They Have a Clarity Problem.
A few years ago, I walked into a small local business.
The owner was frustrated.
He’d spent money on Facebook ads.
He’d boosted posts.
He’d printed flyers.
He’d even hired someone to “do marketing.”
None of it seemed to make much difference.
He looked at me and asked,
“What am I doing wrong?”
It’s a question I’ve heard in one form or another hundreds of times.
Sometimes from business owners.
Sometimes from pastors.
Sometimes from authors.
Sometimes from people sitting in my counseling office trying to explain what they’re feeling.
The question sounds different.
The problem is usually the same.
They don’t have a marketing problem.
They have a clarity problem.
More Traffic Isn’t Always the Answer
When business slows down, our first instinct is usually to get in front of more people.
More followers.
More Facebook ads.
More Google ads.
More SEO.
More networking.
More business cards.
More exposure.
Sometimes that’s exactly what’s needed.
But sometimes…
You’re simply sending more people to a message they don’t understand.
Imagine owning a restaurant with the best food in town.
If every customer walks through the front door and immediately gets confused about how to order…
Would doubling your advertising budget solve the problem?
Probably not.
It would simply create more confused customers.
The same thing happens online every day.
Your Customers Aren’t Thinking About You
That may sound harsh.
It’s actually freeing.
Most people don’t wake up wondering who the best chiropractor is.
Or which roofer has the nicest logo.
Or what martial arts school has been around the longest.
They wake up wondering why their back hurts.
Why their roof is leaking.
How to help their shy child become more confident.
Your customers aren’t looking for your business.
They’re looking for a solution.
Your job is to help them recognize that you’ve been solving their problem all along.
The Curse of Knowing Too Much
One of the biggest challenges business owners face is something psychologists call the Curse of Knowledge.
Once you know something well…
It’s difficult to remember what it was like not to know it.
So we write things like…
Comprehensive Residential Pest Management Solutions
Because that’s how we think.
Our customers think…
I don’t want bugs in my house.
We write…
Evidence-Based Therapeutic Interventions.
Our client thinks…
I just want my mind to stop racing.
We write…
Traditional American Karate Instruction Since 1973.
A parent thinks…
I want my child to stop getting picked on.
See the difference?
Businesses often describe what they do.
Customers are searching for what they need.
Those are not always the same conversation.
A Simple Test
Open your website.
Or your Facebook page.
Read the first sentence.
Now ask yourself one question.
Would someone who has never met me immediately know why this matters to them?
Not eventually.
Immediately.
If the answer is no…
Don’t feel discouraged.
You’re not alone.
Most businesses accidentally write from the inside out.
Instead of the outside in.
Information Isn’t the Same as Communication
I’ve sat across from people in counseling for more than a decade.
Sometimes they’ll spend twenty minutes telling me what happened.
Every detail is accurate.
Every event is true.
But something still feels missing.
Eventually I’ll ask one question.
“How did that make you feel?”
Everything changes.
Because facts explain.
Feelings connect.
The same principle applies in business.
You can list every service you offer.
Every certification you’ve earned.
Every award you’ve won.
And still fail to answer the one question your customer is asking.
“Do you understand what I’m dealing with?”
Connection comes before confidence.
Confidence comes before commitment.
Clarity Creates Trust
Think about the last time someone explained something so clearly that you immediately relaxed.
Maybe it was a doctor.
A mechanic.
A teacher.
A friend.
You probably walked away thinking,
“They really know what they’re talking about.”
Not because they used complicated language.
Because they removed confusion.
That’s what clarity does.
It reduces uncertainty.
And uncertainty is expensive.
Every confusing sentence on your website quietly asks a customer to work harder.
Most won’t.
They’ll simply leave.
Not because they disliked you.
Because someone else made understanding easier.
What I Actually Do
People sometimes ask if I’m a copywriter.
I suppose that’s true.
But it’s not how I think about my work.
I don’t believe I sell words.
I help people say what they’ve been trying to say all along.
Sometimes that’s a Facebook post.
Sometimes it’s a homepage.
Sometimes it’s an email.
Sometimes it’s the opening chapter of a book.
The project changes.
The work stays the same.
Finding clarity.
Finding the thread.
Finding the words that help someone else immediately understand.
Here’s a Challenge
This week, look at one piece of your marketing.
Your homepage.
Your About page.
A Facebook post.
A flyer.
An email.
Now ask yourself:
Am I writing about my business…
…or am I writing about the problem my customer is trying to solve?
That one question can change everything.
Because the goal of good marketing isn’t to sound impressive.
It isn’t to use bigger words.
It isn’t to convince people you’re the best.
The goal is much simpler than that.
Help the right person quietly think,
“This is exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
When that happens…
The sale often becomes the easiest part of the conversation.
Grace and peace,
Shane Clements
A Final Thought
If you’ve ever looked at your website, Facebook page, brochure, or email and thought,
“Something about this just isn’t working…”
It may not be a marketing problem.
It may simply be a clarity problem.
Sometimes a few better words can accomplish more than a much bigger advertising budget.
If you’d like another set of eyes on what you’ve written, I’d be honored to help you find the words you’ve been trying to say.