Why Customers Don't Buy: How to Diagnose a Messaging Problem

You have an excellent product. You have a hard-working team. You might even have a substantial budget for Google Ads and a beautiful website.

Yet, sales are flat. Leads are trickling in, but they aren't converting. You are left wondering why the market isn't responding to the value you know you provide.

The problem usually isn’t your product, your pricing, or your team. The problem is likely your message.

For small businesses, messaging is often the most overlooked component of marketing. Business owners rush to create social media ads, email campaigns, and graphic design without even thinking about their message.

When you confuse, you lose.

The human brain is hardwired to ignore noise and pay attention to clarity. If your customers have to burn too many calories trying to figure out how you can help them survive or thrive, they will tune you out. And move on to someone who is clearer.

So, how do you know if you’re confusing or clear? Here are 7 warning signs that you have a messaging problem.

1. You’re constantly battling on price

This is one of the most painful symptoms for any business owner. You get into a meeting with a prospect, and within minutes, the conversation pivots to a debate over your fees.

When a customer argues about price, it’s usually because they don’t understand the value you offer. In the absence of value, price is the only metric a customer has left to judge you by.

If you find yourself constantly justifying your rates or losing out to cheaper competitors, you haven’t communicated how your solution solves their problem better than anyone else.

2. You attract the wrong customers

Are you spending hours qualifying leads only to realise they can’t afford you, or they are looking for a service you don’t offer?

Marketing isn’t just about attracting attention. It is about attracting the right attention.

If your messaging is casting a wide, generic net, you’ll catch a lot of fish - but not necessarily the fish you’re looking for.

Clear messaging acts as a filter. It should resonate deeply with your ideal client while repelling the ones who aren't a good fit. If your inbox is full of bad fit leads, your marketing signal is distorted.

3. High bounce rates on your website

When someone visits your website, you have roughly five seconds to pass the Grunt Test.

If a caveman (or a busy customer) looked at your website for five seconds, could they grunt back the answers to these three questions?

1. What do you do?
2. How does it make my life better?
3. What do I need to do to buy it?

If your bounce rate is high, meaning people land on your site and leave immediately, it could be because they’re confused.

They shouldn't have to read three paragraphs of text to figure out what you sell. If they are confused, they won't stick around to figure it out. They will simply hit the 'back' button and go to your competitor.

4. The "What do you do?" struggle

We’ve all been there. You are at a BBQ or a networking event, and someone asks, "So, what do you do?"

You start explaining. You talk about your history, your services, and your industry. You talk for 45 seconds. And then you see it. The polite nod and the glazed-over eyes.

They’ve checked out.

If you can’t explain what your business does in one simple, compelling sentence, you don’t understand it well enough yet.

We call this a StoryBrand One Liner, and it is crucial for hooking interest immediately. Complexity is the enemy of execution.

If you’re confusing people in person, you are definitely confusing them online where you aren't there to clarify things.

5. You’re the hero of the story

Take a look at your website or your company brochure. Count how many times you use the words "We," "Us," or "Our."

"We have been in business since 1995." "We won this award." "We offer these services."

This is the most common mistake companies make. They position themselves as the hero of the story. But your customer doesn't come to you to hear about your greatness. They’re looking for a guide to help them overcome their problems.

When you make the story about you, the customer loses interest.

You need to flip the script so the customer is the hero, and you are the guide (like Yoda or Gandalf) who helps them win.

6. You talk about too many things

Many businesses mistake comprehensive for clear. They try to say everything, fearing that if they leave something out, they will lose a sale.

The result is the Kitchen Sink Approach. When you try to say everything, you end up saying nothing.

In StoryBrand, we call the antidote to this the Controlling Idea.

What is the one thing you want people to remember about your brand? You must identify that single, simple narrative and keep it the main thing.

If you try to catch two rabbits, you catch neither. Simplify your message down to that one core idea and repeat it often.

7. Internal confusion

If you walked into your office tomorrow and asked your three best staff members to describe what the company does, would you get the same answer?

Often, the answer is no. One person talks about your amazing customer service, another talks about your product features, and a third talks about your legacy.

If your team is confused, your market is likely to be confused too.

External clarity starts with internal alignment. Everyone in your organisation needs to be singing from the same song sheet.

The Solution: The StoryBrand Framework

If you recognised yourself in any of these warning signs, take a deep breath. It’s going to be okay.

The solution is not to shout louder. The solution is to clarify your message.

This is why at Mammoth Marketing, we use the StoryBrand Framework.

It is a proven messaging formula used by (hundreds of) thousands of businesses worldwide to clarify their message - helping them to distill their complex business into soundbites that customers actually listen to. And grow their business.

However, reading about the framework is one thing. Implementing it is another. It can be hard to read the label when you are standing inside the bottle. That is where we come in.

We offer two pathways to help you fix your messaging foundation:

• StoryBrand Coaching (Done-With-You): Perfect for business owners who want to get their hands dirty. We guide you through the 7-part framework, helping you brainstorm and refine your messaging until it’s razor-sharp.
• StoryBrand Implementation (Done-For-You): You are busy running a business. We take the reins. We will audit your current marketing, create your BrandScript, and rewrite your website copy and lead generators for you.

Don't let a confusing message cost you another sale. If you are ready to be heard, let's start building your foundation today.