A “desire” is defined as something longed for. And desire is the driving force behind all hopes and dreams.
Every human being since the dawn of time has had numerous desires for one thing or another—either consciously or unconsciously.
That’s why benefit-oriented copy is so powerful. Benefits satisfy desires. Your prospect may have a desire to make money… or to save money… or to lose weight… or have things be convenient (have it easy)… to be informed… to look good… etc.
There is no end to the number of desires a person can have. But at heart—at the very core of every person—are the 8 Core Desires. (Hats off to Drew Whitman, author of Cashvertising, for pointing this out.) Everyone has these Core Desires to some extent or another, whether they admit it to themselves or not. They are…
- The desire to protect loved ones.
- The desire to live… and to live a long life.
- The desire to be free from fear, pain, and danger.
- The desire for sex and companionship.
- The desire to live comfortably and enjoy life.
- The desire for approval and acceptance of others.
- The desire for good food and drink.
- The desire to get ahead. (Or to have more/know more/be better than others.)
Every other desire can be traced back to one or more of these Core Desires. For example, “make money” is a desire. But it’s a not a Core Desire. Not everyone has the desire to make more money. What drives the desire to make more money is one or more of the Core Desires.
Which means that “making more money” is not the ultimate benefit. There are deeper benefits that appeal to the Core Desires. Perhaps it is desire #8 that drives the need to make more money. Or, it could be #4. It could be #5… or even #1.
It’s the same way with “losing weight”. The desire to lose weight may be driven by Core Desire #4… #6… or #2. (Look at the benefits of “losing weight” in yesterday’s post, and identify which Core Desires they satisfy.)
The difference between Core Desires and the countless secondary desires is an important distinction to understand. Because often the surface benefits (which satisfy secondary desires) aren’t quite as powerful as the “benefit of the benefit” which directly satisfies a Core Desire.
This distinction will help add an extra element of persuasive power to your sales copy. In the next post, we’ll explore some specific examples of how to use this information to create a deep, emotional connection with the reader by indirectly eliciting these Core Desires.
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