| Think You Know What Sells? Think Again! | | | | buy insurance. Everyone has some level of fear |
| Did you know there are only 5 reasons people | | | | of the unknown and the uncontrollable. Peace of |
| buy anything? Basic Needs, Convenience, Peace of | | | | mind is a powerful motivator. |
| Mind, Ego and Fun. That's it. Understanding these | | | | 4. Appeals to Image or Ego |
| motivators is the key to successful marketing. | | | | Never underestimate the power of the ego. |
| The big marketing firms know this, and they | | | | People are vain. We all love to look good in other |
| make millions leveraging their knowledge. For any | | | | people's eyes. We like it when people are a little |
| business to be really successful the people inside | | | | bit jealous when they look at our lives. We |
| must understand why people want their products | | | | certainly don't want to be looked down on or felt |
| and services. | | | | sorry for. We do and buy many things either |
| In my youth I did some backpacking around | | | | because we like them (our own self-image), or |
| Australia. One day I traveled to Brisbane Australia | | | | because we think others will like them. Image and |
| arriving at midnight on a bus from Sydney. I was | | | | ego based decisions are emotion based decisions. |
| alone, had no place to stay, and very little money. | | | | Logic has no place here, it's all about how |
| I needed a place to live out the next 6 to 8 | | | | something makes us feel. Tell your parents or |
| hours. I was looking to meet my basic needs. | | | | friends that you've just bought a house in the |
| With no real knowledge of the city, I started | | | | right neighbourhood, and you are sure to get that |
| looking for a bridge to sleep under. As it turned | | | | hearty "Wow, good for you". |
| out I ended up meeting a cab driver who took | | | | So Image and Ego definitely motivate personal |
| me to a nearby hostel where I slept on the couch | | | | buying decisions, but do they also impact business |
| for the night. If he had tried to sell me a trip to | | | | decisions? Absolutely! At every level, business is |
| the Grand Hyatt, I would have had to decline. I | | | | personal. The owner of a business wants his |
| was not looking for comfort; I was looking for | | | | business to appear to be the best. The manager |
| basic shelter. He had backpacked in his youth, and | | | | of a department wants his department to be the |
| understood where I was coming from. He | | | | envy of the other managers. The salesman |
| correctly assessed my situation, and offered me | | | | wants to be recognized as the top seller. The |
| a solution that worked for me. The cab driver | | | | Engineer wants to be seen as the most |
| understood not only what I was looking for, but | | | | innovative designer. Ego and image are still driving |
| why I was looking for it. I needed shelter, but I | | | | decisions. Remember that a business is just a |
| only wanted to meet my basic needs, nothing | | | | collection of people. Personal relationships and |
| more. If I ever met him again, I would thank him | | | | feelings are still what get things done. Business |
| and buy two of whatever he was selling. | | | | people still buy with their emotions. The only |
| Understanding the reasons people buy, is just as | | | | difference is that they then (sometimes) apply |
| important as understanding what they buy. Just | | | | logic to justify the decision. If two solutions are |
| knowing I'm looking for a place to live is not | | | | similar you can be sure the one that satisfies the |
| enough information to solve my problem. Do I | | | | ego best will be the winner. |
| want basic shelter for a short time (basic need)? | | | | 5. Fun |
| Do I want to be closer to work (convenience)? | | | | You need look no farther than the multi-billion |
| Do I want to feel safe letting my kids play | | | | dollar entertainment industry to know that this is |
| outside (Peace of Mind)? Do I want a home I'm | | | | true. We love our leisure time, and we're willing to |
| proud to entertain in (Image or Ego)? Do I want a | | | | spend, spend, spend to have fun. That big screen |
| pool table and a big screen TV (Fun)? | | | | TV, or the pool table in the basement have no |
| Understanding the reasons why I want a new | | | | practical purpose, they're just fun. Businesses are |
| place to live is critical to solving my problem. This | | | | no exception. Millions are spent by businesses |
| applies to all purchasing decisions. | | | | every year on employee events, sports tickets, |
| 1. Basic Needs | | | | and workplace ambiance. This is where we like to |
| Basic needs are easy to understand. These are | | | | spend our money. It's Fun. |
| the things we need to survive. On a personal level | | | | The Desire to Save or Increase Money |
| this includes food, shelter and the like. On a | | | | Although increasing your personal wealth is not |
| business level these are basic elements required | | | | one of the primary reasons people buy, financial |
| to do business like materials & labour. If you | | | | freedom is a burning desire inside many of us. In |
| are addressing a basic need you can expect price | | | | today's western society, money is a powerful |
| to be a major factor. People don't want to pay | | | | means of ensuring we are able to meet all of our |
| extra for their basic needs; they want to save | | | | primary objectives: basic needs, convenience, |
| that for more interesting things. When I slept on | | | | peace of mind, satisfying our ego, and having fun. |
| the couch in the hostel in Brisbane, I felt fortunate | | | | So it's no surprise that people will invest their |
| to have done business with that cab driver. The | | | | money in things that either save them money, or |
| cab driver had met my needs exactly. | | | | make them money. We all want to be free. For |
| 2. Convenience: Saving Time and Effort | | | | individuals, financial freedom means securing your |
| We all like saving time and money. Anything | | | | retirement, increasing your leisure options, leaving |
| convenience that saves us time and effort is a | | | | something for your kids, and the ability to help |
| big plus. At a personal level, we often make | | | | others. For businesses, financial success is the |
| purchasing decisions for convenience. Why do | | | | ability to keep the doors open and continue to |
| people buy dishwashers? Could we really not do | | | | help the customers, the employees and the |
| the dishes by hand? Sure we could, but we don't | | | | owners. This is what it's all about. Underneath it all, |
| want to be bothered. If we're looking for a place | | | | business success equals personal success for |
| to live, we'd like a dishwasher or a housekeeper. | | | | everyone involved. It is important to remember is |
| It's not a basic need. It's a time and effort saving | | | | that making money is not the end goal. It is a |
| convenience. Paying for convenience is common. | | | | means to an end. It is also important to |
| We want to spend our time and effort doing | | | | remember that without the money, it is |
| things we like. | | | | impossible for a business to help anyone. |
| In a business setting, time and effort savings are | | | | Summary |
| money in the bank. I don't know about you, but I | | | | Take a look at the solutions you offer to your |
| sure don't want to be paying someone $20 an | | | | customers and figure out which basic motivators |
| hour to cut lumber by hand if I could pay them | | | | you are addressing. Spend some time really |
| $20 an hour to cut it with a chainsaw. If I need | | | | figuring it out. Now take a look at your existing |
| much lumber at all, a chainsaw purchase makes | | | | marketing materials and see if they are clearly |
| good business sense. | | | | addressing that basic motivator. If they are, |
| 3. Peace of Mind | | | | great, you're on the right path. If they're not, |
| Peace of mind is something we all want. This is | | | | even better, you are staring at a great |
| about buying security. The motivation is very | | | | opportunity to make a few changes and watch |
| similar for personal and business situations. We | | | | yours sales grow. |
| want to know we are safe, so we buy smoke | | | | In the end providing the right solution improves |
| detectors and fire extinguishers, maybe even a | | | | the quality of people's lives. The better you |
| sprinkler system. We want to know our families, | | | | understand people's reasons for wanting |
| our employees, and our homes and businesses will | | | | something, the better equipped you are to help |
| be okay if something unexpected happens, so we | | | | them with a great solution. |