Have you ever felt like you're just shouting into the void? You're putting out content, running ads, and sending emails, but all you hear back is silence. What if the problem isn't your offer? What if it's not your price? What if the problem all along is that you've been talking to the right people at the wrong time?

Today, we're going to fix that. We're going to walk through a framework that shows you exactly what your customer is thinking at every single stage of their journey. This isn't about another short-sighted tactic; it's about a fundamental shift in how you approach your marketing.

The Real Reason Your Marketing Is Failing

Most marketing fails for a simple reason: we speak to everyone the same way. We craft one message and blast it out, assuming everyone is ready to buy right now. This ignores a crucial truth: 97% of your market isn't ready to buy from you today. By focusing only on the people who are ready to open their wallets this second, you're ignoring the vast majority of potential customers.

This all goes back to a big idea from one of the greatest copywriters of all time, Eugene Schwartz. In his book, Breakthrough Advertising, he wrote:

Copy cannot create desire. It can only focus desires that already exist onto a particular product.

Your job isn't to manufacture desire. It's to find a desire that already exists and channel it. You need to stop trying to convince people who don't want what you have. Instead, you need to find the people who are already looking for a solution and guide them to your door.

The 7 Stages of Market Awareness

To do that, you need to understand where your customers are in their journey. This is where the 7 stages of market awareness come in. This framework, expanded from Schwartz's original five stages, gives you a map of your customer's mind.

Here are the 7 stages:

1. Unaware: They have no idea they have a problem.

2. Symptom Aware: They notice the symptoms of a problem, but don't know the problem itself.

3. Problem Aware: They know the problem, but don't know there's a solution.

4. Pain Aware: They feel the pain of the problem and are motivated to find a solution.

5. Solution Aware: They are actively researching solutions to their problem.

6. Provider Aware: They know about you, but aren't convinced you're the right choice.

7. Most Aware: They are ready to buy and just need an offer.

Think about it like this. In the unaware stage, you feel fine. There's no reason to think anything is wrong. Then, you become symptom aware. You notice a strange rash on your arm. You don't know what it is, but you know something is off. You start searching online and become problem aware. You realize you have poison ivy. Now you're pain aware. The itching is driving you crazy, and you're worried it will spread. You need to do something. You become solution aware and start looking at your options: creams, pills, home remedies. You decide a cream is the best option and become provider aware, comparing different brands. Finally, you're most aware. You've chosen a brand, you're in the store, and you're ready to buy.

How to Use This to Sell More

So, how do you use this framework to sell more? It's a four-step process:

1. Map Your Market: Take the time to understand what your customers are thinking, feeling, and doing at each of the seven stages. What are their questions? What are their fears? What are their hopes?

2. Audit Your Marketing: Look at your current marketing efforts. Which stages are you talking to? If you're like most businesses, you're probably focused on the problem and solution aware stages. You're missing out on a huge opportunity to connect with customers earlier in their journey.

3. Fill the Gaps: Create content for each stage of awareness. For the unaware, you might create a blog post that asks a thought-provoking question. For the symptom aware, you could create a guide that helps them name their problem. For the solution aware, you could create a comparison guide that shows how your solution stacks up against the competition.

4. Meet Them Where They Are: The key is to match your message to the stage. You wouldn't ask someone who is just realizing they have a problem to buy from you. You would offer them help and guidance. By meeting your customers where they are, you build trust and become the logical choice when they are ready to buy.

Don't sell to where you want them to be. Sell to where they are. Stop shouting into the void and start having a conversation. When you understand your customer's journey, you can guide them every step of the way, from unaware to most aware. And that is how you sell more.

Ready to Dive Deeper?

The full masterclass on the 7 Stages of Market Awareness is available to watch now inside the class vaults. This is where we go even deeper into how to apply this framework to your business.

• AI and Systems Calls: Mondays and Fridays (Available to all Sell More Academy members)

• Branding: Tuesdays (Exclusively for Vendere Plus members)

• Marketing: Wednesdays (Exclusively for Vendere Plus members)

• Sales: Thursdays (Exclusively for Vendere Plus members)

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