“I know what I do. I just don’t know how to explain it.”
One of the most common things I hear from business owners. And usually, they’re not short of ideas. They know their industry inside out. They know their customers. They’ve spent years building their business.
So why is it often so difficult to talk about?
Because when you’re close to something, it’s hard to see what makes it special. You see the everyday details. The routine. The work. What you don’t always see is the story.
The Curse of Expertise
Most local business owners know far more than their customers ever will.
A therapist understands different approaches, theories and techniques.
A tradesperson understands materials, regulations and processes.
A photographer understands lighting, composition and editing.
The problem is that expertise doesn’t automatically create clarity. In fact, it often does the opposite. The more knowledge we have, the harder it can be to explain things simply.
That’s when websites start sounding generic.
“Professional service.”
“High-quality workmanship.”
“Customer-focused approach.”
Every business says those things. Very few explain what makes them different.
You’re Too Close to It
When I speak to business owners, I often find the most interesting part of their business isn’t on their website. It’s something they mention casually halfway through a conversation.
The reason they started.
The challenge they overcame.
The values that drive them.
The way they work differently from everyone else in their industry.
The things that make people choose them.
Those details often feel ordinary to the owner because they’ve lived them every day. To a potential customer, they’re memorable.
People Connect With People
Before starting Heard., I worked in journalism. The biggest lesson I took from that experience wasn’t how to write. It was that everybody has a story.
The stories people remember are rarely about products, services or features. They’re about people. The same applies to local businesses.
People don’t just buy a service.
They buy trust.
They buy confidence.
They buy reassurance.
They buy from people they understand.
When your business feels human, it becomes easier to remember.
Clarity Before Content
Many businesses assume they need better content. More social media posts. A new website. A different logo.
Sometimes the real issue is much simpler. They haven’t yet worked out how to clearly articulate who they are, what they do and why it matters. That’s a positioning problem, not a content problem. Because once you’re clear on those things, the words become much easier to find.
If you’re struggling to explain your business, it doesn’t mean you’re bad at marketing. More often, it means you’re too close to the thing you’ve spent years building.
Sometimes it takes an outside perspective to uncover the story that’s been there all along. And more often than not, that’s the story your customers were waiting to hear.