Seven Buying Motives That Can Help People Buy Into You

What cause people to buy into new ideas, new projects, new products, new people, and new risks? Let me introduce the seven buying motives. These seven buying motives can cause people to buy into you...

Motive one: desire for gain. Usually financial gain. We all want money to feel secure. We also like a little extra cash for play. Desire for gain is why we buy stocks, take jobs, hire employees, get an education and invest in businesses.

Motive two: fear of loss. Usually financial loss. We have worked very hard for what we have gained. We do not want to lose it. Fear of loss explains why we get guard dogs, need safety deposit boxes and buy burglar alarms.

Motive three: comfort and convenience. We all like hiring people to take out our trash. We all like spending whatever we can on those little things that make our lives comfortable and save us hassle. Comfort and convenience explains why people buy microwave ovens, washing machines and flannel pajamas.

Motive four: security and protection. Usually protection of a loved one, or a loved possession. Security and protection is why we buy life insurance even though we won't be alive to benefit. It's also why an otherwise peaceful person agrees to war. We buy anything to protect what we love.

Motive five: pride of ownership. We believe that our possessions say something about us, and we want to be sure that our possessions are saying the right things. Pride of ownership is what causes someone to buy a stolen painting for a private collection, buy a sweater worn by Marilyn Monroe, buy a bright shiny new Bentley, or pay a thousand dollars for a pair of shoes.

Motive six: satisfaction of emotion. The emotion is usually love. We buy cards, presents, dinners and movies in an attempt to either gain someone's love, admiration, acceptance and forgiveness; or to demonstrate our own love, admiration, acceptance and forgiveness.

Motive seven: satisfaction of ego. We like to treat ourselves right. We like to look good. Satisfaction of ego is why we buy make-up, facelifts, gym memberships, cologne, vacations and Godiva chocolates.

These seven motives are used by sales professionals and advertising agencies to make you buy their products. You can use these same tools to motivate others to try your ideas, hire your talents, or pick up their socks.

So here's the point. If you just tell people why you want them to do things-why you want them to hire you, or why you want them to pick up their socks-you'll only gain the reputation of a needy nag. However, if you show people how your ideas, your talents and their clean socks will provide them with money, protection, comfort, conveniences, security, pride, love, or any of the other motivations above, then those same people will begin to value your perspective. And when people value your perspective, they begin to find you persuasive...