You are looking at story views, email opt-ins, and page views…. but no one is converting. You are wondering:

Is that what I’m saying?

Do I need a larger audience?

Is it my offer?

I don’t want to sell more because it makes me feel sleazy, icky, and gross.

The most commonly perceived solution for business owners is changing your offer, getting on TikTok, and hoping to go viral. The problem is not the offer.

It is actually how you sell it and your content. The days of posting once and thousands of people showing up are gone (but that doesn’t mean you have to go back to a 9-5) 

The causes of WHY no one is buying your product

Lack of awareness

Your ideal client doesn’t know what you offer, why you help them, or even their problems. There has been a shift in the online space to focus on just solutions and inspiration. But the problem is that you can’t change something you are unaware of.

Further reading: the consumer buying process

The lack of problem-awareness content is the first step I see. You don’t want to be negative, out of touch, or rude. And guess what?

There is a way to do problem awareness content that is NOT rooted in being the world’s biggest asshole and rooted in the idea that you could show someone objectively what is wrong with their business.

Problem awareness content allows the simplest form of bringing awareness that what they are doing is NOT working. This is the first step of habit change or motivation cycle that is studied in psychology but not carried over to sales psychology (don’t worry, sales psychology is taught heavily inside of Salesy, so you understand how to create problem awareness on a deeper level)

When you shift to having the front of mind that someone could buy at any stage, you stop avoiding problem awareness.

Lack of repetition

The consumer is getting picky; they need to see something up to 42 times before they buy and now spend 7 hours with you. On top of that, they are now following 3x the number of accounts they were just a couple of years before

And if you didn’t feel like “oh shit,” – the time on tik tok, Instagram, and other apps is down.

The good news – is that you don’t need to develop new content. You are better off if you can find some outstanding topics and repeat yourself.

But what if they notice I’m saying the same thing over and over – what your intrusive thoughts just popped out

Good, they need awareness around it. They must see it multiple times; you can reuse content and make it feel familiar. You can repost or talk about the same topics. I’ve been saying some of the same things about sales for four years.

The average shelf life of a social media post, depending on what platform, is between 2-4 SECONDS and 30 days.

This means that after 30 days, with them consuming 3x more content than before in less time, you can repeat yourself. You should.

Are people still buying products during the recession?

You are not a luxury product. A common misconception is that ALL economic activity halts during a recession… the problem is that our economy would collapse if ALL economic activity came to a screaming halt.

You are still buying groceries, putting gas in your car, and taking yourself to dinner. The difference is that a recession is the lack of spending on luxury goods OR large purchases. And it’s not that NO one is buying a house; my best friend just bought one.

It’s the shift in the market from the seller having the power (controlling inventory, raising prices, bidding wars on houses) to the buyer having more power.

There will always be ups and downs in the market.

Is the recession affecting your business?

Is the online space over-saturated?

It may feel that way if you are in your first year, third year, or getting to year five. On average, 50% of businesses will close their doors in the first year. Out of the remaining 50%, 50% of them will close their doors by year five.

So many people are starting, but as you grow as a business owner, there aren’t many people who stay in the boat.

For a visual image for you. If ten business owners started today, 5 of those businesses would close by November of 2024. and another two would close by 2029, which means that three business owners would still be standing from the original 10.

Business ownership isn’t for everyone – and it’s okay if you started a business and found your calling somewhere else

It’s okay if you are still here, and it is for you.

why do you think the recession is affecting your business

65% of businesses are CURRENTLY profitable (i.e., they can pay you for your services). – if you work in a business-to-business capacity – you are a write-off. (don’t forget that)

if you work in the consumer sector, you have a larger target market. The personal development market ALONE was 43.77 billion in 2022. People are spending money to improve their lives, relationships, and health.

What I’ve seen happen – is the belief that people aren’t buying, creating a cycle of showing up less and less, not selling, not creating content, and then you are stuck in a place with no money.

You can find someone who could buy from you paid in full today – the catch is, do you have content for them, and are you actively selling?

What do you do if no one is buying your product?

Continue to show up is the advice I give my clients. I remember when I started coaching, and I spent six weeks discussing my offer before I signed my first client—that idea of just showing up and discussing my request compounded so much.

You have people ready to buy; you are not showing up and being repetitive.