The Wants And Needs Of Your Customers

Small Business MarketingAre you trying to sell your customers what they need? Or what they want?

These may be two entirely different things and it’s so important to understand the difference.

You see, quite often, people are hesitant to buy what they need, unless they really want it too, or not having it is causing major problems for them. But they will often go out of their way to overcome lack of funds or time and so forth for what they really desire.

Think about it … how many times do you know someone who needs a minor (or perhaps major!) repair on their car or home, but they are reluctant to get it done and so keep putting it off. Or perhaps they need a filling or some other type of check-up, but until it’s causing them major pain or other problems they ignore it. Maybe you can think of times you’ve done that yourself. You know something needs to be done, but you continue to put it off for as long as possible. Often your excuse is that you don’t have the money or you don’t have the time.

But if it was for something your really, really wanted perhaps you could find the money somehow. Or you could make time for it.

Understanding this human trait is important when marketing your services or products. As a business owner, there are bound to be times when you’re scratching your head … you know someone needs your product or service, but they’re just not buying.

So stop and think about what you’re offering. And make sure you know what your customers and potential customers really want. If you aren’t sure, ask them.

Now, that doesn’t necessarily mean you stop providing services or products that people need, even though they may not have a strong desire for them. But being aware of this can make a big difference to your marketing strategies.

How can you offer your (potential) customers what they want as well as what they need? Or can you encourage customers to actually want your products or services as well as needing them?

Of course, there will still be times when some customers need AND want what you’re offering but still don’t or can’t purchase for one reason or another, or they go to one of your competitors instead. And this article is very general in nature – there are bound to be differences and exceptions for certain industries. But by applying your understanding of this topic to your business’ marketing, in many cases you will likely see an improvement in your marketing results.

About the author, Donna-Marie

Donna-Marie is an award-winning Entrepreneur, Author, Online Mentor and Content Marketing Specialist who's been lifting up small business owners since 1998. She's got an incredible talent for showing business owners how to build their dream business and life, teaching them systems to boost profits and enjoy more freedom, all at the same time. Don't just go with the flow... create your business - and life - by design. 💕