Recently I was dubbed junior chef and assisted a senior chef inside a scorching 120° kitchen. Without adequate drinking water, I made four mad dashes for the refrigerated Cokes. I'm a Pepsi lover, so downing Cokes went against the grain. I got what I needed—but not what I wanted.

Before anyone remarks about the negative long-range effects of sodas, I'm not an addict. I can go without "The Real Thing" for days. So let's get back to the topic...

In real-world sales, one phrase outpulls the other:

#1) Find a need and fill it.

#2) Find a want and reward it.

Both are important, but one will make you massive amounts of money over the other. Which one would you choose? Here are a few clues...

If you take little Bobby Christmas shopping: would he choose matching socks for school, or the latest X-Men video game with over 140 characters and alternative endings?

Next...

If you're a guy wanting to give your gal an "I'm thinking about you" gift: would you present her with a basket full of fruit, or an assortment of Godiva dark chocolates?

Moving forward...

If you had the chance to own a car of your choice: would you choose the economical, highly dependable Toyota Corolla—or the head-turning, status-grabbing Ferrari 550?

Which one would you choose?

Bobby needs socks, has always needed socks, and will probably need socks for the rest of his life. He doesn't need the X-Men game, will eventually grow tired of it, and let it collect dust. Yet which item will he choose?

And fruit is nature's real food, supplies your body with what it needs, and tastes naturally sweet. But give the average woman a box of chocolates and she'd fall into a trance. She concludes she can have fruit anytime, but those Lady Godivas have been serenading her the moment she laid eyes on them.

Now the car means freedom for the young and old, but if you're only going from the house to the Post Office, all you need is an econobox on four wheels. Why on earth would you want to own an exotic chariot? They're probably horrible on gas. But which car would YOU rather drive? Or to be more exact, which would you want to be seen in?

I bet the picture's becoming clearer...

There's a basic difference between wants and needs. And here's the vital marketing lesson for you smart marketers: People forego buying what they need so they can get what they want.

Really.

Allow me to ask you:

Why would a lady pay hundreds of dollars for a Gucci bag (even for a knock-off) when J.C. Penney sells similar bags that can carry the same personal items? Why would families trade up to larger homes when the house they're living in has been quite adequate? Why would a teenager demand hundred-dollar sneakers when the twenty-dollar brands do the same job?

Easy. We will plop down good money for what we want. It's wired into our nature.

If we bought only what we needed—they'd close down five-star hotels, Rolls Royce dealerships, and corporate jet flights. We'd all ride bicycles, eat at McDonald's, and wear Mao uniforms. We'd all shop at Wal-mart, Kmart, and at the local Five-and-Dime. But fortunately, we have more choices.

A lesson from history...

Back in the 1980's Nancy Reagan spearheaded an awareness program called "Just Say No" as part of the U.S. "War on Drugs." Logically, this was a great idea. But the campaign never saw any significant success and has since been reduced to a common catch phrase.

From a marketing viewpoint, "Just Say No" wouldn't fly because it was a needs-based campaign. It's similar to telling your child, "You need to eat spinach." There's not going to be a whole lot of cooperation.

Another instance...

My long-time friend studied years to become an oncologist (cancer specialist). He discovered people aren't breaking down his doors rushing to see him. They become his patients only on a needs basis.

But even he sees the growing trend...

People are lining up to spend a fortune on cosmetic surgery. It's big business. And he's afraid he may have chosen the wrong career.