he Problem Solver Method is a framework designed to help you create content that resonates deeply with prospects, drawing them in and moving them to action.
In this post, you’ll learn the key ingredients you need to communicate your value in a way that actually makes an impact on your audience. You can apply these principles to any type of marketing materials, including sales pages, blog posts, emails, and more.
But first, you need to understand the one thing that most business owners just don’t get, the one thing that’s keeping them from writing content that converts, a major disconnect between them and the people they’re selling to:
Nobody cares about your business.
Nope, not even your mama.
No One Cares About Your Business | They Care About Their Problems and Wants
Let’s get real for a second: customers don’t actually care about your business at all.
They’re all about winning, surviving, and solving the problems that are holding them back.
You’ve got to make every second count when you have a prospect’s attention. Frame everything around how you can solve their issues, or they’ll stop reading and disappear.
If your content is all about you, you, you, people will stop reading fast.
But if it’s all about them and the things they want and need, the problems they have, they’ll be willing to listen to the solutions you offer.
This isn’t just guesswork on our part—this is how our brains work.
How Our Brains Process Information
To really get why this customer-centric approach is so crucial, let’s take a quick look at how the brain works:
- The neocortex is all about planning, high-level concepts, and abstract thinking
- The limbic system is in charge of social and emotional stuff
- The basal ganglia, aka the “lizard brain,” handle survival, new situations, and fight-or-flight responses
Most people like to think they’re in the neocortex and limbic system at all times, but in reality, most of us don’t activate those sections of our brains until we see a reason to do so—most of the time, we’re scanning our environment for threats and opportunities. The basal ganglia are working hard.
The basal ganglia is like a simple processor and gatekeeper, always on the lookout for cues to decide what gets passed on to the midbrain and neocortex. It’s not interested in abstract ideas, has the attention span of a goldfish, and sees creativity as a threat.
Most marketing content tries way too hard to impress the neocortex with clever messaging and big ideas. But that just freaks out the basal ganglia, which shuts the whole thing down, especially if it’s all about how awesome the company is.
The trick is to cut the cutesy stuff and get straight to the point about what problem you solve for them. This tells the basal ganglia it’s a matter of survival or a massive opportunity to get what you want—it then grants your message an all-access pass to the rest of the brain for processing and action.
So if you want to succeed in the world of marketing, you need to be speaking to your audience, which means you need to understand them as deeply as possible. Clearly defining your target audience (or audiences) is the first step.
Defining Your Target Audience
Effective marketing starts with nailing down your target audience. Go beyond basic demographics and really dig into the specific problems you solve.
Group customers by the types of issues they face and how your offerings solve those issues in some major way. You can’t be everything to everyone, so niche down as much as possible for maximum impact.
While understanding holistically who your customers are is great, what matters most by far are the problems they struggle with—their pain points.
Identifying Customer Pain Points
Your products and services have to solve a customer’s problem and ease their discomfort enough to get them whipping out their wallet.
Get to the bottom of the pain they’re feeling because of their issues and show them how your solution helps them jump off the struggle bus.
When you present your content in terms of their problems and pain, it’s going to activate higher levels of thinking. Then you can dive into differentiators and unique value propositions that explain why your solution is better than others.
Defining Your Solution
Take some time to really nail down your solution in relation to your customers’ problems. Start with a simple explanation for yourself, then flip the script and frame it in a way that directly addresses their pain points.
Use the same language they would use when talking about their challenges. This customer-centric approach creates an emotional connection because your customers will feel like you really understand them.
The Problem Solver Method Ingredients
Alright, now that you’ve got a handle on your audience, their problems, and your solution, you’re ready to whip up some high-performing content using the Problem Solver Method.
Here’s an example of how you could use this method to write content for a sales page.
1. Address the Problem
Kick things off with a clear, simple headline about the problem you solve. Throw in an attention-grabbing subheadline for context and a CTA button they can’t miss. This instantly shows you get what they’re going through.
2. Create Tension
Show them what could happen if they don’t use your solution. Get specific about the consequences of not solving the problem or going with the wrong provider. This convinces their brain that your offer is a total must-have.
3. Convey Your Unique Value
Explain what makes your solution one-of-a-kind in a way that eases their pain points better than the competition. Make sure it’s something the customer actually cares about and that you’re passionate about providing.
4. Build Credibility Through Empathy
Share how you’ve been in their shoes and now help others come out on top. Show that you’re part of their tribe. Find a balance between flexing your authority and showing empathy, positioning yourself as their trusty guide rather than the hero of the story (remember, they’re the hero in their own mind).
5. Outline the Solution Process
Break down the journey from problem to solution into 3 to 4 easy-to-follow steps, with the first one being the action you want them to take on the page. Lump any complicated features together and focus on the big picture to avoid overwhelming them.
Get a Problem Solver Website Now
By working these ingredients into your sales pages and other marketing content, you’ll get your value across in a way that stops your customers in their tracks and convinces them that you’ve got the perfect solution to their problems.
The Problem Solver Method works so well because it aligns your content’s focus with the immediate needs of your target audience.
Learn more here about how you can get a Problem Solver Website that drives results.