Making money is simple. Not necessarily easy. But simple.
Here’s the simple formula for making money:
“Find a WANT and fill it.”
Most people know this quote as “Find a NEED and fill it.” (Attributed to Ruth Stafford Peale, wife of Norman Vincent Peale.)
Indeed, many “wants” are based upon or catalyzed by a perceived “need.” (Note my inclusion of the word “perceived.”)
Your car dies. You may THINK or FEEL that you need a car to replace it.
You don’t NEED a car.
You WANT a car.
Now I can hear your argument. “I live xx miles from where I work. I have x kids who are involved in x activities, and they’ve got to get to and from school and their activities. I often stay late at work, and no-one else is there to ride home with.” Yada, yada, yada. All JUSTIFICATIONS for why you THINK you “need” a car.
You don’t NEED a car.
Without a car, you now face legitimate obstacles (the ones I just referred to above, for example). But assuming that the only way to get rid of those obstacles is to get a car is VERY limited thinking.
Any obstacle can be overcome simply with the power of your mind. And your willingness to change. And the recognition that you don’t “have to” do something just because it’s what you’ve done before, or the first thing that comes to mind.
You could decide to NOT get another car.
You could walk, carpool, take the bus, ride a bike, move closer to where you work, arrange to work at home. You could simply decide that a car wasn’t necessary in your life. And to seal the deal, once you remind yourself how much money you’d save in gas, maintenance and insurance costs alone, not having a car might sound pretty darn good. Sure, it would mean you’d have to make some changes and “adjustments.”
The point is: You don’t NEED a car. You WANT one.
Let’s take this analogy one step further. If you decide you want to replace your care with another care, then there’s the matter of WHICH car you’ll buy.
1911 Model T Ad / Brochure: "Any color you want, as long as it's black."
If people purchased cars based only on need, then the world today would be the same as When Henry Ford rolled out the Model T: “You can have any color you want, as long as it’s black.”
There might be three or four different models of cars, total, all made by one single manufacturer. One two-seater. One four-seater. One station wagon. One truck. The cars would all get at least 100 miles to the gallon. the trucks would get at least 50. They wouldn’t necessarily be “pretty”(although unlike the Model T, the paint colors might be different so that at least you had some aesthetic satisfaction). They’d be FUNCTIONAL and HIGHLY EFFECTIVE at doing what they were meant to do: Get you and your passengers safely from one point to another. THAT’s the “NEED” (not the car; the need to get safely from one point to another).
And if that was the way the world worked, you might be satisfied with the four-seater that you now own that’s the same as the four-seater your neighbor owns.
But you don’t WANT to have the same car as your neighbor. You want to have choices. You want the car that YOU want.
1968 Shelby (Ford) Mustang 500GTKR
Perhaps you want a 1968 Shelby (Ford) Mustang 500GTKR (Available here for only $170,000). You don’t buy it because you need it. (Although if you’re a collector you may have some feeling inside that you “need” to have that car for your collection. But your perceived “need” is just your want.)
And even if that Shelby Mustang isn’t the car that you ultimately buy, you’re going to check your financial situation, and taking that into account, you’re going to buy the car you WANT. You’re going to look in the papers and on Craigslist.com and on auto sales lots and find out what’s available in your price range. You might take into account fuel efficiency and safety, but in the end, you’re gong to buy the car that you want thats available for purchase when you’re ready to buy. Your going to buy the car that makes you FEEL best about it, and about yourself.
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There’s absolutely nothing wrong with wanting something (although you might want to do an “inner check” to determine if at any moment you’re confusing what you think you “need” with what you really want).
As an educator and a marketer, I LOVE that people want things.
What other people want gives me an opportunity to be of service to them, and – if I want – to make money.
“Find a WANT and fill it.” Simple. Not necessarily easy, but simple.
Recognize that people buy what they want; not what they need. And that “wants” do, indeed, often come hand-in-hand with someone’s perceived “need.”
So don’t dismiss what people say they need. What someone says s/he “needs” is an important clue to where s/he’s starting her quest to purchase what s/he ultimately wants.
Just recognize that in the end – whether based on a perceived need or solely on desire – someone’s buying decision is going to be made based on what s/he wants.
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This article intentionally leaves questions, including:
“How can I figure out what someone wants?”
And…
“How can I make a PROFIT giving people what they want?”
Look for answers in parts to follow.
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Jay Aaron
Strategic Visionary / Visionary Strategist
Twitter: http://Twitter.com/newthoughts
Web site: http://JayAaron.com
All Contents International Copyright 2009 Jay Aaron. All International Rights Reserved.
The Author grants reprint permission without further inquiry only to those who provide proper Copyright credit and include a link to http://Jay Aaron.com
Tags: Add new tag, find a need, find a want, make money, making money, Professional Success, Service, Success Actions, Success Principles
