Don’t Sell Features, Solve a Problem

Effective advertising addresses the desires and issues of your customers. It offers your products or services as solutions to their problems. Advertising product features alone is a less effective strategy than using problem-solving techniques and benefits in your marketing campaigns. 

Solving your customer’s problems adds value and shows that your business understands your customers’ needs. In addition, incorporating these techniques into your advertising can turn around your sales if your business is not making money with your current marketing strategies.

What Are Features?

Many businesses believe they have to market the features of their products or services to create effective ads. Features are the positive attributes of your product and focus only on the products you are selling. They don’t offer your customers added value or solutions to their problems. 

Your customers may have a problem determining if a product will work for them if you only list its features. Features alone don’t offer your customers value and won’t help your sales unless you demonstrate how the features will benefit them. 

Many companies use this tactic because they believe advertisements using feature-benefit will increase sales of their products. Feature-benefit sales tap into the customer’s desires and offer products to fulfill the consumer’s needs. 

Every feature mentioned is tied to a potential benefit of the product to help produce an emotional connection. This helps the customer understand how the product or service can improve their life. To know what benefits will work to motivate your customers, you need to understand their problems. 

Problem Solving

What is problem-solving, and why is it important? Problem-solving helps you define a problem and understand the cause. Using effective problem-solving steps enables you to identify possible solutions and determine which one is best. 

Problem-solving can help you better understand complex situations and develop good ideas to resolve the issue. Any business can attempt to solve complex problems for their clients by following these steps:

1. Identify and Define the Problem 

For business owners, this means understanding the needs of your customers. Figure out what kind of problems they have or where they need help. Read customer feedback or listen to what customers are saying.

Try to identify one major issue your services or products could help solve. Understanding how the problem occurs can help you find a solution. 

2. Generate Possible Solutions

Once you’ve identified one fundamental problem, look at the products and services you sell. Which ones can help solve your client’s problems? Next, how will your products solve the problem you’ve identified? Finally, you can make a list of how your products help them solve the problem.

3. Evaluate the Solutions

Effective problem solvers can come up with the right solution for the key problem. After you’ve narrowed down your products, evaluate which one offers your customer the best solution. Make sure your solutions provide your customers with value.

4. Implement Your Solution

To complete the problem-solving process, you’ll have to implement your solution. For businesses, that means incorporating your products and the solutions they offer into your marketing campaigns. 

Using these problem-solving techniques can help you find practical solutions to your customer’s problems without feeling overwhelmed. Following these steps ensures you’re solving the right problem.

Why Solving Problems is More Effective

Problem-solving helps you relay the benefits of your products. Instead of listing dozens of features, you’re showing your clients how your product benefits them by solving their problems. 

Customers are more receptive if they believe you’re helping them. Using problem-solving techniques and value selling helps develop trust with your customers and can increase your sales.

Problem-solving helps your business stand out from all the others. You’re offering proof to your customers that your products make their lives easier. You’re connecting the dots between your customer’s needs and problems and your products as the solution. 

Using problem-solving methods can help determine the sales cycle of your business. This cycle is the process every customer goes through before making a purchase. It includes your customer’s initial awareness they have a need or problem and their journey to finding and purchasing a solution. 

Advertisements and marketing campaigns that solve problems help speed up your sales cycle. They help your customers become more aware of their needs and the difficult problems they need solved. Customers will consider your product and the value it brings them. Providing proof that your product solves their problem can help your customers decide to purchase your product.

Types of Ads That Use Problem Solving 

Problem-solving advertisements work for all businesses and industries, including locally-owned restaurants, mechanics, and real estate agents. You can even use problem-solving techniques for targeted local ads like bench ads for realtors.

Problem-solving methods can be found in all forms of advertising. This includes indoor advertising in grocery checkout lanes or on grocery carts and baskets. 

You can even use problem-solving techniques for marketing your business online. For example, mechanics and local auto body shops can bring in new customers by offering social media solutions to common auto repair.

Start Solving Problems in Your Ads

If your business isn’t pleased with your current advertising strategy outcomes, you may need to change things up. Moving from features-based marketing to problem-solving marketing increases the value you’re offering to your customers. Consider hiring a marketing or advertising company that provides problem-solving strategies.

IndoorMedia provides businesses like yours with hyperlocal advertising and marketing solutions using problem-solving skills. Our proven techniques help build your brand recognition and boost interest in the products or services your company offers. Our innovative indoor media options will deliver results for you. Contact us for a free quote for your business.