What Do They Really Need?
Today we're going to look at another framework that I find critical when it comes to building products - within or outside of the faith space.
The other day we looked at Mark 5 and I skipped over the story of the woman that had been bleeding for years. That was on purpose because it's the basis for today's framework and I didn't want to get into it too soon.
What Are People Buying?
Imagine you went to the hardware store to buy a drill bit. The receipt would say what kind of drill bit you purchased and it would have a price. For fancy drill bits, you might see a price of $150 (which is crazy to me).
Now imagine you're not the drill bit buyer. You're in marketing and you're sitting in a room talking about all the people who are buying that drill bit. You're talking about who they are, what they are like, and what they want and need.
If you think the buyer is buying drill bits, you likely want to know if there are other similar drill bits they need. Or maybe they need something to clean that drill bit (and could potentially be sold in a bundle).
This happens everyday. Everywhere.
All because people tell themselves (in product marketing, in product development, and in management) that the people who purchased drill bits were buying drill bits.
But what if they're wrong.
The Bleeding Woman
If we go back to Mark 5 (25-34) and jump into the part after we see Jarius and his request, but before Jesus goes to his house, we see this story that interrupts Jesus.
A woman who had suffered a condition of hemorrhaging for twelve years—a long succession of physicians had treated her, and treated her badly, taking all her money and leaving her worse off than before—had heard about Jesus. She slipped in from behind and touched his robe. She was thinking to herself, “If I can put a finger on his robe, I can get well.” The moment she did it, the flow of blood dried up. She could feel the change and knew her plague was over and done with.
At the same moment, Jesus felt energy discharging from him. He turned around to the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?”
His disciples said, “What are you talking about? With this crowd pushing and jostling you, you’re asking, ‘Who touched me?’ Dozens have touched you!”
But he went on asking, looking around to see who had done it. The woman, knowing what had happened, knowing she was the one, stepped up in fear and trembling, knelt before him, and gave him the whole story.
Jesus said to her, “Daughter, you took a risk of faith, and now you’re healed and whole. Live well, live blessed! Be healed of your plague.”
I don't know about you but one question screams out to me from this text -
If He was on His way to Jarius' home and the woman was healed by touching His robe, why stop? Why make everyone else stop?
(Ok, that was two questions, but you get what I'm asking, right?)
People Buy Products but Want Something More
I believe that we're all driven to spend money for one of ten different reasons:
- Core Needs - like food or shelter
- Pain Reduction - like meds or doctor visits
- Risk Reduction - like auto insurance
- Life Improvement - like books or a counselor
- Goal Acceleration - like courses, training, or a gym membership
- Long Term Savings - like a Costco membership
- Upside / ROI - like investing in stocks
- Community / Shared Experiences - like vacations
- Entertainment - like going to the movies
- Power / Prestige - like nice watches or fancy cars
We spend money on something. But the something is only a glimpse into what we're really spending money on. The popular social psychologist Gary V says, "Are you buying a Porsche because you like the Porsche or because you like how you feel when others see you in a Porsche?"
Is it possible that Jesus stopped in His tracks because He Realized the woman needed more than physical healing?
I think so.
She Needed More than Pain Reduction
The context of a woman who has been bleeding that long is more than just she has a medical condition that requires improvement. Bleeding makes her unclean. Being unclean means she can't participate in her community. She's an outcast. And broke (because she spent everything she had trying to get well).
That's someone who needs more than just pain reduction. Her faith (her belief that she'd be well if she touched His robe) can do a lot for her. But it can't re-integrate her into her community.
So Jesus stops. Because He knows she needs more. She needs Him to state to the entire crowd that she's well and whole. She needs that to bring her in from out in the cold.
He understood that there is the woman. There is her goal (being well). But there's also the environment (her community). His goal was to give her everything she needed, not just what she had on her mind.
We're Not Only Building Products
When someone buys a product, they get what the receipt shows them. If you're buying a drill bit, the receipt shows the name of the drill bit.
But what they're often buying is something different. If you buy an expensive drill bit, you might be doing a particular type of complex work. That's what you're really focused on. Not the bit. The drill bit is the bridge that gets you closer to your destination.
Here's how I look at it.
- There is the product - that's what people are buying when they buy something from you. It's what we make. It's what we build. But it's not what they want. They want something more. They need something more.
- That something more is the core - it's the closest thing we get to when it comes to motivation. And because we're not Jesus, we can't always know what our "core" offering needs to be. But that shouldn't stop us from trying. Daily.
- Lastly, there are accelerators - and that's what aligns with the core but speeds things up for people and the destination they're headed towards.
Wait, What's an Accelerator?
In Mark 5 we see the evidence of the core (emotional / social well being) and the product (physical healing). But we don't see the accelerators at play.
I don't know why, in this particular case, Jesus doesn't also tell the woman to show up at the temple, with an offering, to get "certified" by the priest as clean. But He does in Luke 5 after healing the man with leprosy. And in several other spots.
That little - "here's another thing that will help you with what you need / want" - is an accelerator.
If you've ever purchased a luxury vehicle, they often sell you the car (product) which signals safety or luxury (core) and then as you're closing the deal, they'll offer you a fixed upfront fee for maintenance (safety accelerator), or lifetime of car washes (luxury accelerator).
Those are accelerators.
So What Do People Want or Need?
As I wrap up this articulation of Core, Product and Accelerators, my answer to the initial question (and reason for this post) is simple. They need more than the "product."
If all you do is build products, and never reflect on what a customer is really buying, you'll likely make mistakes as you define your product. And you'll also leave a lot of opportunity on the table as you ignore how the core connects to accelerators.
