Pain Points and Catered Solutions

What is a Pain Point?

Has this happened to you? A signal lights up on your dashboard and you don’t even know what the symbol means, except that you’re likely going to end up with less money in your pocket than before it appeared. That’s likely why many of us have a love-hate relationship with these little warning signs. While we’re grateful they alert us of potential dangers, we know we must address those bright warning signs to avoid future pain.

Pain points in business, those unresolved issues that cause you and/or your customer inconvenience or dissatisfaction, keep you from performing at your best. As a business owner, it’s vital to know your company’s and your customer’s pain points and address them properly. Doing so lets you improve your processes and positions you to scale, as you offer solutions that fit your customer’s needs.?

?Just as a warning sign on your car dashboard is a pain point, and one that could signal a larger problem, ignoring business pain points can keep you from reaching your destination safely. Sometimes the issue is small and you can resolve it internally, like filling up your gas tank. Other times, it requires you to seek professional help, like replacing brakes. Let’s examine some common warning signs your business may face and the solutions to get you back on the road to success.?

3 Common Company Pain Points

If you went to the mechanic for new brakes and they said, “Sure, we’ll put in a new engine,” that wouldn’t make sense. One solution doesn’t solve all issues. The same principle applies to pain points. Be aware that one pain point may leak into other areas of your business, so it can be challenging to find the core issue. To discover your pain points, practice listening to your customers and your team members – specifically your sales team. You’ll likely find that your issues relate to one of these three pain points:?

1. Time
2. Knowledge
3. Experience?

Let’s look at each pain point and get to work. Pass the wrench!?

1.) Time

Is distraction harming your traction? According to Zipdo, practicing effective time management salvages 20 percent of work time and increases your ability to meet deadlines by 57 percent. Think about your day-to-day work schedule. Are you and your team focused on what’s truly essential or are you spread thin, juggling a million different tasks? You could prioritize business development and scale your business by improving your team’s time management skills and by focusing more purposefully on achieving your goals.?

Speaking of business goals and the objectives you’d LIKE to accomplish in 2024, if they relate to increasing your brand presence and boosting sales, your company would benefit from an aligned strategic marketing communication plan. But, are you hindered by lack of time??

You’d LIKE to craft a strategic marketing plan.?

You’d LIKE to update your website.

You’d LIKE to post more on social media.?

You’d LIKE to have the time to do these things!

Successful business leaders recognize that effective marketing is critical for scaling. Yet, with 54 percent of small business owners stating inflation is a top concern and 38 percent of failed startups citing running out of capital as a major contributor to their decline, could it be a time management issue? Some owners assume that the marketing efforts needed to grow their businesses will cost them a pretty penny and much of their already-spread-thin attention. This creates hesitation to seek a marketing agency for help. However, according to Semrush, the majority of business owners –? 94 percent to be exact – outsource some or all of their marketing activities. Why? It saves time AND money. Outsourcing to a marketing firm may be more cost-effective, as it eliminates the salary and benefits costs related to managing these tasks internally, as well as the tools and resources needed to complete these tasks effectively. Additionally, firms are efficient experts at what they do. With an understanding of your industry and your business goals and objectives, you confidently leave the planning, executing, and analyzing to the marketing firm, which leaves you and your team with TIME to focus on running your business.?

2.) Knowledge

The two top reasons why businesses outsource marketing efforts are because they don’t have in-house expertise or resources, according to Semrush. What’s great about marketing firms? They have both! Think of them as mechanics with packed toolboxes. From optimizing your SEO to relationship management, marketing firms know the necessary steps for success and how to implement them effectively.?

Your business expertise is in your industry. Social media video content creation likely is not your area of expertise, but it’s something you need to care about. Why? According to a NerdWallet survey, 42 percent of consumers find small businesses to support through social media. How do you use these platforms to your advantage? How do you know your services are reaching the right users? How do you create engaging posts? Instead of learning how to conceptualize, schedule, film, edit, and promote visual materials, outsource this need to a marketing firm that can hit the ground running and get your content rolling in the right direction.?

3.) Experience

Albert Einstein said, “Information is not knowledge. The only source of knowledge is experience.” I might know what a wrench is and why it’s a valuable tool, but that doesn’t make me a professional car mechanic. Knowledge and experience go hand in hand. Let’s take building your brand presence as an example. Most business owners recognize why branding is valuable, but they lack the knowledge to build their brand. They don’t possess a marketing firm’s experience in developing tailored brand guides, whose communication professionals breed confidence in companies by creating unique, catered solutions to their pain points.

Tap a Pro to Relieve Your Aches

Struggling to create a balance sheet? Need a legal document? Business owners don’t hesitate to turn to professionals such as accountants and lawyers to address issues they lack the time, knowledge, or experience to handle. When it comes to marketing communication pain points needed to reach your goals, why wing it or go it alone? If your pain points include unfocused or unclear messages, or roadblocks to reaching your ideal customer, tap a dedicated, seasoned professional who is the most capable of handling and soothing such branding pain points. They’ll collaboratively work with you to develop catered solutions that steer your company in the right direction and help you achieve your business goals.

Author: Kelly Van Fossen

January 29, 2024