Comments on: What Are Their “Need States”?

By: Ellen Weber

Ellen Weber — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 17:00:41 +0000

You really built a great case for looking at opposing views here — and your post made me wonder how much we miss when we jump on one view alone. Thanks!

By: Michael Perla

Michael Perla — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 11:18:14 +0000

Great comments … Per Michael W.’s comment, I think the foundation of most good sales processes is need discovery … it’s the input for everything else – the solution construct, the proposal, the negotiation based on remediating a pain or realizing a goal.
I like the need-want link … they are almost two-sides of a coin. The HDTV example is good … Why would someone want HDTV? What’s the driver? What need does it fulfill? If I were selling it, what would I say? How would I tap into a need state? I don’t know the answers, but those are some questions I’d ask.
Michael

By: Michael Wagner

Michael Wagner — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 03:10:44 +0000

I think that something like this must have been behind the consultative sales process we taught at Saturn.
Knowing that there were a limited number of needs that a potential car buyer might deem relevant we trained sales consultants to interview with a view toward uncovering the “need state” of the person before us.
I know for a fact this sales process worked very well.
But it required counter-intuitive thinking on the part of sales people. The sales consultant had to learn how to slow down the Saturn guest in order to get a good interview and thus “speed up” the sale.
Thanks for enlarging the conversation!

By: Michael Stelzner

Michael Stelzner — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 17:51:26 +0000

I think many of us have “wants” and it is not until we need something that has been on our “want” list that we act.
I want an HDTV. IF my old TV broke today, I would get an HDTV tomorrow. However, it stays on my want list.
Much of the marketing that is successful in the business-to-business world really does focus on needs first and brings home some wanted desires after the need has been established.
Mike

By: Lewis Green

Lewis Green — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 14:45:16 +0000

I tell my clients that it is never about products and services. It is always about filling the “wants, needs and desires” of our target markets.