Ask these before you spend another dollar on marketing.
More marketing is the default reflex when growth stalls. But a growth dollar only compounds if it's pointed at something that already converts. These five questions tell you whether you're ready to spend — or whether you'd just be buying more noise.
What specific problem do you solve, for exactly whom?
If the answer needs a paragraph, your buyer needs a paragraph to get it — and they won't. "We help businesses grow" isn't a problem; it's a category. Get to one problem, one person.
Could a past client explain your offer without you in the room?
Your best referral source is a happy client describing you to a peer. If they can't do it cleanly, your offer isn't clear — and every marketing dollar inherits that fuzziness.
What happens to a lead between "interested" and "paid"?
Most consultants have a great call and a black hole around it. If you can't draw your pipeline on a napkin, you don't have one — you have hope and referrals.
Why would someone choose you over the competent alternative?
AI and a crowded market mean "competent" is now free. If your only answer is "I'm good at this," you're a commodity. The answer has to be a position, not a quality.
Is this dollar buying clarity, or just more noise?
Before you spend on ads, content, or a freelancer, ask whether it sharpens the offer and pipeline — or just adds volume to something that isn't converting yet.
"A founder who can answer all five confidently is ready to scale. One who can't is ready to clarify — first."