| People Buy What They Want,
Not What They Need!
Most people know they would be better off if they were a little
fitter, ate better and lost a few pounds, however we are in the
midst of an epidemic of excess weight and poor diet.
Who knows, some of us might even live a little longer!
Why is it, if people already know they need to eat less, eat better
quality food and exercise, they don't go ahead and do it? Or go
ahead and sign up to a gym or a weight loss program?
The answer is quite simple, we humans are complex organisms and
our minds allow us to rationalize all manner of beliefs. The bottom
line is we buy what we want, not what we need.
Understanding what your market wants rather than what they need
can spell the difference between success and failure in your business.
You see if you know what they want, you can become indispensable.
When you are indispensable, you are always in demand. When you are
indispensable, price becomes less of an issue and as a result, your
income goes up.
The problem is most people are far from indispensable. In fact
they even describe themselves in very generic ways, saying things
like:
- I'm an attorney
- I'm a financial advisor
- I'm a consultant
- I'm a coach
- I'm an IT guy
When you describe yourself this way, you immediately tell your
listener that you are not indispensable and in fact are completely
replaceable by anyone else who describes themselves in a similar
way. As a result customers focus on the one difference they understand,
- Price!
They are not to blame, who wouldn't look for the least expensive
option, when faced with several similar choices?
To be indispensable and to command premium prices requires you
to be an expert at something, preferably something that other people
don't know, but for which people will pay.
I don't know about you, but I would be prepared to pay far more
for someone who could ensure that I pay minimal taxes than I would
for a "plain old" accountant.
Here are 5 steps Louisa Nedkov took to becoming an indispensable
expert:
- Start with your passion. What is it that you love
to do?
* Louisa loved working with people on their health, fitness and
nutrition, however this was a crowded place with hundreds, if
not thousands of competitors
- Decide in what area of this passion you want to
develop as an expert?
* Louisa decided that energy and its impact on people was where
she wanted to focus her efforts.
- Within this general area identify a niche where
you are not facing too much competition.
* She decided to position herself as the energy coach. There were
far competitors in this section of the market.
- Find a segment of the market you can own.
* Louisa discovered that lawyers were very good prospects and
began to focus her efforts on this area of the market, where she
has no competition.
- Dominate your niche.
* This may take Louisa some time but she is building her reputation,
with speaking engagement, articles and seminars. Soon she’ll build
on that with PR and a book.
It may take time to become indispensable but with focus and effort
anyone can do it. It takes discipline and a step by step process.
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