The Conversion Code book club questions

1. 1.

   Smith argues that most businesses are better at generating leads than converting them. Which is the bigger constraint in your business right now?

2. 2.

   The five-minute response rule is well-supported by research but is hard to operationalize in most organizations. What would need to change in your team to actually achieve it?

3. 3.

   What does your current follow-up sequence look like after an initial lead contact fails to convert? How does it compare to Smith's recommended multi-touch approach?

4. 4.

   Smith is specific that the best sales conversations start with questions, not a pitch. What questions do your salespeople actually ask in the first five minutes of a new lead call?

5. 5.

   The book argues that using scripts improves sales quality when the salesperson internalizes them. Where do you draw the line between useful preparation and sounding scripted?

6. 6.

   Smith's framework is designed for inbound leads with a phone-based close. How much of the conversion code applies to your sales motion, and what needs to be adapted?

7. 7.

   Qualifying out quickly is presented as a virtue. What keeps sales teams from doing this — and who in your organization currently does it best?

8. 8.

   The book emphasizes landing page design as a lever for improving conversion. Have you tested your current landing pages against alternatives? What have you learned?

9. 9.

   Smith argues that rapport-building is not manipulation — it is helping a buyer make a decision they are already considering. Do you agree with this framing?

10. 10.

    What is the biggest drop-off point in your current lead-to-customer journey? What would it take to cut that drop-off rate in half?

11. 11.

    Smith's examples skew toward real estate and high-volume B2C. Which parts of the conversion code apply most directly to your context, and which require significant adaptation?

How to run the discussion

• Pick six to eight, not all of them. An hour of real discussion covers fewer questions than anyone expects, and racing the list is what makes a book club feel like homework.
• Open with what people noticed, not what they concluded. Asking for a verdict first hardens opinions before anyone has heard each other.
• Let the disagreement run. The questions below that split a room are the ones worth the time; the ones everyone answers the same way can be skipped.
• Ask the quiet person a specific question. A direct, narrow question is far easier to answer than an open invitation to contribute.