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Welcome to this week's issue of Unpacking Meaning. If you received this from a friend and enjoy it, ​subscribe here.

"I don't like it. Can I get a refund?"

The woman at the specialty coffee shop counter held her barely-touched pour-over with two fingers, as if it might contaminate her. The barista—a lanky guy with a meticulously trimmed beard and tattoos peeking from beneath his rolled sleeves—blinked twice.

"Do you usually drink coffee?" he asked carefully.

"Yes, of course," she replied, slightly offended. "I drink coffee every day. But I don't really like the taste of this one."

After the exchange ended (refund granted) and the woman left, I watched the barista turn to his colleague.

"It happens all the time," he sighed. "People associate coffee with bitterness. When they taste our naturally sweet, fruit-forward Ethiopian beans, it doesn't match what their brain expects 'coffee' to taste like."

This isn't about bad coffee. It's about mental models.

What's interesting about this interaction is that by specialty coffee standards, that pour-over was excellent. The problem wasn't quality—it was expectations.

This is exactly what happens with messaging all the time.

Your product might be objectively superior. Your copy might be flawless. Your design might win awards. But if it doesn't match the mental model your prospects have when making a decision, they'll bounce faster than that woman left the coffee shop.

The coffee shop was selling "better coffee"—more complex, ethically sourced, expertly roasted. But the customer wasn't looking for "better" by specialty standards; she wanted coffee that matched her existing definition of good coffee.

The gap between expectation and experience was just too wide to bridge in a single transaction.

Your prospects have pre-existing mental models

When prospects land on your website, they're not blank slates eagerly waiting to absorb your brilliance. They arrive with fully formed ideas about:

• what your category of product should do
• how it should be described
• what "good" looks like
• which problems are actually worth solving

If your messaging doesn't align with these existing mental models, you create cognitive friction.

And cognitive friction kills conversions.

This doesn't mean you should water down your product or compromise your vision. It means you need to meet your prospects where they are before you can take them where you want them to go.

There’s an upside…

Sometimes the mismatch is actually beneficial.

When the coffee shop maintains its commitment to naturally sweet, complex coffees, they're deliberately creating a filter. They're attracting specialty coffee enthusiasts who recognize and value their approach, while gently repelling customers who will never appreciate what makes them special.

Not every customer is the right customer. When you're clear about what makes you different—even if it means some people "don't like that coffee"—you're actually refining your audience toward those who will become your biggest advocates.

How to apply this to your messaging

So what does this mean for your website, landing pages, and overall messaging?

• The first step is to identify the mental models your prospects bring to the table. What do they already believe about your category? This requires actual research, not assumptions. Talk to prospects, analyze their language, study how they describe their problems when they don't think you're listening.
• Next, find the bridges between their current understanding and your differentiated approach. How can you acknowledge their existing framework while guiding them toward your perspective? This often comes from your strategic narrative. The reason why you’re doing what you do.

Be intentionally different where it matters. Don't shy away from the aspects that make you unique—just make sure you're helping prospects understand why those differences are valuable in terms they already care about.

• And finally, accept that some people won't "like your coffee"—and that's actually a good thing for your long-term business health. The clarity that repels the wrong customers is the same clarity that attracts the right ones.

The best messaging doesn't try to appeal to everyone.

It creates resonance with the right people by speaking directly to their needs while gently educating them on why your approach is worth reconsidering their mental model.

So... what mental models are your prospects bringing to the table? And is your messaging building bridges or creating confusion?

DISCOVERY

Use AI to test your messaging before real customers see It

I just had a great conversation with Mark Baldino on the UX Leadership by Design podcast where I broke down how I bridge the gap between technical complexity and human decision-making in B2B.

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What makes this episode worth your time is the practical framework I share for using AI to simulate customer feedback - especially helpful when you can't easily get time with busy B2B decision-makers.

If you're trying to make complex products more understandable or struggling to find messaging that actually resonates with your target audience, this episode gives you tools you can implement right away.

​Listen to the full episode here →​

How to turn customer research into copy that actually converts

I also recently sat down with Mike Sirius to talk about conversion copywriting and SaaS messaging. We tackled everything from competitor analysis frameworks to the surprising UX principles that most SaaS teams overlook.

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Listen/watch on: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Youtube​

Episode 33 of The Message-Market Fit podcast is out!

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I had an great chat with Kris Rudeegraap, Co-CEO of Sendoso. Here's what you'll learn:

• How Kris leveraged his sales experience to acquire customers from day zero
• The evolution of Sendoso's messaging from feature-focused to outcome-driven
• How they refined their category positioning to become more straightforward
• How to use visual storytelling effectively in B2B marketing
• How to leverage gifting strategically at different stages of the customer journey
• Real success stories like Gong generating $30M in pipeline from sending pinatas

And way way more.

Check it out here. And if you find it valuable, would you consider subscribing and leaving a rating? 🙏

RESONANCE

Seth Godin, The Practice

Have a great weekend!

Cheers,

Chris

Chris Silvestri Founder & conversion alchemist

🙌🏻 Let’s be friends (unless you’re a stalker)​

When you're ready, here's a few ways I can help