In the last few years I’ve learnt that people don’t really want to do the hard work, and that included me. I still do the hard work and I “get it done” when it comes to business, but that’s not true in every area of my life!
The majority of your target market want help, they want “it”. Whatever “it” is that you’re selling.
They want a quick and affective fix for whatever is broken in their life, but when the final minute comes and they need to take that important step, or make that big decisions…. they don’t.
Let’s talk about your customers problems (and desires).
5 Levels of Problems / Needs
- Person doesn’t know they have a problem.
- They think they could have a problem but they brush it off.
- Know they have a problem, but they live with it.
- Talk about fixing a problem, but don’t.
- Actually fix the problem.
When you think about your business, you pretty much take care of all 5 steps.
If you own and operate a Gift Shop, your customers problem is needing a gift for someones upcoming birthday. This isn’t life threatening, but it’s the problem you solve for your customers – and that’s perfectly fine.
If you’re a heart surgeon, your business also takes care of all 5 steps, but by the time your patient meets you, they likely very well know they have a problem.
When you market your business you might focus on all 5 Levels. If you’re a computer technician you might focus on Level 1 and point out:
Level 1 Marketing: “Did you know that if your laptop is taking longer and longer to start up every time you turn it on, that’s a sign that it needs a tune up?”
- You’re pointing out a problem that you didn’t know they had, but if they experience a 2 minute (and growing) delay, waiting for their laptop to turn on, now they know they have this problem!
Level 4-5 Marketing: “Laptop Tune-Ups – Get Your Laptop Running Like New Again for Just $47”.
- This Ad would be you the computer technician, focusing your Ad on people who KNOW they have a problem and are (hopefully) ready to get it fixed.
Reality Check (and it’s not bad news).
When you market your business, not everyone is going to be your customer.
If 100 people ask you for more info, or ask you for a quote. Not all of them are going to be your customer – because so many of them are stuck somewhere between Levels 2-4.
You can see the Ads on TV now about the risks of smoking. If you’ve seen a cigarette packet, or a picture of a cigarette packet over the last 15+ years, you’ve seen the risks of smoking.
But people still smoke.
BY NOW they know it’s not healthy. Therefore, they know it’s a problem. But they never get to Level 5!
Why is that?
Why do some of your clients or customers never sign up? Why do some never sign on the dotted line?
Want the Answer?
Because it’s all too hard. (or some variation of that).
If you’ve ever had some extra kilos around your waist (like me), maybe you can better relate to this.
Losing weight is not a mystery. 99.89% of the time the plan can be summarised as “use/burn more calories than what you consume“. I know that if I eat vegetables and meat for every meal, I can lose weight. But I don’t do it the large majority of the time.
Burgers and chocolate are simply much easier, because all that salt and sugar is much more enjoyable in the moment and therefore it’s a much easier decision to make. And of course, it tastes a lot better!
It’s too hard to move away from great tasting, greasy, fatty and sweet food.
Another 3 Examples of How This Works In the Real World
- You’re a beautician and business is slow: it’s easier for your customers to wear long pants then to come in for a wax.
- You’re a carpenter and business is slow (not in this decade when construction is strong, but you’ll get my point): it’s easier and more fun for your client to spend their money on gambling and eating out or whatever it is they spend their spare change on each month – rather than saving for the 5th bedroom and living room expansion they called you about 18 months ago.
- You run a e-commerce business selling organic and natural soap that you know is much better for people, but your customer would rather buy the 80c soap so they can still enjoy their 2litre salted caramel ice cream.
Convincing or compelling someone to make a change is the biggest obstacle to get them to Level 5 and become your paying customer.
Easy Customers
There’s always the 1% – 3% of people who will buy what you’re marketing on the spot.
When they read your advertisement, they sign up. These are easy sales and out ever every 100 prospects you’ll usually find a few.
The customers who are resistant to change are not among this 1-3%. They are the 4% – 7% of people who out of a random 100, would be a good fit for your product or service.
So WHAT Do Customers Want?
Your customers, and everyones customers want the easy fix. If it’s not easy, the majority of them won’t buy, or sign up, or get involved.
There’s 101 ways to make it easy. You can consider:
- A done for your type service.
- Adjust the pricing and inclusions to make it a no brainer.
- Guarantee satisfaction.
- And the list goes on, and on.
But still all your potential customers won’t buy. And that’s ok. That’s an important lesson to learn and the more time you spend on your most ideal customers – they more you will find.
The more time you spend on the time wasters, the more time you’ll waste.
I might come back and expand on this thought provoker some more in the future, but for now I’ll leave you with this:
How can you make it easier, for your potential customers to say “YES”?
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