You’ve probably heard the phrase a thousand times. It’s the kind of thing a crusty old marketing director barks during a meeting when the creative team gets too "artsy." But honestly, give em what they want is more than just a snappy cliché for the boardroom. It’s a fundamental law of human exchange that most people—ironically—completely ignore because they are too busy trying to be clever.
Think about it. We spend millions on data analytics and "customer journey mapping" only to ignore the blatant signal from the guy actually trying to hand us his credit card. He wants a burger without the bun, but we want to sell him the "Signature Experience." He just wants the software to stop crashing, but we’re busy launching a flashy new AI-driven UI that he didn't ask for. It's a disconnect that kills companies.
Success isn't always about inventing a need. Sometimes, it’s just about being the only person in the room who actually listens to the demand that already exists.
The Psychology Behind Give Em What They Want
Why is this so hard? Humans have an ego problem. As creators, entrepreneurs, or managers, we want to be the "visionary." We want to tell the market what it should want. Steve Jobs famously said people don't know what they want until you show it to them, but let's be real—you aren't Steve Jobs. Most of us aren't. And even Jobs was giving people what they fundamentally wanted: a way to put 1,000 songs in their pocket without it feeling like a brick.
There is a psychological comfort in receiving exactly what you requested. It creates trust. When a brand manages to give em what they want without friction, it triggers a dopamine response related to "reward attainment." You had a problem, you sought a specific solution, and the world provided it. Simple.
When you deviate from this, you create "cognitive load." This is just a fancy way of saying you’re making your customer work too hard. If I go to a hardware store for a 1/4-inch drill bit, I don't want a lecture on the future of laser-cutting technology. I want the bit. If you try to sell me the laser, I’m not impressed; I’m annoyed.
The New Coke Disaster: A Lesson in Not Listening
In 1985, Coca-Cola committed the ultimate sin of ignoring what people wanted. They had the data. Blind taste tests showed people liked a sweeter formula. So, they killed the original and launched "New Coke."
They forgot one thing. People didn't just want a "sweeter drink." They wanted the nostalgia, the red can, and the specific bite of the original formula. They wanted the brand they grew up with. The backlash was so violent that the company had to pivot back to "Coca-Cola Classic" within months. This is the textbook example of failing to give em what they want because you over-analyzed the wrong data points.
How Data Often Lies to You
We live in an era of Big Data, but data is often a mask. You might see a high click-through rate on a specific ad and think, "Aha! This is what they want!" But if your bounce rate is also 90%, you didn't give them what they wanted; you tricked them.
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Vanity Metrics vs. Actual Intent
- Clicks are not intent. Someone clicking a "Free Trial" button might just want a freebie, not your actual service.
- Surveys are often garbage. People lie in surveys because they want to seem smarter or more altruistic than they are.
- Behavioral data is king. Look at what people do when they think no one is watching.
If you own a bakery and everyone asks for sourdough but you keep baking focaccia because you like the smell of rosemary, you are failing. It doesn't matter how many "likes" your focaccia gets on Instagram. If the sourdough sells out in ten minutes and the focaccia sits there until 5:00 PM, the market has spoken. Listen to it.
The "Value Gap" and How to Close It
Most businesses operate with a "Value Gap." This is the space between what the customer thinks they are buying and what you think you are selling. To give em what they want, you have to close this gap until it's non-existent.
I remember talking to a guy who ran a local gym. He was frustrated because his "high-intensity interval training" classes were empty, while the "stretch and mobility" sessions were packed. He felt the HIIT classes were "better" for his clients' health. He was right, scientifically. But he was losing money.
The fix? He rebranded the HIIT classes as "Mobility Burn." He gave them the stretching they wanted but snuck in the intensity they needed. He met them where they were.
Knowing the Difference Between Want and Need
This is the nuance. You give them what they want so you can eventually provide what they need.
- The Hook: Give them the immediate gratification they are asking for (e.g., "Lose 5 pounds this week").
- The Delivery: Provide the actual value (e.g., a sustainable diet and exercise plan).
- The Result: A happy customer who trusts you because you didn't bait-and-switch them.
Digital Content: The Ultimate Testing Ground
In the world of SEO and content creation, the phrase give em what they want is the difference between page one and page ten. Google’s algorithms are increasingly designed to measure "user intent." If a user searches for "how to fix a leaky faucet" and your article is a 3,000-word essay on the history of plumbing in Rome, you have failed.
The user wants a wrench, a washer, and a five-step guide. They want it fast. They want it clear.
Why Your Blog Is Probably Failing
Most corporate blogs are ghost towns. Why? Because they are writing for their CEO, not their customers. The CEO wants to look like a thought leader. The customer wants to know if the software integrates with Slack.
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If your "About Us" page is longer than your "Features" page, you aren't giving them what they want. You're giving them what you want them to know about you. It’s narcissistic marketing. Stop it.
The Risk of Being Too "Direct"
Is there a downside? Kinda. If you only ever give em what they want, you might miss out on genuine innovation. If Netflix only gave people what they "wanted" in 2005, they’d still be mailing DVDs because nobody was asking for a streaming service that didn't exist yet.
But here is the secret: Netflix did give people what they wanted. They didn't want DVDs; they wanted "movies without the late fees." Streaming was just a more efficient way to deliver that core desire.
The "want" is usually an emotion or a result, not a specific product.
- They don't want a 1/2 inch drill; they want a 1/2 inch hole.
- They don't want a mattress; they want a good night's sleep.
- They don't want a Rolex; they want people to think they are successful.
If you can identify the underlying emotional want, you can change the product as much as you like, as long as the emotional payoff remains the same.
Real-World Case: The Rise of "Quiet" Luxury
Look at the fashion industry right now. For years, it was all about big logos—Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Supreme. People wanted to scream their wealth. But then, the vibe shifted. The ultra-wealthy started moving toward "quiet luxury"—unbranded, $1,000 cashmere sweaters from Loro Piana.
The brands that survived this shift didn't try to force more logos down people's throats. They pivoted. They realized the "want" had changed from "status through recognition" to "status through exclusivity." They gave em what they wanted: subtlety.
Actionable Steps to Actually Deliver
If you’re sitting there wondering if you’re actually meeting the mark, you probably aren't. Here is how you fix it without overcomplicating the process.
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Audit your complaints. Don't look at your five-star reviews. Look at the two-star ones. What is the one thing people keep asking for that you refuse to give them? Is it a specific pricing tier? A dark mode for your app? A phone number they can actually call? That is your roadmap.
Stop "Educating" and start "Solving."
If your marketing materials spend a lot of time "educating the customer on why they are wrong," you are losing. You shouldn't have to convince someone to want your product. You should find people who already want something and show them you have it.
The "Five-Year-Old" Test.
Explain what you do to a five-year-old. If they don't say "Cool!" or "I want that!", you’re being too academic. Give em what they want requires a level of simplicity that many professionals find embarrassing. Get over it.
Watch the "Search Terms" report.
Go into your Google Search Console. Look at the weird phrases people use to find your site. If they are searching for "cheap leather boots" and you only sell $500 designer boots, you have two choices: stop ranking for that term, or launch a budget line. One of those makes you money.
How to Implement This Today
Start by looking at your most recent customer interaction. Did you answer their specific question, or did you give them a scripted response that benefited your internal workflow?
- Step 1: Identify the "surface want" (The thing they say they want).
- Step 2: Identify the "core want" (The emotion they want to feel).
- Step 3: Strip away everything in your process that doesn't lead directly to those two things.
- Step 4: Deliver it faster than your competitor.
It sounds boring. It’s not "disruptive" in the way Silicon Valley likes to use the word. But honestly, most people are so bad at the basics that being consistently reliable is the most disruptive thing you can do.
Give em what they want. It’s the only strategy that has never gone out of style.
Next Steps for Implementation:
Check your customer support tickets from the last 30 days. Highlight every instance where a customer asked "Can you do X?" and you replied "No, but we do Y." If "X" appears more than five times, create a plan to offer "X" by next quarter. This is the most direct path to increasing your retention rate and lowering your acquisition costs.