How problems can become your secret weapon
In 2015, I was sat on a beach in Thailand with my laptop, living the digital nomad lifestyle, when I suddenly realised I wasn’t totally clear on the problem I was helping my clients to solve.
At the time, I was running a small business, designing and building websites for people. Most of whom, had come to me because they needed a website and it just so happened I could create one that looked great and worked well, at a fairly competitive price. Although I was always full of great ideas how things could be improved, I never actually stopped to ask them why they wanted a website; what problem were they trying to solve?
For some of them, the problem was that they didn’t have an online presence and they just needed something that represented them well to their customers. Others knew they needed a website, but weren’t exactly sure why; other than the fact everyone else had one. I eventually came to the realisation, that if I spent time digging down into the problem they were trying to solve, my solution might not have been the best one for them — a fairly worrying discovery at the time.
This is when I realised I had to focus on the bigger picture and broaden my knowledge of the digital marketing spectrum, in order to have the impact I was really hoping for. Since then, I have changed my focus from solutions to identifying problems, not just for customers, but also in my own personal and business life.
(Just as a side note, I don’t call them problems when talking to my customers as no one likes to admit they have problems!)
By being clear on the problems or challenges that exist, allows me to clearly identify if the solution is likely to fix it. Instead of looking where I want to get to and moving towards it, I first look at what is standing in the way.
I often see my clients talking about all of the benefits that their product or service brings, without first identifying the problem that they are helping their clients to solve. One of my mentors summed this up brilliantly when he said;
“in medicine, this would be classed as malpractice, prescription without diagnosis”
The solution you provide to your customers should always be evolving, because if it isn’t, it will eventually die. Focus on adding more value than anyone else and constantly engage with your customers to find out what needs to be improved. Some of the biggest companies in history no longer exist because they failed to keep their finger on the pulse and were too focused on their product or service rather than what the end user actually wants or needs.
Next time you are with a client, your main aim should be to identify the challenges they are currently facing and explore the solution together to ensure it is the right fit.
Give it a try and let me know the result in the comments below.
