I’ve been in marketing long enough to know that what people say they want and what they actually buy are often completely different things. Adam Erhart’s recent video on customer psychology patterns resonated deeply with me because I’ve seen this disconnect play out countless times in my own businesses.
The truth is, most entrepreneurs build products based on what customers say they want. They send surveys, run focus groups, and ask questions in Facebook groups. But this approach is fundamentally flawed. People don’t buy what they claim to want—they buy based on psychological triggers they’re not even aware of.
The Psychology Gap Explained
Adam shared a perfect example from his own business. When creating a Facebook ads course, he asked his email list what they wanted to learn. They said technical stuff: targeting, ad creative, and campaign structure. He built the course around these topics, but sales were mediocre.
When he analyzed which content actually drove engagement and sales, he discovered people weren’t responding to technical videos—they were engaging with content about business strategy. This reveals what I call the psychology gap: the difference between what people consciously think they want versus what they unconsciously respond to and buy.
This isn’t because people are lying. They genuinely don’t know what will get them to take action. I’ve seen this pattern repeatedly in my cryptocurrency and marketing businesses—people claim price doesn’t matter, then buy the cheapest option.
The Five Psychology Patterns That Matter
After watching Adam’s breakdown, I believe these five patterns should be central to any business’s market research:
- Questions asked vs. features wanted – People who buy almost always ask about how things work in practice, what happens if it doesn’t work, and how quickly they’ll see results—even if they claim to care about technical features.
This reveals the real psychology: people buy based on confidence in the process, fear of wasting money, and desire for quick proof they made the right decision.
- Content consumed vs. topics they claim interest them – The content that drives business conversations is often not what you’d expect.
Adam found that videos about why businesses fail at marketing drove more leads than tactical content—even though people claimed they wanted tactics. People respond to validation that their struggles are normal, not just information.
- Actual decision timeline vs. claimed timeline – Everyone says they decide quickly, but behavior shows otherwise.
When Adam tracked his best clients, he found they took 30-60 days to buy, even when they said they were “ready now.” By restructuring his sales process around this reality, his conversion rates doubled.
- Objections that predict purchase vs. those that predict abandonment – Not all objections are created equal.
Fear-based objections like “I’m not sure I can do this” or “What if I don’t get results?” often lead to purchases when addressed properly. Avoidance objections like “I need to talk to my partner” or “I’ll do more research” rarely convert. This insight alone can transform your sales approach.
- What customers do after buying vs. what they said they needed – The most revealing pattern of all.
People often buy for one reason but get value from something completely different. When you restructure your marketing around what people actually use and get results from, everything becomes more effective.
How to Apply These Patterns in Your Business
I recommend following Adam’s practical process:
- Collect behavioral data, not just opinions
- Look for patterns in your best customers (top 20%)
- Test these patterns against new prospects
- Build your offer around real psychology
For existing businesses, analyze sales conversations, support inquiries, content engagement, email metrics, and buying patterns. For new businesses, study competitors, read reviews, observe online communities, and analyze successful launches in adjacent markets.
The three mistakes to avoid: trusting what people say they’ll do, analyzing everyone instead of just your best customers, and doing research once instead of continuously.
My Take on Why This Matters
After decades in marketing and online business, I’ve found that understanding these psychological patterns is what separates thriving businesses from struggling ones. When I’ve aligned my offers with actual buying behavior rather than stated preferences, my results have consistently improved.
The most valuable insight I’ve gained is that this isn’t a one-time exercise. Customer psychology evolves, and the businesses that dominate markets are those that continuously stay connected to these patterns.
If you want to grow your business more effectively, stop asking people what they want. Instead, watch what they do, identify the patterns, and build everything around the psychology that drives actual purchases. Your marketing will become more authentic, your sales more natural, and your business more profitable as a result.
