3. What Do They

You’re reading an excerpt of Great Founders Write, by Ben Putano, writer, entrepreneur, and book publisher. He’s the founder of Damn Gravity Media, a publishing house that inspires and educates tomorrow’s great founders. Purchase now for lifetime access to the book and on-demand video course.

Most people are very good at telling you what they want: money, free time, adventure, independence.

But most of us are less adept at knowing what we need. Our needs, both physical and psychological, sit just below the surface of our consciousness. We don’t know we need something until we get it, or it’s suddenly taken away.

Let’s talk about your friend, Sandy. She wants to leave her corporate job and open a pottery studio. But what does she need to make this happen?

Amazingly, there are only eight things humans really need. Copywriter and author Drew Eric Whitman compiled a list of these needs in his book, Ca$hvertising (cringey name, great book on copywriting.)

He calls them The Lifeforce 8:

1. Survival

2. Sustenance (i.e., food and water)

3. Freedom from pain and fear

4. Sexual companionship

5. Comfortable living (i.e., peace of mind)

6. Achievement and winning

7. Caring for loved ones

8. Social acceptance

Then there are secondary motivations, which are less powerful but very common in our developed world. Whitman calls them “learned” motivations. There are nine in total:

1. To be informed

2. Curiosity

3. Cleanliness of body and surroundings

4. Efficiency

5. Convenience

6. Dependability/quality

7. Expression of beauty and style

8. Economy/profit

9. Bargains

These lists help explain why Tata Nano failed so spectacularly. Mr. Tata appealed to the weakest possible motivator—bargains—while ignoring primary needs like achievement and social acceptance. The Volkswagen Beetle, on the other hand, appealed to comfortable living, social acceptance, convenience, dependability, and self-expression. Affordability was hardly mentioned—it wasn’t necessary.

Now, back to Sandy. What does she need? Start at the top of the Lifeforce 8 list and work your way down. Right away you’ll see fundamental needs to address: survival and sustenance. For humans, a lack of money signals danger. Sandy needs to know she will not go hungry or lose her home if she starts her own business.

But that’s not all. She’s used to a certain level of comfort from her nine-to-five job. That’s at risk of going away when she quits. She’s not even sure she’ll succeed. It would be easier to not try at all. And what will her friends and family think if she starts a pottery studio? Will they accept her decision or call her crazy and irresponsible?

As you already know, becoming an entrepreneur is a loaded decision. It’s wrapped up in multiple fundamental needs that Sandy must satisfy before taking the leap. Your landing page should address each one of these needs specifically and explain how you help clients overcome them.

Your reader won’t tell you what they need, so it will take some digging to uncover. But once you do, you’re well on your way to building massive empathy.

Next, you need to identify and address what’s standing in their way.