Do You Market Needs or Dreams?
Have you ever been locked out of your house? You need help? Did you pay to meet needs or dreams?
Needs or Dreams?
If you are a coach, which are you most likely to supply – solutions to needs or to dreams?
Needs are well-defined issues, where we know exactly what we want. Sometimes we think about needs and wants. However, this is not exactly the distinction I want to make here. The thing that discriminates between needs and dreams is that needs are precise. The prospect has a very good idea of what they want. They may be unclear about details but these are likely to be non-essential.
Dreams are more diffuse. The prospect may have a general idea life could be better with some change but they are not entirely clear exactly what they want. They need help to define the problem and sometimes this may be all they need. Think about how difficult it is to remember a dream on waking; our need for coaching may be just as hard to pin down.
Which Do You Market?
- Does your business meet clearly defined needs or do your prospects need help to understand their problem?
- Recall a time when you needed help to define a problem. How did you know you needed help? Consider how the help you received increased your understanding of the problem.
- How do you help clients understand their problems?
Features and Desires
Where someone’s need is urgent, they are usually very clear. So, if they seek a hotel and there are two to choose from, they take interest in their features. When the lights go out at 10pm, I seek an electrician who comes out at night (and I pay more for this feature).
If you offer solutions to dreams, you work more in the realm of feelings and images. You help people understand what they want and offer them solutions to whatever stands in their way.
You need to decide which business you are in. There is nothing more frustrating than arguing on the doorstep with a locksmith who wants to be sure you really want to get into your house!
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