If you want to be a better marketer or a business owner seeking marketing insights, “Sell Like Crazy” by Sabri Suby could be your next read.
If you’ve seen Sabri Suby’s comedic ads on Facebook or YouTube, you might be curious whether “Sell Like Crazy” is worth your time, or is it just another online marketing gimmick?
Perhaps you’ve read the book and wondered how effective the strategies discussed are in real-world situations.
This article shares the most important lessons I learned from reading “Sell Like Crazy,” authored by Sabri Suby, one of Australia’s most respected digital marketing agency owners.
Summary Of “Sell Like Crazy” By Sabri Suby
Originally published in 2019, “Sell Like Crazy: How to Get as Many Clients, Customers, and Sales as You Can Possibly Handle” by Sabri Suby is a book that delves into essential marketing concepts for marketers and business owners.
Drawing insights from marketing experts of the past, “Sell Like Crazy” provides a modern perspective on digital marketing funnels, focusing on how to effectively capture leads and convert advertising efforts into sales.
I discovered “Sell Like Crazy” by Sabri Suby while initially exploring digital marketing roles when I was starting out in the marketing field. Sabri Suby’s digital marketing agency, King Kong, offered career opportunities in areas such as SEO, advertising, and conversion rate optimisation (CRO).
After browsing the agency’s website and seeing him on television shows like “Shark Tank,” I decided to buy the book. I was curious about its content and whether it contained tips and tricks to enhance my marketing knowledge.
My 5 Biggest Takeaways From Sell Like Crazy by Sabri Suby
Here are my five biggest takeaways and lessons learned about marketing and sales from reading “Sell Like Crazy” by Sabri Suby.
1. Offering a High Value Content Offer (HVCO)
The first key lesson from this book is the importance of creating a High-Value Content Offer that provides immediate solutions to prospects’ problems while generating interest at the top of the marketing funnel for mass market appeal.
Sabri emphasises the value of establishing goodwill in the marketplace, noting that “people are 10 times more likely to seek education from you than to feel like they are being sold to.”
High-Value Content Offers (HVCOs) are not a new concept in marketing.
In fact, they date back to the early 1900s when the Michelin Guides provided travel advice to encourage car usage and tire sales.
A more recent example of major organisations utilising HVCOs is HubSpot, which embraced content marketing in its infancy.
HubSpot strategically developed numerous tools, guides, blogs, and templates that users could download in exchange for their contact information.
2. Creating a ‘Godfather Offer’
The Godfather Offer, as defined by Sabri Suby, is a marketing strategy designed to eliminate friction between you and the sale, making it almost irresistible for the prospect to make a purchase.
The Godfather Offer is split into seven components:
- Rationale – Provide a clear explanation of why you’re making a generous offer.
- Build Value – Establish value based on the usual everyday price. Suggest why the full-price item is still a good deal.
- Pricing – Start with an aggressive offer that includes upsells with minimal friction.
- Payment Options – Consider a 3-4 step payment plan to reduce the price point.
- Premiums – Include free gifts to increase response alongside the product you are selling.
- Power Guarantee – Reverse the risk for the prospect and place it on yourself.
- Scarcity – Communicate urgency to the prospect that they’re being offered something unique and need to act fast to receive it.
The Godfather Offer involves creating an irresistible proposition that makes your ideal customer feel they would regret saying no.
It relies on a strong understanding of your audience’s key challenges and promises a clear, appealing outcome.
Enhance the offer by adding significant value through bonuses, guarantees, or unique features, while minimising risks with money-back guarantees or risk-reversal strategies.
The offer should be specific, time-sensitive, and focused on results instead of just the process.
Ultimately, the Godfather Offer enhances the perceived value of a product or service while minimising cost, effort, and indecision, leading to an undeniable “yes” from your target market.
3. Creating Copy That Speaks To Your Audience’s Desires
When your copy fails to create a vivid image in the customer’s mind, it becomes more challenging to sell your product or service. This happens because you haven’t connected with the customer’s hopes, dreams, and desires.
By doing so, as Sabri Suby explains, your copywriting not only becomes easier, but it also helps create a mental picture of “what life could be like after using your products and services.”
When writing copy, the key is to sell the dream and illustrate what, according to Sabri Suby, the “promised land” looks like, as well as how your product or service can help the customer reach it.
It’s about delivering the emotional outcomes that make your audience eager to seek you out.
Here are some examples of both customer desire-driven copy and copy that addresses the customer’s aspirations.
| Customer Desire Copy | Copy Speaking To Their Desires |
| “I want to turn followers into paying customers.” | “Our funnel-focused content turns the casual scroller into a loyal customer who keeps coming back.” |
| “I’m exhausted of spending money on ads that don’t convert.” | “We craft ROI-driven ad campaigns that scroll and drive real results or your money back.” |
| “I want to automate my email campaigns so I can work on other things in my business.” | “Your automated email journey, done for you – scheduled, segmented, and stress-free.” |
4. Creating A ‘Power Guarantee’
If you can’t offer a guarantee for your product or service, then there’s little point in being in business.
Sabri explains that, as a marketer, you should always assume that prospects will be sceptical.
Without a power guarantee, you place the risk on the prospect. By taking on that risk yourself, you not only build trust with your prospects but also demonstrate your confidence in your ability to take them to the “promised land” with what you are offering.
Sabri outlines seven steps to help you create your own powerful guarantee:
- Study the competition
- Laser in on your strengths
- Be specific with details and measurable
- Choose a payback in case of customer dissatisfaction (which is unlikely)
- Test, measure, and refine your power guarantee
- Put it front and centre in your marketing and public relations efforts
- Give your guarantee a unique name
Some iconic Australian brands using power guarantees include:
Amart Furniture – “Quality Guarantee”
Jett’s Fitness – “No Lock-in Contracts, Ever”
The Oddie – “30 Days Comfort Guarantee”
5. The Larger Market Formula
According to Sabri Suby, only 3% of people in any given market are ready to buy at any moment. However, by targeting this segment, you’re also competing with others who are pursuing that same 3%.
To better understand the market, Sabri divides the remaining 97% into four categories:
– 3% are ready to buy now
– 17% are gathering information
– 20% are aware that they have a problem
– 60% are unaware of the problem or disinterested
Sabri explains that the real opportunity lies with the 37% of customers who are either gathering information or are aware that they have a problem.
This means you should develop systems for lead nurturing, guidance, and education to help these customers progress through the stages until they are ready to make a purchase.
Final Thoughts On Sell Like Crazy By Sabri Suby
Whether you’re new to marketing or a business owner looking to enhance your skills, “Sell Like Crazy” offers solid, practical, and actionable insights.
The biggest takeaway?
If you concentrate on solving problems, adding value, and creating offers so compelling that they can’t be overlooked, you’ll be well on your way to attracting more leads, conversions, and sales without the guesswork.