During my market research, I watched one video on YouTube that genuinely made me laugh.
This lady was sharing some really valuable information. And you could see the effort - she had clearly put SO MUCH WORK into the video.
She kept mentioning how much she was giving away for free and how she was different from the other people in her space.
Then I went into the comments and people were dragging her: “All these people, it is from our views they make money. Don’t watch their ads.” 😂😂
It reminded me of something I’ve noticed over and over again. That people see the world from their circumstances.
It is like when you throw a big party and put up a whole cow to roast.
Someone who is used to scarcity may look at it and think: “There must be something behind this. Why would anyone spend this much on us - be like him dey take our destiny?” - he can't do it, can't imagine doing it because of his circumstances - so he assumes if you are doing it then it is a trap.
The same thing happens when someone sees a superstar driving an expensive sports car.
They may immediately think: “What a waste of money.”
But someone else may see the same car and think:
“That person can afford it. Good for them.”
It even happens with everyday things.
A person who has always had to do everything themselves may look at someone who hires a cook or buys a washing machine and think: “Why waste money on that?”
Meanwhile, the other person may simply be thinking:
“This saves me time. I can use that time for something else productive.”
They live in the same world, with different circumstances - so they have different interpretations of the world.
And this is something I think business owners need to understand about their market.
Not everyone who needs your product is necessarily your ideal customer.
Some people are so used to scarcity that when they see abundance, they immediately become suspicious.
If you show them a big result, they think you're lying and then if you give them valuable information for free, they assume there's a trick somewhere.
If they see someone spending money, they assume the person is wasting it. Their circumstances have trained them to interpret the world that way.
This doesn't mean everyone struggling financially thinks like this. And it doesn't mean having money automatically makes someone better - but your customer's worldview matters.
So be intentional about who you build for.
There are people who have money, value their time, understand the value of convenience, and are willing to pay for things that solve problems. I spend a ton on books and courses, another person will think buying courses is enriching the course creators. Me i know it is, but i still get the information i want.
Winners and people who are doing well in life are often a very different customer to sell to. I recently spent a million on a mattress and my cook was shocked when i mentioned it, but i work so hard - and i love to come back and sleep like a baby so i can get to work the next day fresh as a dove. So to me it was an investment in my sleep quality, not a waste.
And yes, in my experience:
People with money generally pay better. And the right ones are often much easier to serve.