Six people, two teams, a basketball being passed around, and a question on screen: how many passes did the players in white make? Somewhere in the middle of it a person in a gorilla suit walks straight through the group, and most viewers never see it. In this episode Alex Curtis and Stephanie watch the famous focussed attention experiment and use it to answer two objections advisers raise about their own websites.

Stephanie counted 14 of the 15 passes, clocked the gorilla for a split second and assumed it was meant to be there. Watch it back knowing what's coming and it's impossible to miss. That gap is the whole point: when someone has a task, everything irrelevant to that task disappears.

What we cover:

• The experiment itself, and why the gorilla is obvious on the second viewing and invisible on the first
• Objection one: "the enquiry form at the top of every page is too pushy, it's like proposing before a first date". It's a logical argument, and logic is not what drives behaviour. Someone reading for information simply scrolls past it, no offence taken. Someone who came to make contact finds it instantly
• Why the homepage is not a shop window: plenty of people arriving there are on their second visit and are ready to get in touch
• Objection two: "if I build niche pages I'll look like a one-trick pony, or like I'm not an expert". Someone searching for a specific scenario lands on that page, not the homepage, and never sees your other services. They are gorillas to that visitor
• The second page people actually do look at, and it isn't your other product pages, it's About Us and the team
• Why advisers overanalyse what else should be on a page. Real visitors don't audit your whole website, only compliance does
• Serve the thing the visitor came for, make it easy to find, and everything else is noise

If you want more enquiries from your website, stop optimising for the objection nobody raises and start making the one thing each visitor came for impossible to miss.

Brought to you by the team at The Lead Engine who specialise in generating mortgage leads.

The fastest way to ruin a good idea is to ask people what they think of it. In this episode Alex Curtis and Stephanie go through the businesses that would never have existed if they had listened to their own market research, and what that means for the way advisers test their marketing.

Red Bull: a smaller can, more expensive than Coke, and it tastes worse. No survey would ever have approved it, and it built a business that owns Formula One and football teams off one product.

Domino's: customers said the crust tasted like cardboard, so the answer should have been the recipe. The biggest sales jump came from the 30 minute guarantee and the pizza tracker, because the real blocker was not knowing when the food would arrive. Same reason Uber worked, you can see the car coming.

Apple, Dyson and Porsche get the same treatment: business people wanted a physical keyboard, nobody said they wanted to see their own dirt, and Porsche were told an SUV would ruin their heritage. The Cayenne became their best selling car.

What we cover:

• Why asking for an opinion pushes people into slow, analytical thinking, when almost every real buying decision is instinct
• The mental pairings that drive those instant decisions: if other people use it, it's safe; if it's expensive, it must be good
• The air fryer example, and why the cheapest option does not win
• Why you should never ask friends or family whether they like your social post, website, logo or email signature. If they say yes it probably won't work, and if they say it's a bit weird you probably won't post it
• From coupons to analytics: direct response marketing measured with mail order coupons, and how reach, watch time, on-page engagement and leads do the same job now with better data
• Why trial and error beats opinion, and why the most bonkers tests are often the ones that work

If you want to know whether an idea is any good, stop asking and start measuring.

Brought to you by the team at The Lead Engine who specialise in generating mortgage leads.

Why do people copy a room full of strangers doing something with no explanation at all?

In this episode Alex Curtis is joined by Stephanie to talk through a classic conformity experiment filmed in an opticians' waiting room. An unsuspecting visitor sits down with a group of actors. A beep sounds, everyone stands up and sits back down, nobody speaks. By the third beep she is standing up too, with no idea why. The actors leave, she keeps standing on her own, and every new person who walks in ends up doing the same.

From there we get into what this means for mortgage brokers, protection advisers and any financial services firm trying to turn website visitors into enquiries.

What we cover:

• The experiment, step by step, and the moment she stands up alone in an empty room
• Why the brain feels resistance to being the odd one out, and why going with the flow is easier than thinking it through
• Conformity vs social proof, and why social proof beats a logical argument almost every time
• The mistake to avoid: negative social proof. Don't highlight that most people skip protection, or that most people wait for rates to fall. You are showing the crowd doing the wrong thing and the crowd is what people follow
• Staying compliant while using it. Don't invent numbers or claims, use what is genuinely true
• Why Google reviews are the strongest, cleanest form of social proof, and why we show them three or four times on a single page
• Consistency beats volume: recent, steady reviews create a chain reaction, dribs and drabs don't
• You will never convert everyone. Use these principles and you convert more than average

If you want more leads from your website and your ads, this is the mindset shift: show people what the crowd is already doing, don't try to argue them into it.

Brought to you by the team at The Lead Engine who specialise in generating mortgage leads.

In this episode of The Advisers Assemble Podcast, host Alex Curtis explains how behavioural science can make marketing much more effective. Just like an architect has to build with gravity in mind, marketers should use proven psychological rules instead of just guessing. Alex shares real-world examples, like how changing the words on a hotel sign or a tax letter can actually change how people act. Learn how simple tweaks to your messaging can get much better results without spending extra money.

• [00:00:00] The Architect & Gravity Analogy: Why marketing should rely on established scientific rules of human behavior rather than guesswork.
• [00:02:30] Why Campaigns "Fail": Why business owners often prematurely declare advertising channels like Facebook, TikTok, or Google Ads as "dead" without analyzing the actual message or psychological triggers.
• [00:03:45] The Psychology of Social Proof: The restaurant analogy (empty vs. busy) and why people look to the behavior of others when making decisions.
• [00:05:00] Robert Cialdini's Hotel Towel Experiment: How changing standard environmental signs to social proof cards ("most people staying in this room reuse their towels") boosted compliance.
• [00:08:00] System 1 vs. System 2 Thinking (Daniel Kahneman):
  • System 1 (Instinctual): Fast, automated thinking used during social media scrolling or catching a thrown ball.
  • System 2 (Logical): Analytical, slow thinking. Why putting too much complex information (like rates tables) in front of prospects triggers System 2, causes decision fatigue, and makes them leave.
• [00:11:45] David Cameron's "Nudge Unit" (Behavioural Insights Team): How adding a simple, true statement ("9 out of 10 people pay their tax on time") on self-assessment letter demands recouped millions in tax revenue with zero additional cost.
• [00:15:00] When Social Proof Backfires: Why tailored messaging is critical, illustrated by how energy-saving letters backfired for below-average energy consumers.
• [00:16:30] The Default Option & Nudge Theory: How auto-enrolling employees in workplace pensions ("opt-out" instead of "opt-in") successfully got more people saving for retirement.
• [00:18:00] Visual Verification: How adding a photo of a citizen's actual car to vehicle tax letters skyrocketed compliance.
• [00:19:15] Pioneers of Scientific Advertising: References to advertising legend David Ogilvy, Claude Hopkins' 1923 book Scientific Advertising, and BJ Fogg's behavior model (applied by Instagram co-founder Mike Krieger to build a billion-dollar app).
• [00:21:30] Six Core Behavioral Biases Explored:
  • Anchoring: How sales prices (e.g., TK Maxx) anchor value against high original prices.
  • Authority Bias: The influence of perceived experts/authorities (e.g., lab coats).
  • Availability Bias: How recent news (e.g., shark attacks) distorts our statistical risk perception.
  • Chunking: Breaking down complex tasks.
  • Consistency: Getting prospects to agree to minor commitments first.
  • Decoy Pricing: Creating options that make the target package look like the best value.

• Science over Speculation: Human behavior is highly predictable. Leverage proven behavioral science rules to optimize your campaigns.
• Reduce Cognitive Friction: Avoid overcomplicating forms and landing pages. Keep prospects in System 1 (instinctive/reactive) mode for smoother conversions.
• Wording Matters: The UK government's Nudge Unit proved that minor phrasing changes cost next to nothing but can deliver millions in returns.

Brought to you by the team at The Lead Engine who specialise in generating mortgage leads.

In this episode, Alex and Stephanie dive into the common challenges businesses face when trying to reach new leads. From navigating phone call screening technology to cutting down overly long outreach messages, they share practical advice and real data on how concise communication dramatically improves conversion and response rates.

• Call Screening Challenges: Understanding why consumers use call screening tools and how brokers/businesses can navigate them effectively.
• Short vs. Long WhatsApp Messages: Why sending long-winded initial messages lowers response rates, and how simple call-to-action prompts (like asking for a thumbs-up emoji) boost engagement.
• The "Word Jenga" Technique: How to strip away unnecessary "fluff" and keep messages punchy without losing the core meaning, inspired by the principles in Writing for Busy Readers.
• Email Click-Through & Survey Data: Real-world stats showing how reducing word count in newsletters and surveys can double or triple click-through and completion rates.
• Leveraging AI for Concise Writing: Using custom AI prompts and tools (like Gemini gems) to perform "Word Jenga" on draft communications.

• [00:00:00] - Introduction and discussion on call screening technology.
• [00:02:00] - Discussing lead response rates and the problem with lengthy WhatsApp messages.
• [00:03:00] - Example of an overly complex message vs. a simple prompt; introducing "Word Jenga".
• [00:06:00] - Comparison of long vs. short emails and industry click-through benchmarks.
• [00:09:00] - Data on email length, word count, and survey completion rates.
• [00:12:00] - Using AI tools and pre-loaded prompts to streamline outreach.
• [00:14:00] - Final takeaways on concise communication and closing thoughts.

• Less is More: People scan text rather than reading word-for-word. Shorter messages reduce cognitive effort and increase response rates.
• Make Replying Frictionless: Asking a quick, direct question (e.g., "Are you free for a call now?") allows leads to reply with a simple thumbs-up emoji rather than typing out an essay.
• State Your Identity Clearly: When facing call screening, state clearly who you are and where you're calling from so users know it's not spam.

Practice Word Jenga: Regularly review your template emails and text outreach to remove fluff. Leverage tools like ChatGPT or Gemini to auto-edit for brevity.

Brought to you by the team at The Lead Engine who specialise in generating mortgage leads.

In this episode, we dive into a recent landing page experiment where a single formatting change—switching the main H1 headline from sentence case to ALL CAPS resulted in a 59.82% increase in leads for a mortgage broker's website. We break down the test methodology, the results, and the psychological reasons why this simple, low-effort tweak outperformed the status quo.

Key Talking Points

• The Experiment Setup: We ran an A/B test over 23 days with 216 visitors from Google Ads. The only variable changed was the H1 headline; every other element (form, photos, content) remained identical.
• The Results: The ALL CAPS headline generated 59.82% more leads per click. Conversely, when the sentence case version was live, the blended cost per lead increased by 59.39%, and the conversion rate dropped by 21.10%.
• Dispelling the "Shouting" Myth: Contrary to the belief that ALL CAPS feels like shouting or aggressive, bounce rates were identical. Visitors didn't leave the page; they actually spent 27.54% longer on the ALL CAPS page, indicating higher engagement.
• The Psychology of Clarity: Capital letters are processed faster by the brain because their shapes are more distinct and uniform. In a high-stakes search context where visitors have one question—"Am I in the right place?"—ALL CAPS provides instant clarity and signals authority, much like road signs.
• The Caveat: A headline change is not a "silver bullet." This experiment succeeded because it was backed by a high-quality page, including 5-star Google reviews and content tailored to user intent. The headline simply served as a more effective first impression.

Actionable Takeaways

• Run Your Own Split Test: If you're running Google Ads, create a duplicate landing page with a capitalized headline and split your traffic.
• Monitor Performance: If you aren't running ads, simply apply the change and track your leads over the next 30 days.
• Low Effort, High Impact: This is one of the lowest-effort tests you can run. No developers or designers required—just hit Caps Lock on your headline and measure the results.

Brought to you by the team at The Lead Engine who specialise in generating mortgage leads.

In this episode, explore the role of inbound calls in Google Ads campaigns for mortgage leads. He argues that businesses often overlook the power of immediate phone contact, treating it as an afterthought rather than a primary conversion channel. The discussion covers why these leads are unique, the importance of operational processes, and how to effectively track call performance.

Key Takeaways

• The Urgency of Inbound Leads: When a user clicks to call directly from an ad, they have a clear intent: they want answers immediately. They are bypassing the standard web form journey because they are ready to talk now.
• Abolish the Phone Menu: Complex phone menus (IVRs) act as a barrier to potential clients who are already in a "solve my problem now" mindset. Alex advises businesses to remove these menus for ad-driven traffic, or use a dedicated phone number that connects directly to an adviser.
• Availability is Critical: Running Google Ads without a plan to answer the phone is "throwing money in the fire." If you miss the call, the lead will almost certainly move on to a competitor. If you cannot answer, consider outsourcing call handling, though speaking to an adviser directly remains the gold standard for conversion.
• The Power of Tracking: Use Google’s call tracking numbers to get the full picture. This enables you to report on which specific keywords, ads, and landing pages are driving the most calls, allowing for better ROI analysis.
• There is no "Standard" Split: The ratio of web forms to inbound calls fluctuates wildly depending on the business. Data from various clients shows ranges from 80% forms to 80% calls. Don't assume a standard conversion ratio; track your specific data to understand your business reality.

Actionable Advice

• Audit Your Process: If you are running ads, ensure someone is available to answer the phone immediately. If it's just you, prioritise availability during your active campaign hours.
• Clean Your Data: When reviewing call reports, filter out calls shorter than 10 seconds. These are often accidental "fat finger" clicks and will skew your conversion data.
• Be Accessible: Don't overthink the "professionalism" of being a small team. People want to know who they are working with; they don't need a corporate phone menu to feel secure.

Connect with Alex

For more insights into content experiments and lead generation data, subscribe to The Lead Engine newsletter on LinkedIn via Alex Curtis's profile.

Brought to you by the team at The Lead Engine who specialise in generating mortgage leads.

In this episode, we explore why "boring," straightforward, and simple content is far more effective for generating mortgage leads than "jazzy" or highly entertaining marketing copy. Mortgage clients aren't looking to be entertained; they are seeking safety, reassurance, and clear answers to their problems. We discuss why stripping back your content to the essentials helps you convert strangers into clients.

• The Path of Least Resistance: Users on search engines and social platforms are looking for quick, easy-to-read answers. Complex, wordy copy often feels like high effort and leads users to scroll past.
• The Power of "Boring" Content: Data from our experiments consistently shows that plain, factual, and direct content increases click-through rates on Google Ads and time-on-page metrics compared to more exciting, sales-heavy copy.
• Less is More: Extra words act as a tax on the reader's time. We discuss the benefits of short-form emails and direct, concrete language over abstract adjectives like "amazing" or "incredible."
• The Q&A Strategy: Building your content around simple, frequent questions (like "Joint Borrower/Sole Proprietor") provides immediate value. This approach builds trust and helps your content rank better in search and AI results.
• The "Well" Analogy: When a potential client has a mortgage problem, they are "stuck in a well." They don't need entertainment; they need a clear, direct ladder to get out.

Brought to you by the team at The Lead Engine who specialise in generating mortgage leads.