Introduction to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

If you’ve ever felt like something wasn’t quite clicking in your sales process—even when you’re saying all the “right” things—it might be because you’re selling to someone who doesn’t feel safe enough to buy.

Let me explain.

There’s a reason why your best content can still get crickets.
A reason why some people feel “on the fence” even when your offer is clearly life-changing.
And it goes way deeper than pricing or fear of commitment.

It comes back to human needs.

More specifically: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs—and how understanding it will make you a better, more ethical, more effective seller.

The Foundation: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Abraham Maslow was a psychologist in the 1950s who sought to understand why some people thrive and others just survive.
He proposed that human motivation is based on a five-tier model of needs, often depicted as a pyramid:

1. Physiological Needs – food, water, sleep, shelter
2. Safety Needs – personal security, employment, health, resources
3. Love and Belonging – friendships, intimacy, connection
4. Esteem – respect, recognition, confidence, freedom
5. Self-Actualization – achieving potential, growth, creativity

The idea was simple: You cannot sustainably move up the pyramid without the bottom layers being met first.

In the 1950s, Maslow reported that less than 1% of people reached self-actualization.
But today, with the rise of awareness, access to information, and tools for self-development, we have the potential to rise through the hierarchy faster—if our environments support it.

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Why This Matters in Sales and Marketing

Here’s the tie-in:

You are selling a need.
Every offer you create exists to meet a human need at some level of this pyramid.

And if your sales process doesn’t account for which needs your audience is trying to meet—or worse, if you’re marketing to people stuck in tier one while assuming they’re in tier four—it’s going to fall flat.

Let’s break it down.

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Understanding the First Two Tiers in Relation to Sales

The bottom two levels of Maslow’s pyramid—Physiological and Safety—represent what I call survival mode.

This is your audience when they’re experiencing:

• Financial insecurity
• Health concerns
• Unsafe housing
• Chronic stress and anxiety

At this level, every decision feels like a risk—even one that could change their life.
This is not about “mindset.” This is biology and survival instinct.

🎯 The key point?
If someone is operating from tier 1 or 2, they are not in a position to invest in transformation. And pushing them to do so is not ethical. Period.

If your client is thinking, “If I do this, I won’t be able to pay rent,” that is not the time to hard-sell.

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My Personal Story—And Why It Doesn’t Apply to Everyone

When I was in college, I saw Maslow’s pyramid so many times I wanted to scream.
Fast forward a few years—and now I see how crucial it is in business and life.

I’m known for telling the story of how I started my business with $200 and made my first investment while living at home.

And yes, that’s true.

But here’s the nuance most people miss:
Even though I was broke, I was safe.

• I had housing.
• I had food.
• I was living with my dad.
• I wasn’t in survival mode.

So I was able to make a decision from Tier 3—belonging and growth.
That’s the difference between a bootstrap story and a survival story.

And it’s why we can’t build all our sales messaging on bootstrap narratives.
Because not everyone has the same safety net.

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Why Most Sales Messaging Isn’t Inclusive

A lot of sales content in the online space is built on this idea:

“I figured it out, so you can too.”

And while it might feel empowering… it’s not always applicable.
What works for someone in Tier 4 may not work for someone in Tier 2.

This is where your brand story, as powerful as it is, needs context.

I’m not saying throw away your journey or hide your success.
I’m saying, add nuance.
Add empathy.
Add inclusion.

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How to Use Needs Theory to Create Ethical, Inclusive Sales

Let’s talk about how to apply this framework inside your business—without guilt, shame, or compromise.

1. Know What Level Your Offer Is Serving

Map your offer to the need it meets:

• Tier 2 (Safety): Budgeting services, financial planning, foundational biz tools
• Tier 3 (Belonging): Group coaching, memberships, networking experiences
• Tier 4 (Esteem): High-ticket mentorship, visibility strategy, brand consulting
• Tier 5 (Self-Actualization): Legacy work, CEO mindset coaching, high-level vision planning

Then, market to people who have already met the lower tiers.

If your offer supports Tier 4 (e.g., becoming a confident CEO), but your content is reaching people who can’t pay their bills—it won’t convert.

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2. Be Honest About Buyer Stress

In the buyer psych files, I teach that there’s a difference between:

• “I can’t go to Target and spend dumb money” stress
  vs.
• “My house is on fire” stress

Only one of those is a red flag.

As a CEO, it’s your responsibility to recognize the difference.

Don’t push someone into a sale that puts them in survival mode.
Not every ‘no’ is an objection to handle. Some are boundaries to respect.

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3. Create Offers That Lower Entry Barriers

This doesn’t mean lowering your prices.
It means offering accessible pathways to your work.

✅ Extended payment plans (with transparent terms)
✅ Low-ticket but high-ROI products
✅ Free resources that are actually valuable

This creates trust and serves the long game.
Many of my Scale to $5K clients started with a free training or $47 product.
Their transformation started the day they felt seen and supported, not the day they dropped thousands.

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4. Offer Scholarships and Contribution Options

If you’re in a financially stable place in your business, consider building in scholarships.

This could be:

• 1 scholarship seat per program cohort
• Partial discounts based on income levels
• BIPOC or marginalized community funds

It’s not about being a savior. It’s about being a leader.
When we lift others, we raise the bar for the entire industry.

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5. Stop Creating “Fluff” Freebies

You want to talk about needs? Let’s talk VALUE.

Don’t give people a generic checklist and call it a lead magnet.
If your freebie could be found with a 5-minute Google search, it’s not helping anyone.

Free content can:

• Build trust
• Serve people not ready to buy
• Plant the seed of transformation
• Increase your reach and brand equity

If it solves a small, clear problem and builds belief in what’s possible, it’s doing its job.

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How to Use This Framework in Sales Conversations

When selling, ask yourself:

• Which need does this person seem to be operating from?
• What language are they using—survival or growth?
• Are they emotionally able to make this decision?
• How can I serve them without selling if they’re not ready?

Your job isn’t just to sell.
It’s to lead people toward the transformation—but only when they’re ready and supported.

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A Wake-Up Call for Sales Messaging in 2025

Recent years have shown us what’s really going on in the world—and in our businesses.

We’ve seen:

• Uncertainty in finances and health
• Rising inequality
• Online spaces becoming noisier and more performative

In this environment, ethical marketing isn’t optional.
It’s the bare minimum.

And understanding Needs Theory is how we move from performative selling to transformative leading.

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You’re Still Allowed to Sell Boldly—With Boundaries

None of this means you stop selling.
Or that you downplay the value of your work.

You can be direct. You can sell with confidence. You can share your story.
But now, you’re doing it with a new lens:

✨ One that understands who your audience really is
✨ One that builds trust through alignment
✨ One that respects the season someone is in

This isn’t about dumbing down your content.
It’s about smartening up your empathy.

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Final Thought: From Survival to Self-Actualization

We are not just marketers.
We are educators. Leaders. Stewards of impact.

Maslow’s Hierarchy isn’t just a psychology diagram—it’s a blueprint for selling in a way that aligns with humanity.

When you recognize where your dream client is in the hierarchy…
And you create products, messaging, and pathways that help them rise…
That’s when sales become a movement, not just a metric.

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🎯 Want to See What’s Actually Holding Back Your Sales?

If you’re wondering why clients are watching but not buying—this is your next step.

Inside the free mini course “Why You’re Not Making $5K Months (And How to Fix It)”, you’ll learn:

• How needs theory plays into sales resistance
• What actually builds buyer trust (hint: it’s not testimonials)
• How to build a sales system that respects your audience’s capacity
• What to shift in your offer and messaging to start making consistent sales

This mini course will challenge how you think about selling—and give you real strategies to change it.