The Five Lightbulbs
Your customer needs five beliefs before they buy.
An argument-driven marketing framework by Billy Broas.
Developed with clients since 2019 and taught since 2020. The subject of the book Simple Marketing for Smart People, read by about 10,000 people.
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Lightbulb 1 - Your Customer's Status Quo
Your customer has a problem, and a specific way of describing it.
The first Lightbulb turns on when you use their words instead of your own. Get this right, and they'll listen to everything that follows.
The belief you're building"They get me."
Lightbulb 2 - Other Things They've Tried
They've already tried this. They've read books, hired people, and bought tools.
The second Lightbulb turns on when you make the strongest case for what they tried, then show exactly where it falls short. That gap is what Lightbulb 3 fills.
The belief you're building"Those approaches aren't right for me."
Lightbulb 3 - Your Approach
Lightbulb 3 is not your product. It's the idea behind it. It's the reason your product works where others fall short.
The third Lightbulb turns on when you build conviction in your approach, which leads to interest in your offer.
The belief you're building"This is the way."
Lightbulb 4 - Your Offer
Lightbulb 4 is where the argument becomes an offer. It's the full picture of what a customer gets when they buy.
Your offer will only make sense after you turn on the other Lightbulbs.
The belief you're building"I trust them."
Lightbulb 5 - Your Customer's New Life
Your customer needs to see the destination. What does their life look like after success with your product?
The fifth Lightbulb turns on when you show the customer what's in it for them.
The belief you're building"That's what I want."
About Billy Broas
I created the Five Lightbulbs after years of helping businesses figure out what to say in their sales and marketing.
Before this career, I worked in renewable energy and biofuels, including the feedstock side of a Department of Energy cellulosic ethanol program. That background taught me to think in structures. The Five Lightbulbs is the structure I kept finding underneath every piece of marketing that worked.
The philosophical case for argument-driven marketing lives in my manifesto, Marketing Is An Argument. The book I wrote with Tiago Forte, Simple Marketing for Smart People, walks through the belief-building approach the framework operationalizes.
Finally, I work with businesses one-on-one to build the argument for their product or service. Reach out and tell me where you could use help.
I live in San Diego, where I’m starting to teach the Five Lightbulbs in small, in-person sessions. More about my work in San Diego.
Go Further
The ideas behind the Five Lightbulbs are explored in full in Simple Marketing for Smart People, the book that started it all.
Now Available - Order on Amazon
Who’s Used It
Over 250 course students. Over 140 people taught personally. Clients in more than 20 countries.
“Our messaging sounded so generic. It didn’t even resonate with ME. Halfway through Billy’s cohort, I updated one of our sales pages using our new Five Lightbulbs messaging. Our sales instantly improved.”
Excel educator, Microsoft MVP, 2M+ YouTube subscribers
“We’ve sold over $75M in online courses over the years, so we have high standards when it comes to marketing training. Billy is the real deal. His approach to marketing is simple, authentic, and powerful. We’re now using his messaging framework to improve our campaigns.”
Founder & CEO, DigitalMarketer
“Billy helped me craft really clear, powerful messaging that truly conveyed the value of what I was offering. It was a huge success, it generated over $300,000 for me and enrolled more than 400 really excited students. Billy knows how to generate results while respecting your audience.”
Concertmaster, Boston Symphony Orchestra
“By following Billy’s process, we had created a list of red hot buyers ready to convert. So much so, the first course we launched using his process has generated over 7 figures.”
Course creator
“I have taken TONS of marketing training and even gone through Donald Miller’s StoryBrand program. To me the Five Lightbulbs are much simpler, more intuitive and quite frankly just more fun. By the time I graduated from the cohort, I experienced something I hadn’t expected — confidence. Confidence that I could create my own content and messaging in a way that connects with others.”
Business Coach
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I write about a philosophy of marketing rooted in argument, not manipulation. Subscribe and I'll send you my best work.
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