4 not-so-unexpected pain points for customers

Your customers and prospects are dealing with a lot. We've talked before about tips for communicating with customers in a pandemic. But what other pain points might customers be dealing with that could impact your ability to close a deal or support their use of your product? 

If you know what to look for, you can avoid making your customers' pain points your own. You may be able to help, or at least work around these pain points, and ensure they don't get in the way of your working relationship. Let's talk about a few of your customer's pain points. 

1. Remote working and hybrid work pain points

We know the ongoing pandemic has affected nearly every part of life, even at work. Since the onset of the pandemic, we've witnessed a rapid rise of remote working and hybrid work models, where a workforce is split between remote and in-office teams.

And as much as this may have addressed the need for contactless management amid the spread of Covid-19, it also came with its share of challenges. According to research by Statista, dealing with at-home distractions was the top challenge of remote working in the past year. This is especially true with the rise of homeschooling and partners hanging around. Other challenges attributed to remote working are difficulty with collaboration, lack of contact with colleagues and customers, loneliness, and low productivity/motivation.

Possible remedy: You may highlight employee and customer assistance programs, and offer opportunities for additional engagement. You should be flexible with meeting times, and do what you can to communicate clearly.

2. Financial pain points

Whether it's pandemic-related or not, your customers may be dealing with financial hardship. Of course, you shouldn't feel pressured to offer your products/services at the most affordable rate – pricing is a significant part of your business strategy. However, you shouldn't assume that your consumers will not have any financial hurdles, particularly right now. Below are some notable financial pain points;

• Unexpected fees - watch out for any additional fees on the invoice that aren't explained and concerns about pricing transparency
• Lack of clarity on payment methods, distribution, and delivery modes
• Short life expectancy of a product contrary to customers' anticipation/knowledge
• Customers seeking affordable yet still quality services and products, and additional costs such as subscriptions and membership plans can also be a nuisance

Possible remedy: If you sell high-end products, explain to your audience their quality and how it will help them in the long run. And above all, you should ensure transparency in your pricing so there aren't unexplained additional costs. You can also consider educating your audience on DIY projects that can reduce their spending.

3. Process/operational pain points

The pandemic has also led to several unexpected business pain points. Your clients may also be experiencing problems with current sales operations and systems. This includes problems your consumers face in their day-to-day tasks. They may be issues to do with the supply chain, productivity, convenience, or functionality.

For instance, recruiting talent and managing employee retention has been a challenge for human resource leaders, particularly since the onset of the pandemic. This is partly attributed to the new skills required to effectively complete the current 'post-Covid working' tasks. In fact, research shows that up to 58% of the workforce will need new skills to complete their jobs successfully. We also know that many employees are looking for new jobs with better pay, more flexible working arrangements, or different responsibilities. 

Possible remedy: Find ways of being useful to your customers. Think about how you can create useful content that may help them navigate today's more complex business and logistical environment. And be sure to identify multiple points of contact in your customer's org, in case your main POC leaves for another role.

4. Sales journey pain points

Customer experience (CX) is so important to sales and marketing. Modern consumers focus on their experience even more than prices. According to a Gartner customer experience survey, up to two-thirds of marketers said their companies today compete based on CX. Customers now want the utmost support throughout their entire sales/purchasing journey. The pain points here may be related to:

• Long waiting times for customer support and service
• Inaccurate information like contact details
• Limited customer service channels
• Unavailability of products, websites, or product incompatibility 

Possible remedy: You can increase communication channels and enhance your overall customer support service. It will go a long way to create a loyal and repeat customer base for your business.

How to identify customer pain points

Now that we've looked at some of the modern consumer's main pain points, let's discuss how to identify these pain points. Here are a few strategies:

• Customer surveys: Surveys and interviews are a surefire way to collect valuable information about customers and prospects regarding their problems. Are you happy with our customer support service? What are the main challenges to your business growth strategy? What are the major challenges to your business? These are some of the consumer pain point questions you can ask in your surveys.
• Reviews: Online review platforms such as G2 and Trust Radius are a great way to get constructive feedback and insights from your customers. Reading and understanding these reviews will help you identify some of the pain points experienced by your customers.
• Analytics and other signals: Prospects and customers interact with your business in multiple ways. From reading your articles to browsing your website, you can get valuable insights from their actions like on-site time and bounce rates. You can also watch other signals such as reactions and comments from social media or look at your competitors.

Solve pain points to attract more business

Identifying your customers' most demanding pain points within their business and attempting to work around or even remedy those pains will put you in a position to increase your marketing and sales ROI. And remember that if your customers succeed, so do you!