I Want You!

I want you out sells I need you.

No-one walks into an Apple store needing a new iPad or MacBookPro or iMac but virtually everyone who does wants one!

And if they didn’t before they went in they very soon do.

That’s the way with all but the essential purchases in life, need is secondary to want. A powerful brand can elicit the notion of “I want you” from even the most fiscally prudent amongst us.

I’ve had emails from clients or potential clients saying “I can’t afford the …. ” or ” I was hoping that would be cheaper…” with the tag line “sent from my iPad” attached to the bottom of the email, yet an iPad sits at the top of the price bracket of portable tablet computing.

Tipping point

At some point these normally careful and value for money seeking individuals tipped from I need a ….. to I want that.

This is like gold dust, because when you want something you don’t start to haggle on price or seek to cut a deal – if you don’t have the funds readily available you shuffle things around and find a way to get it, all the while justifying the expense to yourself.

So how do we illicit desire from our customers?

By being everything they didn’t know they wanted and a little bit more – I’m talking about building a strong brand and making your customers feel so good that they just want you.

Strong brands tip to desire

Apple is a very strong brand that can illicit desire from its customers, there are many factors at play:

• Its products are reliable –  they just work
• There is a perception of exclusivity
• There is social approval – if people you know, like and trust have one then it must be good right?

There is also a simplicity and understated elegance in the design of their products and that flows into their marketing – the whole process is very carefully thought out to make it as easy for you to want them and then act upon that desire.

Your brand

So consider your brand – how do you your customers perceive you?

• Are you reliable? Do you turn up when you say you will? Do you call when you say you will?
• Are you trustworthy? Do you deliver against promise? Do you engender confidence?
• Are you exclusive? Can anyone have you or are you only available for the select?
• Do you go out of your way to make customers feel good about themselves?

These are the tenets of a strong brand and when they are recognisable in all that you do, your potential customers will tip from needing what you’ve got for the best price they can get it to “I want you”.

Have your say

Agree? Disagree? Let me know in the comments below.