It's true. Starbucks doesn't sell coffee and Apple Inc. doesn't
sell computers. What they sale is far greater than anything that is simply
tangible. What these companies sell is an emotion. An emotion that comes with
every product they sell. This emotion is linked to the way these organizations
feel about the beliefs for doing business. If their beliefs as an organization
align with yours as a consumer then you conduct business with them. You are not
purchasing a product from Starbucks or Apple because of how you will benefit
their company; you are buying their products because of how they will benefit
you. It's the feeling of taking a sip of overpriced coffee at Starbucks and the
feeling of opening an Apple Laptop in a public place that speaks wonders of who
you are. Whether to be considered more creative, intellectual, or smart;
whatever your reason is for buying their products, I can assure you it’s based
on emotions and not on your ability to rationalize which product is better. One
can argue that the same quality of coffee can be purchased somewhere else for
cheaper. We can also argue that Dell computers are far better than Apple
computers. The thing is that other places simply sell coffee and Dell computers
simply sells computers. So, next time you think about selling something make
sure there is a clearly defined reason why you're doing it. No one ever buy
anything from you if you yourself don't understand why it’s important to sell
it.
-Marco Adrian Ortiz
