Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
It’s long been said that customers don’t make purchases for the “features and benefits” of what a product or service has to offer. Rather, they purchase when they truly feel something will solve a problem that’s causing them a real pain. If you can effectively convince a customer that your solution will relieve them of a frustration, hardship or blockage, you have the sale.
Of course, this goes far beyond the standard marketing of, “We’ll fix this for you!” and much deeper into an acute understanding of your customer’s needs, desires and characteristics. It’s not enough to simply know why a customer has a problem; it’s important to know every root of the problem in their lives, from how it appeared to the havoc it’s continuously wreaking. The more you know why it’s a pain point, the more you can tailor your solution and marketing to appeal to their needs.
Here are three must-knows for effectively meeting your target customer or client at the deepest source of their pain point.
Related: Identifying The Pain Points Of Today’s Entrepreneurs
1. The more detail, the better
Customers do really well when they understand the specifics on how a company can help them, distilling what’s ambiguous about a product or service into terms they can grasp.
It’s actually a known tenet of psychology that humans respond better to specificity. One trick in pricing is to give something a very specific price. So, when in doubt, get more precise. The more specific you are about the service you’re offering and its costs, the more real it seems, and the more you’re effectively meeting a client at their pain point.
2. Offer customizable options
When customers are working with pain points, they are more emotionally invested, so it’s important that they feel safe and taken care of when investing financially in a solution. If you can effectively explain how your service has helped others like them (down to the precise numbers and details), that’s great! But, if you’ve been struggling to close sales, it may be because customers desire a bit more of an individualized approach.
When a service is customizable, it gives the customer a loud and clear message that you care about their specific needs and desires and the background of their problem. Think about the last time you desperately needed a pain point solved. Whoever was able to prioritize your problem and make you feel like you were in good hands was worth every penny to you. Be that for your customers.
3. Lead with honesty
When a customer is coping with a pain point, they’re more on-edge than usual, meaning you must establish trust. The best way to do this is by being as upfront as possible, or promoting transparency and honesty as much as you can through your process. This could show up in multiple ways for your business. Maybe you’re candid and you share the story of a client who didn’t benefit from your services, and explain why. Or, just prove transparency by giving a customer an added element of control or supervision in every step of your production or service. However you can own your product and meet the customer on an even-keeled level of trust, do it. It will make all the difference.
Related: Don’t Go Looking for Problems: Curing Your Own Pain Points Is a Good Way to Develop a New Product
Remember that business is about people, and meeting customers’ needs when it comes to their pain points is also about empathy. Each of these tips will help to establish trust, but they will also help you help them, which is what we’re all out to do.