Philip Kotler writes in Principles of Marketing: Every individual has multiple needs at any given moment, but having a need does not necessarily lead a person to seek out our product or service.

🔹 In fact, a need motivates a person to buy only when it turns into a drive. A drive is an intense need that pushes a person to find a way to satisfy it.

🔹 Psychologists have proposed various theories to explain human motivation. Two of the most influential ones are Freud’s theory and Maslow’s theory, each with different applications in marketing.

🔹 Freud believed that people are often unaware of the real motives shaping their behavior. He argued that as people grow older, they suppress more of their desires—but these desires never fully disappear. Instead, they reveal themselves through dreams, slips of the tongue, nervous or aggressive behaviors, and psychological disorders.

🔹 According to Freud’s theory, every purchasing decision is influenced by unconscious motives—motives that the individual may not even be aware of.

🔹 For example, an older person buying a sporty BMW may simply be expressing an unconscious desire to show others that they still feel young at heart.

🔹 In contrast, Maslow sought to explain why people are motivated by certain needs at specific times. He tried to answer questions such as: Why is one person focused on personal safety while another seeks social approval?

🔹 Maslow’s answer is that human needs follow a hierarchy. According to him, the main categories of needs are: physiological needs, safety needs, social needs, esteem needs, and self‑actualization needs.

🔹 Based on Maslow’s theory, a person first tries to satisfy their most urgent and intense need. Once that need is fulfilled, it no longer motivates behavior, and the person moves on to the next most important need.

🔹 For example, a hungry person (with a strong physiological need) will show no interest in a great work of art (which satisfies a self‑actualization need). But once the urgent need is satisfied, the next significant need emerges.

Stephen Schiffman writes in 101 Strategies for Sales Success: In my view, the most important rule for succeeding in sales is this seemingly simple principle: put yourself in the customer’s shoes to understand the situation they are in.

🔹 This approach is known as the empathy strategy, yet many salespeople ignore it and casually say, “Honestly, it’s none of my business what the customer is going through or what problems they have. I’m not here to pry.”

🔹 But with such an attitude, do you really think you can build a deep relationship with a customer and encourage them to buy from you again and again?

🔹 To better understand the importance of empathy, imagine a day when you were feeling terrible and didn’t even have the energy for your own tasks—yet a colleague asked you to help them finish their work early so they could go home on time for a dinner date with their spouse.

🔹 Naturally, you would think: What an inconsiderate person—can’t they see I’m in no mood for anything or anyone?

🔹 Many times, customers feel the same way about us. They think: Why doesn’t this salesperson understand that I’m not even sure whether this product is right for me—or whether I can afford it?

🔹 For example, imagine visiting a corporate client and realizing their company is in the middle of a merger, and all the managers are worried about their future positions. If you ignore their concerns and immediately start pitching your product, do you think you’ll succeed?

🔹 In such situations, no manager is willing to listen to a salesperson. So all the time and energy you spend on presenting your product will be wasted and won’t lead to the result you want.

🔹 Therefore, before jumping into your main tasks—like presenting your product or negotiating price—make an effort to understand the customer’s emotional and psychological state. Show respect for their situation, and then move on to your responsibilities.

🔹 Just remember: empathy does not mean prying, interfering, or giving unsolicited advice. It simply means expressing understanding and sensitivity toward the customer’s situation.

Jim Blythe writes in 100 Great Marketing Ideas: Sometimes distribution channels are so tightly controlled by competitors that entering them becomes extremely difficult. New or small companies often cannot easily access existing distribution channels.

🔹 This is why new and small companies usually have to make significant financial commitments to the owners of major distribution channels—such as renting shelf space for long periods or offering long‑term credit terms—to gain entry.

🔹 In such situations, the best strategy for new and small companies is to create a new distribution channel for their product.

🔹 For example, when Red Bull energy drink first entered the market in 1987, it was extremely difficult to get into traditional distribution channels like supermarkets and retail chains, because these channels had no understanding of what an “energy drink” even was.

🔹 Since Red Bull targeted young consumers, the company decided to distribute its product in places where its target audience regularly spent time.

🔹 As a result, Red Bull formed a marketing team of university students to distribute and promote the product in gyms and nightclubs.

🔹 When the owners of these venues realized what an energy drink was—and that it would likely appeal to young people—they welcomed the idea of selling Red Bull. This allowed Red Bull to enter the market without giving in to the heavy demands of supermarkets and retail chains.

🔹 So instead of trying to push your product into traditional distribution channels, look for places where your customers naturally spend time—and then work to turn those places into your product’s distribution network.

Stephen Robbins writes in Managing People: Most companies complain about their employees’ lack of motivation, yet they refuse to accept that the real problem does not lie within the employees themselves—but within the company’s management and work systems.

🔹 In reality, when an employee lacks motivation, the root cause should be sought in processes such as poor hiring decisions, unclear or unrealistic goals, ineffective performance evaluations, flawed reward systems, and a manager’s inability to communicate properly with employees.

🔹 Based on this, if you want to understand why your employees are unmotivated, you must answer these three important questions:

◽️ 1. Do employees believe that if they put in more effort, others will notice and acknowledge that effort during performance evaluations?

◽️ 2. Do employees believe that if they are recognized as effective and capable performers in the evaluation system, they will be appreciated and receive appropriate rewards?

◽️ 3. Are the rewards employees receive for higher and more effective performance the type of rewards they actually need and value? For example, an employee may increase their effort with the goal of earning a promotion or a managerial position, but the company may only offer them a financial bonus. Naturally, the employee will lose motivation.