Customers buy for their own reasons, not yours. They buy what they want, not necessarily what they need.
Typically, they will buy a solution to a problem. It may be a genuine problem…
- they need to fix a washing machine that has broken,
- they need to file their accounts with Companies House and don’t know how
- they need a website for their new online business
Or they may buy something they want and reverse engineer it into a problem to justify the purchase…
- I want a new dress to create the right impression at the conference I’m speaking at next month,
- I want a new logo because I’m fed up of the current one, it’s a bit tired
- I want a new car now this one is 4 years old so it may become less reliable
So, what problems do you solve and how does your customer describe that problem?
When you can describe the problem you solve you can focus your marketing in a way that will speak to your ideal client. Your headline or hook should get their attention. You bring the problem to the front of their mind and can get them to focus on solving it.
If you can describe the problems you solve to your network in the language your ideal customers use then you are more likely to generate referrals when your contacts hear others talk about having that problem.
Let’s dig a bit deeper
How much of a problem is it? Is it a minor irritant or taking up too much of your prospect’s headspace? What is it stopping them doing? How is the lack of a solution affecting their life or business?
How is it making them feel? Are they anxious, frustrated, upset, angry or something else? Is there a knock-on effect on other people?
Is the lack of a solution costing time, money or other resources?
Tap into emotion and logic
We buy using both emotion and logic. When you can describe the problem you solve in both terms your messaging is likely to land with your target audience. How does the problem make them or their important others feel? What would be the benefits of solving it?
Tell a story
One of the most memorable ways to get your message across is to tell a customer story.
Bookkeeper Claire Johnson tells us about the client who came to her with 70 unopened brown envelopes from HMRC. He owed a lot of VAT and was stressed out about it (emotion). Claire sorted his books and negotiated with HMRC enabling her customer to pay his debts and retain his business (logic with a lot of emotion for the relief!)
Stained glass artist, Zoe Angle, tells us about clients who are restoring old houses where their doors and windows need repair or replacement. She sometimes shows before and after pictures of her work.
Digital marketing specialist Mark Rouvray gives us examples of businesses wanting to win more customers. He shows how his website, SEO, Google ads and social media services help them to achieve their goals.
The trick is to tell your customer story in no more than a minute which means drilling down to the problem in one or two sentences and using a similar length to describe your solution.
Sharing the problems you solve is our introduction theme in July 2025.
