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What People Really Want

by Claude Whitacre
18 replies
Friends;

I'm writing a course on selling. A very small section of it is on what the customers really want. The inner needs that you can satisfy through your product/service/copywriting.

For example, they want;
To feel special
To be accepted by their group
To feel loved
To feel like they are a good parent
To feel justified in their actions
To have their opinions supported

That sort of thing. I figured there must be either a book about this very subject, or at least a list of these inner needs (or emotional needs) that can be satisfied by exactly matching your offer to what they really want.

I've done a few dozen searches on Google, using words like inner needs, subconscious needs, inner drives, emotional needs...and can't find what I want.

Has anyone here seen a list that is similar to what I just posted, but more exhaustive?

It seems like I must have read a list in a book at one time or another, but it escapes me now. Any ideas?

Thanks.
#people
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  • Profile picture of the author SARubin
    Hey Claude,
    Can't think of any particular book at the moment with an entire list. But here's a few ideas I picked up along the journey...

    Take a look at Roy Garnes big 4 emotional appeals...

    Maslow's hierarchy of needs...

    And the 7 deadly sins from some religious sects.


    None of these things are complicated. But they all seem to mirror basic human nature.

    I can't recommend taking any single philosophy as the holy grail of human intention. But a combination of some, or many, can offer insight into why people do what they do. And it can also help us grasp insights into the person they want to be.

    Maslows Hierarchy of needs
    Physiological (food, water, shelter)
    Safety Needs (safety and security)
    Belonging and love (intimate relationships, friends)
    Esteem (feeling of accomplishment)
    Self Actualization (achieving goals, expressing creativity)

    Roy Garmes big 4 emotional appeals
    self preservation
    money
    romance
    recognition
    And I'll add a 5th one - to be part of something bigger than ones self

    Seven deadly sins from some religious sects
    Lust
    Gluttony
    Greed
    Sloth
    Wrath
    Envy
    Pride



    Anyway, hope it helps you out with your research...
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  • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
    Maybe a different approach is finding needs addressed in copywriting.

    For example;
    The need to complete a collection
    The need to be seen as fair minded
    The needs to appear consistent
    The need for certainty (very powerful in both selling and hypnosis)
    The need to belong.
    The need for feeling appreciated.

    I think there must be hundreds of these. I wonder if a book on copywriting would have such a list?
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  • Profile picture of the author GordonJ
    I like your books Claude, looking forward to anything new.

    In 7 Steps to Freedom II by Benjamin D. Suarez, on or around pages 2-30, 2-32, under the NPGS PRINCIPLE THREE: Demand for the product, you will find a list of what people want. The lists of intrinsic vs extrinsic is interesting too.

    And, often, WANT is fleeting, thus: buyer's remorse. If more people respond here, you can create your own list and then have that part of your book practically written for you.

    From a copy writing viewpoint, the TIMING is important so as to meet the WANT at the right time, before it fades.

    GordonJ

    PS Remote Direct Marketing makes a lot of assumptions whereas face to face can be adjusted on the fly according to feedback, verbal and non verbal clues. And that is why a lousy 3 or 4% response rate on a promotion to a cold list can be highly profitable, but face to face it would be a grind and spirit kiliing response rate (unless huge profit margins on high ends).
    Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

    Friends;

    I'm writing a course on selling. A very small section of it is on what the customers really want. The inner needs that you can satisfy through your product/service/copywriting.

    For example, they want;
    To feel special
    To be accepted by their group
    To feel loved
    To feel like they are a good parent
    To feel justified in their actions
    To have their opinions supported

    That sort of thing. I figured there must be either a book about this very subject, or at least a list of these inner needs (or emotional needs) that can be satisfied by exactly matching your offer to what they really want.

    I've done a few dozen searches on Google, using words like inner needs, subconscious needs, inner drives, emotional needs...and can't find what I want.

    Has anyone here seen a list that is similar to what I just posted, but more exhaustive?

    It seems like I must have read a list in a book at one time or another, but it escapes me now. Any ideas?

    Thanks.
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      Originally Posted by GordonJ View Post

      I like your books Claude, looking forward to anything new.

      In 7 Steps to Freedom II by Benjamin D. Suarez, on or around pages 2-30, 2-32, under the NPGS PRINCIPLE THREE: Demand for the product, you will find a list of what people want. The lists of intrinsic vs extrinsic is interesting too. .
      Of course...of course, I have a copy of 7 Steps To Freedom. I wonder how many of us do? Thanks for the heads up.


      Originally Posted by GordonJ View Post

      And, often, WANT is fleeting, thus: buyer's remorse. If more people respond here, you can create. your own list and then have that part of your book practically written for you.
      .
      Not a book. This is a huge course on selling. It's going to be my last project (except selling it of course). In fact, I keep adding, and then trying to edit it. Nobody wants a 30 hour video course. I'm trying to keep it under 8 hours.



      Originally Posted by GordonJ View Post

      PS Remote Direct Marketing makes a lot of assumptions whereas face to face can be adjusted on the fly according to feedback, verbal and non verbal clues. And that is why a lousy 3 or 4% response rate on a promotion to a cold list can be highly profitable, but face to face it would be a grind and spirit kiliing response rate (unless huge profit margins on high ends).
      Yup. And when selling in person (or over the phone) you can keep asking questions that will eventually expose their most important emotional needs, or social needs this person has, and then you match your offer to that inner need. This is far more advanced and complex (to explain in a course) than I want, but I'm working on it.

      By the way, a closing rate (sales per presentations) of 4% would kill anyone's desire to continue, I think.

      But I did a deep study years ago, as to what percentage of the homeowners in any area would buy from me. Without any qualifying or marketing. It came up at 6%. Only 6% of the families would let me show them my offer and then buy from me.

      My very most profitable strategy was finding out who those 6% were. How to identify them. I ended up with about 8% of the homeowners that were selected as highly likely to buy from me, and just called on them.

      I found I could live very comfortably on the 6% that bought, and the 8% that I would talk to. I got most of that from studying marketing in my later years.
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      • Profile picture of the author GordonJ
        Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post


        Not a book. This is a huge course on selling.
        Ewen points out your buyers' expectations. Is the course targeted to beginners, intermediates or advanced salespeople? In his post:

        Claude, your challenge is going to be around what your audience
        already knows about "what people really want".

        The more sophisticated they are on the subject,
        you'll have to bring new info
        backed up by some hard data.

        And you probably already have a target in mind, eh?

        You say this will be a very small section, so I infer it is mostly for beginner/intermediates, but I could be wrong.

        I would be in a target prospect who would want a much larger section on the topic, I think your buyers, would only want enough general info on matching the sales message to their targets.

        A general course would only have to briefly touch on this, whereas an advanced course, might need more meat on its bones.

        GordonJ

        PS An afterthought. I think there are many prospects out there that DON'T know what they want, in your case, I'm sure you've sold to people who didn't even have your products on their radar, until you showed up. Isn't that a lot of what a salesperson does...telling them what they want?
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        • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
          Originally Posted by GordonJ View Post

          Ewen points out your buyers' expectations. Is the course targeted to beginners, intermediates or advanced salespeople? In his post:

          Claude, your challenge is going to be around what your audience
          already knows about "what people really want".

          The more sophisticated they are on the subject,
          you'll have to bring new info
          backed up by some hard data.

          And you probably already have a target in mind, eh?

          You say this will be a very small section, so I infer it is mostly for beginner/intermediates, but I could be wrong.

          I would be in a target prospect who would want a much larger section on the topic, I think your buyers, would only want enough general info on matching the sales message to their targets.

          A general course would only have to briefly touch on this, whereas an advanced course, might need more meat on its bones.

          GordonJ
          Gordon and Ewing.

          An advanced course. In fact, they have to be in sales for at least 6 months before they will even get my presentation.

          when I said this would be a small section, I meant the listing of primal desires would be a small section. The section on how to find these subconscious desires and tie them into your offer is a much larger section.

          For example, there will be a section on language that helps create future pictures in he prospect's mind. The list of words will be relatively short (as examples), but how to incorporate them when selling is much longer. This ad from a copywriting thread here is an excellent example.

          "PUMPKIN SPICE COUCHES x2: Two upholstered gently used loveseats in a rich caramel hue. Deep, comfortable seating. Generous arm with sturdy back pillow supports. Perfect for binging Netflix or cozying up with your bestie on a chilly autumn night. From a smoke-free, pet-free seasonal cottage. Sad to see these go! $95 for the pair. These won't last"

          This audience will think they know what their customers want, but this is deeper. For example; "'They want a good price" is what most reps would say. But it may really be "They want to feel like they conquered you and got the better of you". A much more visceral need.

          Most of these are emotional, almost instinctive needs we all have.

          In marketing, a common few are;
          The desire to be accepted by your group. (The desire to have what others in your group have)
          The fear of being rejected by your group.
          The desire to be seen as special.
          The desire to be seen as consistent.
          The desire to be seen as right.
          The need to be seen as dominant.
          The need to be seen as a victim. The need for sympathy. (This is a form of identity, I think)
          The desire for a leisurely life (from what they think of as a hard unfair life)

          Those are like the ones I'm after. And these aren't what salespeople think.

          You guys are helpful. I seen to remember a long list. Maybe in a copywriting course. Maybe in the book Influence (I'll look). Maybe in 7 Steps To Freedom (I'll look)


          A side note. Most here tend to think like marketers (based on what I see on this forum). Sales reps don't think that way. At least not more than a couple (and they were here).
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        • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
          Originally Posted by GordonJ View Post

          PS An afterthought. I think there are many prospects out there that DON'T know what they want, in your case, I'm sure you've sold to people who didn't even have your products on their radar, until you showed up. Isn't that a lot of what a salesperson does...telling them what they want?
          Thank you! Yes, that's what salespeople tend to do, tell the customers what they want.

          The people that used to buy from me in their homes? None of them had any idea I was going to show them a vacuum cleaner a minute before I knocked on their door. The idea of talking to people who were interested in what I sold was an idea that came much later.

          Here is a reality.
          When you are selling a high end product (as long as they haven't just called you to buy) they may have a vague idea of what they want, but it usually comes out as a feature. Usually one of the few features they know exists. (in what you sell)

          The first several years I sold, I thought I knew what they wanted (selling vacuum cleaners); a clean carpet, a durable vacuum that would last a long time, savings over the years, And these are really true. But they are what is on the surface,, what people think logically. And logic is important.

          But eventually, I'd start seeing patterns in how they answered my questions that led me to try to figure out what they were thinking in deeper layers, deeper than they could see themselves.

          For example, I may find out that 3 people they know already bought from me. And they are afraid that they will not fit in that group if they don't buy. That's why they will be more likely to buy. They want to be consistent with what their friends do. Other considerations become minimized.

          It isn't about what they want. It's about the inner drives they have that need to be understood and addressed so that they will buy almost compulsively.


          Again, not a major part of the program, but an important part.
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          • Profile picture of the author GordonJ
            I don't honestly know how different my thinking is on this, but, I actually have multiple personalities of salesmen lurking around. Is this unusual, common, or am I in need of meds?

            You Claude, seem to have one persona, a very likeable guy, honest, and maybe, non threatening, and apologies if I'm way off.

            Over the years, I "mostly" had this style too, but have found at times to be aggressive, arrogant, even insulting to those prospects who didn't buy from me, was a better selling option. I can read people pretty quick, and like Arya Stark of Winterfell, put on the face of someone more in synch with the prospect.

            A friend of mine, Toothpick Pete, who was also a top salesperson maintained his one "cool as a cucumber", I really don't care if you buy from me or not, and if you don't I consider you to be an idiot...and that worked really well for him.

            Another guy, Dave, was more old school, slap on the back, big smile, a friend with a good deal and he did very well too.

            Maybe depends on what is being sold? I know some of those in NLP like mirroring and reflecting, maybe I did this unconsciously (years before there was an NLP) and being more of an empath, picked up clues??

            I just wonder, do some types need different approaches, or "faces" to be sold?

            GordonJ




            Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

            Thank you! Yes, that's what salespeople tend to do, tell the customers what they want.

            The people that used to buy from me in their homes? None of them had any idea I was going to show them a vacuum cleaner a minute before I knocked on their door. The idea of talking to people who were interested in what I sold was an idea that came much later.

            Here is a reality.
            When you are selling a high end product (as long as they haven't just called you to buy) they may have a vague idea of what they want, but it usually comes out as a feature. Usually one of the few features they know exists. (in what you sell)

            The first several years I sold, I thought I knew what they wanted (selling vacuum cleaners); a clean carpet, a durable vacuum that would last a long time, savings over the years, And these are really true. But they are what is on the surface,, what people think logically. And logic is important.

            But eventually, I'd start seeing patterns in how they answered my questions that led me to try to figure out what they were thinking in deeper layers, deeper than they could see themselves.

            For example, I may find out that 3 people they know already bought from me. And they are afraid that they will not fit in that group if they don't buy. That's why they will be more likely to buy. They want to be consistent with what their friends do. Other considerations become minimized.

            It isn't about what they want. It's about the inner drives they have that need to be understood and addressed so that they will buy almost compulsively.


            Again, not a major part of the program, but an important part.
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            • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
              Originally Posted by GordonJ View Post


              I just wonder, do some types need different approaches, or "faces" to be sold?

              GordonJ
              Yes. But the vast majority of people will respond to sincerity and the feeling that you are telling them the truth.

              Personally, I have just a couple of different "faces' when selling.
              When selling vacuums one on one I would mostly be just who I am...maybe a tad more funny. It helped the time go (saying the same thing over and over again), and maybe 80% of the people responded well to it. Maybe 15% more don't enjoy my humor (or are too wrapped up in attracting sympathy). Once I knew that humor wasn't going to be responded to well (it only took a minute), I became far more caring, sympathetic, and concerned for their safety and happiness. It was less the real me, but it's just an hour or so.

              In speaking to groups, really just me, a tad more humor, a little more expressive, and tad more declarative than I normally am. This approach reached the most people, and it was closest to my real personality. I like speaking to groups of business owners and salespeople. And that's it.

              I've occasionally met prospects that had personality types that weren't a match for mine. I just didn't sell them. But I'm never rude or short with them. To me, it's all just work. I don't take anything they say personally, even when they compliment me, or when they buy. It's all just part of the process. I'd never talk like that to a salesman I'm training though.

              All of these faces I use are just slight adjustments to the way I really am. I can't completely fake a personality. But nearly everything I say or do when selling is technique. I'm not a "natural" by any means. Everything I do when selling came after a long time testing approaches, testing language used, a real effort over years...decades in some cases.

              In my non-sales life? I never go to parties or events (that I'm not there for business reasons). I don't enjoy visits with relatives. I don't talk to my neighbors. I'm pretty non-social. Everything social is work for me.


              Originally Posted by SARubin View Post

              Hey Claude,

              Have you settled on a title for your course yet? (just curious)
              One Call Closing. Or The One Call Closing Sales System.
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              • Profile picture of the author SARubin
                Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

                One Call Closing. Or The One Call Closing Sales System.
                Somehow I was imagining something a bit more grandiose for your magnum opus.

                Maybe a little PT Barnum?

                The Greatest Sales and Marketing System On Earth!

                And if that's too hypey, maybe a little Dale Carnegie...?

                How to Win Sales And Influence Markets by 40 Year MASTER SALESMAN Claude Whitacre


                Of course you know your market better than I do, Claude. So your toned down version is probably the better choice.

                And besides, this is just me having fun on a Sunday morning
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  • Profile picture of the author Jeffery
    I may be wrong about this, but "customer desires" rather than "customer wants or needs" is what I would focus on and if you google this your search may make you think:
    list of customer "desires"


    added later.. What I mean is like this.. men may like or dislike nice cars wherein some men only buy nice cars because.. Women like nice cars. Take a man that only wants nice girls, you know what mean, and nice girls like a comfortable house, so the man buys a nice house. In both scenarios, the men don't buy based on their personal want or need rather they buy based on their personal desire. Hope that makes sense?


    Why We Buy: 20 Human Desires Every Marketer Must Know by @eMakeItHappen

    Excerpt..

    Want to sell more? Get in the mind of your customer and identify their wants, needs and desires.
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    • Profile picture of the author SARubin
      Originally Posted by Jeffery View Post

      I may be wrong about this, but "customer desires" rather than "customer wants or needs" is what I would focus on and if you google this your search may make you think:
      list of customer "desires"

      added later.. What I mean is like this.. men may like or dislike nice cars wherein some men only buy nice cars because.. Women like nice cars. Take a man that only wants nice girls, you know what mean, and nice girls like a comfortable house, so the man buys a nice house. In both scenarios, the men don't buy based on their personal want or need rather they buy based on their personal desire. Hope that makes sense?

      Why We Buy: 20 Human Desires Every Marketer Must Know by @eMakeItHappen

      Excerpt..

      Want to sell more? Get in the mind of your customer and identify their wants, needs and desires.

      Jeffery my friend, thank you for the link.

      When I read that post, and saw the part about the 8 Primal Desires and 9 Learned Desires, I knew I'd seen that somewhere before.

      Dug through my archives and found Drew Whitmans "Cashvertising" book.

      Man, it's been 10 years since I last read that book.

      Your reminder convinced me to read it again (I'm currently on CHAPTER 2: HOW TO GET INSIDE THEIR HEADS)


      Great book...

      Great reminder...

      Thank you.

      Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

      Friends;
      I'm writing a course on selling. A very small section of it is on what the customers really want. The inner needs that you can satisfy through your product/service/copywriting.

      Hey Claude,

      Have you settled on a title for your course yet? (just curious)
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  • Profile picture of the author ewenmack
    Claude, your challenge is going to be around what your audience
    already knows about "what people really want".

    The more sophisticated they are on the subject,
    you'll have to bring new info
    backed up by some hard data.

    Otherwise they will think poorly of you.

    Best,
    Ewen
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  • Profile picture of the author chrissoloads
    What Customers Want: Using Outcome-Driven Innovation to Create Breakthrough Products and Services by Clayton Christensen

    This might help.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kay King
    I'm reminded of an old guy who helped me when I first started in sales offline....his philosophy was more basic than the excellent posts above - but it stuck with me. He was also a top salesman in the company year after year and would have loved to read this thread.



    He said "people want to be acknowledged. It's that simple"



    To him - that phrase covered it all. It's why you greet a customer as he enters your store - or look someone in the eye when you are selling to them. It's why you don't talk down to or dismiss the ideas or laugh at the beliefs of a customer.


    He's also the same guy who taught me 'when the customer is talking, YOU are in control - and vice versa'...
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  • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
    I want to thank everyone. I just ordered Cashvertising and What Customers Want: Using Outcome-Driven Innovation to Create Breakthrough Products and Services.

    I think I have every other book mentioned.....and How To Write A Good Advertisement by Victor O Schwab

    My guess is that everything I need will be in a combination of those books. The needs I were looking for are far more in the marketing and advertising area, than selling itself.

    I've found that even the best salespeople almost never study marketing or advertising...even advertising salespeople. It's a shame, because there are riches to learn there, that are very applicable to selling.


    Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

    He said "people want to be acknowledged. It's that simple"
    Maybe it's not the only thing people want, but I can tell you that it's at the core of human needs. Your friend seems like a very smart man.

    Added later; I just spent a few hours combing through my library. The book Triggers by Joe Sugarman and Influence by Robert B. Cialdini have the bulk of what I needed. I think I tried to memorize the list of triggers in the Sugarman book years ago, and it got stuck in my brain.

    There are other emotional needs that are useful in selling that I'll address in my course, but I think I have what I need. Thank you guys for your helpful and informative suggestions.
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  • Profile picture of the author spartan14
    Well this its a nice idea as understanding what your clients need makes the difference
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  • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
    My friends;

    There were two lists I was looking for;
    1) Inner drives that cause people to buy.
    2) Words that have real impact in writing or speaking.

    As far as #2, in selling, these words, when sprinkled throughout your presentation...or used when asking questions...create a strong image in the mind of the prospect. I suppose you could call them trigger words. Words that create a visceral reaction. Words, when read, create an image of the person's face who says them. Even more powerful when said in person by someone who understands their use.

    I thought this list of works may have been from John Carlton. And I found them.

    For many of you, this is Copywriting 101. But for salespeople? This is something of a game changer. At least understanding why these words are so powerful, changes everything.

    Here's the John Carlton report;
    http://www.autopilotyourbusiness.com...ial-Report.pdf
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