Why Small Business Owners Need to Think Differently
As a small business owner, it’s easy to assume that what you love about your product or service will naturally appeal to your clients. If you’re passionate about what you sell, surely your target audience will feel the same way, right? Well, not quite. One of the most common mistakes business owners make is believing that they reflect their clients. Here’s 3 reasons why it’s important to recognise that you are not your target audience – and what to do about it…
1. Personal Preferences Can Skew Your View
As a business owner, you started your business because you identified an opportunity, or you wanted to work for yourself, after doing something you love for someone else. You’re deeply attached to your product or service, which can lead to personal bias. This emotional attachment sometimes clouds judgement, causing you to focus on details that matter to you but might not resonate with your audience. Just because you love something doesn’t mean your clients will.
For example, if you’re drawn to sleek, minimalistic designs, you might prioritise aesthetics over functionality. However, your clients may care more about ease of use or affordability. By assuming your tastes match theirs, you run the risk of misjudging what really matters to your audience.
Have you ever found yourself saying:
- I don’t like that design/colour/language
- I never go on Facebook/LinkedIn, so let’s not….
2. Clients Have Different Priorities
Steve Jobs developed products and then made huge numbers of people want them. He was one of a very rare breed. He also had mega-marketing budgets behind him; something very few small businesses owners have.
When talking to prospects and new clients, we frequently hear them focus on the tech or the complexity. They’re immensely proud of what it has taken to develop their product – and so they should be – but their target audience is rarely interested in the bells and whistles. They want to know whether it will solve a problem they have, in a convenient, reliable or cost-effective way.
A fintech client of ours used to talk about the power of their analysis platform and the size of their data warehouse, wondering why people weren’t engaging. Put simply, its because nobody cared about those things. They cared about the results of the analysis and what it enabled them to do. Now that company talks about increased capacity, time savings and profitability – because that’s what their clients get from the work they do.
3. You Don’t Always Share the Same Background
Your age, income, lifestyle, or even geographic location might be quite different from your ideal client. These differences matter when it comes to purchasing behaviour, communication preferences, and product expectations.
If you’re a 40-year-old business owner, but your target audience is primarily 20-somethings, your marketing approach might miss the mark if you’re only drawing from your own experience. Just because you may not understand TikTok or Instagram, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be active on them as part of your marketing.
Recognising these demographic differences helps you craft messages that better align with your clients’ lives and use the right marketing channels.
4. Client Insights Matter More Than Assumptions
Instead of guessing what your clients want, listen to them!
Gathering feedback, tracking behaviour, and conducting client research are essential for understanding your audience’s real preferences. Assumptions can lead to costly mistakes, while actual data can guide you in the right direction.
Whether through surveys, reviews, or even informal conversations, hearing directly from your clients ensures you’re making decisions that are aligned with their needs, not just your personal vision for the business.
5. Show you understand your clients
To truly connect with your audience, you need to understand them. What challenges are they facing? What motivates them to make a purchase? Putting yourself in their shoes and empathising with their situation can transform the way you approach everything from product development to marketing.
Your website wording should be talking to them and you need a convincing set of evidence that proves you understand them.
When you take the time to understand what your clients care about, you’re better positioned to create solutions that genuinely resonate with them, rather than simply catering to your own preferences.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, running a successful business isn’t about what you want—it’s about what your clients want. Recognising that you are not your target audience is crucial for making smart, client-focused decisions. By stepping outside of your own perspective, you’ll be able to create marketing strategies that better serve the people who matter most: your clients.
