Why No One Crosses the Street for You

Here's what my clients say to me:

No one's buying in this economy. We need a bigger marketing budget. We need more features. Maybe we should lower our prices. The market isn't ready; we're ahead of our time.

Here's what I actually hear:

We have a weak signal. We've built no market gravity. Not one customer is evangelically recommending us — online or off. And our acquisition cost is killing us.

The first list is avoidance thinking being presented as a resource problem. More money, more features, lower prices. The second list is an identity problem. And you can't buy your way out of an identity problem.

Here’s how I come to the perspective above: I take their words, drop them into my metaphysical mental blender with some critical thinking, a dash of signal branding, a little marketing know-how…and almost every time, the diagnosis is the same:

You don't know the actual problem you solve. Or you solve it exactly the same tired way everyone else in your space does.

That's it. Low perceived value, weak signal, no gravity. Not because the economy is soft or your budget is small. But because the market can't find you in all the white noise.  And if they happen to stumble across you by some twist of fortune, they haven’t got a fucking clue what problem you can actually solve for them. 

Here's where you start…

 Stop asking "how do I sell more of this?" Start asking "what problem do I actually solve — and do I solve it in a way nobody else can touch?" 

If you can't answer that — that's your work. 

Peace,

- RG

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