Why People Buy: 18 Reasons

By Ben Hart

You can’t sell without knowing why people buy.  I’ve compiled a list here of what I believe that the 18 top reasons driving people to buy.

1. Fear

I would argue this is the #1 motive driving people to buy.

People buy because they fear getting old, fear going broke, fear being left behind.  They fear being left out.  They fear death.  They fear getting sick, fear going to Hell, fear being alone.  They fear Republicans gaining power, or they fear Democrats gaining power.  They fear the Nazis or Communists gaining power.  They fear life is meaningless.  They fear failure.  They fear their kids won’t amount to anything.  They fear being insignificant, not leaving a mark.  Fear comes in all shapes, sizes, and forms.  Fear is a powerful motivator causing people to buy.

2.  Avoid Pain

The fear motive is followed closely by the “avoid pain” motive.  People in pain will do almost anything to cure pain, end pain, avoid pain. 

3. Desire to be recognized

People buy because they want honor and prestige.  They want recognition.  They want to be set apart from the crowd.  They want to be part of an exclusive, prestigious club.  They want fame.

4. Greed

Just about everyone wants more money.  No matter how rich someone is, they always want more.  Even billionaires want more, not because they need it, just because they want it. 

They want more than the other billionaire has.  Warren Buffet has not stopped trying to make more money even though he’s the second richest man in the world.  Bill Gates still wants more because he wants to stay the richest.  Ten thousand pairs of shoes were not enough for Imelda Marcos.  She always wanted more shoes. 

5. Love

Love is a powerful motivator to buy.  What other motive can there be for buying life insurance? People want to make sure their children have the best and that their loved ones are taken care of. 

6. Self-improvement

People always want to improve themselves.  They join a gym to get in shape.  They sign up for a seminar to learn something that will help them get ahead.  “How To” manuals are some of the best selling books on Amazon.

7. Desire to win

There’s a strong competitive instinct in most people.  People just flat out want to win at games, at sports, at business, at love, and in life.  No one wants to be called a “Loser.”

People want to be the best.  They want the recognition that goes with winning, or they just want the satisfaction of knowing they are the best at something.  It’s not enough for Tiger Woods to be the best golfer in the world.  He now wants to be the best golfer of all time.  Does he want to win because he wants more fame or more money?  Does winning make him feel superior to other people?  I don’t think so.  I think he is someone who sets a goal and then just wants to achieve it.  He’s a perfectionist.  He feels he can always do better.

The desire to win will cause people to buy the best equipment, get the best teacher, buy the best books and videos on the subject.  We want our kids to win.  We want our teams to win.  The innate desire most of us have to win fuels the sports industry and much of our economy.

8. Comfort

People want comfort.  They want a comfortable bed, a comfortable chair, a comfortable car, comfortable shoes, comfortable clothes.  People want a Jacuzzi.  We want pain relievers even for the most minor pains, just to make ourselves more comfortable.  We want larger and more comfortable rooms.  Americans, especially, seem to be on a never-ending quest for more and more comfort.  This is a sub-category of the “avoid pain” motive.

9. Laziness

Sure, people want to improve themselves, and they want to win, and they want to make more money . . . but only if it’s easy.  Remember, people want to avoid pain.

People are lazy.  That’s why you don’t see many  . . .