Natural law is a philosophy that states that people are motivated in their actions by human nature. It refers to the use of reasoning to analyze human nature and to deduce the rules that govern a person’s actions and behavior.
We have all seen the image of a stick and sting that suspends a carrot just out of reach of the horse who continues to move forward hoping to someday catch up with the carrot. If you can find what motivates someone, their carrot, it can be used to move them in a direction of your choosing.
Natural law in sales situations can play an important role in getting the customer to change what they are doing and consider your offering. You must first understand that business people have a way that they like to do things. The second concept that you need to understand is people only change when they want to change.
The role of natural law in business is a method used to find the one best motivation that will cause the customer to change the status quo and consider your offering. Since each person has their own unique triggers that motivate them to change, you need to apply reasoning to analyze what motivates them.
When I discuss the viable customer model and coming up with an incentive or value proposition to induce a partner, who shares a common customer segment with you, to share that a particular customer is viable and ready to buy what you sell, the first enticement that comes to mind is probably money. Almost all of my clients think of money first when I ask them this question. While money can be a motivator for some people, it is just one of many. By defaulting on money, you likely may have missed other and much more powerful motivations.
A few common natural laws that motivate people to include:
Money
Prestige
Power
Success
Achievement
Status
Popularity
Autonomy
Belonging
Fear of Failure
Recognition
Revenge
When I think about natural law, I often recall the story of Sam Walton who was forced to sell his Ben Franklin 5 &10 when his landlord would not renew his lease or the story of Arthur Blank an executive of Handy Dan Home Improvement who was unexpectedly laid off by his company. Neither was motivated by money, but by a desire to build a business to replace their former employers, a.k.a. revenge. You can’t simply assume that money is a universal motivator nor can you just listen to what your customers say motivates them.
There are 3 clues you can use to find out a person’s true self-interest.
What are the hobbies and activities they like to do outside of work
What are the things they talk about most?
What are the tasks they prefer to do the job?
The clues you gather can uncover what really motivates them. Armed with this knowledge, you need to adjust your sales pitch to address what really matters to them.
Do you use natural law to uncover a person’s true motivations?
