How to Refine Your Messaging with Conversations, Not Guessing
Stop guessing your brand message. Learn how real conversations with your audience can unlock language that converts.
MARKETING
Dennis Geelen
2 min read
You can have the best product or service in the world, but if your messaging doesn’t land, it won’t sell. Many solopreneurs fall into the trap of creating taglines, sales pages, and content based on assumptions rather than insights. The result? Crickets.
There’s a better way: stop guessing and start talking.
Why Conversations Beat Guesswork When you talk directly to your target audience, you get access to their real thoughts, language, and pain points. You stop projecting and start reflecting. Your messaging becomes a mirror of their needs, not your imagination.
What You’ll Learn in This Article:
Where to find the right people to talk to
What to ask in your conversations
How to capture and use their language in your messaging
Real-life examples of improved messaging from founder conversations
1. Find the Right People to Talk To Don’t just talk to friends or family. You need feedback from the actual people you want to serve. Here’s where to look:
LinkedIn groups or posts related to your niche
Reddit communities
Facebook groups where your audience hangs out
Your own newsletter subscribers or social media followers
Past clients (even if informal or unpaid)
If you’re just getting started, offer a short coffee chat in exchange for their input. People love to help if you’re respectful and clear.
2. Ask the Right Questions You’re not trying to pitch. You’re trying to understand. Here are some key prompts:
"What’s the biggest challenge you’re facing right now when it comes to [topic]?"
"Have you tried solving it? What happened?"
"What would success look like for you in this area?"
"What’s something you wish existed to help you with this?"
"What words would you use to describe this problem to a friend?"
Let them speak freely. Record or take notes. The gold is in the unscripted language.
3. Extract and Use Their Language Once you have 5–10 of these conversations, patterns will emerge. Look for:
Repeated phrases or metaphors
Emotionally charged words ("overwhelmed," "stuck," "scared," etc.)
Specific goals or desired outcomes
Take that language and plug it into your headlines, product descriptions, and social media posts. Your audience will feel like you’re reading their minds.
4. Test and Iterate Publicly Messaging isn’t a one-time event. It’s a living experiment. Post your revised messaging in a few formats:
A bold headline on your landing page
A tweet or LinkedIn post
A one-liner in your email signature
Watch what gets clicks, comments, and replies. Tweak as you go.
5. Real-World Example One solopreneur thought his coaching offer was about "helping freelancers grow." But after talking to 10 people, he realized they didn’t identify as freelancers—they called themselves "consultants." And they weren’t looking to "grow," they were trying to "get out of feast-or-famine mode."
He changed his messaging to: "Helping consultants break free from the feast-or-famine cycle" — and his email open rates and discovery calls doubled.
Final Thoughts: If your messaging isn’t resonating, the problem isn’t your product—it’s your assumptions.
Talk to real people. Steal their words. Speak directly to their pain.
Because when you say what they’re already thinking, they start to trust you.
And trust is what turns clicks into clients.
Want some help fine tuning your messaging?
If you're a solopreneur who wants to grow your business without turning into a full-time marketer, I can help. My 1:1 coaching and online courses are designed to help you build visibility in a way that feels authentic and sustainable.