Sell to Dreams, Needs

Evaluation of Desires and Needs

A number of excellent sales programs teach salespeople to uncover a client’s need and then satisfy the need with your product or service. Seems simple enough. But people do not buy based solely on needs! In fact, why they buy is based more on desire than need. It is the subconscious desires and values that we have that often drive our buying habits.

Example:

You may need a mode of transportation, but what you desire is a fast, sleek, sharp- looking car — a car that your girlfriend or boyfriend will think is HOT!
You may need a cup of coffee, but you desire the romance that couple had in the TV commercial.
You may need housing, but what you desire is a home you would be proud to show your friends and peers, as well as being in the right community to meet the proper contacts.

Needs are important and we must satisfy our clients’ basic requirements. The product cannot last if it does not perform and have excellent features and benefits. However, the top sales producers do not sell only to needs; they sell to desires, or dreams.

Let’s face it; we all want to live our dreams, or at least part of them. We all buy products based more on our own values and desires than the physical characteristics or features of the product. Do we buy beer to be like “the boys,” or because it is the intelligent, healthy alternative made from mountain fresh springs? Do we buy cars based solely on emissions standards, or to look cool and find the woman of our dreams?

Dreams sell. Desire sells. These physiological elements make people buy. Use them to your advantage. Sprinkle your presentation with comments about achievement, team building, relationships, and success.

Strategy: Sell to hidden personal desires and relate them to the product.

Let us look at an example of selling to the desires or dreams, rather than the need. For several years I had a great tax product (that is still around), that filled a need to reduce personal taxes. It made a great deal of sense to buy the product, just based on the logic of saving money and cutting taxes. But it was not emotional. So how do I make the product come alive. How do I make the need to save money, into an emotional, desire. SO, I picked SEX or Romances the emotional benefit (case it is difficult). My story went something like this:

“Tax Master can save you 1000 to 5000 in the next 30 days. The average 2200 dollars. Could you take a vacation with that money? Maybe the beach? Maybe the beach in hawaii. Would you take a loved one? Man, i love the beach at sunset. Could you imagine, standing on the beach, the sun setting, toes in the sand, cool waves splashing your feet, maybe have a fruit drink or glass of champagne, watching the red sun, slowly, sinking on the ocean, and you never know where that might lead…. later.”

There are certain emotions you should like to your product:

Success. Winning. You will be head and shoulder above your friend.
Being right or correct. Make the right decisions with this software program.
Family: Build security for your children through a tax plan.
Wealth: Retire on the savings from your tax plan
Health: You will save enough in the first 30 days to join a health club.
Sex: If you save $2000 this year, could you go on the romantic vacation?
Achievement: You will be the envy of your office.
Peace of Mind: Imagine relaxing on a quiet beach with the refund you get back this year.
Right: While others are making major mistakes with their taxes, you will have all the right answers.
Security: The savings will help you retire comfortably.
Adventure: What wild things could you do with the money?
Acceptance: You don’t like to be left behind and with this program, you will join over 100,000 other wise Americans.