07/07/2021 - What’s their problem

                July 7, 2021

            07/07/2021 - What’s their problem

Preview<!--[if !mso]>
  I love talking to my clients about the problems they help their customers with because it can lead to exciting epiphanies.

  Recently, I was working with a client (we’ll call them Grey Sloan Inc.) on some of their business strategies. When they showed me the description of the problem they solve, it could have been applied to just about any business. 

Essentially, the problem was not enough money, time or resources. 

I have some of these problems. In fact, I don’t know many businesses that aren’t stretched in at least two of these areas. And all my clients have challenges in one or more of these areas. But I don’t have any clients who would buy Grey Sloan Inc.’s product.

So, we had to explore it more and get clear on the actual root of the problem. Because a shortage of money, time, or resources are just symptoms of the problem. 

If these are the problems you think your customer has, you’ve only gotten to the superficial level of what’s going on.

  Here are some of the problems my clients have that I help them solve:

They hate marketing because:
It takes them away from the work they actually want to be doing.
They don’t know how to get anything out of it. 
They get all kinds of advice and don’t know where to start.

Marketing is hard because:
They don’t fully understand how it can benefit their business.
It takes so much time and effort to keep it going.
They’re not sure they’re doing the right things.

Think about something you hate or something that always feels hard to do. 

For me, it’s paperwork of any kind. I avoid paperwork like no one else I know. I hate it and it feels hard, even though it’s not actually hard most of the time.

  Knowing the root of your clients’ problems is the first step to showing them you understand what they need and building offerings that help them address the actual problems rather than giving an incomplete or inadequate solution. 

Think about the problems you solve for your clients. Is it the true root of the problem or are you still scratching the surface?

Karen

PS - Stay tuned for a special announcement of a new program I’m introducing that will help you figure out the problems you solve and so much more that will enhance your marketing!

Don't miss what's next. Subscribe to [Reframe] Marketing:

Start the conversation: