Back in December 2019, I was completely burned out - to the point where I felt crispy inside, like there was zero moisture (energy) left.
I jokingly say that now to be funny (in my own way), but it wasn’t funny back then.
For three years leading up to that point, I had been building my community through in-person events in New York City while cranking out long-form blog content online.
Planning and promoting my events, writing blogs and promoting those, occasional podcast guesting, and other PR activities (because I couldn’t be consistent) … all of it was draining me while I was also servicing existing clients.
I had an editor, an assistant, and a small part-time event team—yet all the key tasks still fell on me.
Looking back, the biggest cause of my burnout was that I had no good results to show for it.
I kept going for a while, knowing this was a long game and consistency mattered.
But at some point, I could clearly visualize myself standing at a crossroads:
“Should I keep going to become an overnight sensation that was 10 years in the making… or switch to DSD - do something different?”
Anytime I feel the need to regroup, the first place I start is by reassessing my why.
So… why was I doing all these activities in the first place?
It wasn’t simply about getting more clients.
My goal was to move away from referral dependency.
I knew relying solely on referrals and word-of-mouth wasn’t a sustainable business development model for my business.
I had chosen to do in-person events and blogging to build my email list and nurture my leads through my email newsletter.
But the reality? It was painfully slow.
At the end of 2019, I had fewer than 250 people on my email list.
Although my blog posts were gaining popularity - thanks to their unusual yet relatable business topics - only a handful of clients came directly from learning about my services through my blog.
I was tired. I felt defeated. And worse, I could sense a feeling of resentment gradually brewing inside me.
That same month, an ex-client offered to take over my Meetup community. I didn’t even think twice. I immediately said yes - even though that had been my main avenue for collecting emails.
Soon after that, 2020 arrived.
One day, I was sitting at my desk when this question hit me like a ton of bricks:
“Now what?”
The world was shutting down.
Everything was happening remotely.
Giving up and going back to relying on referrals was not an option.
That’s when the idea I had originally squashed came back:
Create a quiz.
Something that could offer value and build trust without me having to show up everywhere.
Fast forward to today - creating quizzes was the best decision I made for my business.
Although it started out of necessity, the quiz became the tool that helped me escape the exhausting visibility rat race.
Literally, quizzes saved my business.
So if you’re reading this because you’ve been wondering:
“When am I ready to consider creating a quiz to capture more qualified leads so I no longer need to rely on referrals and word-of-mouth?”
Just know: you’re in the right place.
I got your back.
Hey! I’m Maiko.
Thanks for stopping by. If you are a visionary business owner with the desire to build a high-functioning, profit-generating machine of your dreams, let’s connect!
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5 Signs a Quiz Is the Best Marketing Solution for Your Biz
I won’t sugarcoat it - creating a quiz takes deep work.
But the upside absolutely outweighs the effort it takes to build one.
First things first: let’s figure out whether a quiz is the ideal solution for your business.
If you answer “yes” to at least two or more of the questions below, it’s time to seriously consider creating a quiz for your business.
Ready?
1. Are you feeling tapped out by organic marketing efforts?
If your current marketing strategies have plateaued, a quiz can inject fresh energy - attracting attention and reviving interest without requiring constant hands-on content creation (a.k.a. the content rat race).
2. Is content creation feeling increasingly draining with diminishing returns?
Endless content creation can exhaust both you and your audience—especially when the results don’t justify the effort.
A quiz is an evergreen alternative that draws people in repeatedly, without needing to constantly churn out something new.
3. Are you currently relying heavily on referrals and ready to diversify your lead generation?
This is exactly where I was in late 2019.
From personal experience, I can tell you that quizzes are powerful tools to transition from unpredictable referral dependency to predictable, automated client attraction.
4. Are you looking to reduce friction in your sales process?
A quiz can significantly shorten the path to conversion by pinpointing where your prospects are in their journey—and how you can specifically help them.
Why? Because a quiz helps them do their own “buy-in.”
They show up already understanding their challenge—and ready to hear your solution.
5. Are you actively seeking a more scalable way to attract qualified leads beyond referrals or one-off interactions?
Quizzes naturally support scalability.
Why?
Because your quiz funnel can be fully automated—and there’s no capacity limit. It collects email addresses 24/7, on autopilot.
If you’re ready to systemize lead attraction, a quiz might be exactly what you need.
How many questions did you answer “yes” to?
My hunch is that you probably said yes to all of them.
I know this because these are the exact challenges most business owners face.
The good news?
A well-designed quiz can fix all of them!
When Is Your Business Ready to Leverage a Quiz as a Marketing Tool to Capture Qualified Leads?
“Just start” seems to be the go-to advice for any marketing activity these days. That’s actually not the case when it comes to quizzes.
Don’t worry - you’ll find a list of checkpoints later in this blog so you can assess your readiness in your own time.
But first, I want to share what’s awesome about having a quiz funnel in place—things that no one talks about—in case you’re new to the idea.
A Quiz Doesn’t Want You in the Mix
If you’ve ever felt like your content isn’t bringing the right clients or customers to you, you’ll love investing your time and brainpower into creating a quiz.
From your own buying experience, you probably know this:
You don’t want to be talked at.
You don’t want to be sold to.
Right?
But that doesn’t mean you don’t love buying what you do want.
You just want space to do your own thinking about what that is.
A quiz solves these challenges by holding space for quiz takers to experience self-discovery without distractions.
It’s just between your quiz and them.
Translation: You’re not needed.
You don’t need to talk to them.
You certainly don’t need to sell to them.
Instead, the quiz acts as a mirror - with a twist.
Quiz takers get to learn about themselves from a fresh angle (one that you provide).
They’re so wowed by your quiz that they need no convincing.
They already trust your expertise and your ability to understand their pain, frustration, confusion, and inner conflict.
In a way, you’re letting your product (your quiz) do the talking.
And your quiz doesn’t want you to show up.
How great is that?!
Quiz Helps Personalize Your Email Communication
Another big reason to leverage a quiz as a lead generation tool?
It builds your email list on autopilot.
Simply put, you no longer have to feel the pressure of growing your email list manually by hosting webinars, booking speaking gigs, or asking people to sign up for your newsletter via social media.
You can still do all those things but without the stress.
You’ll actually enjoy doing them, knowing they’re no longer the only source of list growth.
Here’s how it works, in a nutshell:
Once someone takes your quiz, they enter their email address to receive their results.
That email is stored in your CRM, automatically, through the quiz platform you’re using.
This allows you to customize your email communication based on archetypes making your messaging boldly clear and specific, instead of trying to cater to everyone with generic language.
Suddenly, you know exactly what to say and how to say it—because you know your audience.
And that? That is so freeing.
Want to take it a step further?
You can set up automated email sequences per archetype, so every quiz taker gets a personalized experience before they ever hit your main list.
Quiz Is a Superior Way to Collect Data (vs. Surveys)
I get this question all the time:
“Why not just run a survey if we want to collect data? Why go through the work of building a quiz?”
Here’s the thing:
Survey = It’s all about you (your company, your brand)
Quiz = It’s all about them—and their desire to learn something new about themselves
And to take it a step further, surveys are often loaded with leading questions and limited answers.
Example:
“Please rate your experience from 1 to 10, 1 being poor, 10 being excellent.”
When it comes to collecting accurate insights, this kind of question falls short in so many ways.
First, it’s too two-dimensional to capture a real experience—and people can easily fudge their answers.
Second, surveys are rarely used as lead generation tools—they’re typically aimed at existing customers.
Third, unless your survey is heavily incentivized, people rarely take the time to answer honestly, because they know it’s meant to help you, not them.
Fourth, incentives attract people who are motivated to finish the survey quickly, not thoughtfully—so they’re more likely to rush or give random answers.
In contrast?
Quizzes are gamified, by design, and focused on self-discovery.
Quiz takers want to know their results, so they’re naturally motivated to answer accurately and truthfully.
Translation: A well-designed quiz gives you better, more accurate insights about what your prospects desire—and how to help them get it.
OK, those are just some of the benefits.
But ultimately, here’s the cherry on top:
Imagine having a passive lead generation system running in the background 24/7, without your involvement.
Priceless.
Share | Connect | Grow
www.maikosakai.com
Are You Ready to Create a Value-Packed Quiz That Helps People Learn More About Themselves? Let’s Find Out!
Now that you know why a quiz might be just the thing you’ve been looking for - to free up your time and energy while moving away from referral dependency - it’s time to assess your quiz readiness.
By answering the five questions below, you’ll discover:
What makes a curiosity-inducing, gamified, value-packed quiz - the kind people can’t stop talking about
If you’re ready to commit to creating a quiz that collects email addresses for you 24/7 and if not...
What you can do now to get quiz-ready without feeling like you need to consume more content about quiz creation
Let’s dive in!
Q1: Do you have a signature framework, methodology, or unique process in your business?
This is always the first question I ask when speaking with prospects.
Why?
Because a clear, defined approach or process - one that’s unique to your business—helps your quiz stand out from the noise.
It also instantly solidifies your credibility with potential clients without forcing you to show up constantly.
Once your quiz results reflect your unique approach, quiz takers will know that you deeply understand their challenges - no persuasion required.
See what’s happening here?
You want your quiz to be a direct reflection of your expertise - so that the right leads are impressed by what they learned through your quiz and are ready to work with you.
Don’t have one yet? No problem. The next question will help you start thinking about what it might look like.
Q2: Do your clients frequently share how much they benefit from your unique approach to solving a specific challenge?
Start paying attention to what your existing clients or customers say about your work.
Better yet, make it a habit to ask them directly - what did they find most valuable about working with you or your team?
Build this into your offboarding process so you never miss a beat.
Once you review that feedback, identify common themes and start formulating your unique problem-solving framework.
This is an important ingredient that makes your quiz stand out—because no one else can replicate your way of identifying outcomes and supporting them with your expertise.
Q3: Do you have crystal-clear messaging about who your ideal clients are, what specific problems you solve, and how your solution uniquely benefits them?
Clarity is essential for quizzes. When your quiz is aligned with your messaging, it naturally attracts qualified leads.
It also helps quiz takers instantly recognize you as their ideal solution provider.
Clear messaging means that anyone who encounters your business quickly understands:
Who you specifically help (niched-down audience)
What exact challenge or pain point you help them solve
How your solution is uniquely effective - and why working with you is a no-brainer
This clarity will come in handy when crafting your quiz title, quiz assessment focus, and quiz description.
Q4: Do you feel like you have clarity around what your audience genuinely desires - the specific outcomes they’re excited to achieve - and do you have a meaningful way to guide them from where they are now to where they want to be?
Knowing what your audience truly wants gives you a powerful advantage.
It allows you to create a quiz experience that shows those desires are actually attainable—ideally, with your help!
Ask yourself:
Do I know what outcomes they’re excited to achieve?
Do I understand the real motives behind those desires?
Do I have a reliable way to guide them toward those outcomes?
The only way to get these answers?
Conversations. Real ones.
You can incentivize short calls, ask your email list for input, or run a poll or quick contest on social media.
What you don’t want to do is make assumptions about your target audience. (I’ve done it and been completely wrong.)
It’s true: I lost count of how many times I was schooled by my audience.
I wouldn’t have been able to create effective quizzes without those experiences.
Q5: Do you have an email nurturing process (or are you willing to build one) to support quiz-generated leads?
Capturing leads through your quiz is just step one.
Nurturing them effectively via email ensures you actually see ROI from your quiz.
Some quiz takers will be ready to act fast—but others will need more time to warm up to the idea of working with you.
That’s where an email sequence comes in.
A well-composed email sequence keeps your business top of mind while continuing the conversation with each lead.
Don’t have a CRM set up yet? No worries.
Even if you’re not tech-savvy (or don’t have a team member who is), I can help you get this set up quickly and painlessly.
Final Thoughts
In this blog post, we tackled three key questions to ask when considering any new marketing tool - especially quizzes:
How do you feel about your current marketing efforts?
What are the tangible benefits of creating a quiz?
Is your business truly ready to create and leverage one?
To summarize:
Creating and running a quiz funnel is ideal for business owners who have been relying on referrals and are now ready for a more scalable, consistent lead generation solution.
A quiz frees you up to focus on growth projects instead of constantly hunting for the next lead.
If this sounds like you, I invite you to join my FREE live masterclass: How to Convert LinkedIn Engagement into High-Quality Leads via Quizzes.
I'm teaming up with LinkedIn Monetization Coach Mollie Lo to co-host this value-packed event.
Here’s what you’ll learn:
✨ Create Engaging Quizzes: Design quizzes that resonate deeply and encourage participation
✨ Drive LinkedIn Engagement: Use quizzes to boost your visibility and connect with the right people
✨ Convert Leads with Confidence: Nurture quiz participants into ready-to-buy leads
✨ Analyze Quiz Results: Use quiz insights to refine your marketing and better serve your audience
👉 [Sign up for the event HERE today!]