Should we give people what the WANT or what they NEED?

14 years ago

Give them what they need and explain why they don't want what they want

. You can give them what they want and then that will be it, if you give them what they need and they get results, they'll come back.

Edit: Or even better, give them both, if it falls under the same category

.

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R Hagel

14 years ago

If you want to make money, give your prospects what they WANT.

Find a product that your prospects both want and need, and you'll get that warm and fuzzy feeling while you make money.

cheers,
Becky

ETA: Let me give you an example...

Let's say I find a group of overweight women. These women NEED to lose weight. Their health depends on it.

I can spend all day convincing them to lose weight -- but if that's not what they WANT, then I can talk till I'm blue in the face and yet not make a dime. Giving people what they need but do NOT want is the quickest way to put a marketer in the poor house.

So, I find out what these women want. And what they want is to feel good about themselves just the way they are. So I sell them attractive clothing that makes them feel great (rather than some of "plus size" clothing that's just horrible).

They get what they want... and I just started a profitable business.

Again, if you want to make money, give people what they want.

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donmccobb

14 years ago

It's obvious that you should give people what they need. One small problem is that what they will buy is probably what they want, not recognizing what they need. So sell them what they want, but include in your package somethings they need. Maybe that way they will pick up on what they need.

Don McCobb

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Tomwood

14 years ago

Excellent point butters I am thinking that maybe we should give people what they need but sell them what they want.

I think this is called HYPE

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butters 14 years ago

Originally Posted by Tomwood

Excellent point butters I am thinking that maybe we should give people what they need but sell them what they want.

I think this is called HYPE

Yep, any product can be worded into what they want, just make sure it is actually what they need .
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Lou Diamond

14 years ago

Hello,
The whole thing about this is to be a salesman and convince the customer to what you have is what they want and need.

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Alexa Smith

Banned 14 years ago

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butters

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Alexa Smith

Nothing to think about here, if you're running a business. The purpose of a business is to pay money into the bank, isn't it? So you give people what they want, not what they need. Chocolate is easier to sell than insurance.

Not if they need insurance and they don't need chocolate...

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dfs_dean

14 years ago

Consider:

- My NEED is transportation to get from point A to point B.
- My WANT is to buy a car.

You damn sure better not try to satisfy MY NEED with a bicycle or horse!

Once you try to determine MY needs vs. wants you are passing judgement and applying your values to me. Marketing is all about determining and satisfying DEMAND. (And possibly doing a little to create the demand, too.

)

If the demand is for information as to which option is more of a need and which is more of a want, then you have another opportunity to determine and meet the demand. (Information product!)

Peace

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butters 14 years ago

Looking at others post, would this actually change depending on the market? Think about it... IM niche is learning, they don't teach us what we want at school, they teach us what we need (supposedly). Another person used the car example, they need to get around but they want a car instead of something different. Market specific maybe?
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Lou Diamond

14 years ago

Originally Posted by dfs_dean

Consider:

- My NEED is transportation to get from point A to point B.
- My WANT is to buy a car.

You damn sure better not try to satisfy MY NEED with a bicycle or horse!

Once you try to determine MY needs vs. wants you are passing judgement and applying your values to me. Marketing is all about determining and satisfying DEMAND. (And possibly doing a little to create the demand, too.

)

If the demand is for information as to which option is more of a need and which is more of a want, then you have another opportunity to determine and meet the demand. (Information product!)

Peace

Hello,
I was in car sales for many years,the place where I worked not many people left with what they wanted,we had to sell them what they thought they needed was not the right thing.
It was all a world of up sells and glorification of items that they could not live with out.

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scrofford 14 years ago

Originally Posted by butters

Not if they need insurance and they don't need chocolate...

Yeah but I have seen people needing something and actually went and bought what they wanted instead saying they could get that "needed" thing later. Of course Chocolate is way better than insurance anyway lol!
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Kay King 14 years ago

Recently someone posted they were going to choose keywords and then "make those keyword popular". Bad idea.

You choose keywords because those are terms people ARE SEARCHING for.

You sell people what they WANT to BUY. If the product is what someone wants....to that customer it's what he needs. Including what you think the customer needs could be a bonus item - but you won't convince people to buy things they don't want.

If someone wants to buy chocolate you might include a free flyer about healthy eating - but you don't try to sell him broccoli instead.:p
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Marhelper

14 years ago

The answer is obvious to me but maybe I am missing something here. Of course, you give your customer what they want. As a marketer, it is not about being right but being paid!

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butters

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Marhelper

The answer is obvious to me but maybe I am missing something here. Of course, you give your customer what they want. As a marketer, it is not about being right but being paid!

Your right, it is about being paid, if you give them something they want, they move onto the next fad after they tried it. If you give them something which they need, be honest with them, tell them the reality etc... they will come back because you gave them something which actually worked and was up front with them about it... My opinion anyway

.

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Lee Wilson

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Tomwood

Most IM beginners want an easy plug and play money making secret that offers vast earnings for little effort in return in other words a get rich quick scheme.

But what beginners actual need is a sound step by step money making plan that rewards hard work and good business practices with a secure income or what's known as a sound business plan.

These are two completely different markets. If somebody is looking for a pushbutton 'make believe' system then that's the only thing they are looking for. They are already looking for what they want. You'll get a small percentage that can be convinced otherwise, but they won't be many.

Once the first market has figured out the reality in their own time, if they are still interested then they will become the second target market. In either case, most people already know their needs but it's the want that makes the sale.

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cashcow

14 years ago

Well who am I to say what my customer "needs"?

I don't think it's up to us to decide what someone wants or needs ... We are not their parents. About the only thing you can hope to do is explain what you think they need and convince them why that's better than what they thought they wanted in the first place.

Lee

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ChrisByrns

14 years ago

When working with offline clients, i usually do this:

i give them what they need, but i
sell it to them in the disguise of what they want

Quick example.. I know people need a well-seo'd website for their local offline pizza delivery, so that's what they get.

But it comes in the disguise of an entry into my local business directory (with bonus: your own web-address(!))

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InternetMarketingIQ

14 years ago

One can only guess at the "Needs" of another person.

People buy on emotion... do whatever works best for you. It's really that simple. You should try to second guess what people want or need... you deliver your message, test it, then find what works.

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Dario James

14 years ago

Originally Posted by cjmo75

It's much easier to market something that people want, IMHO. I've found over the years that people will forego things they need for things they want. for instance, when I was younger I worked as a clerk at a busy convenience store. I can't tell you how many times I saw people go hungry and buy lottery tickets and cigarettes instead.

That's to true cjmo75.

Most people don't have the discipline to actually listen to what they need. When I started online marketing I bough all get rich quick scams out there only to be disappointed every time.

It's is so easy to listen to bad advice (especially if you're just starting out)

Now, I agree with Alexa that you give people what they want not necessary what they need but when I create my products I actually make sure the information truly helps and leads readers to their end goal in a realistic way.

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Yoel Cohen

14 years ago

Whether its online or offline clients buy to fill in a void!

Meaning they buy ice cream because they want to not because they need too.

I say...

Give them what they want...and after they buy educate them and give them what they REALLY need!

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Dennis Gaskill

14 years ago

Ideally, you convince people to want what they need. Short of that, you have to give them what they want or you'll be looking to supplement your online income with offline income.

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Tomwood

14 years ago

Yes you have to give people what they want but also include what they need like putting vitamins in kids drinks
That actually takes this conversation to another level because now you have 2 levels.

What the parents want and what their kids need
What the kids want and what they actually need

That's to may different permutations to consider. I glad I am not selling a kids product to parents

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eflo

14 years ago

People buy because of emotions PERIOD. Not what they NEED, but what the WANT. Besides, there is no more true "need" in the world we market to. If they're naked, starving and homeless, they're probably not on a computer, and those are the true NEEDS.

Give people what they WANT, show them how it's possible, and walk them through the steps they NEED to go through to provide real value. If you haven't seen it - take a look at Eben Pagan's Guru Mastermind course - they actually really get into that topic pretty deep.

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Dennis Gaskill

14 years ago

Originally Posted by eflo

People buy because of emotions PERIOD. Not what they NEED, but what the WANT. Besides, there is no more true "need" in the world we market to. If they're naked, starving and homeless, they're probably not on a computer, and those are the true NEEDS.

Give people what they WANT, show them how it's possible, and walk them through the steps they NEED to go through to provide real value. If you haven't seen it - take a look at Eben Pagan's Guru Mastermind course - they actually really get into that topic pretty deep.

Sweeping statements like that are seldom true. I can name a lot of things I buy because I need them for my business, not because I want them. And I choose them after analyzing price, features, benefits, reputation and more, not because of an emotional need.

Autoresponders, hosting, shopping cart, membership script...

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CDarklock

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill

I can name a lot of things I buy because I need them for my business

However, you don't NEED a business. You could go out and get a job, like "normal" people.

You have a business because you want one.

If you trace it back far enough, there's always a "want" in the back somewhere. Unless we're talking about bare minimal food and shelter, there's a want behind it. You want more than the bare minimum, but you don't need it.

That's mainly a philosophical distinction, though, and people rarely think that far about things. Many people simply don't want to accept that they get a choice, and insist that they have none. They had no choice but to quit their job, because they simply couldn't be happy there. But wait... who said you need to be happy? You want to be happy, certainly, and apparently you want it more than you want the job - but wanting something more doesn't make it a need.

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Dennis Gaskill

14 years ago

Originally Posted by CDarklock

However, you don't NEED a business. You could go out and get a job, like "normal" people.

You have a business because you want one.

If you trace it back far enough, there's always a "want" in the back somewhere. Unless we're talking about bare minimal food and shelter, there's a want behind it. You want more than the bare minimum, but you don't need it.

That's mainly a philosophical distinction, though, and people rarely think that far about things. Many people simply don't want to accept that they get a choice, and insist that they have none. They had no choice but to quit their job, because they simply couldn't be happy there. But wait... who said you need to be happy? You want to be happy, certainly, and apparently you want it more than you want the job - but wanting something more doesn't make it a need.

lol - I had a feeling someone would make that argument, should have known it would be you, Caliban! Good to see your smiling face posting again.

Following your philosophical distinction even farther, there can be a want behind any need, so one might as well say there are no needs. You don't even need food, you can die instead. You WANT food so you WANT to live.

In the spirit of keeping the discussion on track, I think we have to make a distinction between what you want, and what you need in order to have what you want, and set the philosophy aside.

To further clarify the point I was making in the reply you quoted, a poster said people buy on emotions, PERIOD (his/her emphasis, not mine) -- if you try to sell me services I need based on emotions in order to have what I want, you aren't going to make a sale. I might be influenced into buying an ebook by emotional copy, but not a basic service like an autoresponder, hosting, etc. Emotions play no part in that decision.

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CDarklock

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill

Following your philosophical distinction even farther, there can be a want behind any need, so one might as well say there are no needs. You don't even need food, you can die instead.

Ahh, but life is a precondition of existence. Arguably, if you are dead, there is no you. Without life, no you; without food, no life; you need food. You don't need deep-fried Twinkies, however, although you may want them. (And if you don't, I'll bet you never had one.)

To further clarify the point I was making in the reply you quoted, a poster said people buy on emotions, PERIOD (his/her emphasis, not mine) -- if you try to sell me services I need based on emotions in order to have what I want, you aren't going to make a sale.

People certainly select from among alternatives based on emotions. You may buy an autoresponder because you need one, but you buy the autoresponder you've chosen because you want that one.

For example, I don't use MailChimp, I left GetResponse, and I left ImnicaMail. These were for reasons that had little to do with needs, but with wants.

I looked at MailChimp, and they said "no affiliate marketing" - well, I don't do any, but I might want to someday and it would be a pain in the arse to move my lists. The emotion in this case is fear - I'm afraid that I will decide to focus my business on affiliate marketing, and have a much harder job because I picked the wrong autoresponder.

I left GetResponse because when they "upgraded" their service, they removed the domain redirection feature. I didn't NEED that feature, but I liked having it, and if I couldn't have it there was no compelling reason to use GetResponse. The emotion there was indignation - they offered me something, then promised me an "upgrade" which took it away.

I left ImnicaMail because they had an interface which just plain didn't work well in Internet Explorer, and absolutely nobody was integrated with their API yet. The emotion there was frustration - I wanted to use IE as my main browser, and I wanted to integrate my sales pages with my autoresponder.

The important thing here is that not one of these services did anything wrong. I had no problems with them that impacted my business, and I certainly didn't lose money or end up unable to do anything. But all three of them have lost (or, in MailChimp's case, never had) my business purely because of an emotional response.

They're all perfectly good services which I quite happily recommend to others, and even though I've been with AWeber for several months now, I can't make any solid rational argument for picking them over other autoresponders. I use AWeber primarily because, well, they haven't annoyed or upset me yet.

And that's really where the important question is for the salesman: not "do you need a product like this," but "do you want this product specifically." The AWeber sales staff doesn't give a flying leap whether I go out and buy "an autoresponder." They want me to buy AWeber. And likewise for the rest.

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scrofford 14 years ago

Originally Posted by CDarklock

Unless we're talking about bare minimal food and shelter, there's a want behind it. You want more than the bare minimum, but you don't need it.

Actually there is a "want" in that scenario also....The want to live! You don't "need" to live, but have a desire too....my opinion
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mmurtha

14 years ago

Give the market what they want or you won't have that market.

I usually do the opposite in IM then I would with regular relationships such as children, family friends, etc ... That's because there is more at stake with my personal relationships, and I'd want the very best for them.

Now before someone comes up with "So you are saying you don't care about your customers or that market?"

No, this isn't what I'm saying at all. To me, making money and being in personal relationships are like 2 totally different beasts. They should be treated as such. Besides, most people have different caring levels for their business relationships then they do for their personal relationships.

I keep business business if you know what I mean. And making a profit is at the core (or should be) of every business - if not, you might as well close down shop.

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MichaelHiles

14 years ago

Sell them what they're willing to pay for (want).

Sneak some of what they need into that mix.

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Jonathan Mizel

14 years ago

Sell them what they want, then in your product give them what they need.

Jonathan

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Andrea Brown

14 years ago

People buy more than what they NEED. I think the obvious answer is to offer them what they need and want.

Of course they are going to have more reason to buy the things they need, but people still buy the things that they desire. Clothes, jewelry, electronics... we don't necessarily need it, but we buy it and vendors are more than happy to sell it!

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Michael Truong

14 years ago

The reason people buy is if you can satisfy their underlying needs and values.

Of course people will also buy if they want something. It's your job as a marketer to make them want it, and feel like they have a need for your promoted products

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JMarno

14 years ago

I think you should GIVE them what they want for free, rather than sell it to them. Give them what they want in a free report (and build your list), but in the free report also instruct them on what they need. Use the freebie to market what they need to them.

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Dennis Gaskill

14 years ago

Ah Caliban...life may be a precondition of your existence, but your existence isn't needed, it's something you want. All other life goes on without you. And you cannot prove your existence ends when your current body ceases to function.

Thanks for the explanation of how you made your decisions, but it was unnecessary. Do emotions play a part in decisions? Of course, but a person can also choose to let their reason overrule their emotions. Emotions are not our masters unless we let it be so.

These are circular arguments that get neither of us or the OP anywhere.

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Thinker1

14 years ago

For quick results go with wants but for a solid business that will reward you long term, serve the needs.

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keithdougherty

14 years ago

I have to agree with the other posts, give people what the WANT and NEED. This way you are satisfying both end of the spectrum. This will lead to a happier customer and most likely a repeat one.

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Lee Wilson

14 years ago

Let's not forget we're all in this to make money. What you or I think's best is irrelevant, there's no point in opposing what's already been tested to work for the majority just because it's what you would prefer to see in an ideal world.

If the majority want hyped crap, then that's what they want. You can try your hardest to convince them they are making a terrible mistake and should buy something realistic instead, good luck with that. They aren't going to be interested in reality until they have figured out the hype crap is just that. At this point, some will stay in the game, some will drop out.

The one's that stay in are now the 'other' target market. You know they needed it first, they care now, they wished they'd listened, but they were never going to.

You're either happy selling to both markets or you're not, but the fact is the majority won't switch markets just because you know what's best for them. Try to mix the two into one product and you probably won't be thanked for it by the majority. The majority of people buy what they want, whether they need it or not.

Lee

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MassiveMarketer

14 years ago

Giving people what they want is mostly just a luxury to them - they can or cannot have it. But giving them what they need leaves them no choice but buy that product cos well, they need it. It's a necessity to them. You'll most likely get more from giving them what they need cos they'll always be coming back for more.

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AndrewCavanagh 14 years ago

Yes the answer is both.

# Find a hungry market you have easy and economical access to.

# Find out what they really want...what they'll pay for.

# Also work out what the real solution to that hunger is...in other words what they really need to solve that problem...it's usually related.

# Create the core of the product based around a genuine solution to their problem...what they need.

# Create the marketing, glitter, covers, titles of products etc ...the packaging of the product...based around what they really want...what they're hungry for.

That way the people who genuinely need the solution you have will buy it and will feel satisfied that you supplied their craving and gave them something genuine with lasting value.

People's desires and hungers are a doorway to providing their genuine underlying needs.

Kindest regards,
Andrew Cavanagh
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orlando cassara

14 years ago

Give them what they need to get what they want with a product that has value, step by step videos always works best, with hard work and determination they should be able to accomplish what there looking for.

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Popstar

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Tomwood

when we market stuff should we be catering to peoples wants or their needs ?

So which should we market 1 on pure money making principles? and 2 on moral principals.

If you want to make money, it's very simple. Sell what's already selling to people who are already looking for it. Then you know they want it; whether they need it, honestly who cares?

On moral principles... again, it doesn't really matter whether they need it. As long as you're selling to adults, the only moral (and possibly legal) issue is whether you're delivering what you advertise.

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mr2monster

14 years ago

GIVE them what they NEED... SELL them what they WANT.

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FredJones

14 years ago

Sell them what they want. Put a reference to what they need (so that if they are really serious about the needs then they can come back and try it).

Lets take that chocolate and insurance example given above. What do they want? Chocolate. What do they need? Insurance.

How about selling chocolates, and giving them a pointer to high quality / value for money tooth insurance? Many rigorous chocolate eaters would have bad teeth and would require tooth insurance.

How about upselling the tooth insurance by a ear-nose-teeth insurance? How about offering an alternative complete health insurance to the same as an OTO?

And if you have your chocolate-buyer end up buying insurance from you, then you are high up in his/her list. Do you think, s/he would trust your next recommendation on health insurances as well as other kinds of insurances? Do you think s/he would trust you on other tangible physical products you offer after 2-4 years of stealthy relationship aided by fantastic autoresponders?

Easier said than done, but worth a shot for sure if you are trying to sell to someone who wants chocolates andd needs insurances!

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All Night Cafe

14 years ago

I try to sell them what they want. I like to look at my
keywords as buying keywords. What people want is
what they usually search for.

In my product that I want them to buy, I want to
give ythem what they need.