Tactical Steps for Founders: Turning Struggles into Actionable Success

From the first article, featured here, we see the opening with Jerry Garcia’s famous line, “We’re like licorice. Not everybody likes licorice, but the people who like licorice really like licorice.”

Hence, building a successful company is not just about having a great product or service; it’s about connecting with people on a deep, emotional level. In our first article, The Founder’s Journey: Struggles, Success, and the People Who Believe, we explored the emotional and personal aspects of being a founder. Now, let’s dig into specific, tactical steps founders can take to move from struggle to success. These strategies are grounded in neuromarketing principles that tap into how the human brain works.

Here are actionable steps every founder can use to connect more effectively with investors, customers, and partners:

1. Diagnose the Pain

Understanding your customer’s pain points is the foundation of any successful business. You must identify the specific, deep-rooted problems your target audience faces, not just the surface-level issues.

Tactical Action:
Conduct in-depth customer interviews and surveys to uncover the emotional pain points that your solution addresses. Once you understand these, tailor your messaging to speak directly to this pain. When your potential customers feel that you understand their struggle, they’re far more likely to engage with you.

2. Differentiate Your Claims

After you diagnose the pain, clearly differentiate your solution from others in the market. Customers need to see, in a few seconds, why your offering stands out.

Tactical Action:
Develop a succinct and compelling unique value proposition (UVP). This UVP should be included in every piece of communication you have—whether it’s your website, a pitch deck, or a social media post. The goal is to communicate your differentiation immediately.

3. Demonstrate the Gain

People are driven by the potential for gain or pain relief. To connect with them, you must clearly demonstrate how your solution will make their life easier, better, or more successful.

Tactical Action:
Leverage case studies, testimonials, and data-driven examples to show real, measurable outcomes. Present these results early in your presentations and marketing materials to validate your claims. For example, share how your product increased efficiency or revenue by X%.

4. Build Trust with Credibility

Trust is everything. People will invest in your business only when they feel confident in you. Establishing credibility is essential, especially for early-stage founders who might not have years of success behind them.

Tactical Action:
Highlight any partnerships, past successes, endorsements, or awards in your communication. Use client testimonials or user-generated content to prove that people believe in your product. Even small successes build the foundation for trust.

5. Use Contrast to Show Improvement

Showing improvement over the status quo or competitors is one of the most powerful tactics you can use. People need to see, side by side, how much better their life will be with your solution.

Tactical Action:
Develop before-and-after scenarios that showcase how your product creates tangible improvement. Whether it’s through visuals, data, or real-life success stories, this contrast will help people see your product’s value immediately.

6. Leverage Emotion in Your Story

We make decisions emotionally before we ever consider them logically. You need to hook people emotionally if you want them to remember your story and, more importantly, take action.

Tactical Action:
Use storytelling to paint a picture of how your product changes lives or solves critical challenges. Share real stories that evoke emotion and help your audience connect to your mission on a human level. When people feel moved, they are more likely to take the next step.

7. Customize Your Pitch to Different Learning Styles

Not everyone processes information the same way. Some people are visual learners, while others prefer auditory or hands-on experiences. Understanding this allows you to better communicate your message.

Tactical Action:
Tailor your sales presentations and pitches to cater to different learning styles. Incorporate visuals for those who learn by seeing, explain concepts aloud for auditory learners, and, where possible, provide interactive demos for those who learn by doing. This ensures that your message connects with every type of audience.

8. Grab Attention Early

In a world full of distractions, you have only a few seconds to grab someone’s attention. Starting strong with a bold statement or a surprising fact can help you stand out.

Tactical Action:
Kick off your presentations, emails, or marketing content with an attention-grabbing statistic, question, or statement. This “grabber” will capture interest and pull your audience in, making them more likely to stay engaged.

Enjoy Part #1