A pain point in marketing is generally referring to a specific problem (thing causing pain) that people are feeling. The idea is simple. Find out what problems people have, fix it with your service or product, boom…. success.
Or at least that’s the idea.
Now that said. There’s a lot that goes into this. How do you take your service/product and make it fit other peoples pain points?
Or you can flip it and try to think.. how do you make people realize what you offer is in fact a pain point for them?
I am actually writing this article right now at a Realtor summit where I was hired to come do three breakout sessions on the realities of violence. Real Estate agents often find themselves alone on properties that aren’t inhabited by others, showing houses to people they’ve never met before, and at times in bad areas.
Prime bad guy territory. Now, that’s not to say the job is anymore dangerous than most other jobs, but it’s certainly been proven over the years that they can be targets as we have seen a rise in assaults in this field.
So, I find myself here wondering why the hundreds of people here decided not to show up for this breakout session? I am writing this article during one of the session times and no one showed up. In fact, no one showed up for the first on either….. uh oh…
Is it that they feel they are already prepared? Or that it will never happen to them? Or that they have already taken a “training” on the subject?
It’s interesting. We know these events happen, we know that generally speaking the vast majority of “self defense” training and lectures is lacking in honesty and filled with outdated information… or direct misinformation completely. And from outward appearance only (certainly unfair, but you can tell a lot from it) no one in here is physically prepared for a real violent attack.
So how do you take a group of people and make them realize, this is in fact a pain point. In Columbus last year, one in every 117 adults experienced physical violence. That’s not a big gap. That means in this building that I am standing in, there are at least 5 or 6 people that will experience violence this year.
Wonder if they realize that?
How is it that something so important, has been completely neglected in so many ways for so long, that even when it happens all around us, we don’t see the importance?
Just a week ago a lady was stabbed in the neck 5 times at a gas station just 5 blocks from this building by a random stranger on meth.
Her interview was reminiscent of countless others in the fact that she stated two of the most commonly heard lines ever:
“I never thought this could happen to me.”
and
“I am so afraid to leave my house now.”
The world is no less safe than it was before she was stabbed. The only difference is that we go through life not respecting the simple truth that these things happen all the time, in all cities, to all kinds of people, and often for no reason.
When we live life this way, of course we’re crushed and shattered when it does happen to us.
Ignorance is not bliss.
Well, it is… until it’s not.
Are you giving the safety of your self and your loved one the respect it deserves?
Is this one of your pain points?
If so, what are you doing about it?
If not… then why isn’t it?
What could possibly be more important than the health and safety of yourself and those you hold dear?
Be good, train hard, stay safe.
-aaron
Aaron Jannetti 