Nobody has ever woken up and said, “Today, I’m going to buy a product.” They wake up with a leaking roof, an empty fuel tank, a business that won’t grow, or a customer waiting on a delivery that’s already late. The money leaves their hands only when someone shows them a way out of that trouble.
Yet most of us spend our days shouting about what we sell, while the people we’re shouting at are quietly asking, “Can you fix what is bothering me?” Win that question, and the sale takes care of itself.
Selling Is Solving
Strip selling down to its bones, and it is simply this: helping someone fix something that is bothering them. Nobody wakes up wanting a bag of cement, a bottle of face cream, or a software subscription. They wake up wanting a house that stops leaking, skin they feel confident in, or accounts that don’t give them a headache at month-end.
The product is just the vehicle. The problem is the destination. When we forget this, we shout about features while the customer quietly wonders, “So what does this do for me?”
You Can’t Solve What You Don’t Understand
Most of us assume we know our customers’ problems. We don’t. We know our products. Those are different things.
A few years ago, a friend of mine started a small snack business. She was convinced customers wanted “healthier, premium packaging.” Sales stayed flat. Then she sat with a group of office workers and simply listened. Their problem wasn’t packaging. It was that lunch breaks were short, traffic was brutal, and they were hungry at 4 p.m. when nothing was open. She began delivering small snack boxes to offices mid-afternoon. Same snacks, new purpose. Orders doubled within a few months. She didn’t improve the product. She understood the problem.
How to Find the Real Problem
- Ask, then keep quiet
Questions beat sales pitches. Try: “What is the hardest part of this for you?” or “What have you tried before that didn’t work?” Then stop talking. People will hand you your next offer if you let them finish their sentences.
- Listen to complaints
Every complaint is free market research. When customers say “Your delivery is too slow” or “I can’t afford it all at once,” they are telling you exactly where to improve. A tailor who hears “I always get my outfit late for weddings” and starts guaranteeing delivery a week before the event isn’t just selling sewing. She is selling peace of mind.
- Watch how they actually live
Look at how your customers behave, not only what they say. POS agents across Nigeria succeeded not because they invented anything, but because they noticed that people had cash needs and banks were far away or crowded. They put the solution where the problem lived.
Turn Understanding Into Your Pitch
Once you know the problem, your whole message changes. Instead of: “We sell solar inverters with 5kVA capacity.” Try: “Tired of paying for fuel every week? Here is how to run your shop without it.” Instead of: “We offer bookkeeping services.” Try: “Let’s make sure you know exactly how much you earned this month, and where it went.”
Notice the difference. The second version speaks the customer’s language, not yours. It shows you’ve thought about their day, not just your catalogue.
Why This Wins More Customers
People trust those who understand them. In our markets, where relationships carry so much weight, this matters even more. A customer who feels understood returns, refers friends, and forgives the occasional mistake. A customer who feels like a number will leave for a ₦200 discount.
Solving problems also protects your pricing. When you fix something painful, people compare you less on price and more on value. Nobody haggles hard over the person who rescued them.
Where to Start Today
Pick five customers. Call them or sit with them. Ask what frustrates them about the thing your business is meant to help with. Write down their exact words. Then ask yourself honestly: does my offer, my message, and my service speak to this? You may discover you don’t need a new product at all. You may simply need a better question.
The market is crowded, and customers are tired of being pitched. What they rarely meet is someone who truly listens and then helps. Be that person. Learn their problems well enough that they feel known, and sales will stop feeling like chasing and start feeling like service. Stop selling products. Start solving problems. The customers will follow.
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