Giggles are erupting from the backseat as my eight year-old son, Bodhi, and two year-old daughter, Téa, are competing in a loud voice contest.

“What’s YOUR problem?” Bodhi’s asking Téa, who mimics him loudly the best she can with a “What pob-em?” and not to be outdone, he responds in a booming voice, “No, what’s YOUR problem?”

Laughter abounds.

We’re playing a game (yelling aside) that I designed to help my budding entrepreneurial boy – and if you’re a business-savvy healer or coach, you can play along too.

You see, every successful business shares TWO characteristics – they have a product or service to sell AND they solve a pressing problem for their customers.

Since there are billions of people on this planet, and all of them have issues and problems that need solving – this means that there is no lack of business out there for all of us and that is VERY exciting!

Some problems that businesses solve are immediate – such as needing to go to a grocery store to buy food because we are hungry. While other issues are more intangible (but equally important) such as the frustration heart-based purpose-driven entrepreneurs feel from playing small yet feeling overwhelmed by the mechanics of how to get their message out there to the people who they are meant to help.

*And just to be clear, just because a person has a problem it doesn’t mean they are writhing on the floor in some kind of pain (although sometimes they are).

A problem is simply a want or need that hasn’t been met yet.

For example: Is your client a sci-fi geek and adrenaline junkie who is going bonkers at their desk job feeling like no one gets him? Great. That’s a problem you can solve with a sci-fi adventure retreat. (In fact one of our Retreat Blueprint course members Patricia Tallman is doing just that!)

So… the more clearly you can define the problem you solve for your clients, the more successful you’ll be. And if your business solves a BIG bold problem for people that’s fantastic!

That’s why when the kiddos and I are running around doing errands, I’ll pick a business and ask Bodhi, “What’s YOUR problem if you are going to the dry cleaners?” and he’ll say: “I have clothes that shouldn’t go in the washer and they’re going to iron out the wrinkles from our dress-up clothes mom!” Smart boy!

Now – what about YOUR business?
What problem do you solve for your clients?

If you don’t know what it is – or if you could be doing a better job at explaining your message, then that’s a REAL PROBLEM that we are going to fix right now!

1. Solve a REAL pressing problem, not an airy-fairy one.

I was playing the “what’s YOUR problem” game with Carrie,* an energy healer & life coach and private client of mine.

“So what pressing, real-life problem do you solve for your clients?” I asked.

“Oh that’s easy!” she enthusiastically replied, “I help people have an authentic and direct relationship with Spirit so you can have a deep connection with your true self.”

Er, no.

While as a shamanic healer I totally understand what Carrie means, and would agree that everyone on this planet would deeply benefit from doing this – as a business coach, I have to be straight up and say that this is not a pressing problem – it’s an airy-fairy one.

Airy-fairy problems are typically stated in spiritual jargon, therapeutic speak or coaching keywords. They are often intellectual explanations of the deeper, underlying issues that your clients face rather than their real-life everyday problems.

A pressing problem, on the other hand, is an everyday challenge that keeps your client up at night. It’s the kind of problem that they worry about when they are sitting on the couch, about to dip their spoon into a pint of Ben-n-Jerry’s New York Super Fudge Chunk ice cream.

Pressing problem: You’re a baby boomer and you want to be able to bend over without feeling so creaky, find the strength and stamina to tackle long flights of stairs, and have more energy to keep up with your grandchildren! (Yep – grab me another pint!)

Pressing problem: You’ve been married for 7 years, have 2 kids and a busy job, and you and your wife are constantly bickering, rarely have sex and can’t remember why you got together in the first place. Practical – and pressing.

Pressing problem: You ran your first transformational destination retreat and struggled to get people to sign up even though everyone loved the idea. You lost money on it and realize that in hindsight, you had no clue on how to market it outside of your current (small) email list. (Solution: our The Retreat Blueprint Program of course!)

Your homework: Ask yourself, “What real-life, pressing problem do I solve for my clients?” Write down your answer. Now ask, “Is this a problem that keeps my clients up at night? That they worry about on the couch? Or is this an ‘airy-fairy’ problem?” Revise accordingly using Step 2.

* not her real name

2. Back up & REALLY listen.

If you are feeling some resistance to the idea of using a plain-English, pressing problem, then I’m going to ask you to pay extra special attention to what happened next with Carrie.

“Wait!” she protested when I broke it to her that her pressing problem wasn’t really a pressing problem. “But I’m a spiritual healer and deep-dive life coach and my people do come to me wanting to be more authentic. My clients respond to this ‘airy-fairy’ language!”

I assured her that I wasn’t discounting the level of success she currently enjoyed (or dissing my fairy friends) – yet she came to me wanting to share her powerful message with more of the right people, making a greater impact. So clearly a piece wasn’t working. She reluctantly agreed.

I asked her to close her eyes and picture the last new client who came to her, “Back up to the first time you spoke with her. Replay the words that she said to you. Really listen to what she says. Now tell me what she is saying to you in her own words.”

Carrie got quiet, then she reported in, “She’s saying, ‘I’m so tired of putting everyone else before me. I’m always doing what my boyfriend wants, what my parents want me to do, but I never do what I want.”

Gently I ask, “Is she saying anything about having an ‘authentic and direct relationship with Spirit’?”

“No,” Carrie admits.

“Anything about having a deeper connection to her true self?” I prod.

“No,” Carrie says with a sigh. “Those are my words, not hers.”

Your homework: Think back to your last 3-5 clients. What prompted them to come see you? If you take notes on your clients, go back and look for real-life pressing problems.

Make it a practice to write down the exact words your clients use – highlight them for use in promotional materials.

If you don’t have clients yet, consider what kind of issues your friends, family or co-workers often turn to you for help or what problems you’d like to solve for people.

3.Tell WHY and WHAT, not HOW.

One final word of caution as you get clear on your pressing problem…

Ultimately, most people really don’t care HOW you solve their problem; they just want it solved. So if you can tell them WHY they should work with you and WHAT problem you can fix, they will gladly give you their business.

I often read heart-based entrepreneur’s websites or retreat webpages that go on and on about the meditations and experiential exercises and techniques that they use when working with their clients or on their retreats. This does not make your clients want to buy from you.

Picture going to a heart doctor and having them drone on about which kind of scalpel she plans on using for your surgery. Most likely it doesn’t matter to you – as long as your heart works better when you’re done with the operation.

Likewise if you go to see a massage therapist, do you really care if they use Swedish deep tissue or Hawaiian Lomi Lomi to work that knot out of your shoulder? Probably not! You just want relief and relaxation.

So do yourself – and your clients a favor, give them a great reason to work with you by explaining what problem you solve, why solving this problem matters and the difference they’ll feel in their life. Please DON’T go overboard explaining your trainings and modality.

Your homework: Go look at your website. Do you talk more about you, your modality and trainings (the HOW you will solve your clients’ problems) than the WHY they should work with you and WHAT problem you solve? If you answered yes, then it’s time for some tweaking!

Now you have an action plan for revamping the copy of your website, shifting the language on your sales and retreat pages and having a better 60-second explanation for describing what you do.

After all, isn’t it time for you to nail down how you can truly be of service to your tribe by clearly solving a pressing problem? I know that you are sooo ready to share yourself in a bigger way and make a more powerful impact on the world, true?

And if you still need more practice identifying your pressing problem, then next time you’re driving around your town, play the “What’s YOUR problem?” game. As you pass each local business state the problem they solve for their clients. I promise this will help ingrain this concept into your head and that will help translate it into your business.

Want bonus points?

Play with a friend – at the top of your lungs. My kids and I will be playing along with you. 🙂

To your wanderlust life,
Meghan Gilroy Co-Director @ Wanderlust Entrepreneur & Retreat Strategist & The Retreat Blueprint Program

Meghan boosts heart-based entrepreneurs, coaches and healers into making a greater impact and bigger income with their purpose-driven, problem-solving businesses. If you need help identifying your business’ BIG problem, check out her Wanderlust Business Coaching package and schedule a strategy session with her. You can also find her at meghan@wanderlustentrepreneur.com when she isn’t playing with her kiddos.