Why Do People Buy Stuff?

On the Net or off, people will usually buy what they need.
More importantly though, they will almost always buy what
they want, if simply to satisfy what may be just a vague
urge that exists only at a subconscious level.

The Internet itself hasn't changed basic human motivation
one whit. While we may be more knowledgeable and more
sophisticated than our forebears, the reason why we do
things remains essentially the same . . . to get what we
want and need.

The good news is that people still want and need the same
things they have always wanted and needed. Which of us
doesn't long for more leisure time, financial success,
acceptance from our peers, comfort, security, family
stability, prestige?

But as we've already mentioned, the urge to fulfill these
needs and desires may not be consciously realized. Do you
go to the supermarket harboring a conscious thought of
providing security and stability for yourself and your
family by fending off starvation? Probably not. Have you
ever felt blue, and went on a shopping trip to 'feel
better?' Probably so.

Then it behooves us as business owners to understand a bit
about human motivation, and the reason why people buy stuff.

Below are five primary motivators of all human behavior.
These apply not only to making a buying decision, but to
other aspects of human life and interaction as well. When
you ponder these motivators, you'll begin to realize that
they are deeply rooted in the human psyche, akin to our
most common needs and desires.

1. Desire for gain - usually financial, but also at an
emotional level to gain in love, power, prestige, respect
from others.

2. Fear of loss and desire for security - again, usually
financial, but the fear of emotional loss as well. This
motivator can relate to the loss of something already
gained, or to the fear of not gaining something that is
perceived as a need.

3. Comfort and convenience - making life easier, less
complex, more productive, more leisurely, less stressful.

4. Prestige and pride of ownership - although it may not
be a psychologically healthy frame of mind, many people do
attach the worth of life to the ownership and accumulation
of material items.

5. Satisfaction of emotion - the act of buying can
translate into a 'feel good' mechanism, possibly satisfying
an array of emotional urges. While we're not suggesting you
take advantage, compulsive spenders quite often experience
bouts of the 'blues' or even depression.

As you begin to ponder and understand your own motivations,
so will you be more able to understand the motivations of
others. We're all human, and for the most part cut from the
same cloth. We share essentially the same needs and
desires, even though we may go about satisfying them in
vastly different ways.

The greater your understanding becomes of why people buy
stuff, the greater your ability will be to explain what you
have to offer. You'll be more able to make clear to your
potential customers the inherent benefits you can provide
through your products and services.

As your potential customers come to realize why they should
do business with you, and subsequently do so, at least some
of your own key needs and desires will be fulfilled.