Buyers have their own idiosyncratic, bizarre, and totally personal way of looking at things. And they're always right because they are customers.

The buyer's perception of his needs is based on reality as he sees it — subjective reality. Perception is the meaning people attach to incoming stimuli, and buyers attach their own meaning to their needs. Learning how to think as customers think can help you close more sales. Their needs fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. You don't get the whole picture unless you see all the pieces. These four pieces of the puzzle will help you get a better view of your customer's decision and thought process.

First, study their needs. Needs are objective buying criteria that describe what buyers must have to meet specifications, delivery dates, safety standards, etc. Needs are based on reason. Generally, needs are directed toward company-oriented gains. Organizational needs tell you what the buyer must satisfy with his or her decision for the company to move forward.

Second, look for wants. Wants are subjective buying criteria. These represent a personal win for the buyer: job security, status, power, etc. Wants are based on emotion. Wants are more directed at the individual. By focusing on these wants, you attempt to provide the buyer with a solution that he personally desires.

Third, identify the buyer's fears. There are always things that buyers want to avoid. And fear is pure emotion. This could be a mix of company-oriented fears and individual fears. These are the things your buyers might call concerns or nightmares. For example, the last thing purchasing agents want is the call at two o'clock in the morning when a plant does not have inventory. Business owners may fear a change that causes employees to revolt or a new system that causes him to lose control.

Fourth, turn on your sales radar and observe buyer pressure points. Buyer pressure points are any conditions that mitigate price as the sole decision variable. The more pressure points that are operational in a sale, the less important the price. Pressure points include things like timing or a sense of urgency, brand preference, supplier preference, a bad experience with the competition in the past, etc. The more of these pressure points that you observe, the more confidently you can negotiate your position and hold the line on prices.

If you can give the buyer what he needs, sell him what he wants, and help him avoid his greatest fear, you will close more sales. In fact, one study found that salespeople who sell on the rational and emotional levels are three times more likely to close the sale at an 11 percent higher gross margin. Buyers have complex needs that are a blend of personal and organizational issues.

If you are puzzled by your buyer's purchasing decisions, maybe you need to get a complete picture of all the things that go into the decision.