Practical Sales Training™ > How People Work > Value Drivers
Value Drivers
Every buying decision has a reason behind it. Not always a logical one, but a reason nonetheless.
Value Drivers are the core things people want to gain, avoid, or stay safe from. So when a buyer says yes, they are not just buying a product or service – they are buying a feeling. Progress. Relief. Security. Control.
The problem is that most businesses sell what they do, not what the buyer gets. As a result, the message lands flat. Understanding Value Drivers fixes that – because it shifts your message from features to feelings, and from what you offer to why it matters.
What Are Value Drivers?
A Value Driver is the underlying reason a person buys something. It goes deeper than the surface-level need. For example, someone buying accountancy software is not just buying a tool to track numbers. They are buying relief from stress, or confidence in their finances, or time back in their week.
There are 15 Value Drivers in total. Every buyer is driven by at least one. In fact, most buying decisions involve a mix of two or three. However, there is usually one that sits at the top – the one that, if you speak to it clearly, makes the sale much easier.
All 15 drivers fall into three groups. Knowing which group your buyer sits in is a strong start. But knowing the exact driver is where the real advantage comes from.
The Three Groups
GAIN
Some buyers are motivated by what they could have more of – more money, more time, more status, more opportunity. These buyers are moving toward something. They are ambitious, forward-looking, and respond well to messages about progress and growth. If your offer helps them get somewhere better, that is the message to lead with.
AVOID
Other buyers are motivated by what they want to get away from. Complexity. Confusion. Wasted effort. These buyers are not chasing a dream – they are escaping a pain. So speak to the thing they want gone, and you will get their attention fast.
KEEP SAFE
Some buyers are not motivated by gain or escape. Instead, they want to protect what they already have – their business, their team, their reputation, their peace of mind. These buyers are often the hardest to spot, but they are some of the most motivated, because the stakes feel very personal.
Why Do Value Drivers Work?
People do not buy on logic alone. They buy on feeling, and then use logic to back it up. Value Drivers work because they map to the feelings that sit behind every buying decision.
When your message speaks to the right Value Driver, the buyer feels understood. And when a buyer feels understood, they trust you faster. That trust is what moves a conversation from interest to commitment.
Also, Value Drivers explain why the same product needs a completely different message for different buyers. A project management tool sold to someone in the Gain group needs a different pitch than the same tool sold to someone in Keep Safe. The product is the same. But the reason to buy it is not.
How Can You Use Value Drivers In Sales?
The goal is to find your buyer’s primary Value Driver as early as possible – then build your message around it.
Listen for the feeling, not just the problem
When a buyer describes what they want, pay attention to the emotion underneath it. Are they chasing something better, or running from something bad? Are they trying to protect what they have? The words they use will point you toward the right group – and often the exact driver.
Match your message to the driver
Once you know the driver, use language that speaks to it directly. A buyer in the Avoid group does not want to hear about extra features. Instead, lead with how much simpler life becomes. Cut the noise and speak to the feeling.
Use Value Drivers to handle objections
Most objections are not really about the thing they appear to be about. “It’s too expensive” often means “I’m not sure the value outweighs the risk.” That is a Keep Safe driver talking. So instead of defending your price, speak to what happens if they do not act.
Build your marketing around the right drivers
Value Drivers are not just useful in conversations – they shape your whole message. Your website, your proposals, your emails – all of them should reflect the drivers your best buyers care about most. Because if your message does not match their motivation, it will not land.
When Value Drivers Work Best
Value Drivers are most useful when you are speaking to a specific type of buyer. The more you understand who you are talking to, the easier it is to spot their primary driver – and the more precise your message can be.
They also work well in longer sales cycles, where you have time to listen before you pitch. Getting the driver right early saves a lot of effort later. You stop trying to persuade and start simply reflecting back what the buyer already wants.
Similarly, Value Drivers are powerful in proposals and follow-up emails. Most buyers read proposals looking for confirmation that you understood them. Lead with their driver and you give them that straight away.
When Value Drivers Become Dangerous
The risk comes when you assume the wrong driver. If you pitch hard on Gain to a buyer whose real driver is Keep Safe, the message will feel off. They will not always tell you why – they will just go cold.
It also becomes a problem when you try to cover all three groups at once. Some businesses do this in their marketing – listing every possible benefit, hoping something sticks. But that approach creates noise, not clarity. A buyer who sees everything often feels nothing.
Also, drivers can shift. A buyer motivated by Gain when they first spoke to you may have moved to Keep Safe by the time you send your proposal. So stay curious and keep checking in, rather than assuming the driver you found first is still the one that matters.
Common Value Driver Mistakes
Selling to your own Value Driver instead of the buyer’s
If you are motivated by Gain, you may naturally pitch the growth and return of what you sell. But your buyer may sit firmly in Keep Safe. Lead with their driver, not yours.
Guessing instead of listening
It is tempting to decide what a buyer cares about based on their job title or industry. However, two people in the same role can have completely different drivers. Ask good questions and let them tell you.
Treating all drivers as equal
Not every driver carries the same weight for every buyer. One is usually dominant. Find the strongest one and focus there – because spreading your message across multiple drivers at once dilutes all of them.
Ignoring Avoid and Keep Safe
Many salespeople focus on Gain because it feels more positive to sell. But Avoid and Keep Safe drivers are often stronger motivators – especially in uncertain times. Fear of loss is a powerful force, and ignoring it means leaving a lot of persuasion on the table.
Value Drivers – An Example
A business owner is looking for a new HR system. On the surface, they need something to manage payroll and staff records. But when you ask a few good questions, a different picture forms.
They recently had a compliance issue that cost them time and money. They are worried it could happen again. Their real driver is not in the Gain group at all – it is firmly in Keep Safe.
So instead of leading with how easy the system is to use, the smart move is to lead with how it removes the risk of things going wrong. That message lands because it speaks directly to the feeling driving the decision. As a result, the sale moves faster – not because the product changed, but because the message finally matched the motivation.
Want the Full List of All 15 Value Drivers?
The three groups give you a strong foundation. But knowing the exact driver – all 15 of them, what they mean, and how to sell to each one – is where the real edge comes from.
We explore this in full as part of my What To Say To Sell™ program.
See also:
- 50+ ways that people work & make decisions
- 200+ ways to convert
- 150+ ways to connect with your buyer
- Decision Made For You
