You Don’t Have a Product Problem—You Have a Positioning Problem

Let me say something that might sting a little...
🚨 Your product isn’t the problem. Your positioning is. 🚨

If your listing isn’t converting like hotcakes...
If shoppers land and bounce like a toddler on a sugar rush...
If your ads are burning cash like a campfire on Black Friday...

Then friend, it’s not because your garlic press, yoga mat, or beard balm is broken.

It’s because no one understands why it’s for them.

Let me explain... with a true story that hits close to home.

🧼 The Soap That No One Bought

Years ago, I worked with a seller—we’ll call her Jess.
She poured her heart into crafting an all-natural soap bar.
Hand-cut. Wrapped in kraft paper. Smelled like a spa in the Swiss Alps.

But here’s the thing: it didn’t sell.
Not on launch. Not with ads. Not even during Prime Day.

Jess was ready to give up.

She said:

So I asked: “Who’s this soap for?”
She blinked. “Everyone. It’s natural. It’s healthy. It’s good for the skin.”

🚫 Boom. There it was. 🚫

When you try to sell to everyone, you sell to no one.

💡 What We Did (In Plain English)

We didn’t change the soap. Not one sliver.
We changed the story.

We repositioned the product from “handmade soap” to:

“The perfect postpartum gift for new moms with sensitive skin.”

Here’s what that did:

✅ The headline changed.
✅ The photos showed a mom with a newborn.
✅ The bullet points talked about hormone shifts and dry skin.
✅ The A+ content featured gift wrapping and a handwritten note.

Guess what happened?

That same soap—same ingredients, same bar—went from 2 sales a week...
To over 300 units a month. 📈

Because we gave it a reason to matter.

🧭 The Positioning Framework (a.k.a. The Fix)

If you’re stuck, don’t ditch your product just yet.
Instead, run it through this 4-step positioning pivot:

🔹 1. Pick ONE person.
Not “people who like soap.”
Pick “35-year-old new moms recovering from delivery.”

🔹 2. Name their pain.
Dry skin. Hormonal acne. Feeling invisible.

🔹 3. Be the guide.
Don’t be the hero. Let them be the hero.
You’re just the friendly neighborhood wizard offering a solution.

🔹 4. Paint the result.
What does life look like after they buy it?
Soft skin. A moment of calm. A reminder they matter.

😲 Why This Works

People don’t buy “features.”
They buy identity and transformation.

They want to see themselves in your listing.

And when your listing feels like it was written just for them?

They click. They convert. They come back.

🧠 Big Lesson?

It’s not about having a “better product.”

It’s about creating a clearer connection.

There are sellers making bank with mediocre items...
Because they made the buyer feel seen.

And there are sellers losing money with great products...
Because they sound like a robot talking to another robot.

🪜 Before You Go… Try This:

Take your main product and fill in this Mad Lib:

Boom. There’s your positioning.

Now build your listing around that.

💥 Proverb of the Day:

“Positioning beats perfection. If they don’t get it, they won’t get it.”

👋 Until Next Time

Now you know:
It’s not about better ingredients.
It’s about a better invitation to the right person.

So go sharpen your story.

Your product’s waiting to be discovered. 🧭

– Stay scrappy,

Andy Splichal

Founder & Managing Partner of True Online Presence & Author of the Make Each Click Count Book Series