What customers need

We discussed what customers say and how to ask them better questions, followed by how customers perceive price, and finally we will look at what customers need.

It's one thing for a customer to say they want something. It's another thing for a customer to need something so much that they are willing to pay for it, feel satisfied that they bought your product because it really helped them, and even thank you for it.

There is no universal list of "things" that all customers need, let alone their order of importance. Today's article is for those who want to start somewhere and see how to think about added value.

The aim of this article is not to analyze Maslow's hierarchy of needs, JTBD, or the law of diffusion of innovations. The aim is to take a heuristic look at the range of customer needs intensity.

Rational vs. emotional needs

People have emotional attachments to their choices. Above a certain level, there is no such thing as "objectively, indisputably right and wrong"; people choose according to what they want, often based on first impressions, and once a person has formed an opinion, it is difficult to change it, etc.

An advertisement for clean water is not about clean water, it is about a mother with small children in the grass, drinking clean water and everyone is happy – the emotional component.

An advertisement for a project management tool is not about the tool, but about a young, dynamic team, where everyone is standing around a monitor, showing each other how things are moving, and everyone is incredibly cool – the emotional component.

An advertisement for an alcoholic beverage is not about the drink, it is about a group of people having a good time – the emotional component.

Your product must satisfy the user's need, whether it has 10 or 15 features is irrelevant.

General values

So what are these values in general, and in what general order, from least beneficial to most beneficial?

0. Rational – The need to save money and time

You may be wondering why saving is in the least important place right from the first item. Saving money and time is not actually a reason, but a "pseudo-reason":

• saving is often more a consequence of other added values, a bonus, a secondary effect

• saving is often used as a rationalization by the customer to themselves or to those to whom the expenditure needs to be explained (parent, partner, CFO, etc.)

There are people who buy a car in a big city and claim that it would be easier for them to get to work and save time. They then get stuck in traffic, while public transport would be faster and more comfortable... They spend time and money, but they wanted a car...

1. Superfluous - The need for leisure activities - entertainment, sports, education, etc.

Here we begin to talk about people's real emotional needs. Entertainment and relaxation are needs as old as humanity itself; a reward for work done. Education is the engine that drives some people forward: up the career ladder to earn more, or simply because they are very interested in a particular subject. Sport is a complement to sedentary work and often represents social contact beyond work relationships.

Although all these values can be very strong, they have their weaknesses, and I have put them last for one simple reason - they are usually the first to go when savings have to be made.

2. Social - the need to belong, "that's what they do"

Identifying with a group is a strong motivation:

• it can represent identity, belonging to a clan

• the customer may want to do something and not know how, so they look to others like them

• the customer may want to move elsewhere, rebranding (literally) is often the first and easiest step

A strong and visible brand, a feeling of "luxury", can motivate people to buy. It doesn't matter what the product does, but it signals belonging to a "higher class". (True luxury doesn't have a brand on its chest, it's invisible).

For companies that need a product, it is easier to look at what others are using than to do their own research on the entire market.

Want to look professional? Buy a suit or costume, a leather bag, modern smart tools, and voilà...

3. Prophylactic - The need to eliminate future problems

This need was the most difficult to classify. The more distant the problem is in time, the smaller this need is. However, people are more receptive to future catastrophic scenarios than to visions of a better future. Motivation through fear is very powerful:

• insurance and similar services are not presented as a rational calculation comparing insurance premiums and potential payouts; instead, fear is exploited

• savings are not driven by interest rates; they are presented as a rescue when needed, or as "we will protect your money from inflation"

It is not about a better choice, it is about saving from a future crisis.

4. Urgent - The need for security

Along with rest, the need for security is ingrained in humanity. Our brains are directly controlled by the need to survive. This value is the same as the previous one, only it is current, very close, or has just happened:

• installing security devices when you are burgled - who would have thought about it before?

• protective gear for your body after you fall off your bike – until then, it's not cool at all

• securing your computer after a cyberattack – everyone says, "it can't happen to us, it's not relevant right now," until it does happen.

Suddenly, everything that could wait and wasn't a priority becomes urgent.

5. Painful - The need to eliminate chronic pain, something that annoys the customer

From one point of view, this is like an umbrella covering all other values. All of the above-mentioned values can be hidden under this value, but there is more to it than that.

Imagine the most annoying part of your job, something that sucks the joy out of you. Imagine a monopoly/oligopoly that you have to pay ridiculous amounts of money to for years for a poor-quality product. Imagine a problem that you've been aware of for months and no one will help you with. Imagine the helplessness of being overlooked.

Maybe you don't even notice the problem anymore, maybe it's not so bad, but it's been going on for ten years...

Imagine the relief when it's finally behind you.

Such a product is not about a better future, but about righting a past that hurt for a long time.

This is the feeling, this is the value that drives revolutionary innovation and disruption.

The light bulb, the telephone, the smartphone, Toyota's entry into the US car market, the cloud, Facebook, COBOL, the washing machine, Netflix... - "it has to be better, faster, or it just has to do it by itself."

And in the end, there is a customer who says, "I've been waiting for this," pays, and even says thank you.

Variations

As I mentioned above, this list and especially its order is a good starting point, but it always depends on the target group - your target group should never be "everyone."

If your target group is the aspiring middle class that wants to signal social mobility, then level 2 (identity) will apply to them, and you will need to focus on that. But even in this case, you can use level 5, "how long you have been overlooked."

If your target group is companies and individuals from the "innovative" group, you will focus on entertainment and the cool effect. If it is companies and individuals from the "late majority" group, you will focus on future security. But even in this case, you can use level 5: better, cheaper, simpler.

Your target group determines the starting point, the basic value that your product will bring. Focus on it and try to support it with higher value.

First, identify the need, how strong it is, how numerous it is, and only then move on to the solution. A product that you really enjoyed creating, but that no one needs, has no value for others, is useless.

Look around you, there are lots of little pains, that's where the gold mine lies.