# Leads and advertising (Hormozi)

Study notes. Paraphrase and short quotes, each with a source link and timestamp. Acquisition.com course audio and YouTube captions are machine transcribed, so check the source before quoting word for word.

## 1. What a lead is: leads vs engaged leads
* A lead very simply put is a person that you can contact. What you actually want are engaged leads: people who showed interest after you gave them something. [Acquisition.com $100M Leads Course: Problem & Definition, 00:04:43](https://www.acquisition.com/training/leads2) [Acquisition.com $100M Leads Course: Problem & Definition, 00:05:21](https://www.acquisition.com/training/leads2)

## 2. Core Four (the only four ways one person can advertise)
* Warm outreach (one to one, people who know you), cold outreach (one to one, strangers), post content (one to many, people who know you), run paid ads (one to many, strangers). [If I Wanted to Become a Millionaire In 2024, This is What I'd Do [FULL BLUEPRINT] (2023-11-08), 00:27:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBoRLJimVzc&t=1625s) [13 Years of Marketing Advice in 85 Mins (2024-05-31), 00:38:13](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reisEL_D7xc&t=2293s) [If I Wanted To Become a Millionaire in 2026, This Is What I'd Do [FULL BLUEPRINT] (2024-10-16), 00:22:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AN2KpRBsmRY&t=1335s)
* Same four listed in the Scaling Roadmap: warm outreach, cold outreach, post free content online, run paid ads. [Acquisition.com Scaling Roadmap: Improvise, 00:05:59](https://www.acquisition.com/training/improvise)
* Don't do all four at once: You pick one, you go all in, and spend your first 4 hours every day on it. [How to Grow Your Business SO Fast in 2026 It Feels ILLEGAL (2025-01-02), 00:00:32](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxEQCHpZzHk&t=32s)
* 4x4: especially at the start, four hours a day doing the Core Four. [13 Years of No BS Business Advice in 79 Mins (2024-08-09), 00:04:53](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRMG_HpOAN4&t=293s)

## 3. How he used each of the Core Four (his origin stories, from the $100M Leads launch)
* Warm outreach: with no customers he messaged everyone on his friends list asking if they knew anyone interested; that was his first business. Works on email, calls, DMs, mail, voicemail. You still use it when advanced. [$100M Leads Launch (2023-08-19), 00:11:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k834E6OTGTM&t=695s) [$100M Leads Launch (2023-08-19), 00:12:09](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k834E6OTGTM&t=729s) [$100M Leads Launch (2023-08-19), 00:13:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k834E6OTGTM&t=794s)
* Posting content: posted what he did with clients plus testimonials and messaged anyone who interacted; that got him to his first gym. [$100M Leads Launch (2023-08-19), 00:14:54](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k834E6OTGTM&t=894s) [$100M Leads Launch (2023-08-19), 00:15:26](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k834E6OTGTM&t=926s)
* For the book launch: 2,200 total posts including 143 lead posts across Instagram, LinkedIn, X, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Threads; he says this produced 194,000 registrations. Lesson: when promoting something, post more content, not less, around the promo. [$100M Leads Launch (2023-08-19), 00:15:59](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k834E6OTGTM&t=959s) [$100M Leads Launch (2023-08-19), 00:16:32](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k834E6OTGTM&t=992s) [$100M Leads Launch (2023-08-19), 00:17:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k834E6OTGTM&t=1026s)
* Paid ads: with one month of savings he ran the ugliest ad you've ever seen and signed 29 members before opening in a city where he knew no one. [$100M Leads Launch (2023-08-19), 00:19:48](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k834E6OTGTM&t=1188s) [$100M Leads Launch (2023-08-19), 00:20:23](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k834E6OTGTM&t=1223s)
* Launch paid ads: spent 275,000, got 137,000 registrants, cost per lead about two bucks; ads work with no following and can start at a few dollars a day. [$100M Leads Launch (2023-08-19), 00:22:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k834E6OTGTM&t=1321s) [$100M Leads Launch (2023-08-19), 00:23:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k834E6OTGTM&t=1386s)

## 4. Lead magnets
* Definition: a complete solution to a narrow problem given away at a significant discount or free to attract ideal customers. [Acquisition.com $100M Leads Course: Lead Magnet Mastery, 00:04:04](https://www.acquisition.com/training/leads3)
* If you aren't getting enough leads, usually the lead magnet isn't attractive enough to the ideal audience. [Acquisition.com $100M Leads Course: Lead Magnet Mastery, 00:02:56](https://www.acquisition.com/training/leads3)
* Ways to solve with a lead magnet he covers: reveal the problem (creates implied urgency to take the next step), and give a taste or sample like Costco samples (limit uses or quantity). [Acquisition.com $100M Leads Course: Lead Magnet Mastery, 00:13:09](https://www.acquisition.com/training/leads3) [Acquisition.com $100M Leads Course: Lead Magnet Mastery, 00:13:42](https://www.acquisition.com/training/leads3) [Acquisition.com $100M Leads Course: Lead Magnet Mastery, 00:08:11](https://www.acquisition.com/training/leads3)

## 5. Rule of 100
* For someone starting out: do 100 primary advertising actions every day (for example 100 outreaches a day, 100 days in a row). [Acquisition.com $100M Leads Course: More Better New, 00:02:05](https://www.acquisition.com/training/leads10)

## 6. More, Better, New
* Under about a million in profit per year: just do more first; they don't have enough volume for percentage improvements to matter. Once big enough he flips the order to Better, More, New. New comes after you've improved your current effort. [Acquisition.com $100M Leads Course: More Better New, 00:11:36](https://www.acquisition.com/training/leads10) [Acquisition.com $100M Leads Course: More Better New, 00:12:08](https://www.acquisition.com/training/leads10)
* Before trying something new, do 10 times more of what's already working; he asks portfolio companies why they can't 10x what already works. [13 Years of No BS Business Advice in 79 Mins (2024-08-09), 00:35:56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRMG_HpOAN4&t=2156s) [13 Years of No BS Business Advice in 79 Mins (2024-08-09), 00:36:28](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRMG_HpOAN4&t=2188s)
* Volume negates luck: make more ads rather than hoping one of five is great. [13 Years of Marketing Advice in 85 Mins (2024-05-31), 00:10:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reisEL_D7xc&t=608s)

## 7. Lead getters (people who do the Core Four for you)
* Get people who get you more leads. Four lead getters: customer referrals, employees, agencies, affiliates. [Acquisition.com $100M Leads Course: Referral Playbook, 00:00:00](https://www.acquisition.com/training/leads11) [Acquisition.com $100M Leads Course: Agencies, 00:00:00](https://www.acquisition.com/training/leads13) [Acquisition.com $100M Leads Course: Affiliate Playbook, 00:00:00](https://www.acquisition.com/training/leads14)
* Course recap: Core Four, juiced with More Better New, then lead getters doing the Core Four on your behalf. [Acquisition.com $100M Leads Course: Open To Goal, 00:00:00](https://www.acquisition.com/training/leads15)
* The end state he paints: recruiters bringing in more lead getters, a product good enough that a third of customers bring more customers, an executive team driving growth. [Acquisition.com $100M Leads Course: The Roadmap, 00:06:31](https://www.acquisition.com/training/leads16)
* Affiliates: he marketed the $100M Leads book mainly through affiliates; remove friction and apply the value equation to each step of becoming an affiliate. [My $100M Leads Affiliate Marketing Guide (2023-07-29), 00:04:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60_7PU9JDIw&t=260s) [My $100M Leads Affiliate Marketing Guide (2023-07-29), 00:18:41](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60_7PU9JDIw&t=1121s)
* One offer, one avatar, one platform until you have engaged leads. [Acquisition.com $100M Leads Course: The Roadmap, 00:00:00](https://www.acquisition.com/training/leads16)

## 8. Hooks and ad creative
* Hook, Retain, Reward: use the same content framework in every post to hook, retain and reward people for clicking, consuming and coming back. [$100M Leads Launch (2023-08-19), 00:16:32](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k834E6OTGTM&t=992s)
* The hook's job is to redirect attention from what they were doing. Sources of hooks: topics, things from your recent past, odd or rare things, and matching formats that rewarded them before. [Acquisition.com $100M Leads Course: Mozi Media Content Method Pt I, 00:06:52](https://www.acquisition.com/training/leads5) [Acquisition.com $100M Leads Course: Mozi Media Content Method Pt I, 00:07:51](https://www.acquisition.com/training/leads5) [Acquisition.com $100M Leads Course: Mozi Media Content Method Pt I, 00:14:38](https://www.acquisition.com/training/leads5) [Acquisition.com $100M Leads Course: Mozi Media Content Method Pt I, 00:15:44](https://www.acquisition.com/training/leads5)
* He spends most effort on the opening: with an hour, 55 minutes on the first 5 seconds. [13 Years of Marketing Advice in 85 Mins (2024-05-31), 00:19:56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reisEL_D7xc&t=1196s)
* Model winners: look at the first 3 seconds of your top 5 to 10% of ads, visually and verbally, and reuse them on other ads. [Learn Paid Ads in 30 Minutes! (2024-07-20), 00:11:29](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSbqaTlWaYI&t=689s) [14 Years of Marketing Advice in 35 Minutes (2025-05-07), 00:02:09](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDR-R--4HhM&t=129s)
* Visual hook and verbal hook are both hooks. [How to Grow Your Business SO Fast in 2026 It Feels ILLEGAL (2025-01-02), 00:20:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxEQCHpZzHk&t=1235s)

## 9. Warm outreach script (official free PDF)
* Setter script outline: confirm they responded, purpose of the call, get their 20 to 30 second overview, ask what piqued interest, what they've done so far, the big goal and by when, pain points, share your "two cents," then book the next step. [Acquisition.com free PDF: $100M-leads-warm-outreach-downloads](https://www.acquisition.com/files/$100M-leads-warm-outreach-downloads.pdf)

## 10. Getting customers for free: referrals
* Gift card play: run it around a holiday or a made up reason (birthday, business anniversary); the gift card equals one core unit of your service, ideally the base level. [7 Ways To Get Customers for Free (2024-06-18), 00:03:47](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpQvdBFW_yI&t=227s) [7 Ways To Get Customers for Free (2024-06-18), 00:04:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpQvdBFW_yI&t=260s)
* Discount for introductions: Hormozi says he personally never discounts unless the terms change; the customer makes introductions (he uses three) and the discount is your cost for those leads. His starting math: if one of three referrals converts, give up to about one times CAC; later you can fine tune to a set amount per referral, or give extra service instead of a discount. [7 Ways To Get Customers for Free (2024-06-18), 00:09:11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpQvdBFW_yI&t=551s) [7 Ways To Get Customers for Free (2024-06-18), 00:09:43](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpQvdBFW_yI&t=583s)
* At his gym he listed the referrals' names on the contract so he and his sales guys remembered to ask and attribute them. [7 Ways To Get Customers for Free (2024-06-18), 00:12:59](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpQvdBFW_yI&t=779s)

## 11. Lead magnet types and naming (Watch This To Generate 1000s of Leads)
* A lead magnet is a small offer that solves a problem and in doing so reveals another problem your core offer solves. [Watch This To Generate 1000s of Leads (In Any Niche) (2025-11-08), 00:02:12](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mst4hreQYl0&t=132s)
* Type one, reveal a problem (an assessment, like a free website speed test); show the problem and how it grows over time. Type two, the taste test (try before you buy). Type three, one step of many (his example: sell the first coat of paint on a garage). [Watch This To Generate 1000s of Leads (In Any Niche) (2025-11-08), 00:06:32](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mst4hreQYl0&t=392s) [Watch This To Generate 1000s of Leads (In Any Niche) (2025-11-08), 00:10:18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mst4hreQYl0&t=618s) [Watch This To Generate 1000s of Leads (In Any Niche) (2025-11-08), 00:12:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mst4hreQYl0&t=745s) [Watch This To Generate 1000s of Leads (In Any Niche) (2025-11-08), 00:12:58](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mst4hreQYl0&t=778s) [Watch This To Generate 1000s of Leads (In Any Niche) (2025-11-08), 00:15:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mst4hreQYl0&t=906s)
* Delivery can be software or services (and he covers others). How you name your lead magnet will determine your engagement rate more than anything else; test names for the most and best leads. [Watch This To Generate 1000s of Leads (In Any Niche) (2025-11-08), 00:16:44](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mst4hreQYl0&t=1004s) [Watch This To Generate 1000s of Leads (In Any Niche) (2025-11-08), 00:18:19](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mst4hreQYl0&t=1099s) [Watch This To Generate 1000s of Leads (In Any Niche) (2025-11-08), 00:22:44](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mst4hreQYl0&t=1364s) [Watch This To Generate 1000s of Leads (In Any Niche) (2025-11-08), 00:23:50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mst4hreQYl0&t=1430s)
* If you use scarcity, make it real and specific (if four more customers gets you to capacity, say so). [Watch This To Generate 1000s of Leads (In Any Niche) (2025-11-08), 00:28:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mst4hreQYl0&t=1696s) [Watch This To Generate 1000s of Leads (In Any Niche) (2025-11-08), 00:30:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mst4hreQYl0&t=1825s)

## 12. Email (Learn Email Marketing in 39 Minutes)
* Acquisition.com sent just under 10 million emails over 90 days; he frames the video around turning $11,000 into $45,000 through email. [Learn Email Marketing in 39 Minutes! (2024-11-06), 00:00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLhQOYMGa88&t=0s)
* Their regular email keeps the same format each time: the thing, the content, the CTA. [Learn Email Marketing in 39 Minutes! (2024-11-06), 00:15:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLhQOYMGa88&t=902s)
* Adding email follow up gave them a 40% lift in conversion in one case he describes. [Learn Email Marketing in 39 Minutes! (2024-11-06), 00:23:34](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLhQOYMGa88&t=1414s)

## 13. Split test order and affiliate packages (How To Get Customers So Fast It Feels ILLEGAL)
* His ranking of split tests: 1 offers, 2 packaging (headlines and subheadlines), 3 images with that headline, 4 third party integrations (swapping the form, CRM or booking tool). His biggest winners came from 1 and 4; he says the integration swap was a company explosion four times in his career, because third party tools rarely report their own conversion rates. [How To Get Customers So Fast It Feels ILLEGAL (2024-12-16), 00:22:07](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMzKk73iUhw&t=1327s) [How To Get Customers So Fast It Feels ILLEGAL (2024-12-16), 00:22:39](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMzKk73iUhw&t=1359s) [How To Get Customers So Fast It Feels ILLEGAL (2024-12-16), 00:23:13](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMzKk73iUhw&t=1393s)
* Affiliate package play (massage example): instead of a 20% referral cut, let a partner business sell your package (three massages) at any price above your floor and keep all the money; your cost is only your hard delivery cost (his example $90) for a qualified customer, with no ad work. [How To Get Customers So Fast It Feels ILLEGAL (2024-12-16), 00:33:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMzKk73iUhw&t=1984s) [How To Get Customers So Fast It Feels ILLEGAL (2024-12-16), 00:33:36](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMzKk73iUhw&t=2016s) [How To Get Customers So Fast It Feels ILLEGAL (2024-12-16), 00:34:09](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMzKk73iUhw&t=2049s)

## 14. Door knocking math (roofing case)
* Make outreach pay obvious to the canvasser: break the payout per deal down per door (want to make another 10 bucks? Knock that door). [How I Would Build a $10M Service Business (If I Had to Start Over) (2026-08-29), 00:10:51](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o64cI6tebnU&t=651s)

## 15. Giveaway launch (Can I Save This Failing Theme Park in 90 Days?)
* Giveaway structure used for the park: a big grand prize (an all summer camp pass for the whole family, stated value over $20,000) plus a second place prize ($3,000 off); entering means opting in. [Can I Save This Failing Theme Park in 90 Days? (2026-09-11), 00:14:57](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRxVpjeHmeA&t=897s)
* For giveaways or launches, expect a third to half of your leads in the last 48 hours, even on a six week campaign. [Can I Save This Failing Theme Park in 90 Days? (2026-09-11), 00:21:41](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRxVpjeHmeA&t=1301s)

## 16. First five customers in 10 steps (video version of the warm outreach play)
* Make a list of contacts, pick one platform, reach out with a personal reason (saw you moved), send it even if it feels hard (everything must be hard before it can be easy), warm them up, then ask if they know anybody (a favor, not a sale). Go back through the list again, and once you're near capacity keep raising the price. Last step: keep them warm. [Watch this to get your first 5 customers (2023-08-02), 00:00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7g08dVTwaE&t=0s) [Watch this to get your first 5 customers (2023-08-02), 00:01:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7g08dVTwaE&t=64s) [Watch this to get your first 5 customers (2023-08-02), 00:01:36](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7g08dVTwaE&t=96s) [Watch this to get your first 5 customers (2023-08-02), 00:02:07](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7g08dVTwaE&t=127s) [Watch this to get your first 5 customers (2023-08-02), 00:03:12](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7g08dVTwaE&t=192s) [Watch this to get your first 5 customers (2023-08-02), 00:07:26](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7g08dVTwaE&t=446s) [Watch this to get your first 5 customers (2023-08-02), 00:09:36](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7g08dVTwaE&t=576s)