Wants or Needs - which is best for Sales..?

Clients don't Need what they Want...

There is a strange paradox in business - the best service or product to deliver to your Clients is not what to give them what they Want...

We don't even need to deliver what they think they Need...

There are FOUR Sales Strategies that can be adopted - only one actually to delivers excellence, builds sales and keeps clients in the long term;

WANT #1 - Selling what YOU Want - hard selling of a product or a service that the client doesn't really want in the first place. Leads to heavy discounting, low profit margins and short term relationships.

WANT # 2 - Selling what the CLIENT Wants - quoting "like for like" against a specification or standard that the client dictates. Leads to price competition and negotiating over details in an attempt to close the sale.

NEED # 1 - Selling what the CLIENT thinks they Need - convincing the Client that your differentiated service or product is better for them and actually delivers better value, quality and reliability than anyone elses.

NEED # 2 - Delivering what the CLIENT actually Needs - this is where legends are made. Delivering a product or service that the client doesn't even know is in their best interests and gives not only a "Wow" factor, but helps them achieve their own business or personal goals.

The benefit to your business can be described on the chart. Low profits are derived by selling WANTs - while the length of relationship selling Wants # 2 is high; who really enjoys long term low profit relationships...?

Selling Need # 1 is better for profits and is the result of differentiation, the challenge is that you will be copied and have to sell "like for like" again at some time.

Delivering Need # 2 is the sweet spot - this gives high profits, maintains differentiation and keeps the competition guessing. This takes constant innovation and creativity, such that you keep your product or service ahead of the game and maintain your uniqueness.

Of course in reality we probably need to sell or deliver in all four of these quadrants - but it is the companies that master the art of delivering the "unseen" NEEDS # 2 that excel and keep ahead of the competition.

 
The challenge of course that from a Marketing Perspective it can be challenging to encourage people towards a Need that they don't even perceive that they have a use for.

So our Marketing should be focused on Need # 1 whilst our delivery should be focused on Need # 2 - the unexpected Wow factor that stuns your clients and makes them realise that you know more about what they actually need than they do...

So keep innovating, keep leaerning and keep your product or service ahead of the game..

Have a great week...