Knowing Your Customer

Week Two: Knowing Your Customer (Before You Spend a Dollar on Marketing)

Most Marketing Fails Because It Talks to the Wrong Person

When marketing doesn’t work, most business owners assume:

• The ad was bad

• The platform was wrong

• The timing was off

More often, the problem is simpler:

The message wasn’t meant for the person who saw it.

You can have a great product, fair pricing, and good intentions — and still struggle — if you don’t clearly understand who your customer is.

Marketing doesn’t start with ads. It starts with empathy.

Step One: Your Customer Is a Person, Not “Everyone”

One of the most common beginner mistakes is saying:

“Our customer is everyone.”

That sounds safe, but it makes your message invisible.

Instead of “everyone,” ask:

• Who needs this the most?

• Who says yes the fastest?

• Who benefits the most from what we do?

You’re not excluding anyone. You’re choosing who you’re speaking to.

Step Two: Identify Their Real Problem

Customers rarely buy what they say they’re buying.

They say:

• “I need a sign.”

• “I need advertising.”

• “I need a website.”

• “I need a new supplier.”

What they usually mean:

• “I’m confused.”

• “I’m frustrated.”

• “I’m losing time or money.”

• “I don’t trust the options.”

Good marketing speaks to the real pain, not just the product.

Ask:

What problem pushed them to start looking?

Step Three: Understand How They Make Decisions

Different customers decide differently.

Some:

• Research for weeks

• Read reviews

• Compare options

Others:

• Ask a friend

• Call the first business they trust

• Choose familiarity over price

Ask yourself:

• Do my customers research or rely on referrals?

• Do they value speed, trust, price, or simplicity?

• Are they emotional buyers or logical buyers?

This determines where and how you market.

Step Four: Listen Before You Speak

Your best marketing data is already around you.

Listen to:

• Phone calls

• Emails

• In-person questions

• Objections before a sale

• 
  

Pay attention to:

• Repeated phrases

• Common hesitations

• What people ask first

Great marketing uses your customer’s words — not marketing language.

Step Five: Write Your Customer Snapshot

You don’t need a complicated persona.

Answer these honestly:

• My best customer is: ____________________

• They struggle most with: ____________________

• They want relief because: ____________________

• They usually find us by: ____________________

This becomes your marketing filter.

If something doesn’t speak to this person, it doesn’t go out.

One Action for Week Two

This week:

• Ask three customers how they found you

• Ask one customer what almost stopped them from buying

• Write down the exact words they use

Those words are future marketing gold.

Final Thought for Week Two

Marketing works best when customers feel:

“They get me.”

When people feel understood, trust forms fast. When trust forms, tools start working.

Week_Two_Know_Your_Customer_Checklist.pdf

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