Maslow’s pyramid is an essential business model. It describes human needs in terms of their importance: physiological, security, social, self-esteem, personal fulfillment and finally transcendence. These needs evolve in a historical process. Thus, human beings must meet their physiological and safety needs before they can worry about self-esteem and personal fulfillment.

1. Maslow’s pyramid

Today’s companies can no longer be content to satisfy their customers’ physiological and safety needs alone. Companies need to respond to their emotional needs, as these are an essential lever for increasing order intake.

This idea was inspired by Daniel Goleman’s 1987 book The Power of Emotion. He explains that there are positive emotions (love, empathy, sensitivity…) and negative emotions (fear, hatred…). According to him, positive emotions are stronger than negative ones in triggering human actions.

When it comes to getting consumers to support a cause or a product, it’s more profitable to use positive emotions than negative ones, even if the product isn’t as good.

The term « emotional sales » is used when communication aims to create a positive emotion in a consumer. We also speak of « rational sales » when communication aims to inform the consumer.

Referring to Maslow’s pyramid is useful for understanding how to meet the emotional needs of the intended target, but it doesn’t allow us to calculate which emotional needs need to be met.

The five emotional needs method of Maslow’s pyramid

To define the emotional needs to be met, we use the Five Emotional Needs method, developed by American consultant Francis A. Schaeffer. It’s a simple and effective method for identifying the feelings that will attract and retain a customer. This method is based on the five emotional needs of Maslow’s pyramid:

2. Physiological needs

eating, drinking, sleeping, getting around (physical well-being).

The five emotional needs method

The Five Emotional Needs method is very simple to implement. Just answer these questions:

What emotion do we feel when we’ve eaten? When you’ve been drinking? When we slept? When can we move?

The idea is to address these emotional needs by appealing to positive emotions such as joy, happiness, freedom, security, trust and respect.

For example:

• What effect does sunlight have on a walker’s mind?
• What does it mean to be able to take a shower in a clean, well-maintained environment?
• To be able to sleep in a comfortable bed?
• Clean, well-maintained clothes and shoes?
• To be able to get around by car or metro?

3. Safety requirements

Feeling secure, having an identity, status, relationships (emotional well-being).

This need can be broken down into :

– the need for physical safety,

– the need for financial security,

– the need for social security,

– the need for existential security.

The five safety needs method

This method is very similar to the previous one. Just answer these questions:

How does it feel to have your own identity, your own car, your own home? When you have your friends and relations?

The idea is to address these security needs by appealing to positive emotions such as satisfaction, trust and respect.

For example:

What effect does the absence of one’s identity have on the mind of someone who can’t build an identity for themselves?

What effect does the absence of a car have on the mind of someone who can’t get around?

What effect does the absence of one’s home have on the mind of someone who cannot live at home?

The five expression needs method

The question that serves as the starting point for this method is: What effect does the absence of his expression have on the mind of someone who cannot express himself?

Let’s take a look at our needs for expression, and how they translate into verbal and non-verbal expressions.

The need for self-expression:

– the need to express one’s opinion, feelings, discoveries and thoughts, through verbal or non-verbal expression.

The need for relational expression :

– the need to express one’s feelings and expectations of another individual or group, through verbal or non-verbal expression.

The need for social expression:

– the need to be recognized, to be valued by others, to please others. This translates into verbal or non-verbal expression.

The need for cultural expression:

– the need to be informed, to learn something about the world around us, things we don’t know anything about, what interests us, what we’re passionate about, this translates into verbal or non-verbal expression of this interest.

The need for political expression:

– the need to express a point of view, a will, an idea, on public or political matters, which translates into verbal or non-verbal expression of that will.

The need for religious expression:

– the need to express one’s faith in God, to recognize oneself as part of a group, to join a community, to share one’s faith with other human beings, which translates into verbal or non-verbal expression of this attachment.

The need for philosophical expression :

– the need to question what is, what is due to nature, what is due to society, what is due to mankind, what is due to fate, what is due to chance, which translates into verbal or non-verbal expression of this questioning.

The need for aesthetic expression :

– the need to create, to see, to feel, to feel oneself, to express oneself, to transmit an emotion, a sensation, a feeling, an impression, a feeling of ecstasy or enchantment through the use of objects, shapes, colors… etc., which translates into a verbal or non-verbal expression of the emotion.

The need for emotional expression :

– the need to communicate feelings, to express emotions, to express joy, enthusiasm, anger, fears, sadness, grief, which translates into verbal or non-verbal expression of the emotion.

The need for relational expression :

– the need to interact with others, to talk with others, to share moments with others, to get closer to others, to befriend others, to distance oneself from others, which translates into verbal or non-verbal expression of the relationship.

The need for social expression:

– the need to be part of society, to integrate into society, to participate in society’s activities, to be accepted by society, which translates into verbal or non-verbal expression of the relationship.

4. The need to belong is of two kinds:

– the need to belong (le besoin d’appartenance d’être du groupe): the need to integrate into a group, to feel accepted by it and to be accepted by it.

– the need to have a group: the need to possess a group, to own a group, to lead a group, to control a group.

The group’s need to be :

– the need to be admitted into a group, the need to be loved by a group, the need to be accepted by a group, the need to be part of a group, which translates into verbal or non-verbal expression of the relationship.

The need to have a group :

– the need to own a group, the need to lead a group, the need to control a group, the need to possess a group, which translates into verbal or non-verbal expression of the relationship.

5. Self-actualization needs are of three types:

– the need to be: the need to be recognized, the need to be creative, the need to be original.

– the need to have: the need to develop one’s personality, the need to possess one’s identity.

– the need to do: the need to accomplish one’s projects, the need to be efficient.

A need is said to be « primary » when it is provided by basic needs (i.e. the need for security, belonging to a group and self-fulfillment). A need is said to be « secondary » when it is covered by the needs of subsequent stages, i.e. by the needs specific to these stages.

Maslow’s theory is an evolutionary one. It has been enriched and completed over time. Researchers have tried to show that Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is not universal (i.e. applicable only to industrialized Western societies).

6. Personal development needs

Personal development needs are the sum of individual needs. If these needs are met, the individual will be able to evolve in his or her social and personal context. The needs of personal development were developed by Abraham Maslow with the theories of motivation and personality.

Personal development needs differ according to the age and evolutionary level of the individual.

Personal development needs also vary according to culture, religion and socio-economic context.

• Needs specific to childhood are linked to the child’s development.
• The specific needs of adolescence are linked to the evolution of the adolescent.
• The specific needs of adulthood are linked to married, family and professional life.
• The specific needs of old age are linked to the psychosocial development of adulthood.

To meet the needs of personal development, an individual must evolve within his or her social and personal context. If these needs are met, the individual will be able to evolve in his or her social and personal context. The social context is made up of the social norms and laws that govern collective behavior. The personal context is made up of the individual’s social roles, cultural values and personal characteristics.

Physical needs represent the individual’s biological needs. These needs are linked to the vital functions of the individual. They enable the individual to maintain his or her physical structure. These needs are met by biological, chemical and physical pressures.

Physiological needs are basic biological needs. There are four types of physiological need:

Biological needs are basic needs over which man does not always have control. Psychological needs are basic psychological and social needs. They are linked to the satisfaction of physiological needs.

Psychological needs enable people to feel good about themselves and give them self-confidence.

Social needs are needs over which the individual has no control. Cultural needs are linked to the recognition of the individual in his or her community.

Conclusion on Maslow’s pyramid

Bio-psychological needs are primary needs. These are the fundamental needs that enable the individual to survive and develop. Cultural needs are secondary. These needs are linked to the recognition of the individual in his or her community.

This theory has been widely criticized for oversimplifying human nature and failing to take social, economic and political factors into account. What’s more, it’s reductive because it doesn’t take women into account.

Criticism of Maslow’s pyramid

Maslow’s pyramid is not acceptable because it does not take psychological factors into account. It’s reductive because it doesn’t take women into account. On the other hand, it oversimplifies human nature in the sense that it only presents needs from a biological and psychological perspective. Furthermore, Maslow’s pyramid does not take into account social, economic and political needs.

In every culture, there are individual and collective needs. Needs can be primary or secondary. Primary needs are those that enable the individual to develop and survive. Secondary needs are those that enable the individual to feel valued in his or her community.

Article source: www.instants-web-formation.fr