Your customers really don’t care what you do…
If you run a business, have you ever considered that your customers don't actually care one bit about what you do?
That's right: in truth, the only thing the people who buy from you care about is what problems of theirs you can help solve.
If you run a business, have you ever considered that your customers don’t actually care one bit about what you do? That’s right: in truth, the only thing the people who buy from you care about is what problems of theirs you can help solve.
This means that if you want to grow your business, you don’t need to get specific about describing your services and offerings. It’s too often companies get caught up trying appeal to customers by articulating the nuts and bolts of how they operate, which, in reality, is a waste of your time.
Instead, the best companies—the ones that stand out from their competition—don’t sell themselves by describing what they sell. Instead, they frame their existence as a SOLUTION for a customer’s problem, making the value of a purchase easily understood by potential customers. Once understood the commitment to purchase comes more easily.
A customer’s problems originate in what causes them pain—and that’s something we’re hardwired to avoid at all costs, right? Especially not something you should mention in your positioning or marketing. Why would you want to focus on your customers’ pain when it comes to making people want to buy?
However, by identifying the thing that your customers struggle with most, you can help them better understand why they need YOU—and not any other company out there in the world. To get at what your customers’ pain could be, think of the service or product that your company offers. Then, describe it in terms of what problem it solves, instead of its function or the use of lots of technical jargon.
To see this at work in the real world, take a look at some of the companies that do this particularly well:
AJ&Smart
Design Sprint Agency AJ&Smart’s value prop is: “Better Products, Faster.” The pain-point of their large blue-chip clients is that progress happen super slowly and the results are often tainted because of this. Their positioning cuts straight to the point.
DesignStudio
DesignStudio’s headline is “We make a meaningful difference to the world’s most loved brands.” The pain-point that they customers face is that their brands can often become stagnant and boring. Ensuring that these prestigious brands don’t become outdates is hugely important. There’s no description of their services, just the benefit they offer to everyone they work with.
Campaign Monitor
Campaign Monitor’s straightforward positioning is: “Make your emails unforgettable.” I’m not sure if you can remember many of the last few email campaigns that landed in your inbox? The chances are that you can’t. They are forgettable & this is the biggest challenge their customers face. Campaign monitor speak directly to this and helps you understand how they can help a business become memorable.
Reframing what you sell, to what problems you: a Real World Example
We recently worked with a film production company that makes films for a number of sectors. The struggle they had was that when asked what they did, they were just ‘another’ company. Nothing stood out. We asked them to think about the kinds of businesses that they wanted to attract. Then what the pain-points that these folk may have. It turned out their all wanted to grab attention and create a change. Video was the medium to deliver a saleable and emotive piece of content.
They changed their language from, we create short films to “we make films that make people stop, think and act.” When they called this out, they started to speak to the heart of the pain-points of their clients.
In summary, if you want to differentiate what your company offers, start by describing what problems your companies solves—not the products or services you’re selling. Explain the solutions you offer to your customers pain-points and you’ll grab their attention.
If you want to get your positioning right, start by asking yourself the following questions:
- What pain-points do your customers currently experience?
- What problem areas do you help customers solve?
- What solutions do you provide that competitors don’t?
- How will a customer’s life be different after working with you?
If the above strikes a chord with you, feel free to contact me to discuss your strategic positioning. I can help you figure out how you are different from your competitors, and why your customers may want to buy from you.
Resources:
Below are some resources for you to dive into if you are interested in learning more about your strategic positioning.
Books
Podcasts