B Y T O M T O R T O R I C I
All good marketers and salespeople understand ‘pain points.’ By reminding buyers of the current problems and frustrations that our product can help solve, we bring them a step closer to laying their money down.
• Having trouble fitting into your clothes lately? Buy our exercise equipment.
• Car not starting up on cold mornings? Come in for a tune-up and maintenance check.
• Is your small business struggling because you don’t have a website? We’ll design one for you.
But if it were that simple, most folks would have already purchased from your competitor, so there’s no point in targeting them.
The buyers who haven’t bought yet, then, are the ones to focus on. The question you need to answer is, what are the barriers that are keeping them from buying what they clearly need.
• I don’t have room in my apartment for exercise equipment.
• I don’t have time to sit in a car repair shop waiting room all day.
• Since my business is struggling, I can’t afford a website.
Look, you’re a consumer too. If you think about your own needs and purchases, you’ve been in similar predicaments many, many times.
Companies that succeed tend to be those that not only resolve the customer’s pain points, but also help them overcome the barriers that have been keeping them stuck.
• Our new exercise equipment folds flat against the wall when not in use!
• Drop off your car and we’ll drive you home, then pick you up later!
• You can pay for your new website in affordable monthly installments!
Wow, look at that. Once you help those humans get past their pesky barriers, they no longer have an excuse not to buy from you. Plus you’ll be known as the hero that saved them from eternal stuckness.
In practice, then, your company’s promotional materials might look like this:
• Address the pain point in the headline, then…
• Address the obstacle in the sub-head.
That’s a combination that’s hard to beat. The trick is to be the competitor that truly understands the typical buyer’s typical needs, pain points and obstacles better than anyone else.
Now, you might be asking, what if my company doesn’t actually provide anything to overcome those barriers? To which I might reply, why are you in business if your offerings aren’t any better than anyone else’s?
Marketing can do just so much. To stand out from the crowd, your products and services need to go the extra mile. Going in the right direction starts with approaching things from within the buyer’s own universe, not just from the sales mentality of a company insider.
For example, if you do home renovations, you know that it’s the husband that may initially contact you, but his wife will have a say in design decisions. If you sell to businesses, you may be able to convince your contact of the benefits, but they still need to justify the cost to the CFO.
Smart, experienced sellers go beyond pain points. They understand enough about their buyers to address the secondary considerations they’re also likely facing.
At this very moment, all over the world, people need stuff – but they’re going without, because there’s something that’s keeping them stuck. So dig deeper. Offer a unique and helpful advantage. Be the one that gets them unstuck.
If this all made sense, but you’re not sure how to apply it to your business, maybe I can help. Let’s talk.
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About the Author: Tom Tortorici is an Atlanta copywriter and web content writer who helps companies make a genuine connection with their audience. His classes and conference presentations have focused on how writing, strategy and design can work together to grab attention and interest even among readers with short attention spans. In addition to working directly with businesses, Tom regularly partners with web designers and marketing agencies.
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Tom Tortorici Inc. | Tom@TomTortorici.com | 770-934-7861 | 3101 Rockaway Rd | Atlanta GA 30341
