Problem Groups, Buying Themes and Problem Bundles: How to Read B2B Pain Point Data
ยท Demand Analytics
What problem groups, buying themes, top pain points and problem bundles mean in minesales.ai Demand Analytics, and how to use each one to sharpen messaging, packaging and account targeting.
B2B pain point data is easiest to use at three levels. Problem groups are the broad categories, such as Technology or Money, and tell you which kinds of problems matter most. Buying themes are the topics inside each group, such as cost reduction or legacy and core systems, and tell you what to talk about. Top pain points are the exact problems companies have, and give you the words to use. Problem bundles show which problem groups come together in the same opportunity, so you can package your offer around them.
This guide explains each level in minesales.ai Demand Analytics and how to act on it.
The three levels of pain point data
| Level | Example | Use it to decide |
|---|---|---|
| Problem group | Technology | Which markets and offers to focus on |
| Buying theme | Legacy and Core Systems | What your message and content should be about |
| Pain point | "core banking modernisation" | The exact words to use in outreach |
Each pain point found in company research is matched to one group and, where possible, one buying theme.
Problem groups
There are nine problem groups:
- Operations: keeping operations running
- Supply Chain: getting supplies in and goods out
- People: hiring and keeping staff
- Risk: security and legal rules
- Money: cutting costs and managing cash
- Technology: old systems and AI
- Growth: winning new customers
- Customers: keeping customers happy
- Change Management: mergers and company change
The Problem groups panel shows how many companies and mentions fall into each group for your current filters.
How to use it: check that your offer sits in one of the larger groups for your target industry and country. If it sits in a small group, you may need a sharper niche or a different market.
Buying themes
Each group is split into buying themes. For example:
| Group | Some of its buying themes |
|---|---|
| Technology | Legacy and Core Systems, Data and Analytics, AI and Automation, Cloud and Infrastructure, Integration and APIs |
| Money | Cost Reduction, Cash Flow and Working Capital, Profitability and Margins, Funding and Capital Raising |
| Risk | Cybersecurity and Access, Regulatory, Licensing and Tax, Audit and Internal Controls, Financial Crime and AML |
| People | Talent Acquisition, Staff Retention and Engagement, Skills and Training, Leadership and Succession |
| Customers | Customer Experience, Retention and Churn, Onboarding and Adoption, Customer Service and Support |
The Buying themes panel shows the themes with the most mentions.
How to use it:
- Messaging: build your main message around the largest theme you can solve.
- Content: write case studies, guides and posts on the top themes in your market.
- Packaging: name your offers after themes buyers recognise, such as "legacy core system modernisation" rather than a product name.
Top pain points
The Top pain points panel lists the single problems mentioned most often. These are the specific phrases found in company research.
How to use it:
- Outreach language: use the same words in your subject lines and first sentences.
- Discovery questions: turn each top pain point into a question, for example "How are you handling vendor onboarding after the acquisition?"
- Gaps: if a top pain point is something you solve but do not mention anywhere, add it to your website and sales material.
For more on writing with pain points, read How to Find a Company's Pain Points Before You Reach Out.
Problem bundles
The Problem bundles panel shows pairs of problem groups that appear together in the same opportunity, for example Technology and Money, ranked by how many opportunities have both. A bundle tells you that when a company has one kind of problem, it often has the other at the same time.
How to use it:
- Packaging: offer a combined solution for problems that often come together.
- Cross-selling: if you solve one kind of problem in a bundle, ask about the other in discovery.
- Partnerships: if you solve only one side, partner with a company that solves the other.
- Account research: when you see one kind of problem at an account, check for its usual partner group.
Read the levels together
A simple way to move from data to action:
- Group: pick the group your offer belongs to.
- Theme: inside it, pick the largest theme you solve well.
- Pain points: collect the top pain points in that theme as your language.
- Bundles: check which other problem group usually comes with yours, and add it to your offer or questions.
- Heatmaps: see which industries and functions have that group most. See Where to Sell First.
Drill into the opportunities
On a paid plan, the counts for pain points, themes, groups, bundles and heatmap cells are clickable. Each opens the list of opportunities behind that number, with the matching pain points shown first. The number of rows can differ slightly from the number you clicked, because one opportunity can have several problems. See See the opportunities.
Use it on your own pipeline
Switch the source to My Business to see groups, themes, pain points and bundles from your own researched accounts. This shows what your own target companies care about most, which is often the best guide for your next campaign.
Key takeaways
- Problem groups tell you which kinds of problems matter most in a market.
- Buying themes tell you what to talk about and how to name your offers.
- Top pain points give you the exact words buyers would recognise.
- Problem bundles show which problem groups come together, for packaging and cross-selling.
- On paid plans, every count links to the opportunities behind it.
Frequently asked questions
What are the main categories of B2B pain points?
minesales.ai groups them into nine: Operations, Supply Chain, People, Risk, Money, Technology, Growth, Customers and Change Management.
What is a buying theme?
A topic inside a problem group that buyers recognise and spend money on, such as Cost Reduction inside Money or Legacy and Core Systems inside Technology.
What is a problem bundle?
A pair of problem groups that often appear together in the same opportunity, such as Technology and Money. It shows which kinds of problems tend to come together.
How should I use pain point data in my messaging?
Lead with the largest buying theme you solve, use the exact words of the top pain points, and ask about the problem group that usually comes in the same bundle.
Where can I see this data visually?
The 3D Mine shows the same research as a 3D pit, and its chapters walk through the biggest problems, buying themes and groups.