THE FOURTH PILLAR
How to Explain What You Actually Do
(So Customers Choose You)
Most small business owners struggle to describe their value. Learn how to explain what you do so clearly that customers immediately understand why they should choose you.
Your Explanation Might Be Getting Lost
You know what you do for customers. You know the problems you solve. But if your customers can't immediately understand it, you're competing on price instead of value. If how you describe your business is unclear, generic, or scattered across different platforms, customers won't remember you. And if they don't remember you, they won't choose you.
Most small business owners spend more time perfecting their logo than crafting a clear explanation of what they do. And then they wonder why customers don't understand what makes them different.
Why Customers Don't Understand What You Actually Offer
Customers decide in seconds whether they are interested. If how you describe your business doesn't immediately grab them and make them feel understood, they move on to your competitors.
When customers can't understand what you do or who you serve best, they don't trust you. When they don't trust you, they don't buy from you.
Your explanation is failing when:
- How you describe your business could fit any competitor in your industry
- Your website copy focuses on features instead of the transformation you create
- You use corporate jargon instead of real, human language
- How you describe yourself changes depending on which platform or channel you use
- New prospects can't explain what you do after talking to you
The good news is that learning how to explain your value clearly is fixable. It just requires clarity about who you serve and what problem you solve. Most of your competitors won't do this work, which means your clear explanation immediately sets you apart.
How you describe your business isn't about being clever or cute. It's about being so clear that customers immediately understand why you are the right choice for them.
Six Ways Small Businesses Fail to Explain Their Value
These explanation failures confuse customers and cost you sales. Here's what might be holding your small business back.
Common Mistakes Small Business Owners Make
You Describe Who You Serve Too Broadly
"I help people with joint pain" means nothing. Your competitors say the same thing. Get specific: "I help youth athletes recover from injuries so they can get back to the sport they love." That specificity attracts the right customers and repels everyone else.
You Explain Your Features, Not the Transformation
Customers don't care about your features or your process. They care about what changes in their business or life because of you. "Social media management" is a feature. "Build a recognizable brand without being on social 24/7" is transformation.
Your Description Isn't Consistent
Your homepage says one thing. Your email says another. Your LinkedIn bio says something else. Inconsistency confuses customers. They need to hear the same core message across every touchpoint before they remember you.
You Use Corporate Language Instead of Real Words
"Leverage synergies" or "paradigm shift"? That is the language of every other business. Real language is memorable. "We help you stop losing customers to your competitors" beats "We provide comprehensive market differentiation solutions."
You Don't Show How You are Different
If how you describe your business could apply to your biggest competitor, it is not an explanation—it is wallpaper. Your description should answer: What do you believe that your competitors don't? How do you do it differently?
You Tell Instead of Show Why Customers Should Trust You
Saying "trusted by hundreds of customers" means nothing. Show proof. Real testimonials. Real results. Real stories. Trust comes from seeing evidence, not reading empty claims.
The bottom line: Your explanation is critical. Not because it's clever or cute, but because how you describe your business is the foundation for differentiation, trust building, and becoming unforgettable.
The Shift That Makes Your Explanation Memorable
Start being specific about who you serve best and what problem you solve for them.
Start using real words. The way you actually talk. That is what customers remember.
âš¡ Stop talking about what you do.
Start talking about what changes in the customer's business or life because of you.
Start saying the same thing consistently across every channel. Repetition builds recognition.
That is how you position your business.
That is how customers actually choose you.
Clear Explanation Comes First. Everything Else Follows.
How small business owners actually win with clear positioning
Once you can explain what you do clearly, everything becomes easier. Your marketing makes sense. Your sales conversations flow naturally. Your customers understand immediately why they should choose you instead of your competitors.
But explaining your value clearly is critical for differentiation, trust building, and becoming unforgettable - if done well. It is about being specific about who you serve, honest about what you solve, and consistent about how you describe it. Most small businesses skip this step and wonder why their marketing does not work.
The moment you can explain your value so clearly that customers immediately understand what you do and who it is for—everything changes. They stop comparing you on price. They start comparing you on fit. And they choose you.
Resources to Help You Explain Your Business Value
Learn how to position your business with Shawna's tools, podcast episodes, and articles for small business owners.
Vault Resources
Free tools to help you describe and position your value.
Podcast Episodes
Real conversations about how to position your business.
Articles
Deep dives on how to position your business and explain your value.
Questions About How to Position Your Business
Small business owners ask these questions all the time. Here are the answers.
How can you tell if you are explaining your business value clearly?
Ask someone unfamiliar with your business to read your website or listen to your pitch. Can they explain what you do in one sentence? Can they identify who your ideal customer is? Can they explain why you are different from your competitors? If they cannot answer these questions, your explanation is not clear enough yet.
How specific should you be about who you serve?
Specific enough that you can picture them in your mind. Instead of "I help small businesses," say "I help B2B software companies with 10-50 employees land enterprise clients." The more specific you are about who you serve, the clearer your value becomes to the right customers.
What is the difference between a tagline and a value proposition?
A tagline is short and catchy but often vague. A value proposition explains specifically what problem you solve and why you are the best choice for your ideal customer. You need both. But the value proposition is what actually makes customers choose you over competitors.
Should how you describe your business be fun or professional?
It should be authentic to who you are. If you are naturally funny, let that show. If you are naturally serious, that is fine too. The biggest mistake small business owners make is trying to sound corporate or polished. Real is memorable.
How should you describe your business across different platforms?
Keep your core description the same everywhere so customers hear a consistent message. But adjust the format for each platform. Your LinkedIn summary can be longer and more detailed. Your Instagram bio must be shorter. Your email has room for storytelling. One clear explanation, multiple formats.
How do you position your business so customers understand immediately?
Focus on the transformation, not the features or the process. Instead of listing what you do, explain what changes in the customer's business or life because of you. Small businesses win by being specific about who they serve and honest about what they solve.
How often should you change how you describe your business?
Once you get it right, stick with it for at least 60-90 days. Customers need consistent exposure before your explanation sticks in their mind. Small tweaks based on customer feedback are fine, but a complete overhaul every few months confuses people and costs you momentum.
Explore the Other Pillars
These pillar pages work together to help small business owners build their Customer Brandshipsâ„¢ framework:
Go Deeper: Articles About How Small Businesses Position Themselves
Explore these articles to master how to describe your business and position your value:
- Stop Trying to Say Everything. Start Saying Something Memorable.
- Stop Trying to Attract Everyone
- The One Word That Is Costing Your Business Customers
- Why Your Marketing is Everywhere and Getting You Nowhere
- Five Marketing Myths That Are Quietly Costing Small Businesses
- Marketing Myths I Used to Believe (And Boy, Was I Wrong)
- Stop Trying to Be Perfect. Your Customers Are Over It.
- You Are Not Too Busy to Market. You Are Marketing the Wrong Things.
- DIY Marketing for Small Business: What Actually Works Without a Big Budget
- Marketing Strategies for Small Business 2026: Stop Using Everyone Else's Playbook
- One Guy With a Phone Is Reminding the World Why Small Businesses Matter
- The One Marketing Question Worth Asking Before the New Year
Ready to Explain Your Business Value Clearly?
Shawna helps small business owners explain what they do so clearly that their Exact Right Customers (TM) choose them. Whether through speaking engagements, consulting, or a one-time marketing assessment, she guides you to position your business for growth.