They think your offer is totally irrelevant. Here's how to get them to buy.

"Click" goes the seat belt.

I adjust the mirrors and shift into drive. Then I pause and turn to the woman in the passengers seat.

"I've been working towards this moment for 13 years. It's a big deal for me."

She smiles. "Yeah, it gets harder the longer you wait, the older you get. You kind of lose your confidence.

I nod. "Exactly. But I think I'm ready. "

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What was I ready for? If you haven't guessed yet - that was a snippet from my road test. Yup. After more than a decade of "driving-phobia" and dreaming of the day when self-driving cars would go mainstream (never?), I finally got my driver's license.

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Now, if you were a driving instructor trying to get my business over the last few years, the standard ads wouldn't have worked.

- "90% pass rate on student road tests"

- "Learn to drive in just 4 weeks"

- "Stop relying on Uber."

Those are all decent lines highlighting benefits, features, authority and pain points.

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But none of those would have helped me bite the bullet -

because what I needed was something that would address my rational/irrational fears.

Something that would make me feel that I was capable of learning to drive, even if I felt like a clumsy, clueless navigator.

Imagine if an innovative driving school had run the below campaign five years ago, though...

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I might have learned how to drive earlier 😅

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What you can learn from this

If you're struggling to drive sales up, maybe you need to target people who aren't your audience - yet. People who COULD be your audience, if they only knew it.

- Sell gym equipment? Talk to people who are convinced they have not a single spare moment or ounce of energy to exercise.

- Sell a line of bright, quirky couches? Talk to shticky businessmen who think they need stuffy dark brown leather sofas in their office to impress rich clients.

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Without telling them directly, demonstrate how you GET their fears and desires. Leave off in a way that lets their mind reach the inevitable conclusion - that you offer a new and fresh way to approach one aspect of their life.