How well do you know your potential clients? Chances are you’ve developed at least a simple client avatar. You know her business, her age, her income and education levels. You know where she lives and how many kids she has and what her biggest dreams are.

But do you really know what drives her?

Pain Points: What You Must Know About Your Potential Clients

Why understanding pain points is important

We’re not talking about just what she wants (we all want more money and free time) but more importantly, you need to know what her biggest pain points are. Figure this out, and you’ll not only be able to better create programs to help her, but your sales copy will dramatically improve as well.

Think about it—if you’re uncomfortable with technology, and once in a DIY mood you destroyed your website during a simple update, then website management becomes a huge pain point for you. Now imagine you find a VA who not only works with WordPress, but who calmly shares examples of how she’s rescued client websites after such disasters.

She’s clearly addressed your biggest pain point, and you’re sold!

The same is true for your potential clients. Show them you can help them avoid those pain points—or better yet, eliminate them completely—and you’ll forge an instant bond.

Some might say that focusing on pain points is icky. That you shouldn’t focus on a person’s pain points in your sales and marketing copy. But here’s a bit about human behavior and buyer psychology:

Humans do not move (ala make decisions) when they’re comfortable. We move when we’re in pain. We pay attention when we’re in pain. We want to find a solution to alleviate our pain.

And since moving, ala making a buying decision, is what you want your next client to do, you need to address her pain points.

How to figure out the pain points

Now you may already have a good idea what causes your clients pain, but if not, you have plenty of ways to find out.

• • Talk to them. What do they most often ask or complain about?
  • Listen in on forums, on social media, and other places your audience hangs out. What are they struggling with?
  • Reader surveys. These can be a rich source of information in any market. Pay special attention to the words and phrases your readers use to describe their troubles.
  • Keep an eye on your competition. What pain points are they addressing?

Bottom Line

Once you’ve uncovered your ideal clients’ biggest pain points, you’ll have a powerful tool that you can use not only in your sales copy, but it will also help define your programs and service offerings. If you can help your clients overcome the most painful issues they face—whether it’s a lack of self-confidence or a fear of public speaking—you’ll instantly become a more valuable resource in your niche.

And when you incorporate those same pain points in your sales copy, your conversions will dramatically increase as well.

Ciao,
Miss Kemya