# The Brain Audit **Sean D'Souza** | [[Action]]  --- > "The brain recognises a problem long before it recognises the solution to the problem." This is neurologically proven—when faced with a problem versus a solution, the problem gets our attention. Problems activate our brains. Most marketing fails because it leads with solutions. "Lemonade" is forgettable. "Germ-conscious? Filtered lemonade" flags a customer down by specifying their problem first. **Sequence matters.** The framework here is simple: customers carry seven "red bags" as they move towards a purchase. If even one bag is missing, the process stalls. The bags are: Problem, Solution, Target Profile, Trigger, Objections, Testimonials, Risk Reversal, and Uniqueness. Your job is to make sure they're carrying all seven. --- ## Core Frameworks ### [[The Seven Red Bags]] Every purchase decision requires the customer to carry seven bags. Miss one, and the sale stalls. 1. **Bag No. 1: The Problem** – What specific issue does this solve? 2. **Bag No. 2: The Solution** – How does this flip the problem around? 3. **Bag No. 3: The Target Profile** – Is this for someone like me? 4. **Bag No. 4: The Trigger** – What makes me want to know more? 5. **Bag No. 5: The Objections** – What could go wrong? How is it addressed? 6. **Bag No. 6: The Testimonials** – Has this worked for people like me? 7. **Bag No. 7: The Risk Reversal** – What if I regret this? 8. **Bag No. 8: The Uniqueness** – Why this and not something else? (Yes, it's eight bags. The numbering in the original is inconsistent, but the framework holds.) Buying is a predictable sequence of psychological steps. Customers aren't irrational; they're following a neurological checklist. Respect the checklist. ### [[Problem Before Solution]] > "Problems seem to activate our brains. And when you bring up the problem in your marketing materials, sales pitches and presentations, you are in turn activating the brains of your customers." The brain reacts more strongly to stimuli it deems problematic. If you want attention, state the problem first. But here's the critical part: **isolate the problem.** Every product or service solves multiple problems simultaneously. A mug of coffee might represent a break, a meeting, a pick-me-up, or a social ritual. Choose ONE. > "Every product or service solves many problems. To get your message out effectively, you have to isolate the problem. In other words, choose ONE." Why? Because people are busy with their problems. Unless the problem you state is crystal clear, they'll miss your message entirely. You have to flag them down by specifying their problem, not all problems. > "Instead of being a scaremonger, the problem is an educational tool. It brings to the fore factors that already exist." The problem isn't a scare tactic—it's an educational tool. You're not making it up. You're highlighting issues that already exist, showing customers how their lives can be better if they adopt your product. Airlines created Business Class and First Class, which turned Economy into "cattle class." They created a problem that didn't exist before. That's the power of elevating a problem. ### [[Target Profile vs Target Audience]] > "There's a difference between 'target audience' and 'target profile'. An audience represents a group of people who seem to have something in common. The 'target profile' is just one person. A real person, with a real name, with a real address, and real phone number. And with real problems." "Target audience" is misleading. Audiences may appear similar, but individual needs vary wildly. **Target profile** is the factor of choosing one person. Not an entire audience. One solitary person. Then craft your message to that one person. How to create a profile: Start with a demographic. Choose a real person from that demographic (real name, real address, real phone number). Speak to that person and find out their list of problems. Choose one problem, then expand it. Use a real person to get feedback. Every product appeals to different audiences and solves a range of problems. Profiling helps you systematically speak to different audiences using different messages. One person per message. One problem per message. There's not one product or service on this planet that can't be sharpened with precise profiling. ### [[Objections Are Not a NO]] > "Objections are not your enemy. They are your friends. An objection literally means that the person who's doing the objecting, wants to take a decision to buy your product/service or idea." We wish objections would just disappear. They don't. But here's the reframe: objections are not your enemy. They're your friends. An objection literally means the person objecting wants to take a decision to buy. If they didn't care, they'd just walk away. If someone is objecting, pay close attention. They're interested. They're doing the hard work for you by telling you all the reasons they don't want to buy. You defuse objections by being prepared. List out every possible objection a customer could ask. List the answer to each. If a customer comes up with more, add it to the list. We seem to have six or seven main objections for pretty much every decision we make (and then just variations of those six or seven). Bringing up objections and defusing them one by one allows the customer to go ahead with their decision-making process, calm and relaxed. A rushed customer is a confused customer. When pressurised, they may buy but later regret it. This regret drives returns, refunds, and a hesitancy to come back. ### [[Objections Are the Flip Side of Testimonials]] > "Objections are the flip side of testimonials. The objections form 'one side of the coin', and the testimonials are the 'other side of the coin.'" You should **plan your testimonials to directly defuse each objection.** This is deliberate design, not accident. Most people scatter testimonials randomly. You're using them as surgical instruments to remove specific doubts. The job of testimonials is not to make your page look sweet. The job is to reduce the customer's fear of buying the product or service. They build trust. They make your offering believable. When structured correctly, that's exactly what they do: they reduce risk. ### [[The Six Testimonial Questions]] Make it easier for a client to give you a testimonial. The best way to get a detailed testimonial is to ask six core questions: 1. What was the obstacle that would have prevented you from buying this product/service? 2. What did you find as a result of buying this product/service? 3. What specific feature did you like most about this product/service? 4. What would be three other benefits about this product/service? 5. Would you recommend this product/service? If so, why? 6. Is there anything you'd like to add? You could never bring out the detailed specifics that a client brings out. You could never paint the imagery and emotion. And even if you could, it would sound like puffery. But when the client comes up with all that detail and emotion, the testimonial becomes rich, complex, and believable. **Reverse testimonials** are especially powerful. Start with the scepticism first. Describe the fear or uncertainty racing through the customer's mind at the point of purchase. Then show the resolution. This mirrors the objection structure and feels authentic. ### [[Risk Reversal]] There are two stages to creating risk reversal: **The obvious risk** (what's the direct downside if this doesn't work? Money-back guarantees address this) and **the hidden risk** (what are the indirect or emotional risks? Regret, embarrassment, wasted time, looking foolish in front of colleagues). Most companies only address the obvious risk. The hidden risk is where most hesitation lives. When you name and neutralise both, you make the purchase feel safe—even attractive. ### [[Invent Your Uniqueness]] > "You don't find your uniqueness; you invent it. Choose one of the factors you want to be the best at, and then build your business around that factor of uniqueness." The big problem with uniqueness is that you're trying to find it. You end up with some cheesy line. **You don't find your uniqueness; you invent it.** Choose one of the factors you want to be the best at, then build your business around that factor of uniqueness. Commit to it fully. Make it the organizing principle. This is strategic choice, not brand archaeology. --- ## Key Insights **Every product or service solves several problems simultaneously. To get your message out effectively, you have to isolate the problem. Choose ONE.** Isolating the problem means you literally flag a customer down by specifying that customer's problem. The customer needs to be alerted to a single problem at a time. The customer has to be taken through one "room at a time." If your product or service doesn't isolate a problem, the customer can't relate to what you're selling. **Solutions are just as important as problems. But they have to follow the sequence.** They should only show up once the problem has been introduced. Audit your communication rigorously for solutions popping up first. Your natural tendency will be to put a solution first. Resist that temptation. The solution is different from the process. The client is not interested in how you do things—well, not at the start anyway. The role of the solution is to nullify the problem, not explain the long-winded process. The solution should just flip the problem around. There's nothing clever about the solution. There shouldn't be. Don't try to be clever; you'll confuse the customer. **Every sale is usually ratified by two people.** Even if you convince one person, they'll go back and talk to their partner, boss, colleague, or friend. Most of us like a second opinion. This creates an additional objection layer. A rushed customer is a confused customer. A rushed customer's brain embeds a memory of the pressure and becomes hesitant to come back in future. No product, service, or idea exists by itself. To explain a "new" offering, you have to reference it to something that already exists. As soon as you bring up something that already exists, you automatically bring in perceptions and past experiences. **Most existing customers and new customers will happily assist you in coming up with your list of objections**—and often tell you how they'd want the objection dealt with. The more specific the testimonial, the more believable. Vague praise ("Great product!") does nothing. Detailed stories with obstacles, emotions, and outcomes build trust. --- ## Connects To - [[$100M Offers]] - The objections bag maps directly to Hormozi's guarantee structure; both are about reversing buyer risk - [[Influence]] - The entire framework is applied Cialdini's Principles: social proof (testimonials), consistency (target profile), authority (risk reversal) - [[Made to Stick]] - Problem isolation echoes the "Unexpected" principle; you violate expectations by naming the problem before the solution - [[Building a StoryBrand]] - D'Souza's problem-solution sequence is Miller's "guide the hero" structure in marketing form - [[The 1-Page Marketing Plan]] - The seven red bags are a neurological version of Dib's Direct Response Marketing checklist --- ## Final Thought This book reframes marketing as psychology, not creativity. Buying isn't irrational—it's a predictable neurological sequence. Your job is to anticipate the sequence, not disrupt it. The relentless focus on **isolation** is the key. One problem. One person. One objection at a time. Most marketing tries to speak to everyone and address everything. D'Souza gives you permission to narrow the beam until it burns through. **Objections being the flip side of testimonials** turns testimonials from decorative social proof into surgical tools. You're not collecting random praise—you're engineering specific reassurances that neutralise specific doubts. You can (and should) state the problem before the solution. You can address objections head-on instead of hiding them. You can plan testimonials to defuse specific fears. You can invent your uniqueness instead of searching for it. Replace persuasion with reassurance. Don't push harder. Make carrying the seven bags easier. When the neurological checklist is complete, the sale happens naturally.