Can you sharpen your positioning + messaging? Part 4

“Change happens when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change.” - Tony Robbins

Want to articulate what motivates your target buyer to change?

You're in the right spot. 

If you're just joining us, we're in the middle of a series on the 5 key buying criteria to uncover in client interviews.

Here are emails one, two, and three in the series.

Let's jump into the third buying criteria. 

Buying Criteria #3: What caused them to finally make a switch

Goal: To learn the trigger that transformed the issue from a yeah-we’ll-deal-with-it-someday problem into a bleeding-neck priority. 

Why this is important: Communicating this breaking point in your marketing declares that you get them and that you know how to solve their problem. It gets your future buyers leaning in and saying, “Hey, how did you know that?”

Continuing with the previous example, you learn that what caused your current family law firm clients to switch was their account manager at the old agency, who seemed emotionally disconnected and uninterested in helping. The straw that broke the camel’s back? When they went three months without a new case from their SEO, they were met with consistent indifference from their account manager. They realized the situation wasn’t going to change, and they needed to start shopping around for a better agency ASAP.

To be continued tomorrow.

CQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the third buying criteria in this series?

Understanding what caused a buyer to finally make a switch, the specific trigger that transformed a "we'll deal with it someday" issue into an urgent, bleeding-neck priority.

Why does identifying this trigger matter so much for marketing?

Because naming that exact breaking point in marketing signals real understanding of the buyer's situation. It creates a reaction of "how did you know that?" which builds instant credibility.

What was the actual trigger in the family law firm example?

An emotionally disconnected, uninterested account manager at their previous agency, combined with going three months without a new case from their SEO. That combination of neglect and lack of results was the final straw.

Why does the "trigger" matter more than just the underlying problem itself?

Because the underlying problem might have existed for a while without prompting action. The trigger is what actually pushes someone from tolerating an issue to urgently seeking a new solution, and marketing that speaks to that moment resonates more directly.

How should this trigger information actually be used in marketing?

By articulating it directly in messaging, so future buyers experiencing a similar breaking point recognize themselves immediately and feel understood, rather than reading generic language that doesn't reflect their specific situation.