If You Confuse, You’ll Lose: Why the Words You Use Matter More Than Anything Insights from Donald Miller.

What is the most important thing you can do to grow your business? It’s not your logo, your website’s design, or even your marketing budget. It’s the words you use. If you use the wrong words, you will confuse customers, their eyes will glaze over, and they will move on to your competition. In the age of AI, this is more critical than ever. AI can build your website, but if you don’t give it the right words, it will get it wrong, too.

At TRIAD, we believe that a powerful message is the foundation of any successful business. Before we build AI-driven automations or design a website, we work with you to clarify your message. We help you find the right words so that every piece of your digital marketing—from your tagline to your email campaigns—invites customers into a story they want to be a part of.

Inspired by the brilliant insights of Donald Miller, author of Building a Story Brand, let’s explore why clear messaging is your most valuable asset and how to create it.

The Two Mistakes Costing You Sales: Being Vague and Being Clever

The human brain is constantly trying to do two things: survive and conserve calories. When a potential customer visits your website, they are subconsciously asking, “How can this help me survive and thrive?” They give you less than two seconds to answer. If your message is confusing, their brain will refuse to burn the calories needed to figure it out, and they will leave.

This is where most businesses fail. We try to sound sophisticated or clever with taglines like, “Trust is the commodity we exchange.” It sounds nice, but it means absolutely nothing to a customer looking for a solution. As Miller says, if you would just say, “We can put a roof on your house on budget, on time,” you would sell far more. Be clear, not clever.

The goal is to position your product as a survival asset—something that helps customers make money, save money, ease anxiety, or build better connections. The words you use are the bridge to that understanding.

Inviting Customers Into a Story Where They are the Hero

The most powerful tool to capture the human brain’s attention is story. The StoryBrand framework uses a 2,500-year-old narrative structure to help you create sound bites that resonate. The most critical shift is this: your customer is the hero, not you.

It is a massive mistake to position your brand as the hero of the story. The hero in any story is weak, ill-equipped, and in desperate need of help. You are not the hero; you are the guide. Like Yoda to Luke Skywalker, your role is to be the strong, competent character who helps the hero win.

To do this, your messaging needs two key elements:

1. Empathy: An “I understand your pain” statement that shows you see their problem.
2. Competency: A statement demonstrating you have the expertise to solve it.

Your customers aren’t looking for another hero. They are looking for a guide they can trust.

The 7 Sound Bites Your Business Needs

To build a message that sells, you need seven categories of sound bites based on the structure of a story:

1. What the Hero Wants: A clear, simple statement of what you help customers achieve. (e.g., “Clarify your message so customers engage.”)
2. The Problem: The most important sound bite. What problem does your product solve? People only buy solutions to problems.
3. You as the Guide: Position your brand with empathy and authority.
4. A Simple Plan: Give customers three easy steps to do business with you.
5. A Clear Call to Action: Directly tell customers what to do next. A simple phrase like, “If you are struggling with X, purchasing Y is the right decision,” can dramatically increase sales.
6. A Vision of Success: Paint a picture of what their life will look like after they buy your product.
7. The Stakes (Failure): What will happen if they don’t buy your product? There must be something to be won or lost.

These sound bites become the foundation of your messaging campaign—the words you use in your marketing that will make every dollar you spend more effective.

From Words to Growth

If your business has a great product and a great team but you keep hitting a growth ceiling, you’re probably getting the words wrong. When you fix the words, your business will grow.

At TRIAD, we don’t just help you find the right words; we help you implement them. We build your messaging campaign across every channel, from social media to your website to your email marketing. We provide the clarity and the execution so you can stop confusing and start growing.

Ready to clarify your message? Let’s talk.

Disclaimer: This was inspired by the insights shared by Donald Miller in a video titled “How Storytelling Can Change Your Business Fast”. The original content and ideas belong to Donald Miller. You can watch the full video here.

We do not claim ownership of the original video or its content. This blog post is a derivative, educational commentary created for informational purposes only, in alignment with fair use guidelines. For complete and original insights, please refer directly to Donald Miller’s content.