--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you can't turn yourself into your…" description: "\"If you can't turn yourself into your customer, you probably shouldn't be in the ad writing bsuiness at all.\" — Leo Burnett" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05b/leo-burnett-12845_customer_if-you-can-t-turn-yourself-into-your-cus_263792.png" --- # If you can't turn yourself into your customer, you… ![“If you can't turn yourself into your customer, you probably shouldn't be in the ad writing bsuiness at all.” quote by Leo Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05b/leo-burnett-12845_customer_if-you-can-t-turn-yourself-into-your-cus_263792.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05b/leo-burnett-12845_customer_if-you-can-t-turn-yourself-into-your-cus_263792.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05b/leo-burnett-12845_customer_if-you-can-t-turn-yourself-into-your-cus_263792.png) > “If you can't turn yourself into your customer, you probably shouldn't be in the ad writing bsuiness at all.” [Leo Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-burnett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understanding your customer intimately is crucial; lacking that empathy undermines effective ad creation. **In simple terms:** Know your customer or succeed in ads. Key Takeaway Empathize deeply with your audience. Themes marketing empathy creativity Mood pragmatic inspirational Type professional motivational When to use this quote - product launch - campaign planning - focus research - creative brainstorming Key Concepts advertising consumer psychology brand strategy Questions to Reflect On - How can you better walk in your customer's shoes? - What tools help deepen customer insight? A Different Perspective Empathy can be learned, but time constraints may limit depth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [If you turn your back on a customer, you turn your back on success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-kaufman/if-you-turn-your-back-on-a-customer-you-turn-your-back-on-success/) [Ron Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-kaufman/) > [A complaint is a chance to turn a customer into a lifelong friend. I say that seriously, not as some press release baloney.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/a-complaint-is-a-chance-to-turn-a-customer-into-a-lifelong-friend-i/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [Damn inflation, full speed ahead,' Greenspan has said in both action and word. I think an investor should believe him and invest accordingly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gross/damn-inflation-full-speed-ahead-greenspan-has-said-in-both-action-and/) [Bill Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gross/) > [I believe confusion is good. Worldwide market leaders gain when there is confusion in the market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subhash-chandra/i-believe-confusion-is-good-worldwide-market-leaders-gain-when-there/) [Subhash Chandra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subhash-chandra/) > [Corporations invest in sophisticated CRM, or Customer Relationship Management, programs to effectively oversee their relationship with their customers at every point during the buying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-ostrofsky/corporations-invest-in-sophisticated-crm-or-customer-relationship/) [Marc Ostrofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-ostrofsky/) > [When the dollar collapses, it's not doing it in a vacuum. If the dollar loses value, it's doing so relative to some other currency.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/when-the-dollar-collapses-it-s-not-doing-it-in-a-vacuum-if-the-dollar/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [Perhaps the most important reason to be skeptical of government inflation numbers is that the government, like a fox campaigning to guard a hen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/perhaps-the-most-important-reason-to-be-skeptical-of-government/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [The best way to hold customers is to constantly figure out how to give them more for less.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-kotler/the-best-way-to-hold-customers-is-to-constantly-figure-out-how-to/) [Philip Kotler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-kotler/) > [The exact details of how you practice value investing will vary investor to investor, but the fundamental principle of scouring the world, looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-tilson/the-exact-details-of-how-you-practice-value-investing-will-vary/) [Whitney Tilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-tilson/) > [If Wall Street crashes, does Main Street follow? Not necessarily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bernanke/if-wall-street-crashes-does-main-street-follow-not-necessarily/) [Ben Bernanke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bernanke/) > [Don't think OF the market. Think AS the market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-fishman/don-t-think-of-the-market-think-as-the-market/) Michael Fishman > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/) [Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/) > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Leo Burnett > [I have learned that trying to guess what the boss or the client wants is the most debilitating of all influences in the creation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-burnett/i-have-learned-that-trying-to-guess-what-the-boss-or-the-client-wants/) [Leo Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-burnett/) > [Products are made in the factory, but brands are created in the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-burnett/products-are-made-in-the-factory-but-brands-are-created-in-the-mind/) [Leo Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-burnett/) > [If you are writing about baloney, don't try and make it Cornish hen, because that's the worst kind of baloney there is. Just make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-burnett/if-you-are-writing-about-baloney-don-t-try-and-make-it-cornish-hen/) [Leo Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-burnett/) > [I have learned to respect ideas, wherever they come from. Often they come from clients. Account executives often have big creative ideas, regardless of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-burnett/i-have-learned-to-respect-ideas-wherever-they-come-from-often-they/) [Leo Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-burnett/) > [I think a smart woman can sell the average man anything,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-burnett/i-think-a-smart-woman-can-sell-the-average-man-anything/) [Leo Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-burnett/) > [Good advertising should give the reader essential facts about the product or company advertised and should do so engagingly without trickery or hogwash.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-burnett/good-advertising-should-give-the-reader-essential-facts-about-the/) [Leo Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-burnett/) > [I have learned that it is far easier to write a speech about good advertising than it is to write a good ad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-burnett/i-have-learned-that-it-is-far-easier-to-write-a-speech-about-good/) [Leo Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-burnett/) > [Rarely have I seen any really great advertising created without a certain amount of confusion, throw-aways, bent noses, irritation and downright cursedness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-burnett/rarely-have-i-seen-any-really-great-advertising-created-without-a/) [Leo Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-burnett/) > [Anyone who thinks that people can be fooled or pushed around has an inaccurate and pretty low estimate of people - and he won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-burnett/anyone-who-thinks-that-people-can-be-fooled-or-pushed-around-has-an/) [Leo Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-burnett/) > [Advertising is the ability to sense, interpret... to put the very heart throbs of a business into type, paper and ink.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-burnett/advertising-is-the-ability-to-sense-interpret-to-put-the-very-heart/) [Leo Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-burnett/) > [When you reach for the stars, you may not quite get them, but you won't come up with a handful of mud either.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-burnett/when-you-reach-for-the-stars-you-may-not-quite-get-them-but-you-won-t/) [Leo Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-burnett/) > [I am often asked how I got into the business. I didn't. The business got into me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-burnett/i-am-often-asked-how-i-got-into-the-business-i-didn-t-the-business/) [Leo Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-burnett/) > [A good ad which is not run never produces sales.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-burnett/a-good-ad-which-is-not-run-never-produces-sales/) [Leo Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-burnett/) > [Regardless of the moral issue, dishonesty in advertising has proved very unprofitable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-burnett/regardless-of-the-moral-issue-dishonesty-in-advertising-has-proved/) [Leo Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-burnett/) > [A good basic selling idea, involvement and relevancy, of course, are as important as ever, but in the advertising din of today, unless you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-burnett/a-good-basic-selling-idea-involvement-and-relevancy-of-course-are-as/) [Leo Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-burnett/) [Explore all 53 Leo Burnett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-burnett/) ## More Customer quotes > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/) [Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [Don't think OF the market. Think AS the market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-fishman/don-t-think-of-the-market-think-as-the-market/) Michael Fishman > [If Wall Street crashes, does Main Street follow? Not necessarily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bernanke/if-wall-street-crashes-does-main-street-follow-not-necessarily/) [Ben Bernanke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bernanke/) > [The exact details of how you practice value investing will vary investor to investor, but the fundamental principle of scouring the world, looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-tilson/the-exact-details-of-how-you-practice-value-investing-will-vary/) [Whitney Tilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-tilson/) > [The best way to hold customers is to constantly figure out how to give them more for less.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-kotler/the-best-way-to-hold-customers-is-to-constantly-figure-out-how-to/) [Philip Kotler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-kotler/) > [Perhaps the most important reason to be skeptical of government inflation numbers is that the government, like a fox campaigning to guard a hen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/perhaps-the-most-important-reason-to-be-skeptical-of-government/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [When the dollar collapses, it's not doing it in a vacuum. If the dollar loses value, it's doing so relative to some other currency.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/when-the-dollar-collapses-it-s-not-doing-it-in-a-vacuum-if-the-dollar/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [Corporations invest in sophisticated CRM, or Customer Relationship Management, programs to effectively oversee their relationship with their customers at every point during the buying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-ostrofsky/corporations-invest-in-sophisticated-crm-or-customer-relationship/) [Marc Ostrofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-ostrofsky/) > [I believe confusion is good. Worldwide market leaders gain when there is confusion in the market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subhash-chandra/i-believe-confusion-is-good-worldwide-market-leaders-gain-when-there/) [Subhash Chandra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subhash-chandra/) > [Damn inflation, full speed ahead,' Greenspan has said in both action and word. I think an investor should believe him and invest accordingly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gross/damn-inflation-full-speed-ahead-greenspan-has-said-in-both-action-and/) [Bill Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gross/) > [“When companies get big, they devote most of their care and feeding to the business that got them big. This is as it should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-schmidt/when-companies-get-big-they-devote-most-of-their-care-and-feeding-to/) [Eric Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-schmidt/) > [“Salesmanship is usually the art of making it the prospect’s problem, the salesperson’s need or desire to earn money.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/salesmanship-is-usually-the-art-of-making-it-the-prospect-s-problem/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) [Browse all 9,257 Customer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you can't turn yourself into your customer, you probably shouldn't be in the ad writing bsuiness at all.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Leo Burnett" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-burnett/if-you-can-t-turn-yourself-into-your-customer-you-probably-shouldn-t/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Customer" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-burnett/if-you-can-t-turn-yourself-into-your-customer-you-probably-shouldn-t/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05b/leo-burnett-12845_customer_if-you-can-t-turn-yourself-into-your-cus_263792.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05b/leo-burnett-12845_customer_if-you-can-t-turn-yourself-into-your-cus_263792.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05b/leo-burnett-12845_customer_if-you-can-t-turn-yourself-into-your-cus_263792.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you can't turn yourself into your customer, you probably shouldn't be in the ad writing bsuiness at all.” — Leo Burnett", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Leo Burnett", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-burnett/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you can't turn yourself into...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-burnett/if-you-can-t-turn-yourself-into-your-customer-you-probably-shouldn-t/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-burnett/if-you-can-t-turn-yourself-into-your-customer-you-probably-shouldn-t/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```