How a Problem Plus Pain Equals Profit
Posted: Monday, October 18, 2010
by Bill Davis
As business people, we sometimes consider ourselves as offering services or products that individuals would like or need. We often do not associate pain with the sales process.
In fact, we attempt to write it off or just ignore it. Let's be honest: Pain is not comfortable and we really make an effort to reduce it in each and every endeavor we enter, whether we're on the giving or receiving end of it.
The thing is, we have to examine our potential clients' pain; we need to anticipate the "pain reliever," which is, essentially, our "product." There's no doubt that sometimes we have put the cart before the horse in terms of selling. First, we ought to ascertain our prospects' problems and measure them in terms of pain: The higher the pain level, the more potential for profit there is.
Second, we need to find a solution. Maybe we already have a fix. But many times, our pre-determined solution doesn't ideally match the pain and problem we have identified. If we had only done step one before step 3!
Third, we need to show how our solution relieves our prospects' pain.
It really is an easy process. Nevertheless, we frequently overlook signs or don't even search for them! Here's a summary of product development and the concomitant marketing that goes hand-in-hand with it:
1. Determine the difficulties our market encounters and measure the pain
2. Purchase an answer. It may be something new or the modification of an existing product or service
3. Match the product or service benefits of the solution to the issue at hand
If we do these 3 steps, we will be a long way ahead of our competitors, who almost always do these steps backwards.
It really all amounts to offering our customers what they desire (or need).
For more expert articles written by the author, Bill Davis, check out Internet Marketing Muscle.
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)This is a very original and creative way of approaching business! It makes a lot of sense.Please log in to respond to this comment.Thank you, Jennifer! A lot of folks think it's a mean way to approach business, but I find it quite the contrary -- I get to be a doctor and help people without the MD :)Please log in to respond to this comment.
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