Aug 24, 2026 · 19 min
Confusing business messages drive customers away
#86: The Reason Most Businesses Fail (SUMMER REPLAY)
The episode argues that unclear messaging can undermine a strong product by making prospects disengage before they understand its value.
- 1Confusing messages create cognitive load that can make prospects hesitate, disengage, or choose a competitor.
- 2Customers rarely identify confusion directly; “I’ll think about it” can signal that the message failed to clarify value.
- 3Businesses communicate more effectively when customers occupy the hero role and the company acts as a clear guide.
Don't miss
Donald Miller reframes “I’ll think about it” as a possible sign of excessive cognitive load and unclear value rather than a straightforward objection.
The brief
Donald Miller opens by challenging a familiar explanation for business failure: customers may not be rejecting the product or price, but a message they cannot understand.
The StoryBrand framework supplies the episode’s central lens: customers should be positioned as the heroes, while the business serves as a clear guide.
Miller argues that excessive cognitive load makes unclear messaging feel threatening, prompting prospects to disengage, go silent, say “I’ll think about it,” or choose a competitor.
The episode’s practical focus is clarification: businesses must reduce confusion and communicate value plainly enough for customers to understand what happens next.
Books & mentions
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