Attraction and Persuasion
And does this only happen in business? Do we sometimes think we know exactly what our spouse needs, what our children need, what our family members need, and what our employees need? And then we deliver that with an epic fail because what they really wanted was something completely different? We assume we know what they need, but deep down they wanted our love, wanted us to listen, wanted us to pay attention, or wanted us to stop being so distracted. I know I make this mistake with my children sometimes. I focus so much on what I think they need, and I forget to satisfy what they really want. There are a lot of people that need to lose weight, but they actually want to eat fatty foods, and ice cream, and too much bread. People need to go to the gym, but if they don’t want to, they’ll never walk in the door. Some people need to go to marriage counseling, but they want to go to the bar and have a couple of drinks to numb the pain of a bad relationship. No matter what your goal is—taking your business to the next level, starting a new business, or evolving through the ranks in your current job—remember that supplying what peo- ple want in most all cases will win over supplying what you think they need. Do the research, and understand what your prospect wants. What does the end consumer want that you can satisfy? What does your boss want that you could provide? What does the next level of your business look like from your employees’ perspective—what will make them work harder and see your bigger vision? I have a saying that I think will serve you well, even if you might question the ethics of it initially. But it’s something that is very true, and I’d like to see if you can apply it in your life, in your business, and in your ability to create wealth: “Sell peo- ple what they want, and give them what they need.” If you re- verse this concept—if you try to sell them what you think they need—you’ll probably fail. Better to hit the bullet points of what they want and wrap it around what they need. That’s what you see all the time in successful marketing and advertising. If people need to lose weight, just telling them they’re unhealthy or that their weight can shorten their lives,
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