Harnessing Pain in Marketing: An Effective Strategy
Using pain in your marketing can be a highly effective tool. It can capture the attention of your prospective client and establish trust, which may seem counterintuitive. Why would anyone want to inflict pain or use pain as a way to make a sale?
The Mattress Ad
I recently heard an effective use of pain in an advertisement on the radio for a mattress company. Despite not being in the market for a new mattress, the ad caught my attention. The ad highlighted a problem with purchasing a mattress that I had never considered. They said, “When you buy a mattress from us, it has a birth date. We build that mattress on the day that you order it, and we ship it the next day. Our mattresses don’t sit in a muggy basement for months. It ships immediately.”
This statement was shocking. Do mattresses really sit in damp, muggy basements for months before they ship? Are they absorbing moisture for months? I don’t know. It would certainly be unethical if this statement weren’t true. However, what made the ad effective was presenting a problem that most people might not be aware of and then providing a solution. The ad reassures customers that when they buy a mattress from this company, it is made to order and shipped within 24 hours, offering peace of mind.
Applying Pain in Marketing and Sales Calls
For example, in music lessons, list all the different concerns parents might have: their child finding it boring, not liking it, or not wanting to practice. You can tap into the pain that the parent experienced as a child.
A statement like, “Did you hate music lessons as a child? We’d hate for history to repeat itself and for your child to experience the same thing,” can be powerful. While it assumes that many parents had a negative experience with music lessons, my surveys show that a majority did. Even parents who didn’t take music lessons might be aware of the negative experiences associated with them.
Leading with Pain and Providing Relief
Leading with a painful statement or one that triggers fear or concern engages the parent’s heart and builds trust.
You might say, “It’s not gonna happen here at our music school. Here’s why it’s not gonna happen.” Follow this with a concrete statement that reassures the parent. For example, “We use game mechanics and technology to make our music lessons fun and engaging.” This statement provides proof and may compel the parent to trust you or give your service a chance.
Building Trust Through Transparency
By pointing out a concern, pain point, or fear that the parent already has, you build trust.
They might think, “Oh my God, I can’t believe they’re pointing out this thing that I fear.” This transparency can sit well with them.
In the case of the mattress ad, presenting a concern that people might not even realize exists within the industry is even more alarming.
The combination of pain followed by a statement of relief takes a parent on an emotional journey that amplifies their desires.
It’s also great to use on the phone when talking to a parent. Having a memorized sentence that opens with a pain point, followed by a statement of relief and assurance, can help a parent like you, trust you, and view you as an authority.
The more parents like and trust you, the more likely they are to buy from you.
