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Gone are the days when customers made decisions with little to no prior research. Now, with the abundance of information available online, buyers do the majority of their research before they even jump on a sales call. This shift has placed unprecedented importance on marketing and its role in influencing buyer decisions. And, the key to truly impacting this decision-making process? Trust.
When we are seriously interested in something, that’s when we start to research its problems.
Think about yourself in any high stakes buying situation. Perhaps the last time you bought a car. A pram. A house. Before handing over your money, did you actively seek out all the pros and cons related to that product?
I’m sure the answer is a resounding “yes”. People want to know what they’re getting into before they step into the ring.
So, why don’t companies address their problems?
Because it’s a negative. Smart companies today are addressing those problems upfront and addressing the elephant in the room.
It’s smart because buyers are already looking up problems. In fact, in Australia, there are over 3.8 million monthly Google searches with the phrase “problems” in the search term.
If you’re talking about the problems and buyers are searching for this, then who are they going to read about this from? That’s right, you.
And if you do this, you’re controlling the narrative about the problems of your own service or product.
While it may seem counterintuitive, talking about what could go wrong is a powerful way to earn trust, and by the end of this article, you’re going to see why this approach ultimately gets you more customers. And most importantly, you’re going to know how to do this for your business.
Reasons Why Talking About What Could Go Wrong with Your Product/Service Works
We only search for problems with something when we’re serious about buying something. If someone is going to search for problems with your product/service category, isn’t it better if your brand comes up for that query and owns the conversion instead of someone else?
In an era where buyers are more informed, the traditional marketing approach of highlighting only the positives of your product or service no longer is enough. Today, buyers are more discerning and seek comprehensive information, including potential drawbacks, before making a decision.
Discussing the potential issues or limitations of your product or service might seem risky at first glance.
However, this transparency is exactly what builds trust with your potential customers.
When you openly talk about the negatives, you’re not just providing information; you’re demonstrating honesty and integrity. This approach resonates with buyers who value candour and are wary of overly polished sales pitches.
This dynamic makes it much easier to get the sale, because you’re coming from a place of education as opposed to persuasion. This builds trust, and trust facilitates the buying process.
Differentiating Yourself from the Competition
By discussing what could go wrong, you also differentiate yourself from competitors who may choose to avoid such topics.
In a market where most are vying for attention by showcasing perfection, your willingness to be upfront about flaws is a breath of fresh air for customers.
This not only helps in attracting customers who appreciate transparency but also filters out those who might not be the right fit for your product or service, ultimately leading to a more satisfied and loyal customer base, which leads to the next point.
Weeding Out Bad-Fit Prospects
Addressing potential problems with your product or service not only builds trust but also plays a crucial role in filtering out bad-fit prospects.
When you’re transparent about the limitations, it helps potential customers self-select. This means that those who proceed are more likely to be satisfied with their purchase because they have a clear understanding of what to expect.
This filtering process is beneficial for both the customer and your business.
For the customer, it reduces the likelihood of disappointment or buyer’s remorse. This leads to better educated customers and more qualified leads.
Helps You Have a Better Experience with Customers
Addressing potential problems helps you get in front of the issues to create realistic expectations so that you have a better experience with your customers.
Often, angry or upset customers are a direct result of expectations not being realistic or set from the start. So, by discussing potential problems or shortcomings of your product or service, you end up having a better relationship with your customer.
You might object to this and say something like: “We don’t have a problems article, and we have 2,000 5-star reviews on Google. We don’t need that.”
To that, we would ask, is there a chance you are missing out on enquiries because prospects are reading about your products problems from someone else?
The answer is a resounding yes.
Now that you know why it’s important to talk about what could go wrong, how can you actually go about doing this without ruining your brand image?
The Right Way to Talk About What Could Go Wrong
In addressing the potential shortcomings of your products or services, the key is not just to list the problems but to frame them in a way that asserts your expertise and builds trust.
One effective approach is to write from the perspective of someone for whom your product might not be the right fit. RiverPools has an amazing article which writes from this perspective.
This honest admission can help you connect with the right customers and weed out those who are not a good match, saving time and resources for both parties.
Addressing problems should be fearless.
It’s about being an honest and authentic voice in your industry. By openly discussing the common objections raised by customers, you can help them make more informed, confident buying decisions.
Here are three steps to writing about problems:
- Identify the problem
- Find the right angle
- Show a solution
1. Identify the Problem
Your sales and customer service/support teams probably already know the potential drawbacks of your product/service. As such, it’s not so much about brainstorming the problems, but instead asking them which problems to talk about.
In that conversation, you can make a list of bad fit personas, industries and people. In addition, you can lay out all the problems that people may experience with your solutions and can then even go into sub problems.
How do you decide which problems are worth talking about?
A simple way to evaluate if a problem is worth disclosing is if it will affect your customer’s overall experience with your offering.
For example, could it lead to them not accomplishing their intended goal? Could it lead to spending more money? Is it something that would lead to them writing a poor review?
If the answer is true to any of these questions, you’re best off addressing it in your content in some way.
2. Fight the Right Angle
Problems’ content can take many forms. Here’s some examples:
- “The top X problems with Y”
- “The X problems with Y you’re likely to miss”
- “The most common problems rookies may experience and how to avoid them”
- “Why is X not working and what you can do about it”
- “The X Reasons Why Y Fails”
- “X Reasons Why Y Isn’t the Right Choice for You.” NOTE: Don’t be afraid to write this from the perspective of someone who isn’t right for you or your services. This kind of honesty will only help you weed out bad-fit prospects without wasting man-hours from your sales team
All of these are different approaches, but they all come back to the same goal: Being open and honest about the experience someone will have with your product or service.
3.Show a Solution
Always share a solution to every problem.
Sometimes the solution is something you have already solved or offer. If that’s the case, then share that. Other times though, be humble enough to show alternatives if an alternative solution is better than your own in a particular case.
To do this, describe the problem or shortcoming, explain why it exists or what causes it, and then present the solution you use to help your customers overcome this problem.
Topics like “X Challenges & How to Avoid Them” put solutions front and center, so this is a great angle to use to show solutions.
Now that you know how to write content about problems with your products/services, what’s next?
Examples of Problem Articles
Here’s some examples of problem articles we’ve written:
- Problems with Inbound Marketing
- Problems with Paid Media Agencies
- 4 Common Mistakes that ‘They Ask, You Answer’ Coaches Make & How to Avoid Them
Here’s some examples from our clients:
Here’s some examples from our Partner at Impact+:
- The Problems with Working with a HubSpot Partner Agency – IMPACT
- The Most Frustrating Problems With Inbound Marketing
- 5 Ways Launchpad Websites Go Wrong (and how to avoid these mistakes)
And here’s some examples from other brands:
- Top Fiberglass Pool Problems and Solutions – River Pools and Spas
- The 10 Most Common Mistakes You See in a T-shirt Quilt
- What is Hyaluronic Acid and Should I Use It?
So, What’s Next?
Embracing transparency in discussing your product’s or service’s potential issues is more than a marketing strategy; it’s a commitment to honesty and customer satisfaction.
Remember, the goal isn’t to highlight flaws for the sake of transparency, but to guide customers towards making the best decision for their needs, ensuring a positive experience with your brand.
As you implement these strategies, you’ll find that discussing what could go wrong doesn’t drive customers away; instead, it brings the right ones closer.
So, start brainstorming your product/service shortcomings and produce content around this. Just get started. Now. Go.
After that, you might want to look at the other best types of content to write for your brand in this guide: Best 5 Topics to Drive Traffic, Leads and Sales.
