Oohhh… I want that.
We could all drink water out of a faucet and be perfectly hydrated, but we want Starbucks, Coke, Aquafina, Vitamin Water, and countless other beverages. Our need is hydration. Our want may be a sugar rush, a caffeine high, a physical edge, purity, image, or some other value that we attach. I don’t need a Venti Black Eye, but I really want one right now.
Marketers spend a lot of time trying to figure out what people want – developing new products and services to convert wants into profits. They create ad campaigns and fan pages and promotions and sales and logos and tag lines, and do all sorts of things to get people to want something… and then what? What happens when people show up wanting you?
All too often there is no plan. It’s like begging someone to go out with you on a date, and then when they finally say yes, taking them out to eat fast food and watch reruns of Cops. A fancy haircut, a snazzy new outfit, and a clever line might get you the date, but if you want the relationship to move forward, you have to keep working. It’s not enough to just get the customer to want you. Once they want you, you have to demonstrate you want them back. How do you do this?
Listen to them. Help them. Respond to their requests. Make good on your promises. Go above the minimum required to satisfy the requirement and strive to deliver the remarkable.
To win, you have to give a damn. You have to have passion. You have to want it.
