I don’t care if you’re a solo startup founder, a struggling artist that paints paintings of horses, or a musician that makes electro-jazz music;
If you can't understand why people buy, you my friend will not get very far.
Some of you may wince and think to yourselves –– selling my art is selling out.
But, here's the kicker...
Selling your art can transform you from a mere hobbyist into a bona fide professional.
Being a hobbyist is nothing to be ashamed of. I have a handful of hobbies, one being out in my garden planting vegetables. Yet, I would never expect my Beetroots to put bread on the table... beetroots maybe but certainly not bread.
If you're still reading, you already know that following your passion can pay the bills, but only if you figure out why folks buy....
When it comes to buying, there are essentially two motivations at play...
Motivation #1: Step back from pain.
Motivation #2: Step towards pleasure.
Consider all the things you bought in the past year, and you'll likely find that 90% of them fall into Motivation #1 or Motivation #2.
$20 Gary Vaynerchuk book from Amazon #1.
$75 Pair of Nike Air Force 1? #2.
$5 Caffe LatteVenti from Starbucks? #2
It’s a straightforward concept, but here is the problem –– what one person finds painful, another may find pleasurable, and vice versa.
Some folks get a thrill from rollercoasters, riding them every year, while others wouldn't take a spin even if you offered them ten grand.
But guess who is keeping the theme parks in business? The group of thrill-seekers that find having their face peeled back at dizzying speeds, pleasurable.
Thankfully, you're likely not in the amusement park game. So, convincing people to loosen their purse strings shouldn't be as wild of a ride.
To get people to buy whatever it is you are selling, you need to first figure out what it is you are selling. Is it Motivation #1 or Motivation #2?
Are people buying your product or service to step away from pain? Or, are they buying your product or service to step closer to pleasure?
How to Get People to Buy (Motivation #1):
When you provide a product or service that moves your customers further away from pain, you need to remind them of what it feels like to experience that pain.
Pain Relief commercials don't show grimacing folks clutching their backs for nothing. There's a motivation for it,
It's so that the viewer can remember what it feels like to have a backache.
When the viewer is reminded about this pain, they are motivated to buy the product to move further away from said pain.
How to Get People to Buy (Motivation #2):
The contrary can be said for Coca-Cola commercials, which depict smiling happy people drinking Coca-Cola to induce a sense of pleasure in the viewer.
And when the viewer feels this pleasure, they are more likely motivated to move closer to it.
Once you've figured out the "why" behind your customer's purchase - whether it's to step back from pain or step towards pleasure - you'll have a better understanding of why people buy what you're selling.
– Dave
