Gert recommended What’s In It For Them by Joe Polish, and it’s the perfect companion to this episode’s framework.

The book forces you to frame everything around the pain your client is trying to solve. It sounds simple, but it’s easier said than done. In conversations with potential clients, it’s easy to jump straight into your solution — “Your rankings dropped? We have this pyramid strategy!” — and start talking about what you want to talk about.

But the client only wants more leads. They don’t care about the pyramid. They care about solving their problem.

What’s In It For Them is a reminder to always start there. Figure out what the client actually needs, what pain they’re trying to solve, and build everything from that point. It’s also a critical filter for client fit — sometimes when you really listen to what they’re asking for, you realize you’re not the right solution, and that’s okay. Saying no early saves both of you time and frustration later.

Gert keeps the book on his desk as a constant reminder: start with their pain, not your process.