Articulate what happens if your customer doesn't solve this problem. Paint the picture of failure—not to manipulate, but to help them see the real cost of inaction. Stakes create urgency.
People are more motivated to avoid loss than to pursue gain. The pain of staying stuck often drives decisions more than the promise of success. If there are no stakes, there's no urgency. No urgency means endless "I'll think about it."
This isn't fear-mongering. It's honesty. You've seen customers wait too long. You've seen small problems become expensive disasters. You've watched people suffer unnecessarily because they didn't act. Tell the truth about what happens when people wait.
Stakes messaging becomes problem awareness content, urgency statements, and the counterbalance to success messaging. You need both—the pain of staying stuck AND the promise of transformation.
Fill out the GHL form. AI will give you generic doom and gloom. I need real observation—what have you actually seen happen to people who didn't solve this problem?
Yes, we'll refine this together. I'll help you communicate stakes without sounding manipulative or doom-focused. But document what you've observed first.
Your basic site probably focused on solutions without stakes. This process adds the tension that makes solutions matter. No stakes = no urgency = no action.
I know how to articulate stakes ethically. But you've seen the consequences of inaction. Document what you know.
What we're looking for: The immediate consequence of doing nothing. What continues? What worsens? What opportunity is lost?
Why it matters: This is the minimum stakes statement. If they don't act, what's the obvious result?
Contractor example: "That water stain keeps growing. That cramped bathroom continues frustrating your mornings. That outdated kitchen keeps embarrassing you when you have guests. Nothing changes. The problems don't go away—they just become the new normal you're stuck tolerating."
Accountant example: "You keep flying blind making business decisions without real numbers. You keep overpaying taxes because there's no strategy. You keep spending weekends doing bookkeeping instead of living your life. The chaos continues. The stress doesn't go away."
What we're looking for: The compounding effect. How does this problem get worse over time? What's the future if nothing changes?
Why it matters: Short-term thinking leads to procrastination. Long-term consequences create urgency.
Contractor example: "One year from now, you're still bumping into each other every morning in that cramped bathroom. Still embarrassed when guests visit. Still talking about 'someday we'll fix this.' Meanwhile, that small leak you've been ignoring has turned into $15,000 of water damage behind the walls. And material costs have gone up another 10%, making the project you should've done this year cost $8,000 more next year."
Accountant example: "One year from now, you've paid another $20,000 in unnecessary taxes. Your books are even messier—now 18 months behind instead of 6. You've made three major business decisions based on gut feel that turned out wrong because you didn't have real numbers. The chaos has gotten worse, not better. And now cleanup costs $12,000 instead of $3,000."
What we're looking for: The math. Quantify the cost of inaction in dollars, hours, and lost potential.
Why it matters: Vague costs don't motivate. Specific costs do. Help them see the actual price of waiting.
Contractor example: "Money: Material costs increase 8-12% annually—waiting costs you $6,000-$10,000 on a $75,000 remodel. Time: You'll spend another 365 mornings frustrated in that cramped bathroom—that's 90+ hours of cumulative stress. Missed opportunity: Your home value lags behind comparable homes with updated kitchens and baths—you're leaving $40,000+ in equity on the table."
Accountant example: "Money: $15,000-$25,000 in missed tax deductions annually. $400-$600 monthly on bookkeeping you're doing yourself at your $150/hour value rate. Time: 8-12 hours monthly doing books instead of growing the business—that's 96-144 hours annually. Missed opportunity: Can't get financing for expansion because your books aren't bankable. Can't sell your business because buyers don't trust messy financials."
What we're looking for: The identity cost. How does this unsolved problem make them feel about who they are?
Why it matters: External problems are annoying. Identity problems are intolerable. This is the deepest stake.
Contractor example: "You're successful in your career. You've built a great life. But every morning in that cramped outdated bathroom, you feel like you're still living like a struggling 20-something. You wonder why you haven't fixed this when you can clearly afford it. It's not about the bathroom anymore—it's about feeling stuck and wondering why you keep tolerating things that don't serve
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