WTF Is Your Problem?

I’m not being rude. Knowing the problem your small business solves creates a bold brand people love, setting you up for big-time business growth.

By Danielle K. Lambert

“You have to be able to tell me 1 thing: Wtf is your problem?”

That’s the biggest piece of advice I have for new business owners. (Followed closely by creating a personal brand as a business owner. Check that out if you’re ready to double down on your business growth!)

When you know the problem you solve for your dream clients, you hit the Marketing Ideas for Small Business Jackpot. All of a sudden, you know the deeper desires and needs of your customers.

That information makes it simple to come up with stand-out social media ideas for your veterinary clinic, consulting business, med spa… whatever else you do!

You can’t just use the literal problem you solve, though, if you want to attract dream clients

Frequently when I talk to startup business founders - or even established entrepreneurs - they’ll tell me that the service they offer is the problem they solve. No way, bébé!

That would be like finding your life partner by walking into a bar and saying, “Hey! You’re single. I’m single. Let’s get married!”

Saying “Your dog needs to be neutered, and I neuter dogs” doesn’t inspire a deep emotional connection to your business’ brand, you know?

I need to know why I give a f*ck, you know? If IDGAF about the problem you solve, IDGAF about becoming or staying your client.

I love how Emily Heyward puts it in her book, Obsessed: Building a Brand from Day 1.

Heyward says, “To build a brand that people truly fall in love with, that goes beyond a practical solution and actually becomes a valued part of their lives, you have to identify more than just the obvious need (or needs) you’re answering.”

I only work with business founders who have the goal of creating a brand that dream clients can’t resist.

To get to the emotional depths of the real problem you fix, you gotta make me give a f*ck.

Let’s say you consult on mentorship programs for independently-owned businesses. Your dream client is a business owner close to retirement looking for people who might want to buy their business so it stays independent.

I’d pretend I’m your dream client, and you’re responding to my objections. (Heads up - I would never sell to a client this aggressively. I’m not that wild.)

But here’s how it would go:

I’d ask you, “Why do I give an f about a mentorship program for my small business?”

You’d respond “Because today’s employees want mentorship, so you need to offer it if you want to recruit a future partner or buyer.”

I’d again ask you, “But why do I give an f about that?”

“Because the corporate groups offer mentorship, so they’ll steal all the talent if you don’t do the same. You’ll never find someone who will be interested in buying into your practice.”

Again, clarifying that I’m being this annoying for a reason, I’d ask “Why do I give an f about that?”

“Your independently-owned businesses will have to sell to corporate without another option."

“But why do I give an f about that?”

"It would be a personal failure to see your business sold to corporate, as it would bother you deeply to see corporates continue to take over.”

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When it starts to get juicy, you’re close to the real problem you solve

If you marketed the first response above, you’d just be saying, “You need a mentorship program!” Accurate, but a pretty - yawn - you know? It’s a message that could resonate with a lot of people, not just your dream client. But it’s so boring it will register with no one. Again - YAWN.

I don’t do boring brands.

So I’d tell you to look at the last response you gave me. The “it would be a personal failure and something that would bother you on an ethical level” vibe is getting closer to a real problem.

Already, you can imagine putting out content that speaks empathy into that deeper problem:

“You see yourself as a steward to the future of the profession. Let’s set up the mentorship program that becomes your legacy.” That’s much more likely to grab your dream client’s attention than, “You need a mentorship program!” It starts to tell them why they need what you sell.

You can take the “Make Me GAF” exercise really far so that the problem you solve is one word

Like I could say, “Why do I give a f*ck about personal failure and seeing corporates take over?”

You’d respond, “It would mean your life’s work was a waste.”

And I say the problem is… “You’re gonna die.”

Ok - death is a touch dramatic, even for me. So when we hit the end of the road of reasons to care, I usually look back at the responses right before that for the problem.

In this case, I see the problem as “I need my legacy to mean something.”

Knowing the deeper problem you solve for your dream clients is what makes your content (social media, podcasts, etc.) attract dream clients to you!

Now that you know your dream client needs their legacy to mean something in the fight against corporate takeover, you can create social media posts that convey an overall understanding of their desire and empathy for their situation.

For example, a post with the following vibe would show your dream client you “see them.”

• I know it seems like you will just have to sell to corporate when you retire. You don’t want to see that, and neither do I. So here’s the reality: Improving your mentorship program could call in the best future owner of your business!

Immediately your content is going to stand out from everyone else just saying “MENTORSHIP IS IMPORTANT!” Your dream client knows you get their whole vision, and they’re easily sold on working with you over any other service provider.

That’s how knowing the deeper problem content sells your dream clients

That’s why I’m forever surprised by how many business owners tend to skip this step. If you’re ready to stand out and sell to the kind of people you want to work with, don’t overlook the “Make Me Give a F*ck” exercise.

(NEXT: Want help? Get on the waitlist to work with me.)