Unlock the Power of the “Ask Formula”: Transform Strangers into Superfans with Smart Questions, Not Guesswork!

In a world where the digital advertising industry is worth a fortune, and is expected to reach $786.2 billion by 2026 (data from Wordstream). The online marketing battleground seems to be forcing us—marketers and business owners—to shout louder and louder to be heard.

We are taught to A/B test, optimize landing pages, improve CTAs, and create content that we “think” customers will like. But if we look back, might we be stuck in the trap of “guessing”?

In an era where consumers see an average of 5,000 advertisements per day (compared to just 500 in the 1970s), brands trying to pump in more budget to “shout” each other is no different than adding noise to an already loud enough world.

This is the turning point. Ryan Levesque Author “Ask: The Counterintuitive Online Formula to Discover Exactly What Your Customers Want to Buy…“ has presented a marketing formula that goes against the trend Instead, it generated over $100 million in online sales across a variety of industries. From finances to dog training The formula is incredibly simple: The Ask Formula

From neuroscientist to entrepreneur who (almost) failed

Before delving deeper into Formula, we need to understand the people who created it. Ryan Levesque didn't start out as a marketing “guru.” He has a very interesting background: neuroscience. (Neuroscience) and Chinese, and also graduated from Brown University and works in the finance field.

His true passion is entrepreneurship. Ryan started investing in the stock market with an inheritance of $5,000 as a teenager. and even after working in a large company But he realized he didn't want to work for anyone else.

His entrepreneurial journey was not strewn with rose petals. After many failed attempts in the online marketing world. and at a time when personal life is in crisis (Becoming a new father in 2012 along with stress and declining health), Ryan discovered a simple but powerful idea.

“Why don't we stop guessing and start 'asking' customers exactly what they want?”

This idea became the foundation of “Ask Formula,” which not only helped his business survive, but But it has also built an empire that has helped countless other entrepreneurs succeed in 23 different markets.

Deconstructing the “Ask Formula” is not just a questionnaire, but a Sales Funnel.

The heart of the “Ask Formula” is not just creating a survey, but using it. “Survey Funnel Strategy” This transforms boring “questionnaires” into “tools” for screening (Segment) and presenting (Prescribe) precise solutions to customers automatically.

Imagine a traditional Sales Funnel. We shoot an ad -> send people to the landing page -> have them enter their email (Squeeze Page) -> send them to the sales page -> hope they will buy.

This is one-way communication (Monologue).

But “Ask Formula” is about creating a dialogue (Dialogue) with 4 important pillars.

1. The Deep Dive Survey

This is the very first step. before that you will create a funnel or maybe before that you will even create a product The goal is to “eliminate” needs, pain points, and “language” that customers actually use.

example: Ryan recounts the case of a sports training company that always believed that its main target audience was people aged 55 years, but after doing a Deep Dive Survey, they found that the most active group was people aged 64 years! This discovery immediately changed the game. They adjusted their copy and communications to meet the needs of people ages 60+. The result was soaring sales.

This step is to use Empathy to fully understand the customer, not just “just thinking”.

2. The Micro-Commitment Bucket Survey (a “grouping” survey)

This is the heart of the funnel that turns traffic into leads and leads into customers. This process uses what is called psychology. “Micro-Commitment,” or asking customers to “commit” little by little

Instead of immediately asking personal information or difficult questions, this funnel starts with a question. A simple, non-threatening Multiple-Choice such as “What is your biggest challenge with…?”

1. I don't have time
2. I don't have any funds.
3. I don't know how to start.

When the customer clicks to choose an answer (Micro-Commitment) The system will “group” or Bucketing They immediately entered different “buckets”.

3. The Post-Survey Sales Prescription (the “prescription” after the survey)

This is the magic of this formula because in the traditional Funnel… everyone will see the Sales Page. same type But in Ask Formula… Each “Bucket” customer will see the Sales Page at different!

Ryan calls this a “Sales Prescription.” It is a solution designed to solve a specific problem for that group of people.

• If the customer chooses Bucket A (no time) -> Sales Page that will be seen will highlight this solution. “Save time” or “Can be done in 5 minutes”
• If the customer chooses Bucket C (don't know how to start) -> Sales Page will emphasize that this is a “map” or “Step-by-Step”.

This is Hyper-Personalization. (Advanced Personalized Marketing) at scale and can be automated. The result is vastly higher conversion rates. Because customers feel that “This is exactly what I was looking for!”

4. The Pivot (“changing the angle” for people who don't buy)

Of course, not everyone will buy it the first time. (Statistics show that there are only 1-10%.) So what to do with the remaining 90%?

Traditional funnels create a feedback loop by sending repeated emails (often with the same offers).

But “Ask Formula” has a smarter strategy.

• The “Do You Hate Me?” Message: For those who don't want to buy, Ryan sends a playful (and effective) email asking, “Do you hate me?” to encourage the customer to reply, “Did you hate me?” Why They don't buy it. This is where the most valuable “Objection” information is stored. To further improve products or marketing
• The Pivot: For people who aren't really interested in the offer, the system will “pivot” them by sending them a new survey asking, “OK, if you're not interested in A, what about B, C, or D?” This is an attempt to retain leads and find other sales opportunities that they might be interested in instead.

Continuing success when “selling” doesn't end with the first purchase.

Ask Formula doesn't stop with just the first sale, but also includes Profit Maximization Upsell Sequence (Upsell process to maximize profits)

The concept is very simple. When a customer has just decided to buy They are in a “buying mindset.” This is the best time to upsell. It's similar to how we buy a burger. Then the employee asked “Would you like some more french fries or a drink?”

Ryan recommends 3 effective upsell strategies.

1. Selling Value: Offer the same product in larger quantities. But at a better price (e.g. buy 1 get 1 free or upgrade to a year package)
2. Streamlining (Speed/Ease): Offer a Premium version that helps them solve problems “faster” or “easier” (e.g. from a regular course It is a course with a personal coach)
3. Enhancing: Offer products that help “enhance” the first purchase (e.g. buying a mobile phone, offering cases and headphones)

Thumbsup The “Ask Formula” is nothing new in terms of “using Surveys,” but the genius of Ryan Levesque is that it seamlessly combines the “art of asking” with the “science of Marketing Automation.” He changed the questionnaire. (usually used in research) to become the core of the Sales Funnel that creates conversations, screens customers, and delivers the right products in real-time. This is what marketers dream of in the data era.

In an era where everyone is trying to “push” their message, the “Ask Formula” is a powerful “pull” strategy. It invites customers to tell us what they want. And we just “deliver” it to the point. It is a shift from mass marketing to mass personalization. This is an important lesson. 'Lifelong marketing students' like us have to pick it up and apply it. To create a business that not only “makes money” but also creates “super fans” who are truly loyal to the brand.

Read more