Humans speak, and understand, the language of problems. The language of solutions, or benefits and features, might as well be Latin.

But, nearly everyone ignores this because it’s way more fun (and easier) to talk about solutions.

Here’s the difference:

Here’s a non-cartoon example.

Let’s say the heat in your house won’t stay at the temperature you set it at. You want it to be 68 degrees (for the Tacklebox Brits ™️, a group that’s oddly growing, that’s 20 Celsius) - but when you set it for 68, the heater will blast hot air until your house is 80 degrees. When you set the thermostat at 67 or below, the heater won’t kick in until it gets down to 55 degrees. You try resetting the system, changing batteries in the thermostats, and googling. Nothing works. You’re freezing or sweating.

Meanwhile, you get a bunch of direct mail from HVAC companies who can easily solve this problem, all vying for your business. They say things like “Regulators for only $89!” and “New filters for $59 - cheaper than any competitor,” and “free consultation for new customers!”

Unfortunately, these companies are speaking Solution Language, so it doesn’t register.

Then, you’re driving through town and see a sign on the side of a bus that says “Heat won’t stay at the temperature you set it at? Is it either 80 or 50 in your house? It’s probably a simple fix, and we can do it for you in under an hour.”