Marketing drifts so quickly into cruel and dehumanizing language. Pain points. Targets. Just try to explain how words like that reflect compassion or a belief in human dignity.
For example, no, B2B buyers are not usually in pain. It’s a bit odd to fetishize or hope for pain.
Even worse, your offering is not a painkiller. Sorry. You wish. But it’s just not that addictive. On the plus side, it’s probably also not running rampant and devastating communities.
Let’s unscrew this screwed-up thinking. Talking about pain isn’t empathy. It’s a bizarre form of Munchausen by proxy with a few added flashes of gaslighting. You don’t have to imagine hurting your customers to make them pretend they love you.
You can, however, try legitimate situational awareness. Something isn’t working for them. You can help them understand why and how to make it work better. Make that your value proposition. Write about it often and do so clearly.
Enough with the pain. Change the paradigm to caring.
And that’s my Friday “Chris Fox ‘Cut the S***’ Moment™” for 10 May 2024.
