Wants vs. Needs

By Chris Wirthwein, Marketer & Author

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Understanding the distinction can make all the difference to your sales and marketing success.

In some ways, marketing is surprisingly simple: to win, appeal to what people want. Really? Really. And be aware, I purposely didn’t say “appeal to what people need.” There’s an important distinction. People need all sorts of things — life insurance, a gym membership, more insulation in the attic — that they don’t actually buy. Marketers who focus on satisfying needs make a faulty assumption that people seek to optimize their lives. Sometimes they do and other times they don’t. How do I know? I sat in a drivethru line for 15 minutes last week waiting to get ice cream. I ask you: Did I in any true sense of the word need ice cream? Did anyone in that line? NO. But we all wanted ice cream. And so, we waited and then plunked down our money. (Author’s note: There was no similar line queued up at the entrance of the nearby gym.)

What does this all have to do with seed marketing and selling?

This real-life example should shed a little light. Years ago, I ran a grower focus group at a coffee shop in Ohio that forever cured me of over-focusing on needs.

My seed company client sent me out to learn why farmers did not buy seed treatments on their soybeans, and what could be done to change their minds. At the time (late 1980s), only about 15% of soybean seed received treatment(s). This was the case, despite the mountains of multi-year data proving positive ROI roughly three out of every four years. If ever there was a slam dunk need for a product, soybean seed treatments fit the bill.

Baffled, but hopeful, we set out. Mid-way through our first focus group came an off-hand comment from one farmer that ground the conversation to a complete standstill:

“I plant my soybeans before I plant my corn.”

For a moment — crickets.

Then came a deluge — follow-up questions — not from me but from farmers around the table. “Are you crazy?” “What the *&H^%$?” And “That’s impossible. How in the world do you pull that off?”

“I use a seed treatment,” he said, nonchalantly.

Soybeans, he explained, performed a practical rotation function. “But I like to get the soybean work out of the way early.”

he went on to say, “With seed treatment, I can plant super early, so I can get on to what I really care about. Look, I’m a corn farmer. I like growing corn. Sure, I rotate to beans, but that’s for my corn. When I’m done planting soybeans, I get to focus 100% on my corn. That’s what I want; that’s what I enjoy. Soybean seed treatment makes a big difference — in my corn operation. I worry less about rushing through corn planting and I’m having more fun,” he chuckled.

Did you catch that? He didn’t buy seed treatments because he needed protection from cool weather pests or more yield and better ROI. Nope. He bought soybean seed treatments so he could be a better corn farmer. That’s what he wanted, and so he plunked down his money. The rest, as they say, is history. Today, more than 75% of soybeans planted in the U.S. receive a seed treatment. For all sorts of reasons, farmers want to plant early. And seed treatments help them to do it.

Another thought on the importance of appealing to wants comes from the great self-help and sales master Dale Carnegie in his classic 1936 book “How to Win Friends and Influence People”:

“The royal road to a person’s heart is to talk about the things he or she treasures most.”

And what do people treasure most? The things they want. Look at the power in these declarations of want:

“I want to be a doctor.”
“I want to serve my country.”
“I want to farm, like my father and grandfather.”

As we’ve all seen, people will go to great lengths, pain and cost to get what they want. They’ll also do the same to avoid things they may need, but do not want.

What do your customers want?

At least once a year, I encourage you to forget about what your customers need and spend time learning about what they want. Now’s the perfect time. Hop in the truck or car and head to the field. Get to know your customers and prospects. Ask, f ind out, dig in — and listen to what they want. Here are a few role-play ideastarter questions that may help:

“Phil, you’ve told me what this means to your business. But can I ask you, what does this mean to you personally?”

“Dennis, you’ve had a lot of success in your 45 years. How come you still farm?”

“What’s a good day like around your operation? What makes it that way? How does it feel?”

“What’s a bad day like around here? What’s that look like and how does that feel?”

Notice I didn’t ask, “What is it you really want, Phil? Tell me and I’ll do it.” That’s too easy and life doesn’t work that way. Show interest, gain trust and take the long way around the barn. That’s how you discover what people want.

In closing, here’s what I want.

Two things — first, I want you to add your own questions to my list — questions that stand a chance of revealing the wants of your customers. Keep in mind, the desire to avoid certain things is also a want, and often a tremendously powerful one.

If I may, I have one final want. Before you finish this year’s sales and marketing plan, I want you to use the above questions, along with the ones you came up with, to understand what your customers want.

You’ll likely learn something. If I’m right about this, you may just become a better marketer as a result. And that’s what you want, isn’t it?

Chris Wirthwein is the author of three books on marketing, including his latest: “Different Rules — The B2B Marketer’s Guidebook to Product Differentiation” He has been involved with seed throughout his 30+ year marketing career.

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