If there's one mistake that holds more businesses back than almost any other, it's not understanding their customer as much as they should.

Most business owners can tell you what they sell and how they deliver it, because they’re experts in their field.

But when asked to clearly explain who they’re trying to attract and why, they start to struggle. And then it’s a real challenge to explain why people should choose their business over alternatives.

But it’s impossible to attract new customers without these things - they are part of the foundation of how to start getting more people to your business.

Through our work, we’ve determined that successful businesses do five key things really well. These five things all start with the letter C, which is why we call it the 5Cs Framework. And the first C is all about understanding your customer.

Because if you get the customer wrong, everything else from there becomes significantly harder.

The most common marketing mistake

Many businesses start with the assumption that providing great service is enough to get people to buy from them. But as we’ve established, the most successful businesses aren’t the ones that provide the best service.

If you're an accountant, mortgage broker, photographer, consultant or tradesperson, there are lots of people who could theoretically benefit from your services. But "everyone" isn't a target market.

When businesses try to appeal to everyone, they often end up communicating to no one in particular, which makes their messaging vague, the website feels generic, and everything feels broad and forgettable.

Meanwhile, potential customers targeted by hundreds of other marketing messages struggle to see why the business is specifically right for them.

Ever noticed that most marketing sounds the same?

Take a look at the websites of businesses in almost any industry.

You'll often see statements like:

• We provide exceptional service.
• We put customers first.
• We deliver high-quality outcomes.
• We are trusted experts.

While these statements aren’t false, almost every competitor says the same thing.

That means that everyone sounds interchangeable, and customers stop paying attention. If your messaging could be copied and pasted onto ten competitor websites without anyone noticing, it's probably not communicating anything meaningful.

Generic marketing doesn’t work

We’ve highlighted that most marketing advice focuses heavily on tactics. Advice like: post more often, create more content, start a podcast, and so on.

While these aren’t necessarily bad tactics, they're often applied before the business has properly defined who they're trying to reach.

Imagine standing in the middle of Federation Square and shouting a message through a megaphone: thousands of people will hear it, but very few will care.

Now imagine having a conversation with someone who has exactly the problem you solve - you can communicate meaningful information quickly and explain how you can help. Making what you’re saying directly relevant to your ideal customer makes it far more engaging, and people will actually take notice of what you have to say.

Here’s what happens when you don’t understand your customer

Several problems occur when a business doesn’t understand its customers, and marketing becomes inconsistent. That’s because every new marketing idea feels equally valid when you don’t have a clear audience.

As a real estate agent, one week you're targeting first-home buyers, the next you're speaking to investors, and the next you’re trying to attract retirees or business owners.

Your messaging becomes confused because you're constantly changing direction.

Also, the broader your audience, the more competition you face, and you’re effectively paying to reach large numbers of people who may never become customers through your advertising.

Targeted marketing is usually more efficient, because you're speaking to people who are far more likely to engage.

Also, when people understand exactly who you help, they're more likely to refer you - it's much easier for someone to say that they know a mortgage broker who specialises in helping first-home buyers than they know a mortgage broker who helps everyone.

Being specific also makes you much more memorable, contributing to that predictable, repeatable system for attracting new customers.

Does narrowing your focus reduce your potential audience?

Business owners often worry that narrowing their focus will reduce opportunities, but when you target a specific audience, several things happen - your messaging becomes sharper, your expertise becomes more obvious, and your marketing becomes more relevant. Then, your referrals become stronger.

People often assume that targeting a niche means turning away everyone else, but it simply means choosing who your marketing is designed to attract.

For example:

A photographer could market themselves as:

"Professional photography services."

Or:

"Professional headshots for corporate leaders and business owners."

The second example immediately creates a clearer picture in the customer's mind. The audience is smaller, but the relevance is much higher.

Businesses fear being specific

Most business owners feel that being specific feels risky. What about missing out on potential customers?

But broad positioning creates a different risk:  becoming forgettable.

People are unlikely to choose you when you try to be everything to everyone. The businesses that grow consistently are often those willing to stand for something specific.

It’s about understanding your customer, not excluding people

Understanding your customer isn't about excluding people- it's all about becoming more relevant to the people you most want to serve.

When you truly understand your customer, you can answer questions like:

• What keeps them awake at night?
• What challenges are they facing?
• What outcome are they really seeking?
• What language do they use?
• What concerns prevent them from buying?

These insights shape everything, from your content to your advertising and your website.

That’s why Customer is the foundation of our 5Cs - because most businesses out there want to jump straight into marketing tactics.

However, without that core understanding, the tactics usually create noise rather than results.

Do you sometimes wonder if your marketing reflects an understanding of the customer? Complete an audit with us, where a marketing specialist will review your marketing with a fresh perspective, or learn all 5Cs in our upcoming lunch and learn session.