The 5 Marketing Mistakes Entrepreneurs Are Making: Mistake #3: Talking About Yourself, Not Your Customer

In the world of marketing, the golden rule is simple but often forgotten: It’s not about you—it’s about your customer.

Businesses love to share their stories, successes, and innovations. While this enthusiasm is natural, it can alienate your audience if it doesn’t align with what they care about most: their own needs and challenges.

Mistake #3 is a common pitfall: focusing on yourself instead of your customer. Here’s why this approach fails—and how shifting your perspective can transform your marketing from self-serving to customer-focused.

A formalized sales process helps potential customers journey from initial interest to becoming loyal, paying clients. At the same time, an effective upserve process ensures that existing clients remain engaged and satisfied, offering additional value after the initial purchase and deepening the relationship. With these processes in place, marketing efforts can stay manageable, and you may miss out on tremendous opportunities to increase revenue and client retention.

In this blog post, we’ll break down why not having a formal sales and upserve process is a critical mistake in marketing. How it impacts your business, and what you can do to establish a system that converts prospects into customers and nurtures those relationships into long-term growth.

Marketing that revolves around your company instead of your customer misses the mark in three key ways:

Your customers aren’t looking for a highlight reel of your achievements. They’re looking for solutions to their challenges. Whether it’s a homeowner with a dull backyard or a business struggling with inefficient systems, your marketing should address their pain points and clearly demonstrate how you can help.

Customers want to feel understood. If your messaging is full of “we” and “our,” you lose the chance to connect with their emotions and aspirations. They don’t want to hear how great you are—they want to see how you’ll make their lives easier or better.

Marketing that focuses on your accolades and features can feel impersonal. People tune out self-centered messages. Instead, they’re drawn to stories and solutions that reflect their own experiences and needs.

Your customers have two primary concerns:

1️⃣ Achieving their goals.

2️⃣ Solving their problems.

If your marketing doesn’t address these, it’s likely to be ignored. Here’s what customers truly want to see:

They need to know you “get” them. Speak to their frustrations, whether it’s an outdated outdoor space or a lack of time to maintain their lawn. When they feel understood, they’re more likely to trust you.

Once you’ve identified their problems, show them how you can fix them. Instead of saying, “We offer landscaping services,” frame it as, “We transform dull, underutilized backyards into spaces you’ll love to spend time in.”

Customers need reassurance. Highlight testimonials, before-and-after photos, and success stories that prove you’ve solved problems like theirs.

Value isn’t always about price. It’s about showing how your service will improve their life—whether that’s saving them time, boosting their property’s value, or creating a space they’ll enjoy with their family.

Here’s how to refocus your marketing strategy:

Identify the challenges your customers face. For example:

• Busy homeowners might struggle to keep up with lawn maintenance.
• Families may feel their outdoor space isn’t functional or inviting.

Speak to those pain points first.

What happens if their problem isn’t solved? Agitation helps customers feel the urgency of taking action. For example:

“An unkempt lawn can reduce your property’s curb appeal.”

“An unused backyard wastes valuable space for relaxation and family time.”

Frame your product or service as the answer. Use benefit-driven language:

“With our landscaping services, you’ll enjoy a yard that’s always pristine—without lifting a finger.”

Showcase testimonials, reviews, and case studies. Instead of saying, “We’re the best,” let your happy customers do the talking:

“Our backyard was a mess, but now it’s the highlight of our home. We couldn’t be happier!”

Don’t leave customers guessing about what to do next. Use strong, action-oriented CTAs:

“Schedule your consultation today.”

“Transform your backyard—call us now.”

To make sure your marketing is customer-centric, try this quick exercise:

Count the “We”s: Go through your website, emails, and ads. How often do you use “we” and “our” compared to “you” and “your”?

Reframe Features as Benefits: For every feature you mention, ask, “So what?” Then explain how it benefits your customer.

In your marketing, your role is the guide—not the star of the story. When you focus on helping your customers solve their problems and achieve their goals, your marketing will resonate more deeply and drive better results.

Ready to shift your marketing strategy? Start by putting your customers first—and watch how it transforms your business.