Are You Solving A Problem or THE Problem?
Updated: Jul 17
Walking past an Apple Store recently, a phone buzzed with an alert asking whether a new accessory was needed — timed to the exact moment of proximity to the store. That kind of message resonates precisely because it lands at the right moment with the right need. Telling people what you do is a completely different exercise than evoking the right emotion at the right moment. Anyone can meet a basic need with good service — the real differentiator is solving THE problem, not just a problem.
Understanding the Needs of Each Audience
Tony Robbins categorizes human needs into six buckets: certainty, uncertainty and variety, significance, connection, growth, and contribution — his breakdown of the six human needs is worth a closer read for context. Service professionals generally work with two distinct groups — referral partners and clients — and their needs diverge enough to warrant separate treatment.
Referral partners typically need some combination of more time, more money, and reduced risk. Time comes back through more efficient processes and fewer calls per transaction. Money comes from new business or greater efficiency. Risk gets managed by being consistently referable.
Clients, especially in a transaction as significant as buying a home, are most focused on certainty — the confidence that their goal will actually be realized. That's built through consistent trust, visible expertise, and reliably doing what's promised.
A Simple Four-Dimensional Discovery Process
Rather than guessing at what people want, ask them directly. Brainstorm five to ten people across four groups: current referral partners, referral partners you'd like to work with, past clients, and potential clients.
Write a short, genuine email asking for a few minutes of help answering some quick questions.
Build a simple questionnaire using a free tool like Google Forms or SurveyMonkey.
Send it, then follow up with a call — most people won't respond to the first ask alone.
Talking to people directly works too, but it's easy to unconsciously steer the conversation and miss subtle signals that a written response captures more honestly.
Asking the Right Questions
Simplicity wins here. For existing partners or clients, a "keep-start-stop" framework works well. For prospective partners or clients, the most useful questions are: what's the greatest risk and biggest challenge in their business plan, and what's the greatest strength and largest gap in their last transaction or current partnership?
Once the answers come in, resist the instinct to say "I already knew this." Look closer — the specific language, the tone, the words people actually choose. That's where the real insight lives. Summarizing the answers across all four groups is what eventually produces a pitch that actually rises above the noise.
This is the second in a five-part series on building a real unique value proposition. Start with Your Elevator Pitch Is Probably Horrible if you haven't already.
