Book Table of Contents
Opening Credits (00:00:13)
Introduction (00:01:04)
Dedication (00:00:12)
Foreword (00:21:33)
Section One: Sales Funnel Secrets (00:15:11)
Secret #1: The Secret Formula (00:17:45)
Secret #2: Hook, Story, Offer (00:19:29)
Secret #3: The Value Ladder (00:26:21)
Secret #4: The Attractive Character (00:18:27)
Secret #5: Funnel Hacking (00:06:43)
Secret #6: Seven Phases of a Funnel (00:21:54)
Secret #7: Follow-Up Funnels (00:28:40)
Section Two: The Funnels in the Value Ladder (00:01:02)
Front-End Lead Funnels (00:02:16)
Secret #8: Lead Squeeze Funnels (00:05:24)
Secret #9: Survey Funnels (00:04:16)
Secret #10: Summit Funnels (00:09:12)
Unboxing Funnels (00:09:05)
Secret #11: Book Funnels (00:08:48)
Secret #12: Cart Funnels (00:07:10)
Secret #13: Challenge Funnels (00:11:20)
Presentation Funnels (00:02:35)
Secret #14: Video Sales Letter Funnels (00:04:22)
Secret #15: Webinar Funnels (00:09:38)
Secret #16: Product Launch Funnels (00:04:55)
Back-End Phone Funnels (00:01:19)
Secret #17: Application Funnels (00:10:34)
Section Three: Funnel Scripts (00:03:12)
Front-End Lead Funnel Scripts (00:00:02)
Secret #18: Curiosity-Based Headline Scripts (00:14:57)
Secret #19: Who, What, Why, How Script (00:03:32)
Unboxing Funnel Scripts (00:00:02)
Secret #20: Star, Story, Solution Script (00:12:45)
Secret #21: The OTO Script (00:05:52)
Presentation Funnel Scripts (00:00:02)
Secret #22: Perfect Webinar Script (00:11:18)
Secret #23: Product Launch Script (00:07:54)
Back-End Phone Funnel Scripts (00:00:02)
Secret #24: Four-Question Close Script (00:06:32)
Secret #25: Setter and Closer Scripts (00:13:03)
Section Four: Building Your Funnels (00:02:24)
Secret #26: Clickfunnels (00:12:12)
Secret #27: Funnel Stacking (00:06:58)
Secret #28: Funnel Audibles (00:22:40)
Conclusion (00:03:52)
Acknowledgements (00:01:42)
About the Author (00:00:45)
Decision Process
My reasons for picking the book:
1. A person I trust suggested this book.
2. I´ve recently read and reviewed Russell’s Third Book Traffic Secrets, and found it valuable so I decided to ascend up his Value Ladder* :P.
3. It is a Best-Seller (See Social Proof Principle from Influence by Robert B. Cialdini )
4. Plus add that I have 14 available credits on Audible and I listen/read to lots of marketing books anyway so it makes the decision easier.
Book Attributes
Author - Russell Brunson
Here are a few of Russell’s Achievements:
-The founder of “ClickFunnels”
-The writer of 3 Books: DotCom Secrets, Expert Secrets and Traffic Secrets.
-Host of “The Marketing Secrets” Podcast
-Was a wrestling State champion in his youth
-A nine digits millionaire 🙂
-Amassed a great following on basically all social media (193k -YouTube, 657k – Facebook, 45.5k Twitter, 994k Instagram)
Length
Paperback(2015): 236 pages
Hardcover(2020): 424 pages
Audiobook: 6h 39m
Reviews
For the moment of writing it has 2493 reviews on amazon.com 81% of which are 5 stars and 10% are 4 stars
Price Comparison (Correct as of 06.05.21)
Note that hardcover is the 2020 version and paperback is the 2015
Physical
Audiobook
e-Book
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Introduction
The Secrets Book Trilogy
In order to understand the concept of this book, I believe it is helpful to describe the main subject of each of Russell’s 3 books.
DotCom Secrets – Funnel structure (skeleton in other words) .
Expert Secrets – Content (copy).
Traffic Secrets – Visitors.
What is This Funnel Structure (Skeleton)?
Very generally speaking the content of the 4 Sections of the book is spread as follows:
Section 1: Marketing and Funnel fundamentals.
Section 2: Examples of Russell’s most used 10 funnels – the funnel stages, but not what you actually say inside them.
Section 3: Storytelling and Copy (Content) – What you actually say inside them. According to Russell it is relatively General and Expert Secrets goes in depth.
Section 4: Application
Section 1: Sales Funnel Secrets
Here you’ll find some fundamental concepts of marketing and funnels, that will help you see the bigger picture of funnel structuring.
Secret 1: The Secret Formula
This chapter has 4 marketing fundamentals as following:
1. Who your dream customer is. (Target Audience)
2. Where are they congregating? (Where can I find them?)
3. What is the bait that will attract them? (As a hook is to a fish)
4. What is the unique result you can give your customer? (The place you could lead them)
Secret 2: Hook Story Offer
A discovery that Russell had is that every marketing piece (e-mails, blog posts, videos and basically everything) has three parts to it.
1. Hook – The part that grabs their attention.
2. Story – The part that creates connection between you and the brand/product
it also continues the hook.
3.Offer – Presenting the product/CTA/Value that you offer
If your funnel is failing it’s always the Hook, Story or the Offer.
–Russell explains the hook story and offer in 13 minutes
Secret 3: The Value Ladder
The value ladder is the hierarchy of offers a brand presents, at the top of the ladder are the most valuable and pricey offers, and the bottom is opposite to that.
For example Russell’s Books are at the bottom (Free + Shipping), and at the top he had a one million dollar offer where he physically sets up the funnels for businesses with his whole team.
Secret 4: The Attractive Character
The personality to which your audience will connect and relate (Usually the owner).
And how to define it’s characteristics, flaws, story, and other elements.
Secret 5: Funnel Hacking
Watch the Funnels of other relevant brands, see what they do at every step, learn from it (Imitate success) and build your own funnel after seeing a bunch of those.
In other words Funnel Hacking means Analyzing other funnels in detail.
Secret 6: Seven Phases of a Funnel
1. Determine the awareness of your audience to your product
2. If they’re not very aware, create additional explanations
3. Get them to Subscribe to your newsletter.
4. Get them to buy a low cost (Free to 7-10$) product (Swipe Credit card)
5. Give them an option to buy your bigger products in case they’re in need
6. Give them value through mail and occasionally offer them your higher offers
7. Get them offline and on a phone / meeting.
Secret 7: Follow-Up Funnels
This secret discusses e-mail campaign types: (Automated/Real-Time Sequences), the importance of E-mail campaigns, and how to create each of the sequences + Examples.
Section 2: The Funnels in the Value Ladder
In this section Russell will explain and demonstrate the 10 funnels that he found most effective and he uses most in his own business. They are separated into 4 categories: Front-End(Lead), Unboxing, Presentation and Back-End Phone Funnels.
Front-End Lead Funnels (Free)
These are the first funnels in the value ladder and their main goal is to give value in some form in return for the E-mail of the prospect.
Secret 8: Lead Squeeze Funnels
A very simple page at which you offer a Lead Magnet with minimum text – Usually a PDF or e-Book explaining about something that your dream customers are interested in.
Personal Note: If it doesn’t convert it usually means you’re not giving enough value. (See Takeaway 2).
Example – 10 FREE Audiobooks PDF
Secret 9: Survey Funnels
In a Survey Funnel, Basically, the prospects answer the survey, and enter their mail to get the results of the survey, and then they receive a specific e-mail sequence or other customized data in accordance with their answers.
Example: Bulldog Mindset Quiz
Secret 10: Summit Funnels
You offer a registration to a live or recorded event (Takes place in specific dates), with many influencers from the audiences industry that discuss interesting subjects.
Examples: Own Your Future Challenge , Funnel Hacking Live
Unboxing Funnels (1-100$)
It’s called “Unboxing” funnels because you take a bigger service and unfold it into smaller parts, making it lower on the value ladder.
Note: The summary is very concise and only gives the main ideas – for the full Ideas you may get DotCom Secrets from the source (Suggested if you want the physical book) or from one of these 4 audiobook platforms for free (Make sure the platform has it before registering) 🙂
Secret 11: Book Funnels
This type of funnel is for authors, speakers or anyone who uses information products in the front of the value ladder. Although it is called a “Book” Funnel it may include any kind of information product offer. The first page of this funnel contains the story, order form, emotional and logical explanations and urgency and scarcity among other things.
Secret 12: Cart Funnels
These funnels are for ecommerce and physical products companies. The first page of this funnel usually will contain a demo video demonstrating how to use the physical product. Another thing to mention is that the headline of a Cart Funnel simply describes the offer as opposed to the headline of a Book Funnel – which evokes curiosity.
Secret 13: Challenge Funnels
The basic concept of challenge funnels is that it should accomplish X result in Y days. For the challengers, when you get them this result the rapport sky rockets and they want to buy more and ascend up your value ladder. Live Example – One Funnel Away Challenge.
Presentation Funnels (100-2000$)
These are called “Presentation Funnels” because it will take longer to present their value as opposing to the unboxing funnels, which are worth less, and therefor need less time to be presented.
The 3 funnel types included are: Video sales letter, webinar and product launch funnels.
Secret 14: Video Sales Letter Funnels
Though presentation funnels are for middle ticket products this type is generally used for up to 100 dollar products (I know, confusing) this funnel consists of a landing page with a 20-30 minute video that has 4 main parts; 3 that are devoted to breaking the false beliefs about the product and the 4th is a CTA.
Secret 15: Webinar Funnels
The purpose of a webinar funnel is to direct the audience into a 90 minute presentation during which you present the mid-ticket product, the presentation is broken down in accordance with the perfect webinar script which is presented in secret 22, and in more elaboration in Expert Secrets.
Secret 16: Product Launch Funnels
This is very similar to a webinar funnel with the exception that it’s broken down into parts and drips out bit by bit, getting the audience excited toward the launch of the product.
Back-End Phone Funnels (2000$+)
The Back-End funnels are where the high-ticket items are sold. This includes taking the customers offline (Phone or Physical Meeting) though Russell concentrates only on the Phone – Application Funnel which he claims is one of the most effective of this type.
Secret 17: Application Funnels
It’s called an application funnel because Russell gets the audience to fill out an application before they call or get the call, so they’re selling him and not the other way around. Details of the contents of the phone conversation are found in secrets 24, 25.
Section 3: Funnel Scripts
Up until now we concentrated on the structure and steps of the funnels, the next 9 chapters are more about the details or in other words the copy/content/words – The things that actually sell ( Hopefully 😉 )
Front-End Lead Funnel Scripts
Secret 18: Curiosity Based Headline Scripts
Why are headlines important? Because if you get the headline right, it’s like getting infinitely more pitches in a baseball game. The more people it hooks – The more people watch your content – The more likely you are to sell.
This chapter is all about how to create headlines that hook.
Secret 19: Who What Why How Script
Who are you? (Present yourself and the company)
What are you offering?
Why does the audience need it?
How to get your offer? (Click “Buy Now”?)
Unboxing Funnel Scripts
Secret 20: Star, Story, Solution Script
Star, Story – Hook them with the story of the attractive character and the obstacle it encountered – It should be a character to which they can relate.
Solution – Then present how it was solved.
Secret 21: The OTO Script
The One Time Offer is a sort of an upsell*.
How to present this offer? What should it contain? How many offers can we offer without harming profitability? etc.
In the 4 minute part below Russell explains how he first discovered upsells. (01:49-05:57)
Presentation Scripts
Secret 22: The Perfect Webinar Script*
This is a 90 minute script which is separated into 3 parts: 15 – Intro, 45 – Content, 30 – The stack/Close. The same script that Russell used on the stage in front of 9,000 people and earned 3.2 million dollars off of one speech (Offering 1997$ product).
Secret 23: Product Launch Script
This script is a 4 part video script that drips out bit by bit to create excitement around the launch of a product.
It has 3 videos about the audience’s false beliefs that stop them from engaging with your product:
External – Beliefs about things outside of their control.
Internal – Any doubts they have in their own abilities.
Vehicle – Beliefs about the tool you offer or similar ones I.E. ClickFunnels/Book Summaries/Building a Facebook page etc.
And the 4th video is the offer.
Back-End Phone Funnel Scripts
Secret 24: Four Question Close Script
A script for one on one phone conversations where you do not hire sales people, it contains Four main Questions:
1. What is the perfect result you’d like to achieve if we work together?
2. What is stopping you? Why don’t you have it yet?
3. What skills you have that you don’t currently use in order to achieve the result?
4. Do you want me to help you achieve your goals?
Secret 25: Setter and Closer Scripts
A script for 2 sales people –
The first one presents himself as the person who will check if the prospect is a fit for the program.
The second one is the professional on the content of the presented product, he repeats some of the questions asked by the first salesman but in a slightly different phrasing and finalizes the sale.
Section 4: Building Your Funnel
This section is where Russell puts it all together. It is about how to practically apply the funnels, not just in theory.
It includes: the basic strategy of Russell´s software – ClickFunnels, Ascending people up your Value Ladder and What to do with a failing funnel.
Secret 26: ClickFunnels
The 5 general steps to create a funnel in ClickFunnels
1. Choose your Funnel.
2. Edit the page elements with page editor.
3. Insert hooks and stories (Copy/Content).
4. Build your follow-up funnels.
5. Launch your funnel (As Russell says the whole 5-step process could take just an hour).
Secret 27: Funnel Stacking
How to connect all the steps of the value ladder? By placing a link at the end of each funnel to the next one (In other words funnel stack).
Why should we connect them? Because the more offers you present to a single customer, the more they buy, and the deeper your relationship becomes.
Secret 28: Funnel Audibles
How do I know if a funnel is failing? And what can I do about it?
This secret consists of:
1. Russell’s formula of diagnosing whether a funnel is broken
2. What are the things you could change to fix it, and then make it better and better.
3 Takeaways
1. The Importance of Headlines
When launching google ads campaigns I now see the importance of doing A/B testing* with the headline, and generally in every piece of content I produce, though I knew it’s importance, but the stories in the book made even clearer 🙂
2. Give Irresistible 10x Value
Give 10 times the value of the product cost, then, it will be very hard to resist – As Russell says: If you offer someone 1$ to take out the trash they probably won’t, but if you offer 1000$ it’ll probably be too hard for most people to resist – that’s why I renamed one of my lead magnets from 4 audiobook platforms with FREE trials to 10 FREE audiobooks, to represent the value better.
3. One Funnel Stage - One Goal
Have ONE main call to action at each step of the funnel to avoid confusing the audience.
P.S. Click here to get 10 FREE Audiobooks 🙂
My General Experience of DotCom Secrets
Clear Explanations
After finishing to read DotCom Secrets I could say that Russell is pretty good at explaining the principles in a way that sticks, his examples (parables) are great, and the concepts are pretty straightforward and simple.
It's Like a Manual
This book is like a manual in the sense that unless you’re already a millionaire not all the chapters are relevant at the moment or just transfer a main Idea, rather you’ll probably have to return to it as you slowly apply the funnels.
Best to Read All 3 Books
DotCom Secrets is Russell’s second book I’m listening to and reviewing after Traffic Secrets. Though some stories (parables) repeat themselves in both books, the books are very different, and both were indeed worth reading in my opinion.
Still although those two books both have great value I do feel that I lack some knowledge about the copy – which is the main concentration of Expert Secrets.
Rating
Narration
Clarity Of Speech
All the words were clearly understood (no mumbling, good quality of sound). 7/7
Fluency
Expressing Emotion
The way Russell reads it out indeed sounds natural and story-like.
6/6
Plot
Heading Distribution
Drive for Implementation
Visuals
I’ve listened to the book in audiobook format and there is a PDF that accompanies it.
The Visuals inside it are excellent in retrospect, but during the listening I only looked at it when prompted (Which is not too many times – perhaps 5% of the images.) Though even with that small amount, at one instance it even changed my assumption about the contents I’ve heard. 7/7
Direct Calls to Action
Though the book is geared well toward implementation, more direct calls to action could be of use.
Most of the chapters are explained in theory without outlining a main clear precise action we should take. 2/6
Providing Actual Specific Details
Examples
Content
Final Rating
Narration – 20/20
Plot – 10/10
Heading distribution – 8/10
Drive to Implicate – 14/20
Examples – 20/20
Content – 17/20
Final Rating – 89/100
Conclusion
Gives Practical Knowledge
I guess the most important measure to a book, is how much did it really change your life.
This book gave me 3 takeaways which sound pretty awesome to me, I already have another idea to apply and sure there are more to come with time.
Consider Reading The Whole Trilogy
Though for best results, from what I can see I would recommend getting all 3 of Russell´s books, Dotcom Secrets and Traffic Secrets which I´ve finished, and Expert Secrets that I´m currently in the middle of but trust the quality will be no worse then the other 2.
"Remember, you're just one funnel away."
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