posting on social media are constant activities. You can also do Facebook Live streams or other low-level activities such as checking your email. They should either delegate the task to a team member, or outsource it.
While you are contemplating that gem, take a look at this:
Suby then gets into " Highly leveraged Activities".
These are the activities that give you the best bang for your buck.
They make up 80% of the revenue.
Yes, you may have heard of the Pareto Principle, but Suby does not sit down to eat a burger with that 40,000-foot concept.
Suby steers his ship in an entirely different direction from many books that expound on the efficiency principle.
Instead of focusing on the popular 20% figure, he wrote that 4% of all activities contribute 64% to the average company's revenues.
This is right, 4% of tasks contribute nearly 2/3rds to a company’s income.
The new 4% figure will mean that your list of tasks as a business owner must become exponentially smaller. This means you can eliminate another 3/4 of the tasks on your 20% task list. You'll literally only have a fraction of the stump you had when you started.
Suby's point of view is quite simple:
You'll be the most profitable if you focus all of your attention on high-leverage activities that have the greatest impact on your business.
The new rule Suby explains is Do less often.
Suby gives details about the tasks he is focusing on in his business. This chapter will help you to sort through your list of tasks that you should be focusing on in your own business.
This quote will help you get to the next level.
"So here's the bottom line. Being busy isn't the same thing as being productive. It's difficult to remain focused in a world full of small tasks and millions of voices.
Sabri Suby . Entrepreneur
Step 2: How To Sell Like Crazy?
Suby argues that as the owner of the company, your primary responsibility (the 4% mentioned earlier) is to sell.
He begins by removing the common misconceptions that business owners have.
Suby writes that most business owners don't understand their business.
You may respond by saying:
Suby would know this if he didn't hold his horses. He's just a young man who spits his mouth like other big-mouthed millenials.
Suby would probably reply to this by saying, "Mate you've interrupted again in middle of my point." This ..." is what I am referring to.
He is stating the obvious: selling is not the same as being an occupation .
He immediately gives examples and talks about the great thing about his experience.
Suby encourages you to zoom out.
Step 2: Key Takeaway
Instead of focusing on your craft, get involved in marketing the products and services you provide.
Suby tells his story from this chapter about how he got into sales, and how it changed his family's lives.
Selling is not something you can do by yourself. You cannot outsource it or delegate it completely. It is the most important task of any company, and therefore it is a must-have for any founder or owner."
Sabri Suby . Entrepreneur
Step 3: The 500k Education Curve
Before we examine the meat of Step 3, how did Suby obtain his title?
His 500k sales education tuition (mic drops)
Most of you think that 150k is too much money to spend on college. Suby's spending 3X as much on books, seminars, courses, and other activities.
You probably don't think he's as young as a sapling, even though he is still a young gun (not middle-aged).
You know what's even better?
Here are some similarities between Suby and the rest of us.
Most people (or at least those who are entrepreneurially-minded) have realized that college was not very valuable in teaching them the mindset and skills that will help them succeed in their lives.
Suby would simply say, "I consider [all that education] to be a loss ..."."
You say "Now, wait a second," but he first spends all that money trying to get an education, and then gets nothing, zip or nadda out ???"
That's right.
Suby claims this:
"... Looking back, I realized that the majority of the money was spent buying useless and ineffective gimmicks sold by so-called "gurus" or "specialists" (p. 51).
The real learning began for him.
He then zoomed in and looked for people who had an impact on thousands or even millions of people through their marketing and selling skills. He studied their lives, copy writing, and interactions with others while keeping his laser-focused on the individual(s) that made their domino-like impact (aka their timeless tactics & strategies).
Suby writes, "It was after burning all that cash that I decided to devote my time studying people who had really succeeded (aka teacher-gurus that talk about something that they have never actually done)." (p. 51).
He even names some of the greatests:
Robert Collier (a writer in early 20th-century)
Eugene Schwartz (famous creator of "Breakthrough Advertising")
1966: First published
Ogilvy (British Advertising Tycoon of the 20th Century).
Gary Halbert (Copywriter who has the highest 7-figure campaigns across multiple niches)
Gary Bencivenga (Copywriter of the late 20th and early 21st centuries)
Suby encourages you to choose long-proven strategies over new tricks, gimmicks and sales tips (as sparkly)
Suby says that all of these are like the straw house for the 3 little pigs, to an irresistible offer made in the forge the Godfather Strategy, which he'll share in Phase 4.
I've noticed that only 1% of businesses have created advertising that makes a compelling case for prospects to purchase their products and services.
Sabri Suby . Entrepreneur
Step 4: Make the best investment you can
Suby, who is not a financial advisor, compares traditional investments to paid ads (like Google and Facebook ads) when paired with an irresistible, high-quality offer.
It's impossible to compare the returns-on-investment. #ppc
Suby suggests that if you want to run a business actively, the best way to make high-level profits is to create a killer offer and then run targeted ads.
This means that you must be active in closing every buyer who calls you or providing fulfillment for any orders that are placed.
Me? I prefer passive profits.
That sounds way too gimmicky.
What I really enjoy is spending a few months developing and building an asset that will continue to pay me for many years without my involvement. Some call it passive income.
Here is a small portion of my portfolio.
You can find out more about digital assets by clicking the green button below. Or, continue reading to learn how to sell like crazy in the 8 phases.
How to Sell Like Crazy in 8 Phases
PHASE 1: UNDERSTAND YOUR DREAM BUYER
Suby draws a parallel between the many marketing gurus who claim to have effective selling hacks, and the history and truth of copywriting that has fueled King Kong’s cheeta fast growth.
After mowing his less-profitable listening experience to gurus, his go-to move is to fertilize the view of cold internet surfers in order to cultivate an awareness of their needs for your products and services.
Suby states that only a fraction of people in each industry are actively looking for solutions.
A larger percentage of the population is willing to learn more about their needs if they are offered quality education.
Marketing agencies tend to focus on the near-microsopic segment of people who are buying right now.
Suby states that these marketing companies are often shortsighted because they don't invest enough in nurturing and educating companies that could become potential customers.
How do you determine what information is valuable?
Operation HALO.
Suby refers to his client-attraction strategy as a result of his memory of Halo, a first-person shooter game that was championed by those who were the most knowledgeable .
The most successful marketing agencies, which place attractive offers that tug at the heartstrings, are also the best stairway to top customers' heaven.
Suby provides detailed instructions on how to burrow into the minds of your ideal clients so that you can better understand them. However, this summary is not exhaustive and I won't be able to cover every detail.
Suby gives us this last note about the depth that you must go to in order to make your offer stand out from the rest.
"If you want your message to stand out and win customers, it is essential to go deeper. You must uncover the deepest and most fundamental desires of your customer.
PHASE 2: CREATE THE PERFECT BAIT
Suby has now shown you how to identify your ideal client. Suby talks about fishing and specifically the preparation of the lure that has brought him many high-end clients.
Suby starts by looking at what most businesses do. Suby then uses that to show you all that high-value content offers have to offer.
The High-Value Content Offering (HVCO), as it is known, is here.
The goal is to amaze people with this experience. This HVCO can be a great way to get people talking. '"
What is the secret to creating high-value content?
Suby provides a helpful list of things your HVCO should include:
HVCO Guidelines:
- 1Make a headline that grabs attention
- 2Be sure to touch a burning issue with every point
- 3Keep it simple
Suby spends most of this chapter reviewing the headline, which is the most important part of high-value content.
Some examples of his work include:
Which characteristics are you most impressed by the covers?
Suby points to a variety of things, such as their large branding in the background and a list of tips/looks. These lists generally show a range of ways people can alter their appearances.
Here are the top ten essentials.
Power Headlines Have These Four Things:
- 1A headline that grabs people and forces them to read your material.
- 2Numbers ("7 Tips Everybody Knows About ...")
- 3Create Irresistible Intrique
- 4Show them what's in it for them
Suby gives you a list of different high-value content options that you can combine to spark your creativity.
Suby included a series action points to help you get started, particularly if you feel overwhelmed by all the information after going through Phase 2.
"The temperature of the marketing message must be equal to that of your traffic."
PHASE 3: CAPTURE LEADS & GET CONTACT DETAILS
You've likely wondered how to get clients if you ever considered digital marketing.
Suby uses the same analogy that I learned from my mentor 5 years ago at the beginning phase 3.
Clients are acquired the same way as a spouse. You have to dine out and win before you propose.
Suby's version is Phase 3. He begins his process with an opt in page.
You don't have to ask them on your first date.
There are many components that make up an opt-in page with high conversion rates.
This section contains the five pieces Suby meticulously cleans:
5 Keys for Creating a Killer Opt In Page
My opinion is that an average book on digital marketing would not include examples of highly-converting opt-in pages.
Suby's book tunnels further than the average.
Suby is an expert in advertising archeology and reveals the skeletal formulas of how ancients created the headlines that made the most money.
Here's an example:
'[PROBLEM]? Get My [SOLUTION] and [RESULT]'
This is a goldmine of practical, but proven information.
"People who browse online are basically sleepwalking zombies." Your copy should be like a bolt of lightning striking through their bodies, waking them from their sleep.
Sabri Suby . Entrepreneur
PHASE 4: THE GODFATHER STRATEGY
Suby uses the famous Godfather quote to illustrate the concept of the section. Suby says that is about creating an offer that melts all objections, obliterates all friction between you, the sale, and... almost forces your prospects.
Let's look at the journey of your client so far.
You have attracted a date to send their email in return for your HVCO. They've just submitted the information (finalizing your guys first transaction). Now they are being encouraged to build a relationship with you by offering upsells.
This section shows you what an offer that cannot be turned down looks like.
Suby begins by stating the obvious, but it's not so obvious: sells what people want.
It is possible to look at this and think, "Duh! What else would I sell?"
Suby would reply, "Man, I have seen so many people spend so much time designing and making products that nobody wants (aka there is no demand).
What is the point of all this wasted time?
People tend to follow the path of least resistance and do what is easiest for them rather than researching what the market truly desires.
My primary business, local leads generation, calls this initial research " Due diligence" where we poke around the market with our tools and perhaps some paid ads.
This is what the coaching program taught me. It allowed me to maximize my efforts and find the low-hanging fruit. I was able quickly to increase my income to 7k per monthly in less than one year. This was enough money to be able to say "See Ya" instead of the 9-5 job I hated.
You'll find a "due diligence” worksheet in every business model. This allows you to record your research and make a decision about whether to proceed.
Suby explains his simple DD worksheet in this:
This sheet should have two columns. Column one should be titled 'Features'. Here you can list all the features that you are selling.
"The second column should be called "Benefits". This column converts all features into the corresponding benefits. (p. 157)
Let's not waste time and say you have a product that is well-received by a large number of people.
How can you stand out among the thousands of products similar to yours?
This is the place where deep dish Godfather Strategy comes in.
These seven sautée slices are delicious
7 pieces of a Godfather Offer
How to make them accept your offer!
1. Rationale
A rationale is a concise, clear and credible explanation of why you are making such generous offers.
2. Build Value
Clearing the path to increasing your value is key.
3. Pricing
Instead of focusing on the number to use, Godfather strategies include multiple offers. They start with a low-priced item, and then follow up with several upsells (longer trainings or more detailed information). These upsells will increase your return on investment.
4. Payment Options
Consider offering to spread the purchase over 3-4 months for your higher-ticket upsells. This will lower the perceived price point in the mind of your customer.
5. Premiums
Customers receive a premium as a complimentary gift along with their product purchase.
You can make your company stand out by offering a similar product or service to customers who purchase another product.
6. Power Guarantee
Although 12-month guarantees are very popular, it is better to have a specific guarantee about your product. For example, "If you use our system and lose 25lbs within 6 months, drop us a note and we'll give back every dollar."
7. Scarcity
It is known that a few drops of scarcity can spur people to take action and buy the product.
What is scarcity?
After you have finished these four courses, it is time to put the show on the road.
Professor Suby will be addressing a few acronyms and numbers related to pay per click (PPC) advertising in the next section.
To add to the Godfather Strategy's dessert, here's a quote by the man himself.
Once you have a clear idea of the market, you can then craft a compelling pitch for your product or service.
Sabri Suby . Entrepreneur
PHASE 5: TRAFFIC
Here is Phase 5. First Professor Suby covers many key acronyms which will allow you to monitor your business's profitability while you increase your advertising.
Next, he explains how to set up high-converting PPC ads. He first uses Google and then goes on Facebook. Sharing so many examples, it's hard for a kangaroo to jump over them.
CPA is the most important acronym, also known as "Cost per Acquisition".
This is the amount of money you have to spend in order to acquire a new client.
Are you curious about how much advertising can be spent on paid media?
Suby stated it like this: "Know what you get from a customer and you'll be able to figure out how much you can afford to buy one."
You might be wondering, "Why does Suby show you how to run paid advertisements on multiple platform?" Why not stick with one?
He gives an example of how a business invested in one platform only to have that platform change its ad algorithm. This made the business's revenue dry up quicker than a summer waterhole in the Sahara.
Suby suggests businesses not to invest in one platform only. This practice can diversify risk and allow you to reach more people with your clients.
Overall, I found his chapter extremely helpful. It covered enough information to jumpstart new businesses to PPC but didn't drag his readers through every detail about advertising on the biggest platforms.
"Keep in Mind that although many business owners think that they need more traffic, what they really need is a profit-generating offer.
Sabri Suby . Entrepreneur
PHASE 6: THE MAGIC LANTERN TECHNIQUE
Okay, now you have traffic to your landing page. However, only 3% of them are buying your product right away.
How can you make your customers feel more valuable?
This is where the Magic Latern Technique steps in.
What is the Magic Latern Technique exactly?
It's like the blue light that attracts insects in A Bug's Life.
This keeps prospects coming back to you by attracting them back.
It's actually a series emails that link to video trainings.
Although it will be a lot of work to put together this video series in one place, Suby has had a great experience with his Magic Latern.
The Key Takeaway From Phase 6
This video sequence will show you how to convert a large portion of the disinterested 97% into eager buyers.
- Sabri Suby
How do you put together your Magic Lantern?
Suby shows you how to create one for a client. Suby also provides helpful illustrations that illustrate the client's potential state of transition.
Each step increases trust and decreases skepticism.
Suby summarizes the Magic Lantern Technique as follows:
The Magic Latern Technique can be described as guiding prospects along a metaphorical path to their desired destination. You provide tons of value along the way and all the goodwill that goes with it.
Sabri Suby . Entrepreneur
PHASE 7: SALES PROCESS
You'll notice an increase in appointments and people signing up for your services as you build trust with others who have gone through the Magic Latern series.
How can you make the most out of your appointment?
Suby provides this information.
He explains the 9/10 sales mistakes that can ruin a sale before he goes through his proven sales process.
"I have found that 90% of salespeople get it wrong," In the hope that they can convince a prospect to buy, they basically spit out every benefit and feature of their service in their sales presentations.
Here's Suby's process for training his people:
Sabri Suby's 7-Step Sales Process
STEP 1: FIND YOUR PROSPECT'S WHY
This is where you need to get to the heart of your caller's motivation for scheduling it.
STEP 2: LEARN WHERE THEY WANT TO GO
Learn about your why and what you want them to do.
STEP 3: LISTEN TO THE ADMISSION
You know where you want to go. Now it's time for you to discover what efforts they have made. Also, find out their frustrations, obstacles, and the things that kept them from achieving their goals.
STEP 4: DELIVER THE PROMISED VALUE
After listening to them for a while and hearing their frustrations and dreams, it's now time to help them create a plan to get there (that's what you promised in your Godfather offer).
Suby has a very important quote:
This is an important part of the call, and where most sales pitches fall short. "You want to show your prospect that you can help by actually helping them." - Sabri Suby
STEP 5: GET THE COMMITMENT
Once you have given them some assistance, they will give their opinion.
Perhaps you could say something like "Does this sound like the kind of help that you need?"
Consider the help you give them as an appetizer. But what they really want is the entire meal (aka your big deal).
STEP 6: GIVE THE PRESCRIPTION
After they have shown their commitment, it's time to take a few minutes to discuss your services. You can tailor your explanation to the needs and desires they mentioned earlier.
You can't just talk about your services for eternity. Here's Sabri Suby’s criteria to help you give your prospect the right prescription.
Write it down, then read it aloud. Make sure it rolls off your tongue. Then, practice saying it repeatedly to perfect the delivery. "This overview should not exceed 2 minutes" - SabriSuby
STEP 7: CLOSE THE DEAL
At this point, you should be able to gauge how warm your client (if they are hot, cold, or lukewarm) is.
The prospect's temp will dictate the type of call close that you use.
If Jim is a 5/10, you might need to be more direct in the closing. Jim is still a little hesitant to commit.
Suby suggests this close:
Jim, this is not the right path for everyone. This takes time and dedication from you, and requires that your actions and efforts are taken seriously. You are serious about solving/achieving now, but that's not all. "
A free 30-45, 60-minute conversation is the best way to sell a service. The conversation can close at least 80% of the sales deal.
Sabri Suby . Entrepreneur
PHASE 8: AUTOMATE & MULTIPLY
Once you have a solid business foundation, you will likely want to travel or explore your hobbies more.
And you deserve it, right?
You've worked hard to build your well-oiled income system. It would be a shame to let it all go.
Although this section provides a lot more information about email marketing, I would like to have Suby's advice on automating and hiring which is more than what the title suggests.
Suby has several dozen employees and manages hundreds upon hundreds of client accounts. It would have been great to see his behind-the scenes processes, such as how he creates large quantities of copy or what tech he uses in order to keep everything current.
"When I look at marketing and sales, I try to create automated and robotic-like sales systems that allow you to write an email, record a video, create a sales page or webinar and then profit from it all again and again on automaticpilot."
Sabri Suby . Entrepreneur
How books like "Sell Like Crazy" helped me reach 52k per month?
Sabri Suby's book was first published in 2019. It brought back a lot of memories.
2013 was the year I finished a book about how to make wealth through investing in real property.
Since then, I have been obsessed with finding a way to make my money work for me or to be able to earn passive income while I sleep.
I tried multi-level marketing, affiliate marketing & even some real estate investing courses...
However, I had very little knowledge about internet marketing at the time.
Plus, I didn't have enough money to buy real estate.
Thanks to my persistence, I found the right business model for lead generation that was both affordable and passive.
It's simple.
We create and rank simple websites on Google. Additionally, we rent out our online real estate properties to local businesses.
To get all the leads or phone calls that this site generates each month, my client pays me $2000 per Month.
The best thing about my business is the fact that I can target 100 different niches, and each city is a new market.
Imagine building just 10-15 sites, and you can make $10K per Month.
These sites don't need much maintenance once they are ranked. It's easy to leave them alone, and they will continue making money.
Scalability is therefore insane.
In 2014 I joined the lead generation coaching program. Today, I have over 75+ digital lead-gen assets.
My income increases every year because I no longer trade my time for money.
I simply reinvest in these properties, so my money is working for me.
My income keeps increasing because I am focused on building more lead-generation properties.
The phases in Sell Like Crazy are thanks to them
I was able to increase my lead generation income and close more clients than ever before.
Guys, they say that money cannot bring happiness. But I disagree.
Perhaps it's not all about how much you make...
However, how to make money... is a crucial factor in your overall happiness.
Here's an example site I created back in 2014. It still pays me today.
All I need to do each month is to go to my mailbox and pick up my checks.
It feels amazing to still be getting paid for the 6 years of work I did.
This made me happier.
This picture shows that I have been receiving checks from the same company since 2015.
Are you saying that I am happier today if I don't have work every day to pay the bills?
You will have more freedom to live your life if you have assets that pay the bills.
Freedom equals happiness. It's as simple as that
You could argue that money doesn't bring happiness, but I would argue that how money is made will determine your happiness.
This skill of lead generation will allow you to achieve next-level happiness. You'll both be creating your own freedom and helping small businesses to get the customers they need.
The truly wealthy are the ones who have helped many people get what they want.
The Market does not pay you for the best product or service. It rewards you for solving problems."
Sabri Suby - Entrepreneur
Why not create digital assets?
These sites are irreplaceable.
A client may decide that he no longer wants the leads (rarely, but it does happen) or that they wish to retire.
It's all fine. I will find another company in my area to take the leads.
This means that as long as the digital asset is mine, I will be paid monthly on it.
Because leads are the most valuable thing for small businesses.
They die if they don't have any customers to call them.
We are the lifeline for a business.
The best place to get leads is to have your site ranked #1 on Google.