People Don't Buy Commodities, They Buy Feelings

It’s a mistake to think that people get value from your product alone.

Your product may be what your customer says they want, what you spend all day crafting, and what you eventually deliver to them. But it's not where the true value exists.

No one is in love with the gas they put in their car.

Because gas is a commodity.

And if Globalization has taught us anything it's that everything will eventually become a commodity.

People don’t fall in love with a commodity - they fall in love with a feeling.

The feeling of control their car gives them as they roar down the highway.

It might seem tacky to emphasize the emotional value your product offers.

But consider the alternative.

Imagine your product, no matter how unique, eventually showing up on Amazon.

You know that your product is made with the highest quality material. You know that your technicians care the most about the construction. You know that you invented the proprietary method of operation.

But that’s not what the customer cares about anymore. Once your product ends up on Amazon all the emotions are stripped away.

And all you’re left with is a price, a 50 word description, and a scroll away from dozens of competitors that do the exact same thing as you.

People don’t buy commodities - they buy feelings.

Get Smarter (Without Trying)

If you found this useful, consider joining Top Of Mind Weekly – a short email I send on Thursdays where I share ideas that are top of mind where Technology, Marketing, and Culture overlap.