About 2 years ago, I stumbled upon a book with an intriguing title. It was called: “Desperate Buyers Only”. The female author outlined how she focused solely on selling to people who were desperate for a solution of some kind. What a great concept!
Even more so in financial turbulent times like these. Let me give you an example: I really don’t like going to the dentist (who does?), and I postpone my visit to the dentist whenever I can. However, there have been times when I couldn’t get there fast enough, and whatever he charged me, it felt like a real bargain!
That’s just the way it is when you’ve got a pain that has to be dealt with right now. Let me tell you a little secret: The better you get at identifying and removing pain for people in your target market, the more successful you will be.
Let me mention 2 real-life examples for you, so that you can easily remember this concept and put it to work for your business.
1. Small business owners often struggle with online marketing.
It’s a fact that countless small business owners struggle to master the online marketing part of their business. When you think about it, it’s not hard to see why. Even marketers who do nothing but online marketing often feel overwhelmed by information overload.
You’ve got to know how to build a site, perhaps install a WordPress blog, add an auto responder, put persuasive copy on your site, preferably use videos to present your message… The list goes on and on.
No wonder a Tulsa plumber is gasping for air while trying to establish a web presence. He’s in pain, because he knows he’s dependant on having a strong web presence, but he’s got no clue how to fix his problem.
This creates a big opportunity for whoever has the right skill set. If someone offers to take care of the Tulsa Plumber’s online marketing, he or she can expect the plumber to be all ears. When a person is in pain, he’s not only motivated to buy right now – he’s probably willing to pay top dollar as well.
Remember this important concept in your own business. Focus on your customer’s biggest pain, and make sure to solve his problem. You will get happy clients, and your bank account will be ‘smiling’ as well!
2. Hemorrhoids and acne. ‘I want a solution now’!
You’d be hard pressed to find a single person on the planet who wouldn’t want to get rid of pimples or hemorrhoids faster than Usain Bolt can run 100 meters. This kind of market has a big “pain factor”, and you can be sure to find very motivated buyers if you can come up with a solution.
Even in tough financial times, people will still try their hardest to get rid of acne and hemorrhoids, because it’s so unpleasant. Joe and Jane will rather cut down on other things, like for example expensive clothing and eating out.
What you need to do is locate the ‘pain’ in your own market. Look for the pain – then offer the solution. By doing this you will most likely experience some serious financial gain.
Let me wrap this up by telling you about Christine Comaford-Lynch. Christine has got an exciting story to tell. Bill Gates describes her as “super-high bandwidth” (he dated her).
According to Christine, people all around you are hurting and all you need to do is look for that pain. Simply listen when people tell you something hurts.
In 1995 Christine is standing in line at the local Starbucks. The guy standing in line with her is talking about the pain of marketing his products on the internet. He doesn’t understand the technical stuff, but Christine does. Over the next few months they decide to launch a company to deliver coupons and promotions directly to consumers.
Christine sells her shares for a few million 4 years later. Christine has started 5 companies in a 20-year period, all of which have been taken public or acquired.
Why is Christine so successful? You already know the answer. She looks for the pain, then provides the solution. Learn from Christine.
Your customer’s pain is your ticket to business success.
