Don’t Sell. Solve a Problem.

A few days ago I wrote a post about listening to your customers before you sell your product or service. You may be able to make someone buy your product/service once, but for your customers to come back for more you need to do more.

No matter how good your are at selling, no matter how smooth, slick and high-pressure you are, the fact remains you can’t make someone buy. The only way is to solve peoples problems. Which problem does your product and/or service solve?

• Easy-to-run online accounting software;
• do the job in half the time;
• lose weight while you sleep;
• easy-to-prepare gourmet meals;
• cut overheads.

You get the picture - the best way to sell is to solve. This will tell you that bombarding clients with facts about megabytes, speed, number of cylinders and so on, is not what is needed. Find out what problem your customer has, then talk about the benefits and solutions your product/service offers for the problem - that will get you a sale.

If solving is selling, what are your solutions? Let me know. ST.

3 Responses to “Don’t Sell. Solve a Problem.”

1. jack jones
   
   Said on February 17th, 2008 at 7:33 pm

   It’s all about solutions.

   One related idea that I like is to focus on solutions during product development.

   Create multiple versions (on paper) of the product/service through emphasizing different aspects, and then test (using testing software) to see which solution is most important to most of your clients. (As part of the testing process you can also ask clients who clicked on some offer to choose among a small list of benefits/solutions to see what’s most important)

2. Gavin Ingham
   http://www.gaviningham.com
   
   Said on April 5th, 2008 at 11:19 pm

   You are of course quite right to say that people buy to solve problems… but which ones?

   The average business has many, many issues which they would like to solve but have neither the finances nor the incentive to do so. Business owners will look to solve the problems which they perceive are the most important and potentially damaging to them or their business.

   You need to not only be asking, “What is the problem that I am solving?” but also, “Why does my potential client want to solve this problem?”

3. copywriting business
   http://www.ShauneClarke.com/copywriting
   
   Said on May 28th, 2008 at 9:56 pm

   That’s such a fundamental point and the foundation for all good marketing, all effective marketing. There are many ways to find out what your target market wants and needs, and then differentiate between the wants and the needs.

   Best way I have found to learn this is by directly asking them, as an example, through surveys. Once the “problem” has been identified, then your marketing and sales copy can be highly targeted and converts.

   Find the need/void, and fill it…makes perfect sense!

   Sam
   Direct Response Copywriting

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