What does the concept of “reasonable needs” include? What needs can be called “unreasonable”?

Client needs: simple ways to identify and form them

for managers customer acquisition marketing

12.02.2020

Author: Academy-of-capital.ru

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From this material you will learn:

  • What are customer needs
  • Benefits of identifying customer needs
  • Types of customer needs
  • Methods for identifying customer needs when selling
  • How to identify client needs: step-by-step instructions
  • Where to get information to analyze customer needs
  • Common mistakes when identifying client needs and expectations
  • Formation of client needs using the SPIN technique

The company's profit directly depends on the number of transactions with clients. There are different ways to increase sales: using certain advertising channels, offering discounts, holding promotions, and so on.

But the surest way to attract a customer and force him to make a purchase has always been and remains one: to offer the person what he needs. And to do this, it is necessary to find out the client’s needs or to form them artificially.

But not everything is as simple as it seems. Direct questions like: “What do you want to buy?” most often do not work. Understanding what exactly the client wants, finding out his pain points, and gently pressing on them is a kind of science. And only after mastering it inside and out can you count on results.

What are customer needs

Any transaction includes five stages: searching and evaluating a buyer; identifying his needs and establishing contact; product presentation; working with disagreements and objections; direct sale.

Identifying customer needs is the second of these stages. However, the manager must understand what the target audience needs in advance, and not while working with it.

Client needs

In most companies related to sales, the rule “You need to sell according to needs” works. It would seem that there is nothing complicated here: the visitor wants to buy a TV, which means that this is the item he needs, and it is necessary to tell about it. However, everything is not so simple. A person wants to receive information with maximum convenience and comfort, that is, watch news, films, etc.

If we go further, it becomes clear that most of all this buyer is attracted by entertainment, emotions, and new knowledge. In other words, his motivation is much deeper than it might seem at first glance. Only when we have identified the specific need of the client can we offer a suitable TV, because completely different models are suitable for comfortable viewing of news and football.

You need to understand that all people have different preferences and principles: for one it is important to have the most fashionable things, the latest generation phones, while others are inclined to save money for the future. And if for the first the most important thing is prestige, then the basis of the actions of the second is economy. And offering them the same products is simply irrational.

It is worthwhile to dwell separately on the very concept of “need”. We are talking about the internal state of a psychological or functional feeling of insufficiency of something, which can manifest itself depending on the current situation. We are talking about a person’s feeling, which is fickle and therefore easily changes.

The simplest and most understandable example is the need for food. While we are on a walk, we may not even notice that we are hungry. But as soon as we smell the pleasant smell from the nearest cafe, we see passers-by with pies in their hands, we will naturally feel hungry. An experienced sales specialist knows exactly how to create a similar need for goods. This is a competent sales technique.

The client's main needs are:

  • safety;
  • comfort;
  • prestige;
  • reliability;
  • novelty.

It is the listed qualities that interest the overwhelming number of people in any product. Therefore, the main goal of advertising in the media is to awaken in a person the understanding that he really needs a certain thing. Often an intrusive approach is used to achieve this.

Client's basic needs

The task of a competent seller is to carefully figure out what from this list most attracts his audience. Based on this information, he will build his strategy.

Identifying needs is the basis for organizing sales. However, it is important to think about what potential consumers of the company’s services require during the marketing planning process. The needs identification process should start before production/purchasing, especially when it comes to a retail store.

Any business must rely on information about what its target audience needs. If you are not ready to use this approach, there is a high probability that you will produce/purchase a product that no one needs.

To succeed, work by the key marketing principle: “Don’t sell what you make, but make what you can sell.” In other words, any business decision should be based on marketing research aimed at identifying the pains and problems of the audience.

What does the concept of “reasonable needs” include? What needs can be called “unreasonable”?

Practical work No. 1.

Subject:

"Modern environmental crisis

And strategies for the survival of humanity"

Target:

Identifying the essence of the modern environmental crisis;

finding ways to solve environmental problems at various levels;

Awareness of the need for self-restraint "needs, in

Which there is no need for.”

Task 1) Glossary:

An environmental problem is a change in the natural environment as a result of anthropogenic influences, leading to disruption of the structure and functioning of nature.

Global environmental problems are closely related to other global world problems, they influence each other and the emergence of some leads to the emergence or aggravation of others. For example, such a complex global problem as demographics, generated by the explosive growth of the planet's population, leads to a sharp increase in the load on the environment due to the increase in people's needs for food, energy, housing, industrial goods, etc. It is obvious that without solving the demographic problem, without stabilizing the population, it is impossible to contain the development of crisis ecological processes on the planet.

An ecological situation is a spatio-temporal combination of various conditions and factors, including positive and negative from the point of view of residence and human condition, that create a certain ecological situation in a territory of varying degrees of well-being or disadvantage.

Resource is a quantitative measure of the possibility of performing any activity; conditions that allow using certain transformations to obtain the desired result.

Need is a type of functional or psychological need or lack of any object, subject, individual, social group, society. Being internal drivers of activity, needs manifest themselves differently depending on the situation.

CONSUMERISM - An organized movement for expanding the rights and influence of consumers, buyers in relation to sellers and producers of goods, the creation of consumer societies.

Environment - that's right, habitat. Habitat is a generalized concept that characterizes the natural conditions in a specifically chosen place and the physical and chemical state of a given area. As a rule, the use of the term refers to the description of natural conditions on the Earth's surface, the state of its local and global ecosystems, including inanimate nature, and their interaction with humans.

Examples of descriptive definitions:

A system is a complex of interacting components.

A system is a set of elements that are in certain relationships with each other and with the environment.

A system is a set of interconnected elements, isolated from the environment and interacting with it as a whole.

Ecosystem is the basic concept of ecology. This is a collection of coexisting species of plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms that interact with each other and with their surrounding environment in such a way that such a community can persist and function over a long period of geological time.

Personality is a concept developed to reflect the social nature of a person, consider him as a subject of sociocultural life, define him as a bearer of an individual principle, self-revealing in the contexts of social relations, communication and objective activity. By “personality” we understand: 1) the human individual as a subject of relationships and conscious activity (“person” in the broad sense of the word) or 2) a stable system of socially significant traits that characterize the individual as a member of a particular society or community. Although these two concepts - face as the integrity of a person (Latin persona) and personality as his social and psychological appearance (Latin personalitas) - are terminologically quite distinguishable, they are sometimes used as synonyms.

The ecological imperative is a forbidden trait in interaction with nature, which humanity has no right to transgress under any circumstances.

Ecological consciousness. As is known, a person’s attitude to various aspects of existence is based on value systems, consciously or unconsciously formed in his mind. A person’s views on nature, his behavior are determined by what is inherent in his consciousness, and this is manifested in his attitude towards nature. The phenomenon of human consciousness lies in the fact that its qualities depend on many factors, and its (consciousness) product is everything that it affects, that it creates or destroys. Scientists distinguish different aspects of a person’s holistic consciousness, depending on the area of ​​existence to which his relationship is considered. A person's attitude towards nature is determined by his environmental consciousness. Ultimately, the state of nature depends on the quality and level of environmental consciousness of society.

Anthropocentrism prescribes contrasting the phenomenon of man with all other phenomena of life and the Universe in general. anthropocentrism underlies the consumer attitude towards nature, justifying the destruction and exploitation of other forms of life.

Egocentrism is an environmental ideology that considers the preservation of wild nature as an independent value, regardless of any human criteria of benefit, and presupposes the priority of this value over the goals and needs of humanity. Nature and ecological balance are perceived as having intrinsic value. Supporters of egocentrism are characterized by a reverence for nature that is close to religious [a controversial statement], and a perception of nature as a subject of action, having its own goals and possessing moral rights.

Cosmocentrism is a system of philosophical views that appeared in Ancient Greece, according to which the world is perceived as a cosmos, diverse, harmonious and at the same time terrifying. All phenomena of the surrounding world were viewed through the prism of space.

The concept of “noosphere” was proposed by Sorbonne mathematics professor Edouard Leroy (1870-1954), who interpreted it as a “thinking” shell formed by human consciousness. E. Leroy emphasized that he came to this idea together with his friend - the greatest geologist and paleontologist-evolutionist and Catholic philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. At the same time, Leroy and Chardin were based on lectures on geochemistry, which in 1922/1923 were given at the Sorbonne by Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky (1863-1945).

Coevolution is the joint evolution of biological species interacting in an ecosystem. Changes affecting any characteristics of individuals of one species lead to changes in another or other species. The concept of coevolution was first introduced by N.V. Timofeev-Resovsky in 1968.

Environmental safety is a set of conditions, processes and actions that ensure ecological balance in the environment and do not lead to vital damage (or threats of such damage) caused to the natural environment and humans. This is also the process of ensuring the protection of the vital interests of the individual, society, nature, state and all humanity from real or potential threats created by anthropogenic or natural impacts on the environment. The objects of ES are rights, material and spiritual needs of the individual, natural resources and the natural environment or the material basis of state and social development.

Nature management - 1) use of the natural environment to meet the environmental, economic, cultural and health needs of society; 2) the science of rational (for the corresponding historical moment) use of natural resources by society - a complex discipline that includes elements of natural, social and technical sciences.

Environmental protection, or applied ecology, is a set of measures designed to limit the negative impact of human activity on nature. In Western countries, the concept of environmental science is also often used, which in Russian literature is expressed by the term “environmental science.”

Task 2) Determine human needs.

Need is a state of need for certain living conditions, activities, material objects, people or certain social factors, without which a given individual experiences a state of discomfort.

The evolution of living beings cannot be explained only by adaptation to their environment. Activity is always more promising than defense. Needs are the source of activity of living beings. These are genetic programs aimed at mastering the environment. The more needs a living organism has, the more active it is, the greater its expansion, the higher its competitiveness in the struggle for existence. Of all the living organisms living on Earth, humans have the most needs. Some people devote all their strength to their careers, others selflessly engage in science, and still others spend their lives in a philosophical search for the meaning of life.

In my opinion, human needs are as follows:

Eat, drink, dress, rest, sleep, develop mentality, breathe, walk, talk, play, have fun, etc.

Task 3)

Without needs, a person cannot exist. But in our lives there are also needs that we can attribute to the background, that is, secondary. That is, they are no less important for human life.

Task 4) 1. Life full of pleasures and entertainment

2.freedom, independence

3.creativity

Task 5) What does it mean to use material and spiritual benefits wisely?

· Material goods include: water, food, food products, etc.

· Spiritual benefits include: entertainment, art forms, religions, etc.

In my opinion, it is reasonable to use these benefits, that is, when we distribute material and spiritual benefits to our benefit. For example: if we throw away food, pour out water unnecessarily, burn paintings, etc. then there is an incorrect distribution of certain benefits.

What does the concept of “reasonable needs” include? What needs can be called “unreasonable”?

Reasonable needs are those needs that are really necessary for a person to survive, to support his family and loved ones.

Unreasonable needs are those needs without which a person could live. For example: expensive things, eating in expensive restaurants, going to expensive clubs, etc.

Task 6) Global environmental problem:

In Russia, in my opinion, the global problem is that after the 90s all collective farms and state farms were closed, and now on the territory of Russia huge areas of land are simply overgrown, many of them are simply set on fire and the land becomes infertile.

Regional problems:

These are too frequent fires in our region, poaching, etc. all this leads to the destruction of forests and living organisms.

Local problems:

Many factories, including processing plants, do not have cleaning filters, thereby polluting the environment. Over time, a “haze” forms over cities. Chemical waste is discharged into flowing rivers that pass through cities, which greatly pollutes them. Many examples can be given; in Kuzbass, enterprises dump waste into Kondoma and Tom, where people swim. In the summer, when you go half a meter into the water, you will no longer see your feet because of the mud.

Personal problems:

Most of the population, after relaxing in nature or other places, does not pick up trash after themselves. Walking down the street, many people throw trash wherever they want.

Task 7) 1. In my opinion, “Everything is connected to everything.” You can even give an example of a food chain. As soon as one link falls out, everything is immediately disrupted.

2. “Everything has to go somewhere.” For example, all waste must go somewhere. Dispose of it - but even when burning certain wastes, the slag smoke does not disappear without a trace. Currently, in many countries, garbage is buried in the ground, I myself witnessed this process, how it all happens, they dig a large pit, lay a film over it and begin to fill it with garbage, as the pit is filled, they cover it with a small layer of earth on top and move on to another place . It seems to me that all this will come back to us.

3. “Nothing comes for free” if you don’t do anything, nothing will appear on its own. For example: Free cheese is only in a mousetrap.

4. “Nature knows best”; indeed, it knows better, since it has evolved over thousands of years. And people are small particles on the earth that break and spoil everything, and therefore after some time nature nevertheless returns everything to its place.

Assignment8) Table: Global problems of humanity.

Global problemsRegional problemsLocal problemsPersonal problems
Greenhouse effectDeforestationFormation of unauthorized landfillsTobacco smoking
Demographic problemDepletion and pollution of land watersAir pollution from exhaust gasesAlcoholism
Environmental pollutionLoss of productive landNoise pollutionLack of education
Human healthDepletion of fish resourcesDischarge of wastewater into rivers and lakesDrug addict
Preservation of the gene pool of the earthDeforestationRacism

Task 9) The topic of modern civilization is very relevant. Because, at the moment, not a single civilization with special progress is thriving. And even on the contrary, there are third world countries on our land. which are particularly backward states. But in my opinion laid out to you, alas, I will not be able to describe all the states, since there are very, very many of them. And for the reason that this topic is very voluminous. Russia is a very large state, the largest state on the planet. And of course there are a lot of problems in this large state. I agree with the appeal of Academician N. N. Moiseev. Because indeed a lot of indigenous residents of Russia left their state. Today, civilization in Russia is neither thriving nor deteriorating. Because the best “minds” of our state still go abroad in search of a more comfortable life. Many residents of our country live one day at a time. The Russian government should attract, for example: university graduates. In order for them to work for the state, thereby the state will prosper. And then our civilization will not regress, but rather progress. And in conclusion of my argument, I want to say in the words of Nikolai Fedorovich Remeis. “The genius of humanity should serve only people and their prosperity. Green light to everything that saves life's resources. “Stop” to anyone who squanders them. Only those who are with us are not against us!”

Benefits of identifying customer needs

The buyer is the main value for any enterprise, so his problem becomes the company's problem, and its solution becomes a common goal. As a result, the company makes a profit. Identifying customer needs is beneficial to a company for several reasons:

  1. Allows you to learn more about the preferences of the target audience . Don’t try to decide for a person what fashionable or cheapest/expensive product he needs. Instead, find out which properties he considers most important, then you will be able to choose the option that will really be useful to the consumer.
  2. You get an idea of ​​your interlocutor's pain points .
    One product can cope with several tasks at once, so in each situation it has to be offered in different ways. One needs a smartphone as a means to access the Internet, while the other needs to make calls and watch videos. Understanding the person’s goal, in the first case the specialist will select a device with 4G and good Wi-Fi reception, and in the second - with a large screen, high image and sound quality.
  3. You receive arguments to work out objections.
    If objections arise, you can work using standard arguments about the ratio of price and quality. Or you can use a deeper argument, citing the fact that the proposed product will save the buyer from the problem.

    Benefits of identifying customer needs

  4. You look like a professional.
    When a seller, without asking anything, simply offers a product, it is difficult to mistake him for an experienced and attentive specialist. By asking questions, you tell your interlocutor about your level of knowledge, and he understands that you will definitely find the best option for him.

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  5. The interlocutor feels attention and care on your part .
    Dale Carnegie argued that every person loves to talk about himself. And when it comes to sales, this rule works 100%. By asking the buyer about his desires, you create the most comfortable environment for him, in which he feels confident and relaxed. As a result, it is easier for him to trust you and agree with your opinion.
  6. You initiate an active dialogue .
    If you work with the buyer in this format, then you need less time to choose a product and decide on the model. Don't forget that you save not only yours, but also your client's time.

Types of customer needs

Needs set a certain type of client behavior. You need to understand that in marketing theory they are classified into homogeneous groups, as well as on other grounds. Thus, the needs of real, regular customers are often highlighted. There is a principle of their separation based on the implementation environment.

A serious place in the marketing system belongs to the hierarchical structure of needs created by Abraham Maslow.

Let us dwell in more detail on the main types of customer needs, give a general description and specific examples. Client needs are:

Rational and emotional.

Usually, when it comes to what a buyer needs, it is customary to talk about two large groups: rational and emotional needs. The first include those whose purpose is to ensure the continued existence of the individual - they are also designated as functional.

Rational ones are such as the desire to quench thirst, hunger, get rid of pain, get into a cool room in the heat and, conversely, into a warm room if it’s cold, etc. Based on the rational type, companies sell consumer goods: food, clothing, furniture.

When a person has no urgent rational needs left, emotional ones take their place. In fact, they can be called secondary. They come in two types:

  • psychological;
  • social.

Examples of emotional needs include the desire to express oneself, improve, save money, time and nerves, relax comfortably, etc. In order for an offer to satisfy desires of this type, it must correspond to the client’s values ​​and worldview. In other words, you need to offer the person exactly what he dreams of.

Types of customer needs

If we compare the functional and emotional needs of customers, the former always relate to the basic functions of the product; their number can be very large. Whereas the number of emotional needs is limited.

External and internal.

Typically, this is the division used by sales specialists.

Internal, or psychological, needs relate to clients' fears and experiences. Let's say girls spend money on decorative cosmetics primarily to please themselves.

External, that is, social needs of clients, are more often associated with the desire to be recognized by society, to create a special image, to join one of the social groups. For example, a girl can choose high-heeled shoes and buy cosmetics to attract male attention.

Customer needs according to A. Maslow.

Customer needs according to Maslow

There are five groups in total, located in a certain hierarchy - this is called A. Maslow’s pyramid.

The lowest level is considered to be physiological needs, that is, basic ones - the need for water, food, sleep, warmth, etc. Next come the needs for protection, security, stability. The third level is the need to receive support, a sense of involvement and belonging to one of the social groups. Namely: at this level we are talking about such concepts as affection, intimacy, family, friends, etc. Even higher in this hierarchy are the needs for recognition and respect, that is, fame, prestige, confidence, self-esteem, etc. And at At the highest level is the need to realize talents and abilities.

Classification according to other criteria.

There is a division into hidden and explicit customer needs. The first ones are recognized by a person, but do not cause much discomfort, and therefore do not encourage action. The client will not pay for a product if he does not understand that he needs it.

A clear need is voiced by a person because it causes concern and causes inconvenience. In this case, the client is ready to buy to solve his problems.

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Also, needs can be coupled and uncoupled. The conjugate type assumes that after solving one problem, another immediately arises: if you bought a blouse, now you will need to choose a skirt to match it. The consultant’s task is to satisfy two client needs at once at the initial stage, in order to prevent the emergence of a second one.

What is need, desire, motive, demand? Define each term.

Need, want - an internal state of psychological or functional feeling of insufficiency of something, manifests itself depending on situational factors.

Need is a type of functional or psychological need or lack of any object, subject, individual, social group, society. Being internal drivers of activity, needs manifest themselves differently depending on the situation.

Desire or lust is an average degree of will, between simple organic desire, on the one hand, and a deliberate decision or choice, on the other.

Desire (specific need) is a need that has taken a specific form in accordance with:

· with the cultural level and personality of the individual

· with historical, geographical and other factors of the country or region

In the cognitive sphere, desire corresponds to an idea, just as desire corresponds to a sensation, and choice corresponds to an abstract thought. Desire itself is a passive state of the soul (connecting the area of ​​the will with the area of ​​emotional feelings or emotions); but a mental subject (normal) can relate to these states actively, strengthening or weakening their tension.

Motive (psychology) is a dynamic physiological and psychological process that controls human behavior, determining its direction, organization, activity and stability. In Russian science it is often defined as “a certain need.”

Demand is a request from an actual or potential buyer, consumer, to purchase a product using the funds available to him that are intended for this purchase. Demand reflects, on the one hand, the buyer’s need for certain goods or services, the desire to purchase these goods or services in a certain quantity and, on the other hand, the ability to pay for the purchase at a price that is within the “affordable” range.

What does the consumer actually always acquire when buying this or that product?

What is customer satisfaction and how can a service provider influence it?

What are the specific features of a tourism product and what impact does each of them have on sales technology?

What factors influence consumer purchasing behavior?

What is perception, belief, attitude?

Perception, perception (from Latin perceptio) is a cognitive process that forms a subjective picture of the world. This is a mental process consisting of the reflection of an object or phenomenon as a whole with its direct impact on the receptor surfaces of the sense organs. Perception is one of the biological mental functions that determine the complex process of receiving and transforming information received through the senses, forming a subjective holistic image of an object that affects analyzers through a set of sensations initiated by this object. As a form of sensory reflection of an object, perception includes the detection of the object as a whole, the discrimination of individual features in the object, the identification of informative content in it that is adequate to the purpose of the action, and the formation of a sensory image.

Perception is much more than the transmission of neural impulses by the nervous system to certain parts of the brain. Perception also presupposes the subject’s awareness of the very fact of stimulation and certain ideas about it, and for this to happen, it is first necessary to sense the “input” of sensory information, that is, to experience a sensation. In other words, perception is the process of comprehending the stimulation of sensory receptors. There are reasons to view perception as a task that involves focusing on a sensory signal, analyzing and interpreting it to create a meaningful representation of the world around us.

Conviction is an element (quality) of a worldview that gives an individual or social group confidence in their views on the world, knowledge and assessments of reality. Beliefs guide behavior and volitional actions. The highest (absolute) degree of conviction, for many, is personified by faith (confidence).

Unlike suggestion, persuasion is based on a person’s meaningful acceptance of any information or ideas, their analysis and evaluation. In this case, the conclusion can be made either independently or after the persuasive one, but in any case it is not perceived in its finished form. As a rule, persuasion requires a lot of time and the use of a variety of information and oratorical techniques, while suggestion can occur almost instantly. The method of persuasion is considered fundamental in scientific debate and in educational processes.

An attitude is an unconscious psychological state, an internal quality of a subject, based on his previous experience, predisposition to a certain activity in a certain situation. The attitude precedes and determines the development of any form of mental activity. It acts as a state of mobilization, readiness for subsequent action. It is determined by the corresponding situation of the subject’s need and the need to satisfy it. The presence of a person’s attitude allows him to react in one or another specific way to a particular political or social event or phenomenon.

The phenomenon was discovered by the German psychologist L. Lange (L. Lange, 1888); the general psychological theory of attitude, based on numerous experimental studies, was developed by D. N. Uznadze and his school (1956). The stages of attitude formation are most fully revealed on the basis of the concept of contrast illusion. Along with the unconscious simplest attitudes, more complex social attitudes, value orientations of the individual, etc. are distinguished. In addition, S.L. Rubinshtein paid great attention to attitudes, especially the role of attitudes in cognition. In his works, the concept of attitude is associated with the concepts of the Unconscious.

M. Rokeach made a distinction between attitudes and values: a value characterizes belief in a general concept that can relate to several specific objects and situations, while an attitude is a set of beliefs that relate to one object or situation

Methods for identifying customer needs when selling

Sales specialists work with the following methods:

  1. Active communication method (also known as active listening) . During the dialogue with the client, the seller asks open-ended questions, that is, their formulation requires only a detailed answer. In this case, the buyer gets the opportunity to tell what exactly bothers him. Let's say the salesperson asks: “What is most important to you when choosing a phone?” He needs to listen very carefully to what the interlocutor is saying, only then will he be convinced that he really understands the problem. This approach allows both participants in the dialogue to have a positive attitude and helps to collect the necessary information.
  2. Repetition method . If a potential buyer is reticent, he may not feel comfortable answering open-ended questions. In this case, it is more convenient to work with clarifying and alternative questions, which initially involve answer options. Before asking a follow-up question, you repeat what you have already heard from the client, but you need to select the main information. This way you can make sure that you are moving in the right direction, and also show interest in the opinion of the interlocutor.
  3. Summarizing method . In this case, the seller must highlight what the client cares about most. Don't forget to voice your conclusion to help the other person quickly realize their need and trust you. And this will definitely happen if you were able to understand the person and formulate the problem.

Remember! You can only talk to a potential consumer in a language that is understandable and accessible to him. You will scare a person away and make him feel stupid if you use a lot of professional terms that are unfamiliar to him. But communicating with a specialist in any field in a primitive language risks the fact that he will go to a more informed consultant.

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Basic human needs

Need is a psychological state of insufficiency of something or a person’s need for something, manifested in the form of desires, aspirations and drives.

Human needs are:

- biological

— social

- spiritual

Each of these needs can be dominant and secondary, as well as stable and situational.

Biological needs include physiological needs and safety needs.

Social needs include the needs for love, recognition, respect, communication and power.

Spiritual needs include the needs for self-actualization and personal growth.

Hierarchy of needs

Human needs form a hierarchical structure, based on basic physiological needs and safety needs, in the middle - the needs of love and respect, and in favor - the needs for self-actualization.

Physiological needs . Satisfaction of basic physiological needs is necessary for human biological survival: these are the needs for breathing, nutrition, rest and sex, without which a person cannot strive for higher goals: “an empty stomach is deaf to learning,” as people say. Undoubtedly, the most reliable way to satisfy these needs is to have a stable, high income, to be a financially independent person . Unfortunately, it is money that provides all the most basic needs of a modern civilized person.

Security needs . The need for security and confidence in the future arises as a reaction to the world around us, which is sometimes hostile to humans. This is not only fear for one’s life and the life of loved ones, but also the threat of losing a job or home, fear of losing family, loved ones, a threat to a person’s honor and dignity, fear of contracting an incurable or simply some contagious disease. This also includes human needs for stability, law and order, predictability of events and freedom from fear and chaos. That is, these needs reflect a person’s interest in his safety. It is these needs that force a person to put bars on the windows, save money in bank savings accounts, purchase insurance, etc.

Needs for love and belonging . A person’s social needs are expressed in the desire to be involved in a community or group of people. Sometimes a person agrees to receive a low salary, put up with uninteresting work, turn a blind eye to some shortcomings of the people around him, but when meeting his friends, he proudly says: “And I work at the Taganka Theater. I remember Yuri Lyubimov once told me...” It is the social environment (family, company of comrades and friends, various public organizations) that makes it possible to satisfy this important need and cure a person from an inferiority complex, from loneliness, from feeling like an outcast from society.

At this level, people seek to establish attachment relationships with other people in their family or social group. So, the child wants to live in an atmosphere of love and care, in which all his needs are met and he receives a lot of affection. Teenagers, seeking to find respect in the form of recognition of their independence and independence, are drawn to participation in religious, musical, sports and other close-knit groups. Young people experience the need for love in the form of sexual intimacy, that is, unusual experiences with a person of the opposite sex.

In general, gathering into crowds, groups and teams is one of the main features of the human psyche . This creates a feeling of security (“together we are strong”) and self-worth (“I am one of them”). This creates a feeling that someone needs you, that you have someone to rely on in case of any difficulties in life. And if a person is passionate about some idea, no matter what - the fight against drugs or the protection of endangered fauna - then by teaming up with like-minded people, he can achieve much greater results than alone. Without like-minded people, it is difficult for a person to assert himself and feel his importance, so satisfying this particular need often makes a person happy and gives him the meaning of existence.

Needs for respect and prestige . When a person's need to love and be loved is sufficiently satisfied, the degree of its influence on behavior decreases, opening the way for esteem needs. Here we are talking about respect from colleagues and loved ones, about prestige, social success, awareness of self-worth, recognition from others... These needs can be divided into two types: self-esteem and respect by others. The first includes concepts such as competence, self-confidence, independence and freedom. A person needs to know that he is a worthy person, that he can cope with any tasks that life presents. Respect by others includes concepts such as prestige, recognition, reputation and status. Here a person needs to know that what he does is recognized and appreciated. At this stage, money no longer plays a decisive role: for example, for creative people and managers, a more important indicator is usually the social prestige of their work, rather than wages.

Needs for self-actualization and personal growth . The highest goal, the highest need of the individual is the desire for self-expression, self-realization, self-affirmation. At this level, a person strives to discover and make the fullest use of his talents and abilities. This is the level of a creative person striving to do something fundamentally new and leave behind something valuable.

However, self-actualization is very rare, since many people simply do not see their potential or do not know about its existence . They tend to doubt and even fear their abilities, thereby burying their talents in the ground.

***

You can sign up for individual training, get more exercises and a detailed explanation of each point of the theoretical part, as well as get a personal consultation by contacting the author . For those who practice yoga according to the program of the author's closed yoga school "Insight", all services are free, for others - by agreement.

My Skype: seahappiness

VKontakte page: https://vk.com/id39643953

PS Also visit my blog dedicated to issues of self-development using yoga methods: https://v-lavrov.livejournal.com/

How to identify client needs: step-by-step instructions

When the client is already on the sales floor, you approach him and ask: “Can I help you with anything?” In this case, most people answer: “I’ll take a look and, if anything happens, I’ll contact you.” At this point the dialogue ends. What needs to be done to change this scenario?

Step 1: Identify the need.

Don't approach a potential buyer right away, observe him a little to understand which product categories interest him most. In other words, conduct an initial collection of information to be sure which product the person is interested in. If a client walks around the sales floor and looks at washing machines, it means that he came specifically for these household appliances - everything is extremely simple. The observation stage in the first step should take the seller no more than half a minute.

Methods for identifying customer needs when selling

After this, it’s time to approach the client and say: “Good afternoon! New washing machines were brought to us today, we haven’t put them on the sales floor yet, let me show them to you” or “We have a washing machine that has many more functions, let me show it to you.”

The client may respond to the second phrase by voicing a need: “I need a bigger washing machine” or “I don’t need a machine that consumes too much energy.” And this is already a good basis for further work. Therefore, try to compose a sentence in such a way as to characterize a certain product.

Step 2: Demonstrate and ask.

If the buyer follows you, start by demonstrating the promised product and only after that proceed to clarifying questions.

If you were unable to interest your interlocutor in your proposal, move on to the block of questions. Beginning salespeople are advised to prepare a short questionnaire with questions for themselves. The client does not need to see this sheet, but this format will help you remember the different types of questions to identify client needs and situations in which they might be useful.

How to identify client needs

Types of questions:

  • Open ones require a detailed answer: “What kind of kettle do you need?”
  • Closed ones, to which one of two possible answers can be given: “Do you need an electric kettle?”
  • Alternative ones contain two answer options: “Do you need an electric or a regular kettle?”
  • Rhetorical ones, which allow you to keep the conversation going in a friendly manner: “Isn’t this teapot a beautiful design?”
  • Suggestive, designed to push the client to the correct, from our point of view, answer: “If you need a large-capacity kettle, it’s better to take a regular one to save electricity, what do you think?”

Next, we will analyze situations in which a certain type of question is used:

Question type Situation
Open Client not ready to talk.

The need for the most complete information.

Start of dialogue

Closed Receiving clarifying and supplementary information.

Talkative client

Alternative Requires a call to action when closing a sale.

Need identification

Rhetorical It is necessary to create a lighter atmosphere, fill the pause in the conversation
Suggestive When to push a client to action

Step 3: Listen.

When all the questions have been asked, you need to listen to the other person’s objections, following two basic rules. First of all, do not try to interrupt the client. Also, don't be a passive listener, participate in the conversation.

To do this, you should use the technique of active listening. Its essence is to “yes assent” to the interlocutor, repeating his last phrases or the main content of his words. In this way, it is easiest to demonstrate interest in the opinion of a potential buyer, and therefore involvement in his problem. However, do not overact - any falsity is immediately noticeable and causes hostility.

Active Listening Technique

That's it, the work of assessing the client's needs has come to an end, now you need to bring communication to its logical conclusion.

Step 4. Answer.

So, your interlocutor said everything he wanted, voiced his problems. At this stage, you must give a reasoned answer to all the objections you hear. Don’t get into an argument, start from the person’s mood, use as arguments the real characteristics of the product, which a particular buyer may consider really important.

In other words, you must work with the information obtained in the previous stages to persuade the person to buy.

Let's imagine that a buyer comes to the store to buy a large electric kettle. At the same time, he needs such a kettle to save energy and boil water in a maximum of three minutes. The seller demonstrates a model that meets the client’s stated needs, but the latter is confused by the high cost of the product.

Then it is necessary to return to the needs, namely the client’s desire to reduce electricity consumption. Explain to your interlocutor that in a certain amount of time he will return the cost of the product by saving energy. In addition, only this option allows you to boil water so quickly.

Let's give some tips on how to structure a conversation:

  • Listen to your interlocutor - ask insightful questions, nod, repeat some of his phrases.
  • Control the conversation. Even when asking open-ended questions, keep the person on the topic that interests you. If you see that your interlocutor is taking you in a different direction, you can politely interrupt him - this way you will return his attention to the product.
  • Remember your role as a consultant, let the client know that you know everything about your proposal.
  • Be closer to the client. Use a confidential tone in your communication, let the person feel that you understand him and want to solve his problems.

Hierarchy of needs

When we lack something, we experience need, and at the same time we express dependence on this something. The elderly and lonely need care, help, and sympathy. A hungry man needs food. That is why it is believed that need is a state of a living being, expressing its dependence on what constitutes the conditions of its existence. The inanimate has no need.

The state of need for something causes discomfort, a psychological feeling of dissatisfaction. This tension forces a person to be active and do something to relieve tension. Satisfying a need is the process of returning the body to a state of balance. After eating, we satisfy the feeling of hunger and bring the body into a state of balance and comfort.

The first person to understand the structure of needs and identify their role and significance was the American psychologist Abraham Maslow (1908-1970). His teaching is called the hierarchical theory of needs. A. Maslow arranged the needs in ascending order from the lowest biological to the highest spiritual.

  1. Physiological needs - for the reproduction of people, food, breathing, physical movements, housing, rest, protecting oneself from the adverse effects of climate (heat, cold, etc.). They are also called vital, i.e. responsible for preserving human life.
  2. Security needs express the desire to preserve and protect one’s life, to protect oneself, relatives and one’s home from invasion, natural disasters, and discomfort. Physical safety is the need for good health, the absence of violence against a person’s personality and life. We are talking about confidence in the future, stability in living conditions, the need for a certain constancy and regularity in the surrounding society, for example, safety on the streets, the absence of wars and conflicts, as well as the desire to avoid unfair treatment. Economic security - the need for guaranteed employment, accident insurance, the desire to have a constant means of subsistence (earnings).
  3. Social needs indicate that man is a social, collective being and cannot live outside the group. We crave friendship, affection, love, community, communication, participation in organizations, caring for others, and help from loved ones. Social needs indicate a person’s desire not to stand out, to be like everyone else, to be equal to others.
  4. Prestigious needs, on the contrary, show that a person at the same time has the inherent ability to stand out in some way, to overtake others, to be unequal to them, to pay special attention to himself and to seek advantages. The desire to stand out is driven by career growth, the desire to make a career, to obtain higher status, prestige, recognition, and appreciation. They are also called egoistic, or evaluation needs, because they are self-oriented. The desire, motivation for success, achievement, and competition belong here.
  5. Spiritual needs are the desire for self-realization, the need to express through creative activity everything that a person is capable of. However, spiritual needs are diverse and extremely important in a person’s life. A. Maslow called them basic or basic needs, and for their role in stimulating human activity - motivational variables (but not motives in the strict sense of the word).

The first two types of needs are called primary (innate), the other three are called secondary (acquired). Growing up, a person attaches more and more importance to the second. Thus, the process of spiritual maturation is a process of elevating needs, i.e. replacement of primary with secondary.

Domestic psychologists, in particular A.V. Petrovsky, quite correctly believe that the highest, fifth, need - for self-realization - is essentially the individual’s need to become a person. There are known experiments that convincingly prove his correctness.

The principle of hierarchy acts as a spring, a kind of motor that sets needs in motion. According to him, the needs of each new level become relevant (urgent), making themselves known only after the demands of the previous one are satisfied.

Only unsatisfied needs have motivating power. Hunger drives a person until it is satisfied. Consequently, the real potential (power of influence) of a need is a function of the degree of its satisfaction. The power of impact of the need, its intensity, in addition, depend on the place it occupies in the general hierarchy. Physiological needs, regardless of the degree of impact of their satisfaction, have greater impact than, for example, egoistic ones, which occupy the fourth step. As you move upward, the force of impact decreases rather than increases. Indeed, a hungry and cold person is unlikely to think about poetry or enjoy the greatness of classical music. Only loners are capable of such feats. Hunger makes itself known more often than, say, the need for communication. How long can you go without food without experiencing discomfort? What about without communicating with other people?

The professionalism of a sociologist is manifested in how clearly he sets the research task. Sometimes the client himself does not know what he wants. The task of the sociologist is to figure all this out before starting the research. It is in the art of formulating a task and asking questions correctly that the talent of a sociologist primarily consists. Depending on the task, a questionnaire is drawn up. This is also a whole science. In questions, for example, complex concepts and long sentences should be avoided, explanatory introductions should be given, the question should be formulated so that the answer is not implied in advance, and “trap” questions should be set. M. Ozerova

Higher needs are amenable to conscious regulation, but lower ones are not. If the lower needs are inherent in all people equally, then the higher ones are unequal. Educated and uneducated people feel hungry in equal measure, but the latter are unlikely to experience an urgent need for creativity. People have different social (desire for communication) and egoistic (intent to advance, make a career) needs.

And one more important feature: higher needs make a greater contribution to the formation of personality than lower ones. One can express it even more clearly: where the highest needs begin, there, strictly speaking, the personality begins.

Suppression of needs at any level deforms personality and behavior. A person with suppressed needs is inferior. His inferiority is expressed in apathy, the desire to avoid responsibility, and unreasonable fear. Most often, the cause of numerous inferiority complexes is an immoral environment - drinking parents or friends, being in prison or a mental hospital, and sometimes in the army, if hazing is rampant there.

Unmet needs lead to mass discontent and irritation of the population. Numerous facts of non-payment of salaries to miners, teachers, and doctors show that the government does not care about meeting the needs of the first level. When the neglect of people's vital needs becomes a chronic phenomenon, they are forced to defend their interests through demonstrations, strikes, civil disobedience, riots and revolutions. In the mid-1990s. The expression “rail war” came into our everyday life: thousands of starving picketers blocked railway lines, stopped trains, demanding payment of what they earned with their labor.

The rise in crime that took place in the 1990s. mass character, forced Russians to fear for their own lives and the lives of their loved ones. Criminal showdowns, contract killings, physical violence on the streets, burglaries, domestic banditry and hooliganism have sharply increased the level of social tension. Ordinary citizens felt, and sociological surveys testify to this, that living in such a society had become unsafe.

In the 1990s. the majority of Russians began to live worse. This is a well-known fact: the material standard of living at this time decreased, according to various estimates, by 2-4 times compared to the late 1980s. It has become more difficult to invite and visit people, attend theaters and exhibitions, and maintain social connections. People began to communicate less also because the general mood and psychological atmosphere in society worsened. In terms of Maslow's theory, the third level of needs - social - is not satisfied.

At the same time, it became easier to satisfy the fourth level—prestige needs. Of course, not for the entire population, but for certain strata who previously did not have such opportunities. “New Russians” - the large, middle and petty bourgeoisie, formed in our country over the years of capitalist construction, build prestigious mansions and cottages, buy foreign cars, dress in imported clothes, and vacation at foreign resorts. Smaller quantities and less expensive goods also became available to a significant part of the middle class. Not only in Moscow, but also in most other cities of Russia, the number of private cars, country cottages and houses, and the number of tourists traveling abroad have increased by 2-3 times.

Anyone who wants to be liked in the world must come to terms with the fact that they will be taught long-known things by people who have no idea about them. N. Chamfort

We should especially talk about the fifth level of needs - spiritual. They play no less a role than the others, although they are located at the very top and are depicted as a small triangle. It seems that it comes to them last, after all other needs have been satisfied. But this doesn't always happen. The Russian nation has at all times been distinguished by an ineradicable thirst for the spiritual. We created artistic masterpieces, built magnificent palaces and temples, wrote about the eternal and beautiful in any state, and not just on a full stomach and in safety. For most of its history, our country did not have to live in abundance and prosperity, nevertheless, folk creativity did not dry out, and the phenomenon of the Russian intelligentsia amazes the whole world. It turns out, as many thinkers believe, the development of the spiritual sphere of society occurs as a whole, regardless of economic well-being.

The “in general” clause is not accidental. We are talking about a general development trend, but when we look at individual families or population groups, the picture becomes more complex. When a person loses the meaning of life, he begins to degrade spiritually. At first, it quenches the spiritual vacuum in alcohol or drugs, then, when the process becomes irreversible and the swamp of lack of spirituality firmly absorbs it, a person takes the path of crime and loss of his own “I”. There is a disintegration of personality, the center of which is always the spiritual principle. Many commit suicide, turn into recidivists, homeless, joining the ranks of the so-called declassed strata.

The social scientist is responsible for the words he uses. He has no right to remain at the level of “foggy” definitions and abstract reasoning about the object. He is obliged to show which specific indicators, highlighting certain features, aspects, characteristics of an object, will give him the necessary, reliable and relevant information about the social phenomena and processes being studied. Its “competence” does not include such abstract concepts as “mentality”, “social justice”, “culture” and other categories characterized by a high level of abstraction. I.A. Shmerlina

Spiritual devastation occurs even among financially secure, completely prosperous people. The pursuit of money or a career, when both of them turn from a means into the goal of existence, internally devastates a person. Often very rich people are at the same time very dissatisfied with their lives. This happens in literally all countries. What do you think are the reasons? Has the warmth of human relationships been lost, the meaning of life lost?

The higher a need is in Maslow's pyramid, the more difficult it is to satisfy. The most stubborn ones are the spiritual ones. To satisfy them means to find a clear meaning in life, to prefer good to evil, public benefit to personal benefit, honor to dishonor, etc. But how difficult and time-consuming is moral choice? What a number of obstacles and temptations a person has to overcome, what willpower to demonstrate in order to gain spiritual freedom!

If we take the entire history of mankind as a starting point, can we say that today there are more spiritually oriented people than before? It is unlikely that anyone will give a definite answer. Perhaps there are more of them, but perhaps not. It may turn out that there are neither fewer nor more ascetics of the spirit. It is generally difficult to construct any graph in this area.

But the progress of society can be judged unambiguously - it is happening. Human society moves up the ladder of civilization with every step. The volume of spiritual information (scientific knowledge, cultural and religious values ​​and works) is constantly expanding. Education and science are progressing. But does it follow from this that the number of people leading spiritually rich lives is increasing?

To study altruistic love, the American sociologist of Russian origin P. Sorokin analyzed about 4,600 biographies of saints and 500 Americans—modern carriers of the energy of love. He collected historical and personal evidence, experimentally tested hypotheses and personal evidence on college students and hospital patients. And I came to the conclusion: altruistic love is necessary for the health of not only individuals, but also social institutions and society as a whole. The salvation of humanity lies in rising to a higher moral level through the grace of creative love. P. Sorokin found that, in comparison with other groups of the population, religious people have the greatest longevity. In this way, P. Sorokin introduced religious concepts and values ​​into scientific circulation, giving them the meaning of fundamental sociological categories.

What prevents a person from communing with the sublime without limiting himself to lower needs? A person is driven by need to take the first four steps. He must eat, protect himself, live in a community of people, and finally, he must advance to receive more money, privileges, rewards. A person is pushed to the first two steps by nature (physical needs), to the second two by society. What pushes him towards spiritual goals? A person does not have the innate needs of striving for the spiritual. This is not inherent in nature. Society often fails to teach spiritual values, although schools and the media constantly talk about the benefits of education, courtesy, and good intentions.

Unfortunately, on one side, society convinces us of the need for good deeds, and on the other, it turns us away from them, constantly showing examples of the unkind, selfish, and immoral. Embezzlement, corruption, fraud, encountered at every step and broadcast by newspapers, radio and television, tabloid and low-quality literature published in mass circulation, and finally, the lack of political will on the part of the government to correct the situation and put an end to crime - all this serves as an object lesson in lack of spirituality. And often it is more understandable, accessible and persuasive for young people than a lesson in sublime matters. We convince ourselves: other people live without thinking about the spiritual, and why should I strain my will and waste my nerves in the fight against evil? But they don’t just live, they live better, more satisfyingly, more comfortably than the champions of morality.

Freedom of choice is both a prerequisite and an obstacle to the pursuit of spiritual heights. We leave spiritual food for later. We put material needs in first place, which nature forces us to satisfy. Who or what forces you to take care of your spiritual needs? Nobody and nothing, just ourselves. We are free to choose, and if so, we put them off until tomorrow. In former times, guests of the capital, having stocked up on provisions and clothing, visited museums and exhibitions, often surprising their hosts with their knowledge. It turns out that the latter do not follow new productions, exhibitions, and monuments. Native Muscovites believe that since they are constantly in the thick of cultural life, they can always go to exhibitions and museums. But for some reason this “always” never comes. Today the situation has changed. Apart from the “shuttles,” people no longer simply come to Moscow to join the culture, although after the democratic reforms, spiritual life has become much more diverse and interesting.

Where to get information to analyze customer needs

1. Conduct surveys among potential buyers.

By asking the right questions, you can understand what people need. There are many different formats for such surveys:

  • Calling potential and regular consumers . In this case, the manager contacts the person to ask questions and get a specific result. He identifies the client's need for services and proposes a solution.
  • Social media survey . With this approach, unlike the previous one, only one question is used, for example: “What products would you like to see in our online store?” Buyers will tell you what shortcomings they found in your assortment and indicate their needs. After that, all you have to do is increase the volume of your offers and start promoting them. Be sure to let people know that you took into account their wishes and now you have what they have been wanting for a long time.
  • Voting . It doesn't just ask one question, it involves several possible answers. Many users of social networks prefer this format of surveys, since it is easier to click on a ready-made answer than to write something.
  • Survey in the form of an email newsletter . Here you get all possible trump cards, because the user does not have to rush to answer you as soon as possible. He can think and present his wishes most accurately. Voting can be carried out in the same format.
  • Tests . This is a technology for identifying a problem not directly, but using roundabout ways. If you are selling gardening equipment, find out how a person cultivates his plot of land, what size his garden is, and what he grows there. You have the opportunity to place a ready-made solution to the problem in the results. If a person, for example, digs 40 acres of land with a shovel, offer him a cultivator.

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“Identifying decision makers: strategies and methods that work” Read more

It is important to correctly compose questions and ask them in a certain order. If you start by asking whether a person needs a motor cultivator, he will immediately refuse. It makes more sense to use SPIN sales technology, in which pre-prepared scripts are used for surveys.

2. Read reviews.

Customer reviews will give you all the information you need for free. Here people usually talk about all problems using the most understandable and emotional formulations.

Customer needs analysis

How to get reviews about your company:

  • Use a special form for them on your website . This way, customers will have the opportunity to leave comments about their purchases: whether they liked the product, the service, or communication with a sales specialist. Encourage people to write reviews - you can do this by giving a discount on their next purchase, a promotional code, or even a gift. Be sure to review the websites of competing companies to take into account any mistakes they have made.
  • Popular review sites . Among them it is worth mentioning “Yandex.Market”, “Otzovik”, “Irekommend”. You need to look at everything that is relevant to your field. But do not forget that such sites are also full of paid reviews - a separate article is devoted to this topic.
  • Social media . You are interested not only in your own, but also in the pages of other representatives of your field. It is recommended to create a separate discussion so that buyers can leave reviews there. From time to time, read what people write in this section, look for new comments, draw conclusions.
  • Forums and specialized social networks . Go, for example, to any resource where young mothers discuss their problems - there you will see many needs and tasks. If you work in the auto parts sales industry, visit Drive2 or Drom.ru. Believe me, the information posted there will be simply priceless for you.

3. Ask buyers directly.

This is another survey option that you need to work with constantly. So, on social networks you can create a discussion on the topic “Suggestions for improving the service.” Rest assured, clients always have something to write about. On the website you can create a section “How can we become better”. This approach will allow you to achieve two goals at once: to show concern for customers and achieve their loyalty, and also to obtain a lot of valuable information regarding the interests and problems of the audience.

However, do not overdo it - your task is not to identify the problems of the entire population of the Earth. Work with the needs of your potential customers; don't deal with the difficulties of people interested in purchasing in other areas.

You must accurately represent the age, gender, marital status, occupation, type of your customers, their level of loyalty, what is more important to them when purchasing: impulse or needs, etc.

The need for power, how it manifests itself and why it is needed

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Many researchers have repeatedly wondered about the nature of the emergence of such a concept as the “ need for power ,” but today there is no clear answer to this question.

The opinions of scientists are divided: either this phenomenon arose in the process of social adaptation, or it is congenital.

But, nevertheless, the need for power , in any of its manifestations, is inherent in most people. Persons with a low need for power avoid in every possible way holding leadership positions or positions in which it is necessary to influence people.

They experience discomfort and self-doubt at the mere thought of such positions in the organization. On the contrary, people with a high need for power are authoritarian, disdainful of those below them in the ranks, suspicious, demanding and pragmatic.

An interesting test based on pictures with unclear, blurry images was proposed by D. McClelland. The subject simply needs to tell what he sees in these images, and from his words a whole picture emerges, showing how much a particular person needs power.

People with high scores, as a rule, use aggression in their fantasies, resort to manipulating others, trying to make them feel guilty or afraid.

Researchers have drawn a certain pattern: if such people are unable to fulfill their need for power (due to circumstances dependent or independent of them), then they often show a tendency to psychosomatic diseases, hypertension, strokes, and stomach ulcers.

Workers with authoritarian characteristics and working in organizations with a clear structure, where the success of activities primarily depends on strict adherence to rules and regulations, achieve much greater results than workers with an unexpressed need for power.

Personnel with a natural desire for power in such enterprises are considered more preferable and appropriate.

If people with a high need for power manage to achieve what they want - to occupy leadership positions, then, often, they introduce a leadership style in which at the first stages there is an increase in the efficiency of the team, but later regressive tendencies take place.

The positive aspects of this leadership style also include general discipline in the team and observance of subordination. But it is also necessary to note possible disadvantages: suppression of the initiative of subordinates, their resulting passivity, untimely introduction of innovations, high staff turnover.

It is rare that the need for power has a peaceful basis, because it is mainly built on great ambition, ambition and the desire to rise above other people.

According to D. McClelland's theory, the need for power manifests itself in the form of an interest in influencing other people and obtaining a feeling of satisfaction from participating in their destinies.

In addition, the self-affirmation of the holder of power at the expense of other people also takes part here.

Despite all the above aspects, the importance of the need for power in its influence on the development of a person’s leadership qualities cannot be overestimated.

Fire, water, and also copper pipes, which represent the test of power - any manager must pass through all these tests with dignity in order to rightfully become a real high-class professional manager.

You might be interested in these blog articles:

Psychology of oneself - everything is good in moderation

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Constantly moving forward is the best motto!

Success statistics - success through failure

Common mistakes when identifying client needs and expectations

An incorrectly chosen approach to the client will not allow you to understand what exactly the visitor needs. If we are talking about a large company, then a mistake made when identifying the needs of the target audience can lead to irreparable consequences. In such cases, profit for the reporting period is almost always reduced, and this causes a whole series of negative consequences for the business. When discovering the buyer's needs, the seller may make the following mistakes:

  • Same questions . Even if you write open-ended questions, they should use different styles.
  • Attempts to interrupt the client. This should not be allowed under any circumstances, even when the interlocutor behaves tactlessly. He should be allowed to speak out and only after that move on to working out objections.

    Common Mistakes When Identifying Needs

  • Useless conversation . Newbies in sales are usually afraid of seeming impolite, so they listen to customer stories that do not provide information to identify needs.
  • Incorrectly constructed dialogue . In this case, the conversation cannot continue, and the client simply leaves.
  • Seller's monologue . The sales manager must find out what the interlocutor wants, and for this he needs not only to speak, but also to listen. Ideally, both interlocutors participate equally in communication.
  • Identifying one need . Every need is followed by a series of others related to the first. The more you can learn, the higher your sales will be.
  • Discrepancy between the time spent identifying needs and describing the product itself . That is, the seller does not have time to understand why the person came to the store, but is already starting the sales stage.

Differences between higher and lower needs


In the process of ontogenetic development, higher needs are revealed later than lower ones. At birth, a person has only physiological needs and, perhaps in a very weak, rudimentary form, the need for security, which manifests itself in the fear reaction and the presence of which can indirectly be confirmed by the general observation that a child develops better if the world around him is stable. and regularity. Only after a few months does the child begin to show the first signs of social attachment and selective love, and even later, if he feels safe and if he is surrounded by the love of his parents, does he discover a desire for autonomy, independence, a need for achievement, respect, evaluation, and praise. As for the need for self-actualization, even Mozart acquired it no earlier than at the age of three or four.

The higher the position of a need in the hierarchy of needs, the less urgent it is for survival, the longer it can remain unsatisfied and the higher the likelihood of its complete disappearance. The needs of higher levels are characterized by less ability to dominate and less organizational power. If lower needs require immediate satisfaction, mobilize all the forces of the body and cause autonomous reactions designed to ensure their satisfaction, then higher needs are not so urgent.

A desperate, manic desire for safety is observed much more often than a manic desire for the respect of others. Deprivation of higher needs does not cause such desperate self-defense reactions as deprivation of lower needs.

From a subjective point of view, higher needs are less pressing. Hints of higher needs are indistinct, indistinct, their whisper is sometimes drowned out by the loud and clear demands of other needs and desires, their intonations are very similar to the intonations of erroneous beliefs or habits. The ability to recognize your own needs, that is, to understand what you really need, is in itself a huge psychological achievement. Everything we have said here is doubly true for the needs of the higher levels.

Living at high motivational levels and satisfying higher needs leads to a stronger and more natural, true individualism. This position seems to contradict the previous statement that the “high” life means a stronger love identification, that is, socialization.

However, despite all the apparent illogicality, it should be perceived as an empirical reality. Self-actualizing people are distinguished by both a high degree of originality and the ability to love humanity, and this fact is fully consistent with Fromm's theoretical reflections regarding the synergistic nature of the relationship between self-love (or rather, self-respect) and love for other people.

Lower needs are more clearly localized, more tangible and limited than higher needs. Hunger and thirst are much more “somatic” than the need for love, which in turn is more somatic than the need for respect. In addition, the satisfaction of lower needs is much more tangible and obvious than the sources of satisfaction of higher needs.

The limitation of lower needs is also manifested in the fact that specific satisfiers are required to satisfy them. To satisfy hunger, it is enough to eat a certain amount of food, but satisfying the needs for love, respect and cognitive needs knows no limits.

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