All progress is based on a universal innate desire on the part of every organism to live beyond its income. —Samuel Butler

The force at the core of everything we do is the force of our own needs and wants.

In his 1943 paper, titled “A Theory of Human Motivation,” Abraham Maslow proposed a framework for explaining what motivates human behavior. Maslow theorized that “man is a perpetually wanting animal,” and that once one need or want is satisfied, another will emerge. Furthermore, Maslow theorized that humans prioritize needs in a specific order or “hierarchy,” whereby basic needs must be satisfied before the higher needs can exist.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs proposes a taxonomy of five classes:

While other theories of human motivation have also been proposed, what you really need to know is that people’s internal needs, or motivations, are central to all of their activities and observed behaviors.  

Perhaps the most important task in change leadership is discovering the person or organization’s internal needs—what they are ultimately striving to achieve. Try to understand the person or organization’s:

All of these factors are “needs” that motivate human behavior. (Note: Don’t confuse the noun “needs” as Maslow uses it, with the verb “to need” discussed in Secret # 4.) The better you understand how your customer is motivated and what he is trying to achieve, the better you will be able to help him achieve it.

Build an internal needs profile of the key stakeholders and decision makers in your accounts. Increase your understanding of the customer’s needs over time. Remember: you are not selling a product—you are providing a service to help the customer satisfy her needs.