Why do we buy stuff?
Well, for many reasons, but there is one thing that all purchases have in common.

We buy because we want progress.
We want to be better off after the purchase than before we made it, and it must make us feel like the outcome is greater than the cost (time, effort, risk, money, etc.).

But what is it that actually moves people to take action?

Let’s go back to Sigmund Freud and The Pleasure Principle.

We do things because we want to move toward pleasure, and away from pain.
(Pain is the greater motivator of the two, by the way).

Your clients will buy from you only if they associate more pain with staying where they are, compared to the pain (cost) they associate with buying from you.

As the seller, how can you unpack BOTH the pain and the pleasure inside your prospects’ minds?

Here is a simple framework that works wonders.

It’s called The Structure Of Belief, and it was created by the founders of NLP.

It says that every belief is made of a Cause, an Effect, and a Meaning, and they work in a casual relationship.

I might feel pain (meaning) because my business is broken.

If you want to help me, where do you start?
Maybe you will try to understand my business, and why it’s broken.
That would be correct because a broken business is my PROBLEM.
My broken business would be causing PAIN.
Pain is what I feel, and it’s the result of the meaning I have given my problem.

But the most important piece is still missing.

The root CAUSE behind the problem.

Let’s say the cause is that I lack an understanding of building systems.
That might cause the business to break down, resulting in pain.

So in other words, to understand which problems to solve, you must understand the underlying root cause.

Fix the root cause, and you can fix the problem, and the pain goes away.

Unfortunately, this is not how most consultants and agencies operate.

They spot the pain, maybe the problem, and then they provide some pain relief.
But if you want to create more sustainable, impactful solutions…and if you want to win more business….you need to go for the root CAUSE.

Freud could have made a master sales trainer, consultant, or coach with his insights.

Get your clients out of pain (short-term), and help them create long-term pleasure, and you’ll have a client who will love you, and stick around.

To win them over, combine the Pleasure Principles with The Structure Of Belief, and you’ll never go hungry again ;)

If you want to learn more, and how to master these simple strategies, reach out.