I am an extraordinarily happy person. I have been accused, more than a few times, of being too cheerful for my own good {except first thing in the morning—that has never happened}. I see the glass half full, the positive side, the best possible outcome.
Except when I meet a new client. Because while I can see the outcome that I can bring and I get excited about it I also know, one fact:
Pain sells and possibility retains.
Pain sells more than any benefit, any remarkable change, any miraculous testimonial ever will.
Possibility keeps your clients going, when they are at their wits and wondering the next breakthrough is even possible.
My business clients are, generally speaking, horrified by the idea of any type of pain. I mean I get this…you’re saying things like:
“I don’t want to be depressing…I love what I can do….I can’t possibly talk about the bad side of things—they’re here to buy!”
Yes, they are here to buy. And, what likely triggered them to come wasn’t to gain the benefits you can provide…it was to avoid the pain they are already in.
And, if you can use your client’s pains and possibilities as you educate them you’re ten times more likely to see the results of your dreams and to watch your clients hit their goals time and time again thanks to their insane motivation.
So how do you harness these cues?
From a psychological perspective, pain and possibility are primal cues. The therapist’s daughter in me has always been fascinated that deep down, we’re often motivated by our subconscious brain that’s been around for a long time.
So let’s take a journey to our caveman past and imagine how, without the help of google, they managed to not just survive, but thrive.
Pain is an easy one for our caveman ancestors. In fact, my now 7 year old, was remarkably primitive as a 1-3 year old.
Hot fire=Hurts=Don’t touch.
Red Berry=Sick after eaten=Don’t eat.
Lessons are learned fast when pain is involved and we’re quick to adapt our habits to avoid that pain. Yes, that means that people will hire an assistant to avoid collapsing under too much work, call that graphic designer after they’ve beat their head against a computer for six hours or show up at the gym at 5 AM against all of their urges for sleep.
They’ve rallied against pain.
The problem is that while pain subconsciously triggers your clients to reach out to you, most haven’t really identified what this problem is really doing to their life. They sense they’re frustrated, they may have literal physical pain, but is it really that big of a deal? In order to drive them towards purchasing your services, you have to allow your clients to verbalize what that pain looks like.
Now, if this is sounding way too 50 Shades of Grey, don’t worry…it’s much easier {and less painful} that it sounds.
But before we get there, I can’t forget pleasure.
Two years ago, I was diagnosed with Graves Disease, which is simply a disorder where your thyroid produces too much hormone. My mother also has Grave’s Disease, except 20 years ago it was an under diagnosed condition and after a year of heart problems, she finally had her thyroid removed with radioactive medicine. It remains one of the scariest moments of my life.
So, while I’d known something was wrong with my thyroid for two months, I avoided it like the plague. I was terrified of having my life change the way my mother’s had.
Once, I landed myself in the hospital with a 150 beat per minute heart rate, that fear changed….you’ve never seen someone get to a doctor faster.
The treatment plan was simple—medicine to slow the thyroid down—and a recommendation to see a functional medicine doctor. That doctor dramatically changed my diet, shifting me to a Paleo regimen that left this Louisiana girl in tears….no rice, no beans…had she ever been to New Orleans on a Monday?
But, after a week I felt good. After two weeks, I felt great. After a month, I looked like a different person.
And, when I stared down a KingCake or saw Peeps land on the shelf at Easter, my pleasure was so high in my body without sugar or wheat or dairy, that I was able to keep going.
Pleasure was my retention.
Your clients are the same way. Pain may drive them in, but pleasure keeps them going when they’re confronted with their greatest obstacles, their deepest desires and their strongest fears.
So…how do you harness these primal cues?
It all comes down to knowing your Core Client.
Many of you have created an avatar. If not, an avatar is not just a James Cameron movie. It’s simply an imaginary ideal client. If you could take all of your clients and combine only their similarities, you’d have your ideal Core Client.
You know how old your client is, their sex, their general demographics, maybe even what their days look like. This is all helpful, but to really change your client’s purchasing
I need you to go a step further.
I’d like you to build 10 moments in your Core Client’s life.
What are the five worst moments this problem has led them to?
What are the five best moments they’ve had in overcoming it, in moving beyond it, in living without it?
And, where do you fit into to having them leave behind those worst moments and live in the best?
Now, if you want to dive in a little bit more, I’ve sat down with my amazing counselor mother {who ran a few insanely successful businesses in her day} and built out a workbook we use when we’re building these top ten moments in our Core Client’s lives. We use these moments in all of our marketing, in the questions we ask our prospects and even when we’re dreaming up new programs and services to offer. It’s that important. Click Here to Download Your Copy Now
