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Sell Wants Not Needs

Written by: Donald F. Pooley

Article Overview: My mother used to say I never wanted anything–--everything I asked for was something I needed! We say "I need a new car", "I need to go on vacation", and "I need someone to clean my house". Have you ever heard someone say, "I want a new pair of shoes"? I bet even Amelda Marcos says "I need a new pair of shoes".

Sell Wants Not Needs

My mother used to say I never wanted anything–--everything I asked for was something I needed! We say "I need a new car", "I need to go on vacation", and "I need someone to clean my house". Have you ever heard someone say, "I want a new pair of shoes"? I bet even Amelda Marcos says "I need a new pair of shoes".
We justify our purchases as things we need. As businessmen selling our services, we've been lead to believe that people buy from us because they need what we offer. We try to meet the needs of customers instead of focusing on their wants.
People may buy a product category due to need. However they buy a specific brand or from a certain company based on wants. In other words, needs define the total market, and wants define the market segments.
For example, people buy a watch because they need to know what time it is. One person buys a Rolex because they want the status and prestige associated with owning a Rolex while someone else buys a Timex because they want dependability inexpensively.
Several years ago I needed to select an ad agency to develop brochures and ads for the company I worked for. There were thousands of agencies across the country and hundreds where I was that could have met that need. But I wanted someone local, big enough to handle the projects, but small enough that I would be a major client for them. It was those wants that drove my selection decision.
Someone else in my position may have wanted to work with the biggest and most prestigious agency that would have taken their business. That person would have selected a totally different agency to meet the same basic need.
To successfully market your product or service, identify a segment of the population that has the need for your product but whose wants are not being met or are not being met well. Ask yourself these questions:
* What wants are my competitors filling?
* How can I meet a different set of wants?
* Can I meet wants in the areas of speed, affordability, ease of access or use, level of service, prestige, or dependability better than my competitors?
Then design your marketing message to address these wants.
© 2003 Strategies-by-DESIGN
Julie Chance is president of Strategies-by-DESIGN that helps businesses develop marketing strategies to attract leads and turn those leads into loyal customers. For more information, or to sign up for their free marketing tips newsletter go to her site, or call 972-701-9311, or email her at jchance@strategies-by-design.com

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