It's the job of managers to remove roadblocks for the team so that things get done, productivity remains high, and profit benefits. That said, it's easy to get stuck in the weeds of the business and fall victim to inefficiencies that waste major time. Here are some examples of productivity pain points in business:
- "We keep missing client deadlines."
- "We spend way too much time in meetings."
- "Our administrative work is out of hand."
- "Quality issues with our product has led to costly recalls and/or customer churn."
- “Our employees aren’t supported enough to complete their assigned tasks.”
If there's something prohibiting a company and its employees from working efficiently and effectively, you can position your solution as a time, money, and headache saver.
You can reduce redundancy and friction within your buying process by implementing things like fewer steps in the checkout process and using intelligent agent routing for customer service. But it’s not just about making your business more productive and therefore more attractive to the buyer. It’s also about offering products that attract customers that want to be more productive. When it comes to the products you offer you want to focus on the following characteristics if you want to solve productivity pain points:
Optimizing productivity: how can your product help your customers use their time efficiently? Most of us can empathize with the wanting to make better use of our time, and this desire is particularly common in the digital age where we’re only offline when we’re asleep. According to one survey, the average employee is interrupted from their work 56 times a day. If you can tell your prospective customers how your product will make them more productive and give them a boost of focus, then you’ll appeal to these buyers.
Increase Comfort: the more positive the experience the customer has with your product, the more likely they are to use it. For customers who are particularly prone to productivity pain points, comfort can be another way to increase their productivity. After all, you’re more productive when you’re happy and comfortable with what you’re doing or using.
Convenience: Customers often favor something easy and convenient over something cheaper but less convenient.
Customer productivity pain points may not be a top focus for all business, and it will depend on what products and services you offer. If you offer software for work or home use, then increased productivity is probably a key feature of your product. However, if you sell shoes, then it might be a stretch to say a new pair of shoes will make you more productive and give you more time to spend with your family. The point is not all customer pain points are equal, so you shouldn’t treat them as such. How equal they are will depend on your company and what you offer to your customer base.