The Anatomy of a Problem
How much do you love a good problem? And how lucky are we as service providers that we get to help people solve our very favourite kinds of problems?!
But, I’m curious if you really know what problem you solve. Many visionaries I encounter have a really tough time being clear about this.
Naming concrete problems is such an important part of resonating with your future clients. They need to know you have the antidote to their ailment. And, when they’re really feeling the tension and discomfort of a problem, that’s when they’re most ready to take action.
So problems are a fast-track way to attracting serious clients.
But how do you know you’ve landed the right problem? Introducing a quick framework on “The Anatomy of a Problem.” ;)
If you want to turn this into a little exercise, take a moment now and answer the question: “What problem do I help my clients solve?”. Then put your answer through this model.
Your People > The Problem > The Cause > The Solution > The Outcome
So first - the Problem. This is a situation or a state that is getting in your client's way of living the life they want. And the key - they need to be aware they have it! They're experiencing some kind of pain that makes the problem feel very obvious and real for them.
So back pain is a clear problem. So is a low bank account. Anxiety. Loneliness. Having no clothes to wear. All problems.
Now let’s look at the Cause. This is what a lot of you might be naming as the problem itself, which makes it harder to connect with your ideal clients.
Common causes of problems can be things like mindset issues, past trauma, lacking certain skills or confidence, or bad habits.
Why this matters:
Some of your clients will correctly know the underlying causes of their problems. And some won’t. So your messaging will ideally speak to people at both levels of understanding and awareness.
And we’re not done. Now we look at your prescribed Solution to the problem.
Solutions are things like time management, nutrition protocols, supplements, clarity, self-care practices, etc. They should be based on your understanding of the true underlying cause of your clients' problems.
Some of our most aware and eager clients are actually coming with a specific solution in mind. They know the cause and they’ve researched the solution. And so they’re looking for those keywords to know they’re in the right place. This adds another dimension that needs to be present in your messaging if you want to meet your ideal clients right where they’re at.
Finally, we get to the Outcome. The outcome is the whole point! It's the life they’re wanting for themselves that the problems are threatening. And talking about problems without contrasting them with the hope of the outcome can feel pretty bleak.
Outcomes are things like feeling amazing in their body, the ability to thrive in sports or in business, amazing and fulfilling work or relationships. The truth is – though there are lots of fun and creative ways of saying these things – there really isn’t a lot of variety in the outcomes that people are craving and willing to pay money to achieve in the world.
It’s in the choice of the other four areas that you get to design your unique brand story.
That’s the toughest part about nailing this – it is a choice. Within any field, there are multitudes of problems to name and solutions to claim. This is a big part of what we can help you land in the Unrepeatable Brand Intensive, where we use the actual voice and insights of your best clients to land this ‘formula’ for you. If you want to know more about it – just reply!
I feel inspired to ground all of this geeking out into one final concrete example for you. The anatomy of the problem I’m solving with this email: not knowing how to talk about what you do.
The People
Service Based Business Owners (Over-thinkers, Heart-Led, Established in Business & Their Craft)
The Problem/Pain
Feel that you haven’t fully landed your own compelling way to talk about what you do. And so you don’t!
The Cause
You're too close to it and often focus on ONLY the solution, cause, or outcome. Or you try to own all potential problems/solutions.
The Solution
Understanding the full anatomy of a problem (or I also call this a client journey). And clearly claim and talk about all of it - your people, problems, causes, solutions, and outcomes.
The Outcome
Distinctive brand messaging that resonates so that you attract your next-level clients and feel really confident and cohesive in how you're showing up as a brand.
That was fun! Definitely a bit of a mad scientist post, so please let me know if you have any questions or if this was helpful and you want more. Perhaps a series on each piece of the puzzle?