Lead With the Problem You Solve
Practical ways to lead with the problem you solve, so listeners immediately see why you matter.
Start where it hurts. Problem first, product second.
10 tips that really help
These ideas come from Building a StoryBrand (Donald Miller), Pitch Anything (Oren Klaff), Made to Stick (Chip Heath and Dan Heath), and everyday practice. The first six help the most. Pick one and try it today.
People care about their own problems first
Opening with the challenge they face earns attention faster than describing your company.
Start with their pain.
Name the problem in their words
Using the phrases customers use proves you listened and makes the problem feel real to them.
Check your notes for phrases.
Show you understand the cost
Explain what the problem costs in time, money or worry so the listener feels the stakes.
Add one figure.
Then present your solution
After they nod at the problem, explain simply how you help and what changes.
Link the solution to the pain.
Avoid starting with features
Features mean little until the listener sees how they solve something they care about.
Reorder your pitch.
Start with a question
A question such as do you ever lose customers after a first visit? brings the problem to life.
Write two questions.
Be sincere, not dramatic
Describe the problem with calm honesty rather than fear, so the listener trusts your intentions.
Check your tone.
Do not dwell too long
One or two sentences on the problem is enough before moving to hope and solution.
Trim your opening.
Offer hope clearly
After naming the difficulty, show that a practical path forward exists.
Add a positive line.
Test different problems with different people
Observe which problem statement makes people lean in, and use that one more often.
Track reactions in your notes.
Easy things to say
When you are stuck, pick one of these. They work in many sales conversations.
“Many owners lose hours to stock counts.”
“It adds up to a full day each month.”
“They would rather spend that time with customers.”
“That is where we come in.”
“Do you face that too?”
“Thanks for listening.”
Your first week
One small action a day. Each day is only a little bigger than the last.
Write the problem in one sentence
Test it with a customer
Put it first in your pitch
Add the cost
Add the hope
Bridge to your solution
Refine
Further reading
- Building a StoryBrand (Donald Miller)
- Pitch Anything (Oren Klaff)
- Made to Stick (Chip Heath and Dan Heath)
The tips above are written in our own words and are general guidance. The books are suggestions for further reading.
More lessons in “Tell Stories That Sell”
Keep going. Small steps every day make a big change.
← Previous: Cut the JargonNext: Make the Benefit Obvious →
- Why Stories Beat Statistics
- The Simple Story Shape: Problem, Struggle, Win
- Make the Customer the Hero
- Find Stories in Your Everyday Work
- Keep It Short, Keep It Real
- Add One Vivid Detail
- End Every Story With a Point
- Collect Stories While They Are Fresh
- The Before, During and After Story
- Use Real Numbers Honestly
- Tell a Story Like Your Customer Would
- Match the Story to the Buyer
- Case Studies People Actually Read
- Ask for Testimonials Without Awkwardness
- Your Ten-Second Introduction
- The One-Sentence Pitch
- Cut the Jargon
- Lead With the Problem You Solve
- Make the Benefit Obvious
- Use Simple Words and Short Sentences
- The Message Test: Can They Repeat It?
- Open With a Hook
- The Three-Point Presentation
- Slides That Support, Not Distract
- Demo the Result, Not the Features
- Use Pauses Like a Pro
- Handle Questions Mid-Presentation
- Close Your Presentation Strongly
- Hold the Room Without Shouting
- Use Your Hands and Eyes
- Control Your Pace Under Pressure
- Recover From a Slip
- Pitch to One Person or Twenty
- Pitch Over Video With Energy
- A One-Page Proposal That Wins
- Open With Their Problem, Not Your Company
- Show Options: Good, Better, Best
- Make Pricing Easy to Understand
- Add a Clear Next Step
- Proofread Like a Professional
