Real demand isn't a wish list; it's an active struggle. "Coping" customers are fighting a subpar solution right now, while "blocked" customers would act immediately if a viable option existed. Both represent a "spring-loaded" market ready to adopt a new product that solves their problem.

Marketers mistakenly target any customer with a pain point. However, most people live with their pain without taking action. A sale only happens when that pain becomes an active, unavoidable priority they are trying to solve right now. Confusing the two leads to wasted sales efforts.

Instead of searching for vague 'pain,' founders should look for specific 'pull points.' True pull exists only when a customer has a project they cannot delay and their existing options are insufficient to complete it. Both conditions must be met to signal genuine purchase intent and a high-priority problem worth solving.

The customer with mandatory purchase intent is effectively trapped. They are stuck in a situation where they must solve a problem now (no delay), cannot ignore it (can't do nothing), and find all current solutions unacceptable. Your product becomes the only way out.

Customers purchase when they have an unavoidable project, have found existing options unsatisfactory, and face limitations. This creates a 'pull' towards a solution. Sales is about identifying this pre-existing condition, not creating desire for a product's features.

Beyond a basic need, a B2B sale requires three emotional components. The problem must be urgent, the financial return must vastly outweigh the investment, and the buyer must feel confident the decision won't jeopardize their personal reputation or job security. This final hurdle is often the most significant.

The "Pull Framework" defines demand not by pain, but by observable action. It requires a customer to have an active, unavoidable project, to have already explored existing options, and to find those options insufficient. This is the signal for a product they will eagerly "pull" from your hands, even if it's imperfect.

Shift from targeting customers who 'could' or 'should' benefit from your product to those for whom it would be irrational not to buy and renew. This requires finding a specific, high-pain situation where they have no other viable option and must act.

Urgency isn't about deadlines or discounts. It's the critical point where a customer realizes that the risk of maintaining the status quo is greater than the risk of adopting your solution. A strong ROI case that highlights the cost of inaction is the key to creating this realization and closing the deal.