While you obsess over perfecting fonts and branding, your ideal client is desperately searching for a solution to an urgent problem. They care about fixing their issue—whether it's saving their marriage or growing revenue—not about the aesthetic perfection of your website. Focus on solving the problem, not on achieving a flawless presentation.
Related Insights
When a business gets high visibility but low conversions, the impulse is to blame the platform or marketing tactic (the 'sink'). However, the real issue is often the core offering—the product, pricing, or value proposition (the 'well'). People obsess over front-end fixes when the back-end is the actual problem.
Buyers are motivated either by moving toward a desired outcome (possibility) or away from a problem (pain). Marketers often unconsciously favor one style based on their own personality. Crafting copy that addresses both motivations allows you to resonate with a broader, more diverse audience.
Founders often get stuck endlessly perfecting a product, believing it must be flawless before launch. This is a fallacy, as "perfection" is subjective. The correct approach is to launch early and iterate based on real market feedback, as there is no perfect time to start.
Startup founders often sell visionary upside, but the majority of customers—especially in enterprise—purchase products to avoid pain or reduce risk (e.g., missing revenue targets). GTM messaging should pivot from the "art of the possible" to risk mitigation to resonate more effectively with buyers.
The speaker lost a promising lead by describing his service with vague terms like "strategy" and "enablement." He realized he should have focused on the specific, tangible problems his service solves, like overcoming cultural differences for offshore sales teams calling into America.
Customers and audiences don't trust you because every product is perfect; they trust you because you consistently show up. The identity shift from being someone who creates perfect things to someone who is reliable is crucial. Consistency in shipping and showing up will always outperform sporadic, 'perfect' launches.
Marketing often mistakenly positions the product as the hero of the story. The correct framing is to position the customer as the hero on a journey. Your product is merely the powerful tool or guide that empowers them to solve their problem and achieve success, which is a more resonant and effective narrative.
Forward-thinking agencies can lose business by pitching complex, integrated solutions when a client has a specific, immediate need and budget (e.g., traditional SEO). It's crucial to meet the client where they are and deliver value on their stated problem, rather than being "too proud or innovative" to do fundamental work.
A common marketing mistake is being product-centric. Instead of selling a pre-packaged product, first identify the customer's primary business challenge. Then, frame and adapt your offering as the specific solution to that problem, ensuring immediate relevance and value.