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Pain Points vs. Possibilities:
A New Way to Attract Clients Who Want Growth (Not Just Relief)
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Hey there. I want you to think about your marketing messages for a second. Do they sound a little something like this? "Overwhelmed? Stressed? Drowning in a sea of tasks?" That’s the classic pain-point approach, and yeah, it works... up to a point. It's great for getting someone’s attention, but it can also attract clients who are stuck in that overwhelmed feeling.
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So, what if we just completely flipped that script? What if your marketing led with possibility instead of just pointing out a problem? What if your message spoke to what someone could become—the bigger vision for their business—instead of just what they need to fix right now?
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I recently had a client, Sarah, who came to me completely burned out. Her marketing was all about her audience’s pain—"Tired of a messy inbox?" The problem was, she was only attracting other burned-out people who wanted a quick fix. We shifted her messaging to focus on possibility, and suddenly she was attracting clients who were ready to grow, not just linger in their problems.
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As a VA who helps entrepreneurs build space, freedom, and creativity in their businesses, I've seen this shift firsthand. When you start with the vision, you invite in the kind of clients who are truly ready to grow—the empowered and aligned clients who are looking for a partner in possibility, not just a quick fix for their pain.
Table of Contents
1. The Pain Point Approach – Why It’s Overused
2. Possibility-Based Marketing – Speak to Their Vision
3. Blending Both – Empower, Don’t Pressure
4. Lessons from Caterina Rando
5. Questions to Shift Your Messaging Today
6. How I Show This as a VA
Ready for a Quick Shift?
The Final Word
1. The Pain Point Approach – Why It’s Overused
Alright, let's talk about something we've all seen a million times: pain point marketing. It's everywhere, right? And it totally makes sense why. It feels safe. It's a simple message that says, "Hey, you've got this problem, and I can fix it".
The trouble is that kind of messaging starts to attract a specific kind of client—the ones who are stuck on their problems, not the ones who are ready to actually move forward and grow. As a user on Reddit put it, a pain point is just "a point of frustration... something a user can’t get past". It’s reactive marketing, focused on what’s broken instead of what’s possible.
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Worse yet, this constant talk about "pain" can start to feel really old and draining to your audience. One person on Podnews even joked that "the phrase ‘pain point’ is a pain point of mine". Ouch.
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When you're always talking about what’s wrong, you risk making people feel small, overwhelmed, or even boxed in. Think about it: a message like, "You're disorganized and can’t manage your inbox," might get someone's attention, but does it really inspire them?
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The pain point approach can definitely work, but it's limited. It often attracts people looking for a quick fix, not long-term, aligned clients who are excited about building something bigger. People are tired of just hearing about their pain—they’re ready for something more.
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As management consultant Peter Drucker wisely said, "The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well that the product or service fits him and sells itself". This really highlights the importance of moving beyond just the pain to a genuine understanding of your client's needs and desires.
So, here’s a thought: what if we shifted our focus entirely? What if, instead of dwelling on what's broken, we started talking about what's possible?
2. Possibility-Based Marketing – Speak to Their Vision
Now, let's flip the script and think about what "possibility" feels like.
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This is all about speaking to what could be. Instead of leading with what's broken and needing a fix, you lead with clarity, confidence, and capability. It's proactive and inspiring!
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Instead of saying, "I can fix your messy inbox," you could try something like, "Imagine starting each day with total clarity and creative space". See how different that feels? That simple shift in language creates such a powerful mental picture.
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Possibility-based marketing isn't just about fixing a problem; it's about inviting your ideal client into this amazing vision for their future. You're not just offering a solution; you're offering to be a true partner in their growth journey. A question like, "What could you do with 10 more hours of creative space every week?" gets them thinking about what they're truly capable of.
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This approach creates a connection with people who are ready to grow, not just a sense of urgency with people who are stuck. It’s a way to attract ambitious, aligned clients who want more than just relief—they want real, lasting growth.
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As customer service expert Shep Hyken noted, "The customer is always right, even when they're wrong. Because it's not about them, it's about what they want". That powerful idea is at the heart of possibility-based marketing.
3. Blending Both – Empower, Don’t Pressure
So, does this mean you have to completely ignore all pain points? Absolutely not! The key is to acknowledge the challenge, but then gracefully pivot to the possibility. You can still use frameworks like PAS (Problem-Agitate-Solution), but the trick is not to linger in the "pain" part.
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You want to acknowledge the struggle so your client feels heard, but then you quickly shift into the vision of what's possible. This is all about what I like to call "fear mastery"—moving from fear-based selling to freedom-based service. You're not using their pain to pressure them; you're using their desire for something better to empower them.
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Because here's a secret: a lot of successful sales happen without a long, drawn-out explanation of someone’s pain. As one source pointed out, "Most sales with most products are made with no pain points. You're just offering a better solution".​
As a VA, this is how I genuinely love to work with my clients: I'm not just focused on what's broken; I'm all about supporting what they want to build. This approach is key to building that long-term trust and creating a true partnership where we're both aligned on a bigger vision for success.
4. Lessons from Caterina Rando
So, I was listening to Caterina Rando on her podcast recently, and her take on sales is a perfect example of this "possibility-based" marketing. She teaches this super authentic and relational way of selling that's all about building trust, not pressure.
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Here's what really stuck out to me from her episode:
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Build Influence, Not Pressure: Caterina explained that there are actually four types of clients—from the people who are an "instant yes" to the "slow-cookers" who need more time. Her point was that understanding this is so important for building long-term trust and making a sale the right way.
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Sell with Kindness and Connection: She really encourages you to be yourself—authentic, conversational, and generous—in all your sales conversations. It's about getting rid of scripted lines and just being a real person who wants to help.
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Clients Buy Transformation, Not Just Features: Caterina explains that what clients are really buying is the transformation. They’re buying clarity, confidence, and connection—not just a list of features or tasks. And that, my friend, is exactly what a great Virtual Assistant offers.
Imagine if your marketing reflected that same kind of warmth and possibility. You'd be attracting people who already trust you, long before you ever sign that first contract!
5. Questions to Shift Your Messaging Today
Ready to start attracting clients who are focused on growth? Try using these prompts to refresh your marketing copy and outreach. They'll help you start speaking to possibility, not just pain:
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What does my ideal client want more of, not just what they want less of?
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How would their business or day look if they had more time, energy, and headspace?
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Can I frame my support as an expansion of their mission, instead of just the removal of chaos?
Your Next Move: Take your main service page or social media bio. Pick one sentence and rewrite it using the prompts above. See how that shift in language feels.
6. How I Show This as a VA
Look, when I work with clients, especially entrepreneurs, I'm not just here to handle a list of tasks. What I'm really doing is creating the space they need to build, to lead, and to grow.
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For example:
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I help maintain their content schedule, so their amazing ideas and voice can reach their audience without them having to constantly worry about it.
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I manage their inbox, so their creativity and focus aren't getting buried under a mountain of emails.
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And I streamline their systems, so their big-picture vision can finally take center stage.
That's how possibility becomes real. My clients aren't just fixing pain points; they're building real momentum toward the future they want. As Peter Drucker also said, "Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things". My role as a VA is to help with the "doing things right" so you can focus on the "doing the right things."
Ready for a Quick Shift?
If you're tired of selling the problem, let's talk about selling possibility instead.
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Want a fresh voice to support your marketing and operations?
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Looking to attract clients who align with your vision—not just your pain?
Book a no-pressure 30-minute chat with me here to see if we're a fit.
Let's explore how I can help you shift from "fix mode" to "freedom mode" with virtual assistant support.
The Final Word
Look, pain-based messaging might get someone's attention for a moment. But possibility-based messaging? That’s how you build real connections—by showing people what’s possible, not just what’s broken. Because let’s be honest, the right people? They’re not looking for a band-aid. They’re looking for growth. For the purpose. For something that actually lights them up. And that’s who you want to attract—the kind of folks who are ready to go all in and build something amazing.
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When I come on board as your VA, it’s not just to keep the wheels from falling off. I’m here to help you move forward—with more calm, more clarity, and a whole lot less stress. I take time to really understand your vision and what matters most to you. Then I bring in the kind of support that helps everything feel more manageable—simple structure, clean systems, and follow-through that actually lines up with your goals.
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This isn’t about doing more for the sake of doing. It’s about making space so you can lead with purpose and stay focused on what lights you up. Because let’s be real—the magic happens when the right things get done, in the right way, at the right time. That’s how you stay in your zone, keep the momentum going, and keep growing the mission that’s yours to lead.
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Remember: You're not just selling a service; you're selling a future.
