What Prevents Customers From Buying and What To Do About It

Marketing often feels overwhelming. With countless new platforms, tools, and strategies emerging, it’s easy to get distracted by shiny bells and whistles. But at its core, effective marketing boils down to addressing one thing: your customer’s pain points.

Why addressing pain points matters

First, let’s define what we mean by “pain points.” In marketing, a pain point refers to a specific problem, challenge, or barrier a customer encounters that prevents them from moving forward in their buying journey. It’s the friction between curiosity and commitment, whether they’re considering a simple purchase like a book or something more complex, like a house.

No one buys a product or service out of the blue. Customers need clarity and trust to move through each stage of their journey, and understanding their pain points is critical.

Common examples of pain points:

• When people are becoming aware of your offer (Awareness stage): At this early stage, potential customers often lack clear information about your brand or services. They may not understand what you offer or how it meets their needs.
• When people are considering your offer (Consideration stage): Here, doubts about your product’s suitability arise. Customers may be unsure whether your service solves their problem, hesitate about the cost, or question your brand’s credibility.
• When people are willing to buy from you or trying to buy your offer (Conversion stage): Even when they’re ready to buy, obstacles like a complicated purchasing process, technical glitches, or unexpected fees can cause frustration and hesitation.

Without identifying and addressing these challenges, your business risks operating in a vacuum, unable to connect with what really matters to your audience.

The power of customer journeys in tackling pain points

Customer journeys are a structured way to identify and address these barriers, but not all customer journeys are created equal. While there are many formats to choose from, an effective journey includes three essential components:

1. Collaborative participation

Mapping out a customer journey is not a one-person job. It requires input from your entire team and, ideally, from your customers. By conducting interviews, surveys, or even bringing clients into the process, you can gain invaluable insights. The collective exercise helps uncover user touchpoints and minimizes friction at every stage of the journey.

2. Pain points mapping

A robust customer journey highlights specific pain points at each stage. If your audience isn’t moving forward, chances are they lack the information or reassurance they need to take the next step. This step ensures that you understand your customers’ barriers, equipping you to meet their needs with precision.

3. Talking points mapping

Once pain points are identified, the next step is developing talking points that directly address these concerns. For instance:

• If pricing is a concern, create messaging that explains your value proposition and how your pricing is competitive, or how your pricing model works.
• If customers fear post-purchase regret, provide messaging that reassures them with guarantees, customer testimonials, or transparent return policies.

The benefits of this approach

By investing in collaborative customer journey mapping, you can expect:

• Pain points exposure: A clear understanding of what’s holding your customers back.
• Eliminating assumptions: You’ll base decisions on real insights, not guesses, that can be validated over time as you incorporate them into your marketing message.
• Team alignment: The process brings together perspectives across the business, creating a shared understanding of the customer experience.

Final thoughts

By developing a comprehensive customer journey that incorporates collaboration, pain point identification, and strategic messaging, you’ll pave the way for stronger relationships and increased conversions.

Ready to get started? Start by asking your team and customers: What’s holding people back from choosing us? The answers may surprise you—but they’ll guide you toward meaningful change.