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Thoughts on why people buy stuff.

Transcription

Want versus Need.

I’m Brian Pombo, welcome back to Brian J. Pombo Live.

I wanted to talk with you tonight about the concept of want versus need in terms of the customer relationship. So if you are a business owner, if you’re an executive, if you’re one of the people in charge of developing products and services of the company that you work at, this is something you got to wrap your mind around.

And it’s tough, it’s a really tough conversation to have because it has so much to do with semantics. The meaning of these two words is so broad in English, that it’s difficult to have this conversation, because what does want versus need actually mean?

What is a want?

What is a need?

Can you somewhat come to a conclusion about it?

Because I’ve even heard Gary Bencivenga say that it’s a semantic argument that we shouldn’t get into. But I think it’s important to understand the concept.

Don’t get hung up on the words, the words you can mean want. When you’re saying need and you can mean need. When you’re saying one, that’s the problem with it.

But they’re very subjective and relative to whatever it is that you’re talking about.

But let’s go into that, shall we?

So are you selling a product or service that people need or that they want?

Now they may want it but not need it or they may need it and not wanted.

What situation do you want more is to see how it gets confusing.

So let’s take an example. Let’s say what people really want are hot dogs. But what you’re selling is broccoli. Now they may need I’m not going to get into the vegetable versus meat conversation here.

But let’s say that broccoli has the vitamins and so forth, that people in general, are lacking. And just for the sake of argument, we’re just using this as an example. I’m not going to get into actual nutrition, okay, we’re just saying you say broccoli is that thing that has what people need.

But what people really want are hot dogs.

Now you can try to sell them broccoli, but you’re going to have an uphill battle because you’re selling them what they need, not what they want. Where if you sell them hot dogs, you’re selling them what they want, it’s gonna be easier.

Do you see the difference?

So that’s the first step, the first step is just to understand the fundamental difference, but that it doesn’t end there. Because there are multiple things that you can do with this, let’s say we’re only dealing with this binary argument.

I say sell them the hotdogs include this broccoli on the side. Now you have a chance of them actually getting what they need while also getting what they want.

It’s nearly impossible to sell people what they need if they don’t want it.

But here’s another thing. Let’s say people really did, you’re going through a period of time where people really do want broccoli, maybe there’s a shortage or whatever.

Maybe Oprah or somebody famous came out and talked about the wonders of broccoli and how they’re able to lose weight by eating only broccoli or whatever. All of a sudden, broccoli’s demand comes up.

People want broccoli, people also turns out they need the broccoli.

You can have a situation where what people want is what they need at the same time, which is great if you can find that. Because that now you can get deliver both.

Most of the time as business owners, as managers of the business, we tend to focus on what we know because we’re in the situation so often, whatever it is, the situation that you’re attempting to sell.

We know what they need it. We know better than them what they need in most cases. But what they want is not what they need.

So you can pile the two together you but you will have a better chance of getting somewhere. If you can coat, whatever it is that you have that you think they need with what they want, or start them off with a process of giving them a little bit about what they want, and then backing it up with what they need.

At least starting the conversation by allowing them to have what they want first.

Then encouraging them to purchase also what they need on top of that. You can bind things together, you can sell them separately. The thing is, is that people will never, never buy what they need over what they want. Sometimes they’re the same thing, but it’s rare.

Most of the time people want something different than what they need. And you have to go in knowing that you have to realize, don’t fight. Don’t fight that current.

Because if you fight that current, you’re going to have a really tough time. The best thing to do, of course, I’m like, usual, the current is fighting against me, the current of gravity is pushing everything over. I tend to be a piler, so I pile things up and of course, nothing falls over until I’m doing a video and I’m not anywhere near the stuff, but it all starts coming out.

So what can you say? Get the point.

Sell people what they want.

First, start the conversation, get it going. You can always give them what they need later. Or, in addition to, okay, simple idea. Very difficult for most people to wrap their minds around.

So if you can start in that process, I’d love to hear what you think, are you have you been trying to sell people what they need versus what they want? I’d love to love to hear it. Do that.

Leave a comment here or over at BrianJPombo.com about this conversation, want versus need. Very, very, very important. One of the most common flaws and situations that people stubbed their toes on, especially business owners and decision-makers, in businesses. I see it over and over and over again.

Hey, if you want to really get ahead of the curve, and be able to really fix some of these problems for your business.

Go check out my book, 9 Ways to Amazon-Proof Your Business. You can get a free copy at AmazonProofBook.com. We’ll be back here tomorrow night.

In the meantime, get out there and let the magic happen.