There are three levels of problems that work together to capture customers imagination:

1. External Problems
2. Internal Problems
3. Philosophical Problems

The villain initiates a barrier. A physical and tangible thing often (an external problem). That causes the hero to experience an internal frustration that is philosophically wrong.

The purpose of an external problem in a story is to manifest an internal problem. The hero struggles with the same question: Do I have what it takes? This question can make them feel frustrated, incompetent, and confused. The sense of self-doubt is what makes a romantic comedy relatable to a truck-driving husband. What stories teach us is that people’s internal desire to resolve a frustration is a greater motivator than their desire to solve an external problem. The external problems we solve are causing frustrations in their lives and it’s those frustrations that are motivating them to call you.

Companies tend to sell solutions to external problems, but people buy solutions to internal problems.

Apple started selling more than computers; they started selling a resolution to the problem of customer intimidation. A house-painting business' customer’s external problem might be an unsightly home. The internal problem may involve a sense of embarrassment about having the ugliest home on the street. Knowing this, our marketing could offer “Paint That Will Make Your Neighbors Jealous.” Framing our products as a resolution to both external and internal problems increases their perceived value.

The philosophical problem in a story is about something even larger than the story itself. It’s about the question why. Why does this story matter in the overall epic of humanity? Use terms like ought and shouldn’t. “Bad people shouldn’t be allowed to win” or “People ought to be treated fairly.” A global consulting firm can to talk about how "everybody deserves to work for a great manager."

Offer a resolution to an external, internal, and philosophical problem and frame the “Buy Now” button as the action a customer must take to create closure in their story.