Why tugging on those pain points and emotional strings is so important

Pain Points ---

--- are defined in various ways. However, they all point to one thing --- Problems.

Problems could be bottle-necks to smooth business running. On the other hand they could be viewed as business opportunity by a shrewd marketer.

This is because they do their utmost to understand the problems and work out solutions in form of products or services.

Pain Points have been in the copywriting world for a long time. Get any old sales letter, you will find pain points there.

But what brings about the Pain Points popularity?

Somebody just wanted to re-invent the wheel as we shall see later.

In fact ---

--- it was like wrapping an old tablet of soap in new packaging material.

Pain Points came to be known by that name in the early 2000s.

Here is an interesting definition ---

The 'Urban Dictionary' defines Pain Points as 'something that annoys or causes a loss in business productivity (it is a problem).

That is not all ---

It goes on to say - 'A Pain Point is just another word for 'Complaint' but some idiot in marketing decided that saying what you mean isn't funny.'

Here is just a brief of how it started ---

Microsoft sales rep. 'Tell me what some of your 'Pain Points' are in regard to our latest update to Vista.'(Urban Dictionary' quotation)

And the wild-fire-like name spread.

We all want to look unique and innovative!

But ---

--- there is a weakness in this name.

The problem with this name is that it has negative connotations. Agitations can either be positively structured, like in the promotion -

--- 'Can you Write a Letter Like this One?'

A glamorous and alluring picture of a lucrative life style of a Copywriter is brilliantly painted in that letter.

Is it OK to call such pleasant agitations --- Pain Points?


But the world loves change and it will keep on changing at all costs.

Let us look at ---

Examples of Pain Points:

Air travel - Pain Points: Finding somebody to travel with
Transport money
Long airport security lines
Loss of luggage

Now what?

Yes, Pain Points are important because they could be used to shake prospects to take action urgently if we use them to agitate prospects.

How do they accomplish this task?

This is done by reminding them of their pains or asking them to imagine what could happen if they don't take recommended action.

Remember, fear of loss of what you possess exerts stronger impact on you than desire of gaining something new.

We could also agitate by asking prospects to imagine what would happen if they took recommended positive action.

Now, apart from agitating prospects to take urgent action ---

--- Pain Points show that we understand their problem. This coupled with speaking their language well, could build trust for us as the ones capable of offering the best solution.

With this securely anchored in prospects' minds, we could then promise them a solution --- our product or service. We could educate them and warmly relate to them while crushing our competitors.

The process continues to some other stages. But I am not going that far.