I want you to fully see the problem.
If you’ve ever said some version of..
- I do everything but what am I an expert at?
- It’s harder to explain what I do because we really can go in so many directions that it depends on the person on what we truly do and their individual results
- I often have the vibes of what I’m talking about but can’t always put my finger on directly what I’m trying to say—it can feel like I’m writing a book about it, talking in circles
- What I actually do and what I think/say I do are totally different and that’s why my messaging isn’t hitting
- I feel like my peers are communicating what I do better than I do even though my offer/service/products are 10x better
- It feels challenging to communicate I don’t JUST do X, it’s so much deeper than that and I don’t want to water down what I do
- I feel like I have to put myself in a box so my work lands
- I think people find my work a fun/interesting/eye-opening concept but they don’t really grasp why they need to pay for it now
…you probably can’t name the EXACT problem you solve for people because you truly can do it all and why limit yourself and other people by going so micro?
Making… your problem, the problem.
So let me ask you this:
👉What is THE core problem you’re solving for your right and ready-to-pay people?
🚨These are NOT acceptable answers:
😵💫They’ll become more confident
👉This isn’t a problem nor is it measurable
😵You’ll have food freedom
👉This is not a problem. This is an unrealistic outcome no one should literally ever be selling
😵They can’t set boundaries
👉This is an incredibly elusive problem and it’s obvious. If someone can’t set boundaries it means they’ve tried and they still can’t, so what’s the actual problem?
😵I help people get stronger
👉This is not a problem. It’s a desire.
😵The problem I solve is helping people style themselves in clothes they enjoy and feel comfortable in
👉This isn’t a problem. It’s a symptom of the outcome
🎉These ARE acceptable answers:
✅Athletes post collegiate career as don’t know who they are once their life isn’t scheduled for them with sports/practices. They have no idea who they are and couldn’t tell you two things they actually like beyond their sport. Core problem: I don’t know who I am and want to get into community again but I’m not sure how or where to start because I don’t know what I like.
🎉Could you say this person wants to be confident in this new chapter of their life? Sure. That’s not measurable though. If someone can’t see a measurable outcome that stems directly from their core problem, your work will sound amazing, but feel too elusive for them. Confidence is a result of competence, which means mastering a skill. If you’re solving 32085 problems that aren’t the actual problem, you’re selling that you’ll solve superficial frustrations. You’re also requiring the client to master so many skills that success is less likely.
✅You’re a queer person who’s exploring their identity through clothes and new ways to style yourself but don’t know where to start because pinterest only caters to straight people. You want to have a clear direction of your style and at least 3 core outfits you can work with and build off of. Core problem: I’m a queer person going through the newness of coming out and exploring my style and my identity at the same time and need a visual direction of how to style myself with at least a few core outfits I can trust and work from.
🎉Saying people will enjoy their clothes and feel comfortable is a symptom of solving the core problem.
In the least dramatic way possible, there are about 8 months left in the year (according to my head math which is pretty unreliable) and these 8 months could be the best you’ve ever had in your business.
Most people sell frustrations, annoyances, and other vague things because they don’t have a measurable or tangible problem they can name. Why? Because they can do everything and don’t want to limit themselves or their clients to the potential outcomes/transformations they can have.
But without naming, clarifying, and simplifying the measurable problem you have you’ll stay exactly where you are right now.
If you want..
- People to get what you do and pay for it
- Make it easy for your right and ready clients to find you
- Ensure the path to pay you is as easy as possible for the most clear and fast sign ups/checkouts/applications etc possible
- Have the ready-to-pay people PAYING you without you having to explain what you do
- To stop trying to get people on board with your work because you have to convince people why the nuance you go into is so important
Here’s my homework question for you:
👉What is THE core problem you’re solving for your right and ready-to-pay people?
Follow up Q’s:
- Is it feeling based? If so, it’s not tangible or measurable.
- Can you not answer it because you’re trying to solve too many problems?
- Are you solving actual problems or someone's frustrations?
So many people bang their head against a wall for years, wondering what they are missing.
If you haven’t hit the level of success you want yet, you may be making some of the same mistakes they are.