If you’ve ever sat down for a free consult with me, there’s a 80+% chance I asked you:

“Where’s the urgent pain point that matches your expertise?”

I probably even followed that up with:

“People don’t go out of their way to seek out external help if they’re not bleeding in some way.”

A little hyperbolic, though not far off the mark.

But there’s actually another angle…

Earlier today, I had an abnormal mole removed from my upper torso.

It’s one I’d had my eye on for a while. No pain, but noticeably different.

After a biopsy last month, it fortunately was not melanoma, but the pathologist still recommended removal of a ‘safety margin’ as a precaution.

I didn’t think twice about it, even though the out-of-pocket was a bit steep.

And that’s what they removed with a few snips and stitches today.

Now, yes, healthcare is a different beast than selling consulting services.

And risk profiles are different for our bodies vs. our businesses.

But the principles of purchase behavior remain the same.

Even though I wasn’t in pain, I still felt urgency.

Why? Because of years of passive education of the cost of inaction on skin cancer...

And the understanding that if I shrugged off the recommendation because of the inconvenience or the out-of-pocket, that the underlying risk would only grow with time.

So, I bought to mitigate risk.

I bought to prevent pain.

As consultants, we sell our ability to see our client’s future.

To spot issues ahead of time because we’ve been through them before.

To work with our clients to resolve what’s hurting now...

…but also to mitigate what could be coming.

And while resolving acute pain might be the easier sale…

There are definitely buyers who will understand long-term benefit..

If you’re crystal clear about the cost of inaction, and the pain that can be prevented.

💡

-Wes

P.S. Go schedule your annual skin check :)