Selling to wants is more effective than selling to needs

Suppose you want to view the stars. Not movie stars, but rather the Vega, Sirius and Betelgeuse kind of stars. You want to explore the universe, so you might start looking for telescopes and find ads like these:

Notice the differences in the ads? The top ad (Sojourner XMR) merely points out the telescope’s features — things you might need. But the bottom ad (Stargazer 3100) conveys the telescope’s benefits — things you may want. The bottom ad tells you what those knobs and lenses enable you to do.

Which ad is more effective? Most experts would say the bottom one (Stargazer 3100). The Society for Consumer Psychology explains that “desires rule over needs when it comes to consumer purchases.”¹

Consumers might buy within a category based on needs. For example, you might buy a watch because you need to know the time. But consumers buy a specific product (or brand) based on wants.² So you buy a Tag Heuer because you want prestige, or you buy a smartwatch because you want the latest technology.

Turn to the back page to learn three reasons why “selling to wants” works better than “selling to needs.”

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• Consumers might buy within a category based on needs — but they buy a specific product based on wants.²
• Satisfying customers today has little to do with meeting physical needs and everything to do with gratifying desires.³
• A recent study found that the number-one motivation for buying a new car wasn’t a need, but instead was a want.⁴
• You can turn a feature into a benefit by asking a simple question: “What does that mean to me?”

Wants over needs: emotions, arrogance and clarity

Three main points sum up why wants override needs:

1. Wants involve emotions.

When it comes to purchasing decisions, emotion rules and reason takes a back seat.⁵ Pamela Danziger, author of Why People Buy Things They Don’t Need, says satisfying customers today “has less to do with the practical meeting of physical needs and everything to do with gratifying desires based upon emotions.”³ The Society for Consumer Psychology agrees, noting that “the association people make with a product might be a big factor in whether or not they buy it, more than the nature or quality of the product itself.”¹ When it comes to the car-buying process, our brains tell us to get the basic model, but our hearts hang on the details. As Americans, we love our vehicles, and once we find that perfect combination of power, tech and luxury, it’s hard to turn away, at least according to Carl Anthony, managing editor at Automoblog, in an interview with Yahoo Finance.⁴

2. Needs reflect arrogance.

Who exactly determines what your customers need, anyway? In his book Brand Busters: 7 Common Mistakes Marketers Make, Chris Wirthwein says selling to needs condescends to the audience.⁵ Telling the customer what they need says: “Never mind what you want. We’re the experts here and we know what’s best for you.”⁵ Conversely, addressing the customer’s wants tells them they know what’s best.

3. Wants are clear and easy to understand.

Suppose you’re looking for an industrial-grade freezer for pharmaceutical applications. One freezer offers 42-inch ground clearance, cam-action latches and low-speed motor compressors. The second freezer promises to reduce back pain with waist-high shelving and create a more relaxed work environment by using a quiet motor. Notice the difference? The second one connects the dots for you: 42-inch ground clearance (a feature) translates to waist-high shelving, which in turn reduces back pain (a benefit).

Number-one reason for purchasing a new car

Based on years spent with the auto show circuit, Carl Anthony shares, “the simplest explanation why people buy new cars is this crazy little emotion called love.”⁴

Recognizing and discovering emotional benefits

A feature is something a product has (e.g., 10 mm Plössl eyepiece), and it addresses needs. A benefit is what a product does (e.g., tracks objects as they cross the night sky), and it addresses wants.

Here’s a simple test: When you hear a product claim, ask yourself: “What does that mean to me?” If there’s no answer, you just heard a feature. If there is an answer, you just heard a benefit.⁷

How do you figure out what your customer wants? Here are a few pointers:

• Get to know your customer via interviews and conversations.
• Keep up with your industry by reading publications and blogs and following industry influencers.
• Analyze your product from the customer’s point of view.
• Ask yourself how you can meet different wants. (One customer might want a telescope to study the moon. Another might want one for the emotional fulfillment of spending time with a child.)
• Frame your product/service with an emotional appeal. (Instead of saying “four doors,” say “four doors for a growing family.”)⁸

¹ Spear, J. (n.d.). Psychological Dictionary: Abacus to Courage. Consumer Psychology. https://psychology.jrank.org/pages/145/Consumer-Psychology.html

² Tringali, S. (2021, December). Understanding Your Customer’s Wants and Needs. Proecho Solutions. https://proechosolutions.com/understanding‑your‑customers/

³ Danziger, P. (2004). Why People Buy Things They Don’t Need. Chicago Dearborn Trade Publishing.

⁴ Taylor, H. (2023, August). If Cars Are More Expensive, Why Are More People Buying New Ones?. Yahoo Finance. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/cars-more-expensive-why-more-170129082.html

⁵ Wirthwein, C. (2008). Brand Busters: 7 Common Mistakes Marketers Make. Paramount Market Publishing.

⁶ Johnson, N. (1971, April). The Life Party. The New Republic. https://www.nicholasjohnson.org/writing/MagsArts/NRep1971.html

⁷ Indeed. (2023, October). Features vs. Benefits: What Are the Key Differences?. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/feature-vs-benefit

⁸ Brudner, E. (2021, August). How to Use Emotions to Sell. Hubspot. https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/how-to-use-emotions-to-sell