Understanding The need to learn and

comprehend; to recognize connections;

to assign causality; to make ideas fit the circumstances; to teach, instruct, or impress others with one’s expertise; to follow intellectual pursuits

surrogate or substitute care givers; personal services and especially those that

involve touching or contact with the body;

facial and body massage;

hair styling and manicure; a shoe shine; most counseling and advising services;

products promoted to

“pamper” the user

Products/services associated with learning or acquisition of knowledge; books and courses of instruction;

hobbies requiring study or material that explains or instructs; periodicals containing news or

nonfiction; occupationally related goods; adult education programs

Now that we’ve looked at consumer needs from so many angles, consider the consumer needs that your product or service best fulfills—both vertically (Maslow’s list) and

Achievement Affiliation Consistency Diversion Dominance Exhibition Independence Novelty Nurturance Recognition Security Sexuality Stimulation Succorance Understanding

horizontally—and determine which are the most appropriate needs for basing a sales appeal for your product or service.

Go ahead and do it now, or you may never get back to it.

All aspects of your marketing program should be geared to the satisfaction of only one or two kinds of needs.

The following grid with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs across the top and Settle/Alreck’s needs down the left may help give you some perspective:

KNOWYOURPROSPECT

Physical/Biological Safety/Security Love/Affirmation Prestige/Esteem Self-Actualization

3. Motives

Once you have zeroed in on the most compelling needs your product or service fulfills, you need to determine what compelling motives drive a consumer to acquire your type of product/service.

Motives are difficult to identify. In fact, if you ask a consumer what motivates him to purchase your product, there’s a good chance he can’t or won’t tell you. However, to effectively market your product, consumer purchase motives must be directed toward you and not a competitor. So if you correctly determine what motives drive a consumer to purchase your product, you can orient your marketing and advertising to play off those motives.

There will probably be more than one potential motive to buy your product. List those motives that seem to make sense, and then try to figure out which of them motivate your customer with the greatest intensity. We’re looking for passion here. It’s not enough that you can identify motives that direct customers to become interested in your product. The intensity of those motives must be sufficient to drive your customer to purchase your product.

Many potential buyers may be inclined toward your product but not have the impetus to take money out of their billfolds and buy it. The motives that drive your customer to purchase with the greatest passion are the motives on which you focus your advertising appeal.

4. Influences

Now that you have a fix on what consumer needs your product best fulfills, and what compelling motives are driving your customer to buy it, let’s turn our attention to the outside UNDERDOGADVERTISING

influencesthat can impact the purchase decision. Almost all consumer decisions are affected by social influence. These influences come from:

• Family members

• Business associates

• Political leaders

• Educational institutions or related resources

• Religious affiliations

• Recreational activities and associates

• Ethnic or racial tendencies

• Regional biases or tendencies

• Casual friends or acquaintances

Are there certain external, social influences that impact the buying decision for your product? Take time to list them now.

And while you are listing these influences, answer this question: who ultimately makes the purchase decision? Is it the guy who physically makes the purchase? His wife? His children? His boss? The ultimate decision-maker is your primary target, but don’t overlook the influencers who play a role in determining what product or service to buy.

5. Lifestyle

Another characteristic about your customer that should be investigated is lifestyle. Is he or she affluent? Middle-class?

Downscale? After all, you are not going to sell diamond necklaces to people who are barely eking out a living. Nor will you sell used cars to millionaires. So you must decide where your product should be pitched. To upscale consumers? Downscale?

Or somewhere in between?

KNOWYOURPROSPECT

Lifestyle is more than just economic status. It also encompasses where your prospect is in terms of life cycle phase. In its most simplified description, prospective customers fall into one of these lifestyle categories:

• Young, unmarried, childless

• Young, married, childless

• Unmarried, preschool children

• Married, preschool children

• Unmarried, grade school children

• Married, grade school children

• Unmarried, adolescent children

• Married, adolescent children

• Middle-aged, unmarried, childless

• Middle-aged, married, childless

• Elderly, married, childless, employed

• Elderly, unmarried, childless, employed

• Elderly, married, childless, retired

• Elderly, unmarried, childless, retired

Financial conditions and purchase patterns vary dramatically as one travels through the life cycle phases.

Young, childless singles are generally short on income yet don’t have a lot of expenses. There is probably little savings, a lot of free spending, and little financial stress. Their spending is usually focused on themselves—apparel, personal care products, recreational goods and services, and products related to dating and mating.

Contrast a young single with a married couple with adolescent children. The couple is enjoying peak earning power, often with dual incomes. They have moderate savings, some investments, and plenty of credit for bigger purchases.

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They are homeowners who are upgrading much of the furniture and appliances they have accumulated, are purchasing larger luxury or recreational items, and are possibly paying for their children’s college costs.

Needless to say, the needs and motivations affecting prospective customers in these two life cycle phases are significantly different—as are the needs and motivations affecting each of the other lifecycle phases. With a little thought and common sense, you can think through other life cycle phases, and judge who are the most appropriate targets for your product.