There Is No Demand Generation

There is no such thing as demand generation. Unless you show up to work to find a long line of people outside the front door insisting that you sell them your product or service, there is no demand. But don’t worry, you need not create demand, as humans already have desires, needs, and fears.

Human Desires

1. Status and recognition: Humans desire social standing, a place a little higher up than their peers. My friend Howard describes this as the pecking order. People also want acknowledgment from their peers.
2. Wealth and security: There are two motivations here. Some people want material abundance, while others strive for economic stability. Every one of the eight billion of us would like more money, but only a small percentage are money motivated.
3. Love and belonging: Each of us needs to be loved and to feel we belong. We work hard to acquire love and belonging, complying with a group to ensure it.
4. Ease: There is a reason we want the easy button. Anything that makes life easier and gives you back time is alluring. The promise of an outcome with little effort is why people take advantage of others.
5. Health and longevity: Everyone wants a long, healthy life that will allow them to continue to do the things they love. It’s also why people buy many things to extend their lives, even if the solution can’t produce that outcome.
6. Novelty: We are hardwired to seek novelty. We seek new experiences and are interested in something we haven’t seen before. The circus was designed to provide you with something you have never seen.
7. Personal growth: One way to find your way to higher status is through personal growth. We learn new skills and work on existing ones, trying to increase our abilities.
8. Entertainment: We look for opportunities to have fun. This is why some salespeople take their clients to lunch, golf, or a Taylor Swift concert. Others would rather be at home with their families.
9. Exclusivity: When there is exclusivity, there is scarcity. Many people are motivated by having something others can’t have.

Human Fears

1. Fear of missing out (FOMO): Many of us become miserable by missing out, whether it’s on a deal, an experience, or some new trend or fashion. This often relates to scarcity and motivates people to act.
2. Fear of regret: Fear of regret can lead people to act, but can also cause them to freeze if they believe doing something will lead to regret. Christopher Hitchens, faced with his impending death, wrote in Vanity Fair we should choose our regrets carefully.
3. Fear of failure: You may have encountered a client who blurted out, “I can’t afford to fail.” They may fear losing status, harming their career, damaging an important relationship, or failing a crucial project. This is why some clients need you to help them with certainty.
4. Fear of uncertainty: We call our environment ACDC, which stands for accelerating, constant, disruptive change. The rate of change in our environment can prevent people from acting because they don’t know how things might turn out.
5. Fear of social exclusion: No one wants to be ostracized or left out, nor do they want to be looked down upon, but people can be cruel and bring mental or physical suffering to others. which is why some comply to be included.
6. Fear of aging: No one wants to grow old, but you are lucky if you get to grow old. For some of us, we are more afraid of being helpless than of aging.
7. Fear of scarcity: When there is too little, people are motivated to act quickly because they don’t want to be left without something they need or want.

If you were to bundle a few fears that have the strongest impact on business in general, you might include fear of missing out, fear of regret, fear of social exclusion, and fear of scarcity.

There Is No Demand Generation

The reason there is no demand generation is because your clients and prospective clients already have desires, even if you can't always see them. People want all kinds of things, often without knowing why they want them. You would do well to study what people desire and, when it is possible, to recognize what they really want. They don't want to buy your solution. They want to buy what it does for them.

No one has described this better than Zig Ziglar, who famously said: “You can have anything you want if you will only help others get what they want.” You should pay attention to what people say in the sales conversation, and work to understand their desires. But you must also look for fears, especially those that cause people to act or prevent them from moving forward.

Understanding human fears is also part of understanding your client and your prospects. Some are moved more by fear than by desire. When you can recognize someone is motivated by fear, you have an insight that will allow you to have the conversation your contact needs to overcome their fears and act to improve their results.

Every client you pursue already wants something. This is why you don't need to worry about demand generation. Your role entails helping your client get what they already want. A part of that desire may also be linked to the client's fears.

If you improve your ability to see what is invisible to others, you will have an advantage in a competition with a salesperson who is unable to see your client's desire and their fears.

You read sales books, and that's great. But if you want to understand the game, you will read about psychology.