Ep #123 Why do clients buy (or not buy) from you

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There are six fundamental needs that drive your client’s actions, including how they make decisions to buy. And if you are a business owner, knowing what these needs are and then finding ways to meet them for your potential and current clients will exponentially increase the value you provide. It will help you to understand and connect with your clients in a way that will make you unforgettable to them. You want to grab a notebook and pen for this one because you are going to want to write down all the golden nuggets I am sharing today.

If you’re new to me and the world of Ilonka Ras Coaching, welcome. I work with women in small business and I help them streamline their operations so they can grow sustainably, blow the minds of their customers with exceptional service, and have the space and freedom to enjoy more of their life outside of business as well.

Give me the next couple of minutes and I am going to share with you how these six fundamental needs play a role in what, where, when, and how much your clients buy from your business. You must understand what is driving your people to take out their money and exchange it to you for your services if you want to win at this game of business. And this will help you do exactly that. Connect deeper to your best clients and give them not only what they want, but also what they need at a deep personal level. 

Zig Ziglar said people don’t buy for logical reasons. They buy for emotional reasons. In other words, they don’t buy stuff, they feelings.

These six needs are fundamental to all humans. They are the six reasons why people (including you and I) do what we do. Sometimes why we do what we do isn’t always conscious but these six human needs are at the heart of why we buy what we buy. Or why we don’t buy. 

Let’s dive into each of the six fundamental human needs, how you can apply them to your marketing, and your business, and increase the value of what you deliver so much that your business will be the obvious and ONLY choice for your best clients.

Tony Robbins, who is the original creator of the Six Human needs, explains that anytime doing, feeling or believing something meets at least three of your needs, you become addicted to it. Which means that as business owners, if we use these needs to blow the socks off of our clients and meet as many of them as we can, they will become addicted to our business and what we offer in the best way possible. In a way where we both win.

Let’s get into it.

The First Human Need is the need for Certainty: Certainty is a survival need. We all want the certainty that we can avoid pain and gain pleasure. Pain and pleasure are like two opposite ends of the same stick and we are always tuning ourselves away from pain towards pleasure. 

Although all humans, all clients have the exact same six needs, we don’t value each need equally. For every single person on this planet there are two needs that are dominant. Two needs that they value more than they value the others. Some people certainty the most. And if you change something, and they don’t have the certainty anymore they freak out, they might get angry, and they will start doing everything they can to recalibrate themselves back to their accepted benchmark because they value keeping things the same way and they want to get back to feeling in control.

So people who value certainty the most want to feel in control. They want to have the facts, the information, they want to feel certain that this is the right choice for them. They want proof. They want comfort and to know that they are in the right place.

Ask yourself, if my client’s most important need is certainty, feeling in control. Knowing what’s going to happen, how can I meet that need for them in how I market and sell to them but also in how I deliver and the services that I offer.

The second fundamental need is Uncertainty/Variety: This is the need for change, the need for the new, for the unknown, for surprise and adventure.Some clients value variety the most. They want options, they want excitement, they want to be surprised. 

When I think of clients who value the need for variety the most, the first thing that comes to mind is that they want something different, something they didn’t expect.  

How can you introduce adventure and surprise into your business? This could be introducing new limited time offers, experiences, and innovative ways of delivering services. Think for a moment what that could look like in your business.

The third need is the need for significance: The need to feel unique, important, special or needed. To feel seen. Validated. To know that you matter. The need for significance exists in all of us and some of the biggest businesses out there make the most money because they are tapping directly into our need to feel important. Think about high end luxury car brands, you don’t just drive an Audi or an expensive car because it’s safe or fast or whatever (I am clearly not an expert on cars) but you buy it because it makes you feel important, it makes you feel significant.

How does your business make your clients feel valued and important? How do your services fill the need for significance in them? Personalized services, acknowledging customer milestones or achievements, and responding thoughtfully to feedback can all contribute to a customer's sense of significance. Creating an exclusive or premium service tier can also cater to this need.

The fourth need is the need for Connection/Love: And this is the need to feel close, connected, like you belong. 

Meeting your client’s need for connection could look like building a community around your service. Engage with customers through social media, forums, or events to foster a sense of belonging. Excellent customer service that is empathetic and responsive also strengthens emotional connections with your brand. If your customers feel heard and understood they will feel connected to your brand.

The first four needs are what we call the needs of the personality. Certainty, Variety, Significance, and Connection. These four needs are so important to everyone that we will often abandon our goals and even our values to meet them. And if you can help your clients in a way that fills these needs in a way that serves their goals and values, you will have more business than you ever thought possible.

The last two needs are the needs of the spirit. I am not talking about religion, but rather a deep need to grow and give beyond ourselves. To be the highest version of who we can be.

The fifth human need is the need for Growth: The need to expand our skills, capacities, capabilities or understanding. In business this would look like offering opportunities for customers to learn or evolve through your service. This could be educational content, workshops, or any add-on that contributes to personal or professional development. Showing how your service can be a part of the customer's growth journey can be very appealing.

The last and sixth human need is the need for Contribution: This is an inherent deep desire to contribute beyond ourselves, to give and contribute to others. It is a sense of service and focus on helping, giving to, and supporting others. 

How does your business contribute to the greater good? Do your clients who value contribution the most, get his needs fulfilled when they do business with you? For clients like this, it is important to show how your service or business contributes to the greater good. This could involve charitable initiatives, sustainability practices, or community support programs. Customers feel good about supporting businesses that have a positive impact beyond just their bottom line.

Think about the business you love buying from, the businesses you feel addicted to. Which needs are they fulfilling for you? Which two of the six do you think is most important to you? Remember. Everyone wants to fulfil all of these needs, but two of them are more important than the others. We value two more. It doesn’t mean that we don’t value the others at all. Your clients don’t value them equally either. It is your job to learn what they value and to give it to them. Now you know what drives your clients and hopefully when you look around as you go through your day you will notice not what people do and how they do it but rather the needs that are driving those behaviours. 

Did you enjoy this episode? Share it with your small business bff and let’s help each other grow. 

You can watch the video recording HERE

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