Why Do Customers Choose My Competitors Instead of Me?
with Shawna Suckow — Consumer Behavior Expert & Small Business Marketing Strategist
Released Sunday, August 16, 2026
Your competitor didn’t necessarily win because they were cheaper. They may have felt safer, been easier to find, shown stronger proof, or made the buying process less annoying. Shawna breaks down why customers choose another business, including perceived risk, weak visibility, friction, missing social proof, and plain old inertia. She also shares the keynote she lost to a speaker with a Disney background, the questions that get useful answers from lost customers, and the small-business advantages bigger companies can’t copy.
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In This Episode
Key Topics Discussed
Why Competitors Feel Safer
- Perceived risk can outweigh price
- Familiar names are easier to defend
- Visibility keeps a business top of mind
- Guarantees can lower the risk of choosing small
The Social Proof Gap
- Why the Disney name won the keynote
- Capture customer praise at its happiest moment
- Ask happy customers why they chose you
- Use proof to make an unfamiliar choice feel safe
Learn From Every Lost Sale
- Ask for a one-sentence explanation
- Have a colleague ask when it feels too personal
- Read competitors’ low- and five-star reviews
- Treat every lost customer as a focus group of one
Remove Buying Friction
- Mystery shop your own business for about $25
- Shorten mandatory forms and slow processes
- Offer price ranges or starting prices
- Make it easy for customers to contact and buy
Key Takeaways
The Bottom Line
- Don’t assume every loss is about price. The real issue may be risk, visibility, proof, friction, or simple inertia.
- Ask lost customers what happened before changing your price, website, or entire strategy.
- Study competitors’ reviews and mystery shop your own process to find gaps and frustrating buying steps.
- Use guarantees, clear pricing cues, and stronger social proof to make choosing your business feel safer.
- Lean into what bigger competitors can’t easily copy: personal service, flexibility, trust, and genuine human connection.
Episode Guide
Chapters
- Introduction
- Why Customers Choose the Competition
- The Keynote Shawna Lost After COVID
- A Lost Sale Is Not Always About Price
- Perception of Risk
- Visibility and Memorability
- Buying Friction
- The Social Proof Gap
- Why the Status Quo Keeps Winning
- What to Ask After You Lose the Business
- Competitor Reviews and Mystery Shopping
- Using a Guarantee to Lower Risk
- Removing Friction From the Buying Process
- What Bigger Competitors Can’t Copy
- Every Lost Customer Is a Focus Group of One
- Resources and Closing
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Full Transcript
Read the complete, timestamped transcript of Episode 27, generated from the original MP3 and edited for readability.
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