Earlier today, I was talking to an entrepreneur who runs an awesome niche service business.

His service massively reduces potential downside risks in his industry.

He wanted to know what kind of marketing to do for potential prospects who are not problem-aware (i.e. people who don't even know they have risk exposure).

Most marketers would say something like, "Run an educational campaign to highlight the potential risks in their business."

That sounds like common sense, but it's bad advice.

It stems from the mistaken belief that marketing exists to generate customer demand.

In reality, marketing is there to tap into existing demand.

My advice was to steer clear of the problem-unaware marketing segment.

It's usually a money pit.

Here's an excerpt from my new book, Lean Marketing:

The unaware are usually not worth marketing to. Trying to convince them they have a problem will be an uphill battle...Many inventor types live in this world and usually die poor and disillusioned. (Chapter 2, page 40)

You want to be the painkiller, not a vitamin.

A vitamin is something optional that may provide some future benefit.

A painkiller is something that can be taken to relieve pain immediately.

Most entrepreneurs haven't reached even a tiny fraction of all the problem-aware prospects in their market.

Why, then would you go down the difficult, expensive, and frustrating path of trying to convince the unaware they have a problem and then try and sell to them?

Double down on the problem-aware and sell them the painkiller they desperately need.