If you've been on any marketing training before (especially as taught by online marketers) you'll have no doubt been taught to focus on your client's “pain points”.

Find their pain.

Talk about it. Highlight it. Twist the knife.

Because psychology tells us that people are much more motivated to move away from pain than move towards gain.

Er…OK…

That may be true, but what a depressing way to do your marketing.

The world has enough pain and uncertainty in it these days without us spending our time prodding our clients' wounds to make them feel bad so we can sell them our solutions.

I'm going to suggest that maybe focusing on inspiring your clients and talking about how good things could be if they hire you isn't such a bad thing.

Apart from the fact that it's rather more uplifting to do that sort of marketing, it might even be more effective.

Think of the very top brands in the world.

Look at any top 20 or top 50 list. You'll see brands like Apple, Google, Disney, Coca Cola, Mercedes, BMW, Nike, Louis Vuitton.

Does their marketing focus on their customers' pain and twisting the knife?

Not as far as I can see.

Their marketing is about aspiration. About a world that's better with their products in it. About how great your life will be if you just bought from them.

Their marketing is a far cry from conventional wisdom about pain points and twisting the knife.

Maybe ours can be too.