They Ask, You Answer tells the story of how Marcus Sheridan saved his swimming pool company, River Pools, during the 2008 recession by doing something most businesses are afraid to do: publicly answering every question his potential customers were typing into Google. How much does a fiberglass pool cost? What are the problems with fiberglass pools? How does fiberglass compare to concrete? Sheridan wrote articles answering each question with complete honesty, including information his competitors would never publish, like pricing, problems, and comparisons.
The results were dramatic. River Pools became the most visited swimming pool website in the world, generating millions in attributable revenue from content. Sheridan’s thesis is that this approach works for any business: find out what your customers are asking, and answer those questions better and more honestly than anyone else. He identifies five categories of content that drive the most traffic and revenue: pricing/cost, problems/drawbacks, comparisons, reviews, and best-of lists.
The “Big 5” content framework is the book’s most actionable contribution. Sheridan argues that most businesses avoid these topics because they’re uncomfortable. Nobody wants to publish an article about what’s wrong with their own product, or how much their services cost, or how they stack up against competitors. But these are exactly the questions buyers are searching for, and the company that answers them honestly earns trust that translates directly into sales.
The book also covers the organizational changes required to make content marketing work. Sheridan argues that content creation should not be delegated entirely to a marketing team. Salespeople, subject matter experts, and even the business owner should be involved in producing content, because they understand what customers actually ask. He also covers video, social selling, and how to integrate content into the sales process so that reps can use articles and videos during the sales cycle.
For founders, the approach is especially relevant because it costs almost nothing to start and compounds over time. Every article you publish is an asset that continues generating traffic and trust indefinitely. The “big 5” framework gives you a clear starting point: answer the questions your customers are already asking, and don’t hold back.
The writing is conversational and packed with specific examples from Sheridan’s own experience and from other companies that have applied the approach. The second edition includes updated case studies and expanded sections on video and assignment selling.
