The 5 Whys

Most ocean businesses struggle with understanding why their customers (really) buy.

You might think you have a good idea as to why customers buy from you. But if you conducted in-depth interviews to determine why customers actually choose your products or services, there's a good chance you'd be surprised by the findings. It's rarely the main thing you do.

Understanding what your customers really want is crucial for ocean entrepreneurs and professionals. It shapes your messaging, influences product development, the way you show up (online or in person), and it ultimately determines whether customers connect with your offering.

A great way to go deeper into understanding customer motivation is to keep asking "why" until you get to the “core desire”. This approach was developed by Toyota to get to the root cause of manufacturing problems. They called it the “5 Whys”.

Let's walk through an example for an ocean business.

Customer:

"I need seaweed processing equipment"

→ Why?

"To process seaweed more efficiently"

→ Why?

"To increase my production capacity and reduce operational costs"

→ Why?

"To scale up my seaweed business and be more competitive"

→ Why?

"To achieve economy of scale and profitability"

→ Why?

"Because otherwise my business won't survive”

The surface need (processing equipment) actually connects to the fundamental desire for survival. This approach works for B2C customers just as it does for B2B.

Why is this important?

Because it transforms your messaging. Instead of: "We offer state-of-the-art engineering solutions for seaweed processing," you might say: "We help you scale your seaweed business profitably through operational optimisation". The second speaks directly to what the customer really wants, which is much more engaging.