Wait, create trust by giving away information and pointing potential customers to better options, even competitors?! Yes, that’s what Sales Lion Marcus Sheridan believes and lives… and it has been a resounding success for his business, River Pools and Spas. The pool company, which was built from the back of a truck to a multi-million-dollar per year business, suffered a disastrous fall and near bankruptcy in 2008. Today, the business is bigger and better than ever, thanks in no small part to the 500,000 unique visitors per month, the highest level of traffic for any pool company in the world. Marcus is passionate about teaching all potential customers on the topic, not pitching his, to create immediate trust. One post along these lines may have saved his company. In this episode, you’ll hear lessons learned—not only from his experience with River Pools and Spas, but also in the years since the dramatic turnaround. Since 2009, Marcus has operated “The Sales Lion,” at first a blog, now a flourishing business that helps other businesses do what he has done. About Marcus Sheridan Marcus is a sought-after speaker on all things content marketing, and you can find him on the stage at events like HubSpot’s famous Inbound Conference, Content Marketing World, and The Content Marketing Academy (in the UK). In 2001, Marcus and some friends launched River Pools and Spas from the back of a pickup truck. He’s shared the legendary multi-million-dollar turnaround story around the world, including in the foreword to Jay Baer’s book Youtility: Why Smart Marketing is About Help, Not Hype. In addition to speaking and training audiences, Marcus hosts two podcasts, Mad Marketing (solo) and The Hubcast (with George Thomas). He lives in Virginia with his wife and 4 kids. You won’t want to miss a moment of this fun, educational, and even shocking interview with Marcus! Learn more about Marcus Sheridan. Follow Marcus on Twitter. Show Notes Tools Marcus mentioned: Advanced analytics from HubSpot. Leadlander (a lower-cost alternative)