Do you know your prospect's hidden needs?
When you’re selling anything to anyone. You need to know one thing.
Unless you’re selling commodities. Or basic survival goods of any sort. (Think food and water not prepper gear…) The item you’re selling is not what people are buying from you.
Nope. Not exactly.
There are some hidden needs that you’re actually selling, every time someone buys.
At least according to research done by Vance Packard. Mr. Packard was a journalist, author, and social critic in the 20th century. And in 1957, he wrote a book called The Hidden Persuaders.
Many claimed his conclusions were sensationalist. But I’ll leave that for you to decide.
Vance’s book outlined how advertisers were using customer motivations, and psychology. With the intention of getting people to buy.
He identified eight "compelling needs" that advertisers promise products will fulfill. Eight needs that haven’t changed in over 60 years since he discovered them. Eight needs so powerful people buy the product just to meet their hidden needs.
Would you like to know what they are?
Well then, you have to promise me you won’t abuse this knowledge. Because this is very powerful stuff.
If you use this information with false motives. People will buy things they do not need. And if you’re the kind of person willing to sell products like that. Then I don’t want to know you. Work with you. Or know what you’re selling.
So promise me. Say it aloud. “I won’t use this knowledge for evil.”
I’ll wait.
….
….
Now, if you’re willing to use this information for good…
Strap in, I’m about to share them with you.
Selling Emotional Security
What does it mean to sell emotional security? This means you’re selling a feeling of enclosure and safety for your buyer. Your product ensures a feeling of freedom from danger or threats.
For example. Packard claimed that in-home freezers didn’t make economic sense. At least in the early days. Except, insecure people felt more comfortable squirreling away extra food for emergencies. And marketers pushed this hot button home. Now, years later, everyone has a freezer.
Furthermore, marketers advertised air conditioners with security in mind. Allowing owners to shut their windows at night. While still feeling comfortable in the house. Giving people a sense of security and comfort while sleeping they didn’t know existed before.
These might sound like ridiculous claims today. Because in-home freezers and air conditioners are ubiquitous. But at the time, these items were as novel as smartphones and the internet.
If emotional security won’t sell your product what about...
Selling Reassurance of Worth
When selling basic items it is important to reward the user for their choice in the specific product. Make the person feel good about their choices of tools. Especially if it concerns the mundane aspects of life.
Maybe you’re congratulating people on their brand of toothpaste. Say to them things like, “Well everybody brushes their teeth, but you chose to use XYZ Brand. That shows how much you care about your teeth.” Positive reinforcement works wonders with your customers.
Mr. Packard noticed this in a lot of industries. For example, he noticed how Big-Pharma needed to be careful when working with doctors. When they were peddling new pills.
They worked hard to ensure the doctor still felt like the “all-powerful healer.” This made the doctors feel good about prescribing the new pills. Remember, this was the 50’s, Doctors were used to creating their own pills for their patients. They wanted to hold onto the medicine man archetype. So Big-Pharma helped them hold on to that idea.
And thus, seventy years later, hundreds of pill commercials on TV at all hours of the day. We live in a crazy world, don’t we?
Selling Ego Gratification
Ego Gratification appears similar to reassurance of self-worth.
Think about those services that sell self-authored books. Many people do write excellent books this way. And services have made the process diverse and lucrative. But even still, most people lose money on self-published books.
However, do you think most people are self-publishing to be able to say “I’m an author” rather than the money? I know so. And I plan on self-publishing in the next year. And I will only sort of care that people think I’m doing it to soothe my ego. I’ll still be an author.
Which gives me creativity. Which brings us to….
Selling Creative Outlets
When you sell creative outlets, oftentimes, you aren’t selling creativity. You’re selling products with the hope your buyers add in their own personality or effort. Thus, giving them ownership of the item.
That’s what General Mills had to do with their pre-made cake mixes back in the day. They had made a powder that all you needed to add was water. And a perfect cake came out of the oven.
But no housewife at the time wanted to buy that.
Until they took out the powdered egg and milk and put on the box “You Add Fresh Eggs and Milk.” This gave ownership of the cake to the housewife and made them feel involved.
This was the Ikea effect before the Ikea effect.
So if you’re creating a product, you could develop everything down to the last detail. Or, you could leave some space for people to add their own personal touch and effort.
Which one do you think will sell better?
Selling Love Objects
Love is a basic human need. We all want to feel loved. And your prospect is no different.
So, does your product help you or the people you love feel loved? If it does, sales might skyrocket. Is your product a good gift for family members? Children? A pet? Yourself?
Selling love objects also works well if the products can make us reminisce about childhood or make us feel childlike.
(As long as it doesn’t take our power away…)
Selling Sense of Power
Do I need to explain what selling a sense of power is?
Think lawnmowers offering extra horsepower. Blenders that can pulverize soup cans. Or most telling, cars with a blink and you’ll miss it 0-60.
Power most consumers will never use. Because they don’t have the racetrack or the straight away, or, frankly, the fortitude to drive that fast. But power gives people a sense of control. Or an extra margin of safety in their lives (or at least that's one good way to indulge their desire for power.)
And imagine if you told someone they would lose their power if they don’t buy your product…
Do you think your product would sell better?
Selling Sense of Roots
Selling a sense of roots is a fun sales process.
You’re often selling nostalgia for the good old days. Selling products that mom and dad used when you were a child. Or things that remind you of who you are. Object that remind people of having a deep sense of belonging and lasting. Items that remind us of home. That is what selling a sense of roots is.
And with most people living more and more mobile lives. Flitting from one location to the next. Never building roots in the same way as before. A product focusing on the idea of hominess can fill the void of the need for roots.
This is why businesses sell old-fashioned products as “traditional.”
Innovation would actually hurt those products.
Selling Immortality
Selling immortality is easy because we all fear death. And selling immortality is like selling the fountain of youth. Everyone wants it. And we all know it’s mythical.
But have you seen ads for skin cream recently that promised to take years off of your face? Or seen a product that promises to let you create something that outlives you?
How do you think salesmen sell life insurance? A product one pays for but never gets to enjoy.
You tell the policyholders the money goes to those who you love. They get to use it. Thus preserving one’s sense of providing even after you’re “gone”.
That’s what selling immortality is. And it can be a very motivating tool in the salesman’s arsenal.
How are you going to use these tools?
….Now, what I shared with you are some powerful tools.
Tools to think about when marketing your product or services. I’m sure you came up with one or two ideas you can use in the future with this knowledge.
And if used with good intentions, I wish you the best. Heck, if your product is great and people need to buy it, you should harp on these hot-buttons all day and night. I’ll even help you do it.
But, please, I implore you. Don’t misuse this information. Sales and business people that do that give the rest of us a bad name.
So, remember the promise you made to me earlier. Use this for good. I gave you the tools. It’s up to you how you use them.
Now, if you want help bringing some of these motivations into your sales pitch. Shoot me an email bailey.rogg@gmail.com. Put “Hidden Needs” in the subject line and a description of your product.
If I like your product, and you check out as a good person to work with. Then we’ll set up a consult to see how to best position your product or service to meet the hidden needs of your consumer.
You’ll be happy you did.