On Solving Customer Problems

Image this with me…

One sunny afternoon you are working on your small business when a message pops up.

“Hey! I just received my order! It’s perfect and means a lot to me. Super easy to order and I got it really fast. Thanks again!”

As a small business owner, that give you the warm fuzzies, am I right!? Imagine that every customer or client has that response. You made it easier for them to do what they needed to do. Good on ya!

The first step in getting there is to clarify the message.

So, how do you, as a small business owner, clarify what your offering promises? There is an adage in marketing that if

The picture is finally up!

you are selling a drill - you’re not selling the drill. You are selling a hole in the wall, that hangs a family portrait that makes a partner happy. You’re not selling a drill, you are selling marital bliss.

When you are communicating with your customers you need to be clear on the problem you are solving (the hook), how you will solve it (the story), and very clear and consistent instructions on how to close the sale (the sale).

I really enjoy this commercial from Heinz. Ed Sheeran feels uncomfortable and out of place in the super posh, super fancy place (the hook). That is, until he pulls tomato sauce out of his bag and completes his meal (the story). The communication is not about tomato sauce, it’s about being yourself even of other people don’t get it. The commercial doesn’t tell customers where to find it but they can get away with that when the company is that big!

Sometimes I think business owners shy away from being really clear that they are here to sell you something that will fix your problem. Have you ever been on a website ready to purchase but had to spend ages trying to find how to do so? Or, was it tricky to even understand what the company does? The more friction you create for the customer that harder it is for them to resolve their problem with you. They will go to someone else who is explicitly clear on how to purchase or book a session.

The average person is exposed to 6000-10000 advertisements a day. That’s a lot of noise. Wouldn’t it be a kindness to your customer if you just said - hey, I see your problem and here’s how to fix it. Book or buy now. No flowery language, no deep dive into the founder story - that’s for other parts of your website.

Then? Say it 6 more times. The old marketing adage goes that people need to hear or see something 7 times before it sinks in. You can say it 7 different ways but say it clearly and consistently.

Take the time to really consider how easy it is for your customers to understand what you do. Remember, it’s not about you, it’s about them. Make sure that is reflected in your communication.

In the next newsletter we’ll deep dive into the power of customer stories to help you communicate your message.