I recently found myself in the grocery store aisle, wondering how long will this toilet paper last me? The packaging said 24 rolls = 96 rolls. Wow, that’s a lot! But I don’t actually know how much toilet paper 96 rolls represents. I am sure there exists some long-standing toilet paper industry metric to convert rolls to uses, but I am unfamiliar with that formula. I just want to know one simple thing: how long will this last me?
That confusion is exactly what happens when small businesses market using insider language, buzzwords and stats that make sense internally but mean nothing to real customers. It’s not that your business isn’t all the amazing things you claim. It’s that you’re explaining things the way you talk about them, not the way your customers think about them.
For small business owners especially, clear communication isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s the difference between someone getting it instantly or scrolling right past you.
So, are you selling 24 rolls? Or 96? If it’s really 96, that sounds like it should last forever. But if it’s 24 rolls that somehow equal 96 “regular” rolls (now your customers are doing math in the grocery aisle just to understand what you’re offering).
The brand is likely using an internal or industry-standard measurement: sheet count, roll density or some manufacturing comparison that makes sense to them. But customers don’t buy toilet paper based on industry standards. They buy it based on a much simpler criterion:
- Absorption ability
- How comfortable it feels
- How long it lasts
When Marketing Becomes an Inside Conversation
Too many marketing messages fall into the same trap. They’re technically correct and full of impressive-sounding language, but they’re speaking to colleagues or their competition, not to their customers.
Examples show up everywhere:
- “Leverage synergistic solutions to optimize operational efficiency.”
- “Our platform increases productivity by 37% through proprietary workflows.”
- “Best-in-class, industry-leading, cutting-edge technology.”
None of these are wrong. They’re just incomplete. They answer questions your audience didn’t ask.
Your audience wants metrics that are relevant to them. They want metrics that answer their problems.
Customers aren’t waking up thinking about your KPIs, frameworks or internal benchmarks. They’re thinking about:
- What’s frustrating them
- What’s costing them time or money
- What keeps breaking, slowing them down or stressing them out
Effective marketing starts by translating what you know into what they feel.
Instead of saying:
“Our software improves efficiency by 42%.”
Try:
“You’ll spend less time fixing mistakes and more time getting work out the door.”
One speaks in statistics. The other speaks in outcomes.
Realistic Metrics Beat Impressive Ones
This doesn’t mean abandoning data. It means using data that people can actually relate to.
Think in terms of:
- Time saved per week
- Fewer headaches per month
- Money not wasted per year
- Problems eliminated, not percentages increased
Going back to the toilet paper example, imagine packaging that said:
“One pack lasts the average family of four about 6 weeks.”
Suddenly, the decision is easy. No decoding required.
Stop Marketing for Applause. Start Marketing for Understanding.
It’s time to start asking:
“Would this make sense to someone who’s never heard of us?”
Marketing isn’t about proving who you are. It’s about proving that you understand your audience and have a solution for them that no one can provide like you.
Before publishing your next piece of content, ask:
- Would a customer use this language, or did we invent it internally?
- Does this explain why it matters, not just what it is?
- Could a non-expert understand this in 10 seconds or less?
If the answer is no, simplify your message.
Conclusion
The best marketing feels obvious, not because it’s basic, but because it’s clear.
When you speak in your audience’s language, address their real pain points and frame solutions in ways they can picture in their own lives, you stop talking to yourself. And that’s when people start listening.
This blog is courtesy of MMC Account Manager Alex Diaz.