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

Why prospects aren't connecting with your solution

I've been deep in the weeds with a client this week working on their value propositions—and noticed something fascinating that many businesses get wrong when crafting their messaging.

Our value prop canvas, going from problem to copy

When mapping out the conversation happening in their customers' heads, there's a "hierarchy" of problems that most companies either compress or skip entirely. Let me show you what I mean.

The problem hierarchy

What I'm seeing is that problems actually exist in at least three distinct layers:

Surface problems: What prospects initially feel and are consciously aware of—their entry point into looking for solutions
Secondary problems: The intermediate issues that emerge once you start addressing surface problems—important but not yet on their radar
Root problems: The fundamental underlying causes that, when solved, create transformative change

Many companies make either of two mistakes in their messaging:

They jump straight to explaining how they solve root problems without acknowledging the surface pain that triggered the search in the first place.

They focus on solving secondary problems that prospects have no real awareness they need solving—yet. These are legitimate issues, but they exist in a problematic middle ground: not immediately felt like surface problems, and not as fundamentally transformative as root solutions.

The disconnect this creates

Think about it this way: Your prospect's journey typically starts with a trigger moment—something specific happened that made them realize "I need to solve this now."

That trigger created awareness of a specific problem.

But if your messaging immediately jumps to addressing secondary or root problems they haven't recognized yet, you create cognitive friction.

It's like someone saying "My team isn't hitting their targets" and you immediately start explaining how their organizational culture needs restructuring. You've just created a massive leap they weren't prepared to make.

Building the problem awareness ladder

The most effective messaging creates what I think of as a "problem awareness ladder"—a careful sequence that:

Acknowledges the surface problem they're actively feeling right now
Bridges to the secondary problems they'll encounter if they only solve the surface issue
Reveals the root cause they hadn't fully recognized
Introduces your solution as addressing all three layers systematically

This approach mirrors how people naturally process information and make decisions. It shows empathy for their current state while gradually expanding their understanding of their own situation.

How this looks in practice

Let's say you're selling a team productivity solution. The problem ladder might look like:

Surface Problem: "We're missing deadlines and deliverables" (what they know and feel)
Secondary Problem: "Our project management system doesn't provide visibility across teams" (what they discover once they start addressing the issue)
Root Problem: "We lack a unified workflow system that aligns with how your people actually work" (the fundamental issue)

Your messaging needs to start by validating the surface problem, then gently guide them to recognize the secondary and root issues, rather than jumping straight to your solution for problems they don't yet know they have.

What this means for your copy

When developing your messaging, try explicitly mapping each of these problem layers and make sure your copy creates bridges between them. Your prospects need to see themselves in your description of the surface problem before they'll trust your diagnosis of deeper issues.

So ask yourself: "Am I starting where my customer actually is in their understanding, or where I think they should be?"

The gap between these two points is where most messaging fails.

What about you? Have you noticed this problem hierarchy in how companies market to you? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

DISCOVERY

🎙️ New Podcast Alert: Messaging in the AI Era

I was recently a guest on The Growth Hub Podcast discussing something I've been thinking deeply about – how to create distinctive messaging when AI is making everyone sound the same.

Here's what's interesting about this conversation: as more B2B companies use similar AI tools and templates, their messaging is becoming increasingly homogenized. The very thing that should differentiate you – your brand voice – is at risk.