3 Simple Methods To Find Your Customer’s Pain Points

Be honest, if two salespeople called you while you’re at work, which of these two opening lines would keep you on the phone?

1. “Hello! I’m calling to offer a fast and easy way to boost your revenue. Can we talk?”
2. “Hello, I’ve been analysing your customer’s public feedback and I think our platform can help you understand your customer’s experiences better. Can I ask why you think your current strategy isn’t working?”

For most people, the second line would show that the salesperson did their homework and understands that the core problem isn’t ‘low revenue’ but actually ‘bad customer experiences’ –which ultimately lead to a dismal ROI.

This is why it’s important that you uncover the real pain points your customers are struggling with. You’ll find that when you do, your customer profiles will be more realistic, your outreach efforts more effective and your business more relevant for targeted leads.

Here are the simplest ways to zero in on your customer’s pain points so you can start attracting the right people to grow your business.

1. Ask your customers

In the simplest terms, pain points are problems. They plague your prospective customers and only by understanding these problems will you be able to position your business as a solution. And there’s no better way to unearth what’s troubling your customers than asking them directly.

For startups with no existing customers, you can reach out with an email that goes something like this:

‘Hey Michelle, 

I’ll keep it short because we’re both busy. I’m working on a new startup and I’ve noticed you’re very vocal online about the lack of solutions for sales teams on a budget. I think your opinion would really help me go in the right direction. Do you mind if I send you a few questions so I can build something that will help you out?’

If you do have existing customers then it’s much simpler to get a response. They already know you and recognise your business as a solution to a specific problem. Pulling this information out of your existing customers can be as simple as making a quick phone call or sending a short email. You could also meet over coffee meetup or lunch.

Wordstream took it a step further and invited 11 customers to a ’roundtable event’ to get their open and honest feedback. This is a particularly smart tactic as it strengthens the relationship with their customers and exposes pain points that even the most detailed survey could never capture.

2. Check what they’re reading online

You already know about researching keywords to see what your customers are Googling, but taking a deeper look at what books and blogs they’re consuming is an underestimated tactic.

From Quora and Reddit to Amazon Books, there are plenty of sites where your customers are asking questions and leaving their thoughts. You can look for relevant threads, check the blogs posts they find useful and scroll through the most popular books in your industry.

If you have time to spare, head over to Amazon and check the reviews for the books your customers are reading. Between the hating and criticism, you’ll find what they were hoping to learn from the book and what they still have problems with. (Pro tip: Focus on the 3 and 4-star reviews to get the most information.)

3. Dig into social media

People like to vent online – and what better place to rant and ramble than on social media?

Social media has a lot to offer when it comes to finding pain points. If you sift through the cat videos and political rants, you’ll find exactly what’s knocking around in your customers’ minds.

If you’re using social channels like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to find prospects, you can easily check what groups they’re active in and what they’re posting. Groups are particularly juicy sources for complaints, questions, and calls for aid.

Hashtags are another unsuspecting goldmine for customer insights. Check what people are using and what they’re discussing under them. If you have something useful to add to the conversation, go ahead and chime in so they can begin to familiarise themselves with your name.

Once you know what’s truly nagging your prospects, you can begin to plug that information into your marketing strategy, sales scripts, and prospecting tools so you can scrape up the most relevant connections.

With Triggr, you can quickly generate top-of-funnel prospects complete with contact details and social media profiles for a significant head start. Sign up for your free plan so you can start generating promising prospects who truly need your business to thrive.

Want to learn more insider tactics? Read our post on how to find brand new sales prospects next.