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What $1,000 in Ads Taught Me

What $1,000 in Ads Taught Me

Matt Deseno
February 24, 2026

What $1,000 in Ads Taught Me

It wasn't until we started running Facebook ads that I learned the difference between clarity and certainty.

The first $1,000 we spent brought leads. But the weight of every no-show appointment hit different when I knew I'd literally paid $112 to have that conversation.

The worst part wasn't the money…

It was watching them walk away without buying and not even knowing what their objection was.

They'd say "sounds good, let me think about it" and disappear. 👻

What I realized: they wanted certainty this was going to work for them.

And my mature marketing mind was like, "nothing is certain in marketing, I can't promise that."

So they didn't buy.

The shift happened when we changed our offer.

Today in 3 minutes or less:

✔️ This 7Xed our close rate

✔️ Your offer is fuzzy

✔️ The “STRAP” Framework

✔️ 3 things to fix right now

📈 This 7Xed Our Close Rate

Instead of "we'll do everything to grow your business," we made it stupidly clear:

"We'll get you on the first page of Google in the first 30 days, or we give you your money back."

We knew this task was easy and doable for us. We also knew it was a tiny sliver of the results we could actually drive.

But because it was super clear, our close rate went from 8% to 60%.

Here's what I learned: Clarity is the next best thing to certainty.

😵‍💫 Your Offer Is Fuzzy

Our brains crave certainty. Is this right? Is this good? Is this the best option?

We ask those questions nonstop, especially when money, reputation, or other people's livelihoods are involved.

The problem? Certainty is rarely available when decisions actually matter.

Certainty only shows up after the fact. After the launch. After the hire. After the risk pays off or doesn't.

Waiting for certainty before acting sounds responsible. But in practice, it usually turns into delay.

More research. More comparison. More second-guessing.

And eventually, no decision at all.

🧠 Making Offers Stupid Obvious

Here's the framework for making your offers more desirable (which inevitably makes them more clear):

S - Specific

❌ Not: "Better results"
✅ This: "100,000 views in 30 days"

T - Tangible

❌ Not: "Will improve your visibility"
✅ This: "You'll feel like a local celebrity"

R - Repelling (Be clear who it's NOT for)

❌ Not: "Great for anyone with a business"
✅ This: "Ideal for business owners with less than 10 people on their team"

A - Aspirational

❌ Not: "Will improve your marketing"
✅ This: "You'll have so much demand you can increase your price"

P - Proprietary

❌ Not: "We post a lot online"
✅ This: "We use our 360° Visibility System™ to guarantee results"

🛠️ Three Things to Fix Right Now

If something feels stalled (a decision, an offer, a conversation)…

Don't ask how to make it safer. Ask how to make it clearer.

Try this:

Remove one option, condition, or qualifier that adds confusion
- Options feel responsible, but they usually create hesitation
- Pick one clear path instead of three "maybes"
Explicitly state what happens after someone says yes
- Don't assume people will infer next steps
- Tell them plainly: "Here's what happens when you sign up..."
Test your offer with the "Stupid Obvious" standard
- Does it pass the STRAP Framework?
- Can someone explain it back to you in one sentence?
- If not, it's not clear enough yet

People would be super confident if they had certainty.

In areas where you can't give them certainty, you can give them clarity.

Clarity doesn't eliminate risk, but it makes progress possible anyway.

THOUGHTS ON TODAY'S MARGIN MAKERS?

To profiting more and working less. 💸

-Matt

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