It’s all about the pain points. I know you’ve heard this one before. You might even be totally sick of hearing it by now, but it’s still true. Because we all know that when you’re selling, you’re selling a solution to a problem, right? Or are you selling the dream?
People are generally a lot quicker to pay to get out of pain than they are to fulfill a vision. Whether you like it or not, that’s almost always the case.
You have to know what it is that your ideal client struggles with. Why are they looking for someone like you in the first place? Why is what you’re offering worth it to them to pay for? That’s just good sense.
The next question is “What is it that you’re really selling them?”
Sure, you want to sell something that’ll get your ideal client out of pain, but does it go even deeper than that? In other words, do you think that your ideal person might want even more than to just be out of pain, in the end?
YES. It’s about even more than simply selling a solution.
You’re actually selling them the DREAM.
(Sounds a lot more powerful than selling just a “solution”, right?)
The dream is what you’re going to sell. Of course, you have to start out with the not-so-fun stuff. You have to know what sucks about their current situation and show them YOU have that solution they want.
But you also have to know not only what they want–but also why they want it.
This is how it works:
- Identify what they don’t want in their lives anymore
- Find the solution to their problem
- Find out what would be the dream for them.
Once you know that, you can start showing them the dream just a little bit at a time.
So to start with, pick a few things based on their pain points that would catch their interest. After that is when the solution comes in. And from there, the “wouldn’t it be great if…” part shows up. Now you can show them the result of the solution. What will the solution allows them to do?
This is where selling the solution becomes selling the dream.
Let’s say that you found a solution to one of your own pain points. Maybe you were able to grow your business by 20% in the past few months. Sounds like a pretty straight-ahead selling point, right?
But there’s more to it than just what you accomplished numbers-wise, isn’t there? Go a little bit deeper. What did growing your business by that number actually wind up getting you?
More freedom, less work, a lot more free time? We’re talking about what the ultimate solution is, and sometimes it goes deeper than just a number. A “solution” is a bridge between the pain and the dream–and this is where you paint the picture of the dream.
How do you know what the dream is for your ideal clients? That’s when you have to get down to what they want. What are their dreams?
Sometimes people want to spend more time with their family. Others might feel like they’re seeing their lives passing them by and they don’t know how to stop it–and they want some control back. Sometimes people start a company and then somehow become an employee of their own creation, and find they’ve created a JOB for themselves (the very thing they started a business to avoid!)
It’s all about this word “dream.” They need to know that you understand what they dream about. You’ve walked that path yourself and have found a solution–and they can do it, too.
A big part of selling the dream is showing them that not only is the dream possible, but also that it’s possible for them.
They have to believe in what they want for their dream AND they have to be committed to making it happen. ‘Cause if they don’t believe they can actually do it, why would they spend any money to make it happen?
You must show them three things–that you understand their pain, that you have their solution, and that the solution you’re selling will get them closer to their dream.
Oh, one other thing, of course–that you are the one who can help them do it.
So where do you begin?
It’s all about what is important to your ideal client. For example, everyone wants to make more money, but the question is WHY? What do they believe that more money will do for them?
Maybe they want to work fewer hours. Maybe they want to work the same amount of hours and double the money. They might want to double the money and are willing to work an extra 10 hours a week to get it. Or maybe it’s even something like “I don’t give a shit about the money–I just wanna go travel.”
When you’re imagining your ideal client–and when you’re actually speaking to your ideal clients–you have to know what they put first.
Are they looking for money? Do they want to travel? Do they want to hang out with the kids? For example, my best friend is cool with her money. But the less she can work the happier she is, because the kids are her priority–not the money.
Everything has to be based around the problem. If you can figure out what the top three problems are for your potential client, that is your gold mine. That’s where your marketing plan has to start.
Once you figure out what their top three problems are, what their solutions would be, and why they want what they want, then when it comes down to making the sale–the rest will flow so much more easily.
They’ve seen you and engaged with your content. They’ve used some of the free stuff you’re offering and have seen the value it provided. They’ve seen what kind of potential you have to get them not only to a solution, but also a lot closer to their ultimate dream.
And then when you get them on the phone, you’re probably going to close them every time.
But what’s the best way to know WHY they want what they want?
Just ask! When you’re on the phone with your people and they’re revealing what it is they are dreaming about, ask them to go deeper. Ask them things like, “Why is that important to you?” When you ask this, you’re going to start getting to the heart of what it is they want…and that is SO powerful.
Say your potential client wants to travel, be free, and have that “laptop lifestyle” everyone talks about. Well, why exactly? The answer won’t be the same for everyone. You might hear something like “I always dreamed of travel when I was a kid, but we were stuck at home all the time….”
Make notes about what they say. Get to know them and build a relationship. Let them know you’re hearing what they’re saying and that you can help them make their dreams happen.
These are the kinds of things that you’re going to talk about and reflect on. It will help you know them better and help you create even more effective solutions to get them to that dream.
Make note of their pain points. Know what they’re looking for and why–and ALL of your content is going to come from there. Start getting those topics out there–and be sure that every single topic is addressing the pain points of your person. Focus on why they would want to work with you, because you are going to solve those pain points for them.
You’re going to solve their pain points–and ultimately you’re going to help them get to their dream.
Have you identified your ideal client’s top pain points? What are they, and how do you solve them? Have you had success selling the dream? Tell me all about it in the comments below.
