Features Don't Sell, But Pain Does

If you're responsible for ads but you're not a natural salesperson, this episode is for you. I'm 14 years into my business, and I can honestly say that I’ve been guilty of this for most of that time—and maybe still am. I don't like to sell. I'm uncomfortable doing it.

The result? I don’t know how to sell. And when you don’t know how to sell, you lead with features instead of pain points. You focus on what your thing does instead of how it solves a problem.

This is important because language and psychology may play a bigger role with Meta ads than ever before. The algorithm learns from the people who perform the action you want—as defined by your performance goal. You get the right people to perform that action with carefully worded ads.

As someone who wasn’t trained in sales or marketing, these lessons weren’t easy to learn. And while you may get a better explanation of this from someone who was trained, I can tell you firsthand that this works.

Let’s talk about what advertisers are doing wrong. I was doing this, and still have to be conscious of it. You might be doing it too.

It’s natural to lead with features. What does your product do? What makes it different? What are the benefits? This sounds great—especially to product people. You might assume this is the right approach because people need to know why your product is so good. But the reality is that features don't move the needle.

Let’s use Power Hitters Club – Elite as an example. Historically, I promoted it by focusing on the benefits: a private Facebook group, weekly strategy sessions, weekly webinar, access to my training library, access to JonBot (a chatbot trained on my content), and discounts on one-on-one sessions with me.

I'd rattle off these features because I thought that was the best way to show value. When I wanted more signups, I’d try to add more features. And I'd always be surprised that it didn’t really matter.

So what should I have done? What should you do?

Lead with pain points.

What is the common problem your customers face?

Let’s go back to how I could promote the membership better. Instead of leading with benefits, I could focus on the pain points advertisers experience:

• Inconsistent results

• Performance drop-offs

• Wasted money

• Can’t keep up with changes

• Falling behind

• Overwhelmed by conflicting advice

• Tracking and attribution issues

• A distrust of the algorithm

These are all common problems. You're probably facing them too. So are members of my community.

Pain points get attention. But they don’t always lead to purchases. That’s why the next element is key: the solution.

This is where features come in—to show how they solve a specific problem. Let’s walk through a few:

Pain point: Inconsistent results
Solution: Weekly strategy sessions to troubleshoot live with others who have faced the same issues.

Pain point: Can’t keep up with changes
Solution: Weekly webinars that explain what changed, why it matters, and how to apply it.

Pain point: Performance drop-offs
Solution: Book a discounted private session with me to plan a path forward.

Now we have pain and solution, but there’s one more piece: how it feels.

Emotion drives connection and action. Pain points tap into frustration and anxiety, but solutions should tap into relief. Peace of mind. Confidence. Pride. Clarity.

That’s why in a recent email promotion, I asked people to imagine those positive feelings—more clarity, less confusion, more support—and it struck a chord.

Bottom of the Glass

Take a second look at your ads. Do they highlight a pain point? Do they offer a specific solution? Do they show how it feels to move from problem to resolution?

Your homework: rework at least one of your ads with this approach. Focus on a single pain point and solution per ad. Then report back.

And if you’re feeling those advertising pain points—like inconsistent results, wasted money, or falling behind—Power Hitters Club – Elite is here for you. Learn more at jonloomer.com/elite.