Let me start with this: This isn’t a veiled pitch for Content Circle. It’s not a soft sell disguised as a reflection.

This is a real lesson from launch week. One I walk clients through all the time. And it’s something that might be happening in your business, too.

Because whether you’re writing a sales page, refining your positioning, or planning your next campaign, there’s a blind spot that’s easy to overlook:

➡️ You’re not just writing one message for one buyer.

If you had asked me when I started this business which cliché I’d end up repeating most, I never would’ve guessed it’d be the one about the cobbler’s kids.

You know the one. Where the shoemaker’s children are running around barefoot because the cobbler’s too busy fixing everyone else’s shoes?

Turns out, when you’re focused on helping other people get their messaging right, it’s surprisingly easy to overlook your own.

And this matters more than you think, because your messaging doesn’t just live on your website.

It shows up in how you introduce yourself at a networking event. It’s in your pitch decks and proposals. It’s woven into your emails, newsletters, and social posts. It even shapes how people talk about you when you’re not in the room.

And if you’re trying to grow beyond referrals?

Your message needs to carry that clarity for you. You won’t always be there to explain it. You won’t always get the benefit of the doubt.

Which brings me back to what we missed.

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👋🏻 Welcome to issue 60 of no-BS, and sometimes sassy, insights that turn why they buy into how you sell. (Did someone forward this to you? Subscribe ​here​.)

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Here’s what happened

We built Content Circle for one clear purpose: to help people create content that connects. So they can build trust, start more conversations, and see their content actually lead to conversions.

We knew who we wanted to reach. We did the voice-of-customer research. We paid attention to patterns and pain points.

And we spoke really clearly to one of our ideal client profiles:
→ The overthinker.

The person who freezes up when it’s time to post. They second-guess every sentence. They repost other people’s thoughts because their own ideas feel too scattered or too risky. They’re exhausted by the pressure to say something brilliant but still want to show up with intention.

That group joined immediately. They felt seen. The message resonated.

But we realized, too late, that we’d left someone else out.

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The second ICP?

They’ve been posting for a while. They know their audience. They’ve done the brand work. Their writing is solid.

But their content isn’t doing what it’s supposed to do.

It’s not:

• converting
• sparking the right conversation
• leading to meaningful traction or visibility

They’re frustrated and questioning whether something’s off in their message or their offer.

They want the same outcome as the overthinker: content that connects and drives results. But their experience of the problem looks and feels completely different.

And we didn’t reflect that version of the problem in our messaging. Which means unless they asked, or already knew us, they probably assumed it wasn’t a fit.

We’ll never know how many people we lost because of that. People who were a perfect fit. People who were ready, but not reassured.

And this isn’t just about us. If you’ve ever shared an offer and thought, “Why didn’t more people buy?", this could be the reason.

Most people won’t ask. They won’t reply to your email or send a DM or fill out your contact form to double-check. They’ll just move on and assume it’s not for them.

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This isn’t just a launch lesson

It’s something I see all the time. Especially when a business has one offer that’s a fit for more than one ICP.

Example: a climate tech startup with a reporting platform designed for sustainability teams.

One ICP is the data analyst buried in spreadsheets, spending hours each week cleaning data and reconciling metrics from different sources—knowing one mistake could lead to audit issues or regulatory fines.

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The other is the sustainability lead, who’s tired of scrambling to pull together last-minute reports for the board and dreads being asked, “What’s our progress on Scope 3 emissions again?”

🎯Same goal: credible, streamlined reporting.

But what keeps them up at night? For one, it’s accuracy and liability. For the other, it’s credibility and communication.

Or take a sustainable interior design firm that works exclusively with residential homeowners.

One ICP is a values-driven client who’s overwhelmed by greenwashing. They want their home to reflect their ethics, but every decision feels like a research project. And they’re paralyzed by fear of getting it wrong.

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The other is a busy professional who cares about sustainability, but more than anything wants to trust someone to make the right choices without sacrificing style.

🎯Same desired outcome: a beautiful, environmentally responsible home.

But the tension in their daily lives? One is constantly second-guessing. The other is tired of decision fatigue and design overwhelm.

That’s the part that matters Not just what they want, but what they’re dealing with right now.

Because when your copy skips over that lived experience, when it doesn’t reflect the tension that’s wearing on them, you lose the chance to create real connection.

If they don’t see themselves in the problem, they won’t believe the solution is for them. No matter how strong your offer is.

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Why this happens (and how to fix it)

It’s usually not because your offer is off. It’s because your copy or messaging is based on incomplete insights.

Here’s where it tends to break down:

• You rely too heavily on one set of interviews or research
• Your examples and testimonials all speak to one buyer’s experience
• Your messaging jumps too quickly to the result and skips over the current reality
• You build messaging around surface-level buyer personas, not real conversations

This is why I come back to voice-of-customer research again and again. Not just in client projects, but in my own work.

In the case of Content Circle, the breakdown was in the writing process for our sales page and emails. Even though we had complete messaging, I wrote with one ICP in mind and didn’t go back to check and make sure the ideas would resonate with the second one.

Because no matter how strong your strategy is, if your message doesn’t speak to all the right people in the right way, you’ll lose people who would’ve been a perfect fit.

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So here’s the takeaway

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​If you have more than one ideal client for your offer, don’t assume they’ll connect the dots on their own. (They won’t.)

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You need to name what they’re navigating right now. Use their words. Speak to their reality. And check every part of your message (your copy, your stories, your CTAs) to make sure they’re included in the conversation.

Because when people feel seen, they’re far more likely to say yes.

This was a classic cobbler’s kids moment. Even with a clear strategy, strong research, and a great offer, we missed something important. Not because we don’t know better, but because we didn’t pause to apply our own process to our own copy.

It happens. Even to the experts.

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Want to make sure you’re not leaving the right people out?

Take one of your core offers and reread the messaging through the lens of each ideal client profile.

Ask yourself:

• Does each one feel seen in the problem?
  Would they feel confident this offer is built for them?
• Or are you unintentionally over-indexing on the buyer who’s easiest to spot?

Not sure how to spot the gaps? Hit reply and tell me about your offer. I’ll send you one question to help you get clarity.

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Until next time,

Stacy

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