Episode 140

What Customers Actually Want From a Small Business, and It Isn’t More Sales Posts

Why would a customer choose to shop with you when they could order something similar from Amazon, Walmart, or another large retailer in a matter of minutes?

It is probably not because you post your company’s specials every Tuesday.

Customers can find products almost anywhere. What they cannot find everywhere is the personal help, honest recommendation, genuine relationship, and thoughtful follow-up that a small business owner can provide.

In Episode 140 of The Other 99%, Lisa and Susan talk about what customers actually want from the person behind the business. This conversation follows Episode 139, which covered the 10 customers you may be overlooking. Now the question becomes: once those customers find you, what gives them a reason to stay?

Here are 10 things your customers may value far more than another sales graphic.

What do customers want from a small business?

Customers want small businesses to make buying easy, offer trustworthy advice, communicate clearly, provide personal service, respect their decisions, and continue supporting them after the sale. They want to feel remembered and appreciated rather than treated like another transaction.

Customers are not only comparing products and prices. They are also comparing experiences.

If shopping with you feels confusing, impersonal, or pressured, they can quickly find another option. If shopping with you feels helpful, honest, and easy, you give them a reason to return.

1. Customers want you to make shopping easier

Too many choices can make shopping feel overwhelming. A customer may open a website looking for a moisturizer and find several products that all appear to do something similar.

They do not necessarily want to spend an hour reading every product description. They want someone to listen to what they need and narrow the options.

You can become the easy button by asking a few useful questions:

• What problem are you trying to solve?
• What have you tried before?
• What is most important to you?
• Is there anything you need to avoid?
• What budget are you working with?

Then provide two or three appropriate choices instead of sending them an entire catalogue.

A good recommendation reduces confusion. It should help the customer make a confident decision, not pressure them into purchasing more.

2. Customers want recommendations they can trust

Customers come to a small business owner because they expect more knowledge and personal guidance than they would receive from a search bar or store shelf.

Trust grows when your recommendations are specific and honest.

Saying, “This product is amazing,” does not tell the customer why it may be right for them. Explain what it does, who it helps, how you use it, and any important limitations.

It is also okay to admit that you do not love every product you sell. In fact, honest criticism can make the recommendations you do give more believable.

If a product did not work for you, explain why without assuming everyone will have the same experience. If there is an ingredient, allergy, fit issue, or other consideration a customer should know about, tell them.

The goal is not to sell something at any cost. The goal is to help the customer make a good decision.

3. Customers want you to know your products and policies

Customers expect you to understand what you sell.

That includes more than remembering product names and prices. You should know:

• How the product is used
• Who it is designed for
• The main features and benefits
• Important ingredients or materials
• Common questions or concerns
• Shipping and delivery expectations
• Return and satisfaction-guarantee policies
• What happens when there is a problem

You do not need to know every answer immediately, but you should know where to find accurate information.

Whenever possible, use the products or experience the services you recommend. First-hand knowledge helps you explain details that may not appear in a catalogue description.

Confidence comes from preparation. Customers are more likely to trust your advice when they can see that you understand the complete experience, not only the sales pitch.

4. Customers want convenience

Once a customer decides to buy, do not make them hunt for the next step.

Your shopping link, booking button, contact information, or order instructions should be easy to find on your website, emails, and social profiles.

If someone has already decided to purchase but cannot figure out how, they may not send you a message asking for help. They may simply buy a similar product somewhere else.

To make purchasing more convenient:

• Use one clear call to action.
• Link directly to the correct page.
• Test your links regularly.
• Make sure the buying process works on a phone.
• Explain what happens after the customer clicks.
• Remove unnecessary steps and choices.

Convenience does not make the experience less personal. It removes friction so the customer can act when they are ready.

5. Customers want communication without constant selling

Customers want to hear from you, but they do not want every message to be a promotion.

Before you send an email or publish a post, ask:

Am I sharing this because it is helpful to my customer, or because someone told me I need to promote something today?

If thousands of people connected to the same company are sharing the exact same graphic, your post will not help you stand out. Customers can already find company announcements on the corporate account.

What they want from you is context and personality.

Instead of reposting a graphic filled with small text, try:

• Showing yourself using the product
• Explaining who it is best for
• Sharing a real result or experience
• Answering a common question
• Demonstrating one helpful tip
• Giving an honest opinion
• Telling a story connected to the product

You can still share an offer. The difference is that you are making it relevant and recognizable as your content.

6. Customers want to feel remembered

People notice when you remember something they told you.

Imagine a customer mentioned that they were waiting for a guacamole seasoning to return. A month later, you send a personal message:

“Hey Susan, that guacamole seasoning you asked about is finally back. Would you like me to send you the link?”

That feels very different from a mass message announcing that a product has returned.

You do not have to rely on memory alone. A customer relationship management tool, often called a CRM, can act as your external business brain.

Track information such as:

• Favourite products
• Items they are waiting for
• Past purchases
• Questions they asked
• Relevant preferences
• Appropriate follow-up dates

Start tracking this information while your customer list is still manageable. It is much easier than trying to reconstruct the history of hundreds of customers later.

7. Customers want help after the sale

The sale is not the end of the relationship. It is the beginning of the customer’s experience with what they purchased.

Follow-up can help customers:

• Confirm that the order arrived
• Learn how to use the product
• Remember why they purchased it
• Get better results
• Resolve a concern
• Find recipes, instructions, or examples
• Feel confident purchasing again

A product that stays unopened in a cupboard cannot create a successful customer experience.

Your follow-up does not need to be complicated. Ask whether the order arrived and whether they have any questions. Later, check whether they tried it and offer one useful suggestion.

This shows that you care about what happens after payment, not only the checkout itself.

8. Customers want you to respect their no

A customer’s no is not necessarily a rejection of you.

They may not need the product, have room in their budget, feel ready to decide, or want that particular offer. Accept their answer without repeatedly asking or making them explain themselves.

Think about a restaurant server offering dessert. If you decline, the server does not assume you disliked the meal or disliked them personally. You may simply be full.

Your customer may still love your business even when the answer is no.

You can respond with:

“Absolutely, no problem. Would you like me to let you know the next time it is available, or would you rather I leave it with you?”

That gives the customer control over future follow-up and makes your next step clear.

9. Customers want a person, not a walking advertisement

Your company markets its products. Your job is to help people connect with and trust the person offering them.

If every post on your profile is a company graphic, sales announcement, product photo, or recruiting message, customers have very little opportunity to know you.

Share enough of your personality and life to feel relatable. That might include family moments, hobbies, books, pets, behind-the-scenes experiences, lessons you are learning, or an honest story from your day.

This does not mean turning your entire life into content. It means allowing people to see that there is a person behind the business.

Review your social profile as though you were a potential customer. Ask:

• Do I know what this person offers?
• Do I understand how to buy?
• Do I see anything other than sales posts?
• Does this person feel approachable?
• Would I trust their recommendation?

If business posts consistently receive little engagement, pay attention. Your audience may be telling you that the content feels repetitive or overly promotional.

10. Customers want to feel appreciated

A customer should never feel like they only matter when it is time to place another order.

Show appreciation in ways that fit your business and budget:

• Send a prompt thank-you message.
• Write a handwritten note.
• Check that the order arrived.
• Remember a preference.
• Share a helpful resource.
• Celebrate a milestone.
• Offer a thoughtful customer reward.
• Simply say, “I really appreciate you.”

Appreciation does not have to be expensive. Consistency and sincerity matter more than elaborate gifts.

Customers may not remember every promotion you shared, but they will remember whether you made them feel valued.

Why do customers choose small businesses over large retailers?

Customers choose small businesses because they can receive personal recommendations, specialized knowledge, responsive service, and a more meaningful buying experience. A small business owner can remember individual needs, provide help after the sale, and build trust in ways that a large retailer often cannot.

You may not be able to compete with Amazon on speed, inventory, or price. You do not need to.

Your advantage is the experience you create around the purchase.

When several people sell the same products at the same prices with the same monthly specials, the difference is not the catalogue. The difference is how each person serves the customer.

Customer service or customer annoyance?

Many business owners worry that follow-up will annoy customers. The difference usually comes down to relevance, permission, and intention.

Action	Customer service or annoyance?
Telling someone their favourite product is back	Customer service
Messaging your entire list to ask whether they saw your post	Customer annoyance
Checking whether an order arrived	Customer service
Sharing the same sales graphic repeatedly	Customer annoyance
Warning someone that a favourite product is being discontinued	Customer service
Adding someone to a group without asking	Customer annoyance

Helpful follow-up is based on something the customer purchased, requested, or gave you permission to discuss. Annoying follow-up centres your needs instead of theirs.

Audit your own customer experience

Pretend you are visiting your business for the first time. Try to complete the same steps a potential customer would take.

Ask yourself:

1. Can I quickly understand what this business offers?
2. Is it easy to find the right product or service?
3. Can I tell who the offer is for?
4. Is the buying or booking link obvious?
5. Do the recommendations feel trustworthy?
6. Does the person behind the business feel approachable?
7. What happens after I buy?
8. Would I want to shop here again?

Ask someone unfamiliar with your business to complete the same review. They may notice confusing links, missing information, or overly promotional content that you no longer see.

The bottom line

Customers do not need another person posting the same company specials they have already seen.

They need someone who makes the buying process easier, gives honest recommendations, understands the products, remembers what matters to them, respects their decisions, and continues helping after the sale.

Your company’s job is to market the products. Your job is to give customers a reason to choose you.

When you focus on the experience instead of the transaction, customers are more likely to trust you, return to you, and recommend you to others.

Listen to Episode 140 of The Other 99%

In this episode, Lisa and Susan share about what customers actually want, why repeated sales posts are not enough, and how small business owners can create a more personal and convenient customer experience.

Listen or watch the complete episode, then audit your own business through the eyes of a first-time customer.

Connect with Lisa: https://lisaduck.com/its-me-lisa/

Connect with Susan: https://susanlarimer.com/its-me-susan/