Shouting about your services on social media, marching around with local leaflets like a one-person postal service, and still… absolutely nothing. No new enquiries, no bookings. Seriously, what am I doing wrong?
In business, especially when you’re just starting out, we’ve all been in this position – staring at our inbox, questioning our life choices, and wondering if you should just pack it all in. But don’t panic!! Please do hang on in there!
The truth is that sadly, not everyone is ready to buy, and not everyone wants your fabulous special offer at the exact moment you’re waving it in front of them. So it’s not that you’re doing it all wrong, more that you’re just trying to sell dessert to people who haven’t even seen the menu yet.
Fixing your sales funnel starts with accepting that different people need different messages. At the unaware stage, you talk about problems. At problem-aware, you talk about possibilities. At solution-aware, you show options. At product-aware, you prove why you’re the best choice. At most-aware, you just need to make it comically easy to say YES.
In other words: respect the stages, stop talking past your audience, and your sales funnel will finally start behaving like a funnel, not a very expensive sieve.
In the unaware stage, your audience isn’t ignoring you – they don’t even know you’re relevant. They’re not searching for solutions because, as far as they’re concerned, nothing is wrong. This is where your job shifts from “selling” to gently shining a light on a problem or pain point they haven’t yet recognised.
At this top-of-funnel awareness stage, your mission is simple: spark curiosity without scaring anyone off. You’re not yelling about features, limited-time offers or “game-changing” anything. You’re gently educating your audience in a way that feels helpful, interesting and not at all like a sales ambush.
Instead of saying, “Here’s what we sell,” you’ need to be saying, “Here’s something you might not have noticed yet – but once you do, you’ll never unsee it.”
This is where attention-grabbing content matters. Hooks that tap into everyday frustrations, missed opportunities or hidden risks help people begin their problem discovery journey. Think of content that makes someone pause and say, “Hang on… that sounds like me,” even though they never thought of it as a problem before.
Now your prospects are “problem aware”, but they can’t think of the solution – or even, in some cases, what the real problem is. If you ask them what they’re looking for, they may say, “I’m not sure… I just know this isn’t right, or working properly, or needs attention.”
At this “problem aware” stage, your job isn’t to leap in like a game show host shouting, “Have I got the solution for you?” Instead, your role is to help problem-aware customers by clearly identifying the pain points they’re already feeling but can’t yet articulate. That means mirroring their language and reflecting their reality back to them – basically saying, “Yes, it’s not just you – this is genuinely annoying.” When your responses name customer frustrations with accuracy and nuance, prospects feel seen, and they’ll instinctively warm to you and see you as a trusted guide rather than a pushy salesperson.
To do this well, you need empathy-led marketing. That means taking the time to listen to customers: you’re not just diagnosing; you’re reassuring them that there is a solution to their problems. Done well, this builds trust, positions you as the expert, and makes it far easier for them to choose you when they’re ready to act.
At the solution aware stage, your audience already knows they’ve got a problem and knows that solutions exist – they just don’t yet know why your specific type of offer is the right answer. Here, your role is to shift them from broad category awareness (“I know what kind of solution I need”) to a clear understanding of why your particular approach is superior.
This is where explaining solutions in a structured, customer-friendly way becomes essential. Rather than jumping straight into selling your product or service, you focus on solution-focused content that educates. The key is to introduce your mechanism – the distinct way you deliver the result they want. This could be your signature method, your weirdly effective framework, your clever bit of tech, your unique process, or even your “this-looks-bonkers-but-it-works” philosophy. The point is: it’s the thing that makes you different. Instead of generic promises, you show how your mechanism works in practice, why it’s different from the norm, and how it solves their particuliar problem.
When you nail this, you’re not just another option on their comparison list. You’re the authority. You’re the one who clearly maps: “Here’s your problem → here’s the right type of solution → here’s our distinctive way of delivering it that actually does the job.
When someone becomes product aware, the question is no longer “Do I need a solution?” but “OK, will this solution work best for me?” At this stage, your conversion copywriting, and website must guide customers through a confident “yes” by clearly positioning your offering as the obvious front‑runner.
Start by acknowledging that your audience is likely conducting a product or service comparison. They are weighing up features and benefits, costs, support, and long-term value between you and your competitors. Your job is to curate that comparison in your favour. Rather than listing every feature, highlight the features and benefits that most directly solve their specific pains and deliver tangible outcomes. Make it blindingly obvious, at a glance, why your focused, relevant benefits beat a competitor’s never-ending list of ‘features buffet’.
This is where social proof becomes a “nice to have”. Customers are looking for reassurance from people like them, in situations similar to theirs. Smartly chosen case studies, testimonials and reviews will also help them cross the wobbly bridge from “interested” to “Yep, I’m in”.
Overcoming objections is another essential function of copy at this stage. Anticipate the doubts that could arise during comparisons: “Is it worth the price?”, “What if it just… doesn’t work?”, “Can I trust this person?” Address your responses directly using FAQs, risk-reversal elements (such as guarantees), transparent pricing explanations, and clear implementation guidance. When you surface objections openly and address them calmly and concretely, you lower perceived risk and increase trust.
In the end, good conversion copy for product aware customers is basically doing four jobs at once (without even demanding a coffee break): it clarifies what makes you different, turns features into real-life wins, uses social proof to prove you’re not making it all up, and steadily dismantles objections one by one.
When all of that works together, the decision naturally leans your way – not because you’ve hyped them into submission, but because you’ve made it crystal clear, and surprisingly painless, to choose you as the best-fit solution.
most aware stage, ready to buy, direct response offers, scarcity and urgency, strong calls to action, limited-time offers, repeat purchases, upsells
At the most aware stage, your audience already knows who you are, what you sell, and why it might be right for them. They’ve compared options, weighed up value, and often just need a clear nudge to move from interest to action. This is where your marketing shifts from education to decision-making, using focused direct response offers to help prospects feel confident and ready to buy.
In the most aware stage, strong calls to action become essential. Your copy should clearly state what to do next, what they get, and why they should act now. Phrases that remove hesitation, such as “Start your free trial today” or “Order now to lock in this price,” are more effective than vague invitations like “Learn more.” Every element of your message should reinforce that they are making a smart, timely decision.
Scarcity and urgency can be powerful at this point, as long as they are used honestly. Limited-time offers, low-stock notices, or bArghhhh, why is this not working? Does this sound familiar?
Shouting about your services on social media, marching around with local leaflets like a one-person postal service, and still… absolutely nothing. No new enquiries, no bookings. Seriously, what am I doing wrong?
In business, especially when you’re just starting out, we’ve all been in this position – staring at our inbox, questioning our life choices, and wondering if you should just pack it all in. But don’t panic!! Please do hang on in there!
The truth is that sadly, not everyone is ready to buy, and not everyone wants your fabulous special offer at the exact moment you’re waving it in front of them. So it’s not that you’re doing it all wrong, more that you’re just trying to sell dessert to people who haven’t even seen the menu yet.
Fixing your sales funnel starts with accepting that different people need different messages. At the unaware stage, you talk about problems. At problem-aware, you talk about possibilities. At solution-aware, you show options. At product-aware, you prove why you’re the best choice. At most-aware, you just need to make it comically easy to say YES.
In other words: respect the stages, stop talking past your audience, and your sales funnel will finally start behaving like a funnel, not a very expensive sieve.
In the unaware stage, your audience isn’t ignoring you – they don’t even know you’re relevant. They’re not searching for solutions because, as far as they’re concerned, nothing is wrong. This is where your job shifts from “selling” to gently shining a light on a problem or pain point they haven’t yet recognised.
At this top-of-funnel awareness stage, your mission is simple: spark curiosity without scaring anyone off. You’re not yelling about features, limited-time offers or “game-changing” anything. You’re gently educating your audience in a way that feels helpful, interesting and not at all like a sales ambush.
Instead of saying, “Here’s what we sell,” you’ need to be saying, “Here’s something you might not have noticed yet – but once you do, you’ll never unsee it.”
This is where attention-grabbing content matters. Hooks that tap into everyday frustrations, missed opportunities or hidden risks help people begin their problem discovery journey. Think of content that makes someone pause and say, “Hang on… that sounds like me,” even though they never thought of it as a problem before.
Now your prospects are “problem aware”, but they can’t think of the solution – or even, in some cases, what the real problem is. If you ask them what they’re looking for, they may say, “I’m not sure… I just know this isn’t right, or working properly, or needs attention.”
At this “problem aware” stage, your job isn’t to leap in like a game show host shouting, “Have I got the solution for you?” Instead, your role is to help problem-aware customers by clearly identifying the pain points they’re already feeling but can’t yet articulate. That means mirroring their language and reflecting their reality back to them – basically saying, “Yes, it’s not just you – this is genuinely annoying.” When your responses name customer frustrations with accuracy and nuance, prospects feel seen, and they’ll instinctively warm to you and see you as a trusted guide rather than a pushy salesperson.
To do this well, you need empathy-led marketing. That means taking the time to listen to customers: you’re not just diagnosing; you’re reassuring them that there is a solution to their problems. Done well, this builds trust, positions you as the expert, and makes it far easier for them to choose you when they’re ready to act.
At the solution aware stage, your audience already knows they’ve got a problem and knows that solutions exist – they just don’t yet know why your specific type of offer is the right answer. Here, your role is to shift them from broad category awareness (“I know what kind of solution I need”) to a clear understanding of why your particular approach is superior.
This is where explaining solutions in a structured, customer-friendly way becomes essential. Rather than jumping straight into selling your product or service, you focus on solution-focused content that educates. The key is to introduce your mechanism – the distinct way you deliver the result they want. This could be your signature method, your weirdly effective framework, your clever bit of tech, your unique process, or even your “this-looks-bonkers-but-it-works” philosophy. The point is: it’s the thing that makes you different. Instead of generic promises, you show how your mechanism works in practice, why it’s different from the norm, and how it solves their particuliar problem.
When you nail this, you’re not just another option on their comparison list. You’re the authority. You’re the one who clearly maps: “Here’s your problem → here’s the right type of solution → here’s our distinctive way of delivering it that actually does the job.
When someone becomes product aware, the question is no longer “Do I need a solution?” but “OK, will this solution work best for me?” At this stage, your conversion copywriting, and website must guide customers through a confident “yes” by clearly positioning your offering as the obvious front‑runner.
Start by acknowledging that your audience is likely conducting a product or service comparison. They are weighing up features and benefits, costs, support, and long-term value between you and your competitors. Your job is to curate that comparison in your favour. Rather than listing every feature, highlight the features and benefits that most directly solve their specific pains and deliver tangible outcomes. Make it blindingly obvious, at a glance, why your focused, relevant benefits beat a competitor’s never-ending list of ‘features buffet’.
This is where social proof becomes a “nice to have”. Customers are looking for reassurance from people like them, in situations similar to theirs. Smartly chosen case studies, testimonials and reviews will also help them cross the wobbly bridge from “interested” to “Yep, I’m in”.
Overcoming objections is another essential function of copy at this stage. Anticipate the doubts that could arise during comparisons: “Is it worth the price?”, “What if it just… doesn’t work?”, “Can I trust this person?” Address your responses directly using FAQs, risk-reversal elements (such as guarantees), transparent pricing explanations, and clear implementation guidance. When you surface objections openly and address them calmly and concretely, you lower perceived risk and increase trust.
In the end, good conversion copy for product aware customers is basically doing four jobs at once (without even demanding a coffee break): it clarifies what makes you different, turns features into real-life wins, uses social proof to prove you’re not making it all up, and steadily dismantles objections one by one.
When all of that works together, the decision naturally leans your way – not because you’ve hyped them into submission, but because you’ve made it crystal clear, and surprisingly painless, to choose you as the best-fit solution.
most aware stage, ready to buy, direct response offers, scarcity and urgency, strong calls to action, limited-time offers, repeat purchases, upsells
At the most aware stage, your audience already knows who you are, what you sell, and why it might be right for them. They’ve compared options, weighed up value, and often just need a clear nudge to move from interest to action. This is where your marketing shifts from education to decision-making, using focused direct response offers to help prospects feel confident and ready to buy.
In the most aware stage, strong calls to action become essential. Your copy should clearly state what to do next, what they get, and why they should act now. Phrases that remove hesitation, such as “Start your free trial today” or “Order now to lock in this price,” are more effective than vague invitations like “Learn more.” Every element of your message should reinforce that they are making a smart, timely decision.
Scarcity and urgency can be powerful at this point, as long as they are used honestly. Limited-time offers, low-stock notices, or bonuses that expire after a set date give your most aware prospects a reason to stop delaying and complete the purchase. People at this stage are often sitting on the fence; a genuine “act now or miss out” moment can be the perfectly polite push they already secretly want.onuses that expire after a set date give your most aware prospects a reason to stop delaying and complete the purchase. People at this stage are often sitting on the fence; a genuine “act now or miss out” moment can be the perfectly polite push they already secretly want.