How do you make customers want your product?
You make customers want your product by helping them picture themselves owning it, so clearly that not buying feels like a loss. That's the core of episode 501 of Social Media Entrepreneurs, where host Derek Videll walks through how he builds that kind of desire for his own products. It comes down to asking the right questions first, then painting specific scenes instead of listing features.
Value shows up when the customer can see the loss
Derek's starting point is simple. A customer doesn't feel value because you told them your product is great. They feel it when they've visualized owning it and then imagine walking away. If your pitch gets them to picture the product in their life, and they still don't buy, they now feel like they're losing something. That gap is where value lives.
The catch is that customers won't do that visualizing on their own. The host explains that you can't hand someone a product page and expect them to build the mental picture. You have to guide them there, and the tool for guiding them is questions, not claims.
Ask before you pitch
Derek's first practical step is discovery. Before you say anything about features, ask simple questions: What are you interested in? What would you use this for? Where would you wear it? The answers tell you which parts of the product actually matter to this person.
Once you know that, you connect your pitch to what they said. If someone tells you they're shopping for a wedding, every value point you mention should live inside that wedding. Derek uses clothing as his running example. If you sell clothing, you should be talking about how to accessorize it and exactly when they'll wear it.
This is the difference between a feature list and a scene. Features get compared on price. Scenes get remembered.
"If you are selling clothing, you gotta be talking about all the ways to accessorize it. Show them when they're gonna wear it."
Leading value points versus closing value points
Derek splits value into two kinds. Leading value points are the big ones, the parts of the pitch that help someone picture owning and using the product. Those come first and do most of the work.
Closing value points are smaller: free shipping, a guarantee, free exchanges. They don't create desire on their own, but they remove the last bit of friction once desire exists.
His advice on closers is to be specific rather than generic. Don't just say "we have free exchanges." Tell them exactly what happens: they contact you, you send a label, the replacement ships the same week. When customers can see the process, the guarantee feels real instead of like fine print.
Put a time frame on everything
One of the most useful details in the episode is about timelines. Derek argues that "three to five day shipping" beats "fast shipping" every time, even though fast sounds better. The reason is that a number lets the customer visualize the exact day the box shows up. Vague words don't create a picture, and no picture means no anticipation.
The same logic applies anywhere in your process. Installation takes 20 minutes. Onboarding call is Tuesday. Results in two weeks. Each concrete time frame is another small scene the customer can step into.
Take the sales calls yourself
Derek's last piece of advice is the one most online sellers skip. Add a phone number to your website and take the calls personally, with the explicit goal of getting the customer's payment details on that call.
He explains that this is the fastest way to learn your real objections. On a call you hear exactly why someone hesitates, and exactly what convinced the ones who bought. That feedback tells you which leading value points to put on your product page, which closers matter, and which questions to ask up front. Everything else in the episode gets sharper once you've done a few dozen of these.
What to remember
- Customers want a product once they've pictured owning it and can feel what they'd lose by not buying.
- Ask discovery questions first, then tie every value point to what the customer told you.
- Lead with big value points that build a scene, then close with specific, fully explained extras like guarantees.
- Use exact timelines. "Three to five day shipping" creates a clearer picture than "fast shipping."
- Take sales calls yourself to hear real objections and learn what actually makes people buy.
People also ask
What's the difference between a feature and a value point?
A feature describes the product. A value point, in Derek's framing, describes the customer's life with the product, tied to something they told you they care about.
Does this work for online stores without a sales team?
Yes. Derek specifically recommends solo sellers add a phone number and take calls themselves, because the objections you hear on calls tell you what to fix on your product pages.
Should I mention free shipping and guarantees early in a pitch?
Derek treats those as closing value points. They work best after the customer already wants the product, and they work better when you explain exactly how the process happens.
Based on Social Media Entrepreneurs episode 501, "The Secret to Making People NEED Your Product," released August 24, 2026, hosted by Derek Videll.
