The Difference Between Needs and Wants - People Only Buy What They Want  by Sean McPheat

Are you selling your product based on what you think your prospective buyer needs or are you paying attention to his want? There is a subtle difference between wants and needs that you need to understand before you even start to sell.

Customers buy what they want, not what they need. This is a cardinal rule of selling.

People's needs: We all need things on a daily basis but we do not always buy them. People need many things and these are necessities. However, they are nothing that we get excited about, just the necessities of life.

People's wants: However, products that we really want, we almost always end up buying. There is nothing like the lure of desire for something. Sometimes we feel that we really want something, even if we do not really need it. It just seems to fascinate us and beg us to buy it. It is just irresistible to us and we feel we must have it!

How do you know what your market wants? Here are some ways to find out?

• Check the article directories and see what people have been downloading. By this you will see what people are interested in. This will give you ideas as to what products you should be developing and looking for. People are always looking for information on things that they want and articles are a good indicator of what they are looking for. 

• Check the search on Yahoo search (overture) and see what people are searching for. This is a quick way to find out information on what the most popular searches are. You can then find your niche market. With this information in mind you can find out more about your particular buyer's wants.  

• Tap into your list: Find out from your subscribers to your newsletter what products they are interested in, and base your products around this information. You might be quite surprised what your subscribers are interested in and what they really want. 

• Surveys are good: Try sending out surveys with an incentive to fill them out. Ask pertinent questions that will give you a good idea of the wants of your buyers. These surveys are often a very good indication what people want. The information you get from these will also help you to build desirable products. 

• Know your prospective customer: It is important to do your customer analysis and understand your customer's wants and needs. Understand exactly who your prospective customers are and what interests them. What publications do they read, and what websites do they like to go to? All these factors will help you to understand what your buyers want and what they are really looking for. Again you will base your products around the information that you get from these surveys. 

• Go to forums where you know your prospective buyers will be: See what is being discussed. You can even ask people what they think the hot products are. You may come up with some interesting answers but you will at least understand the wants of your market.

Compel them to want your product: You do not just have to persuade your buyer that they need your product. You have to convince them that they really want it. You have to create such a desire within your prospective buyer that they feel that they just cannot live without your product. You literally compel them to buy.

How do you do this?


With compelling, and alluring ad copy: All your ad copy must have this affect on your prospective buyers or you cannot sell effectively. To do this you must be in tune with your customers and know exactly how to make them want your products.

Dazzling presentations: Your presentations should be planned in such a way that you really grab your prospective buyer's attention and again get them to really want your products. There is a lot you can do with a presentation, to show your product in different angles. The more you can do this the better will be your chances of creating a desire for your product and making the sale. Now there are so many mediums that you can use that it is hard for the prospective buyer to refuse your offer.
So understand exactly how to differentiate between the needs and wants of your prospective buyer. These tips will help you see beyond the descriptions of your product and get into benefits. It will really make a difference to your sales copy, presentations, and ultimately your sales. After all it is all about understanding your prospective buyer, and what really motivates him to buy. Once you understand this you can increase your sales beyond your wildest dreams.


Sean McPheat provides sales training UK across the UK, Europe, US and the Middle East. Visit his sales blog for free information about how to increase your sales and close more deals.