People Buy What They Want, Not What They Need

by Ben Lai | Aug 31, 2017

While travelling in the poorer parts of Asia, I couldn’t help but notice the living conditions of some of its residents. I saw mud and straw huts… With satellite dishes on the roof, and wide-screen TVs on the wall… It seemed to me that these people were buying what they wanted rather than what they needed. It begged the question – do people buy what they want, or what they need?

People Buy What They Want: Who Defined the “Need?”

Here’s the catch – what we think people need might not be important to them! Too many sales consultants impose what they believe is right for the client before considering the client’s perspective. This approach would be like fitting a square peg in a circular hole! Make sure you don’t push your paradigm by finding out what they want.

People Buy What They Want: How to Sell What People Want

How do you discover what prospects want? I hope the answer is obvious – you need to ask! By questioning what is important to them, you can sell to your prospects on an emotional level. You’ll find out what they value, and tailor your presentation to those points. Remember that people predominantly buy on emotions, then justify with logic!

People Buy What They Want: Conclusion

Remember that people will buy what they want before what they need. As professional consultants, we need to be mindful not to push what we think is important onto our prospects. We can do so by asking well prepared questions to find out what is truly important to them.

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