Is Your Solution a "Nice To Have"

Or Is It a "Need To Have?"

Apr 06, 2025

Hey, it’s Vince, and I’m back with another edition of Red Zone Selling, my newsletter that delivers actionable insights and lessons to help startups and sellers close enterprise deals, achieve market fit, and confidently scale.

Ferrari sports car - definitely a “nice to have”

Is your solution a “nice to have or a need to have?” It’s a simple question.

But it’s not just philosophical—it’s foundational.

Your entire GTM strategy hinges on this.

I’m talking ICP. Messaging. Sales motion. Pricing. Even your close rate.

And yet… a lot of founders I talk to think they’re selling a “need to have” when they’re actually sitting squarely in “nice to have” territory.

It’s not intentional. It’s human. We all want to believe our product is mission-critical.

But here’s the reality—if you’re not clear on where you stand, you’re going to feel it in your pipeline.

Deals stall
Win rates dip
Your forecast becomes a wish list
And that "promising" pipeline? Turns into a graveyard of ghosted opps

So what’s the difference?

Let’s break it down:

“Nice to Have” Solutions:

Solve a real problem… just not an urgent one
Compete with dozens of other priorities
Often require education, nurturing, and long lead times
Sell better in a bull market when budgets are looser
More likely to end in “no decision” than in a competitive loss

These are products that customers like—but don’t need. They’re aspirational, helpful, cool even… but they don’t move to the top of a CFO’s budget list.

“Need to Have” Solutions:

Solve a problem tied to critical outcomes—revenue, cost, compliance, retention
Address pain points that are actively being budgeted for
Have clear internal champions with urgency to solve
Shorter sales cycles, higher conversion, clearer path to expansion
Seen as an investment, not an expense

These are products that get execs leaning in. That cause decision-makers to reshuffle priorities. That feel like now problems, not someday ideas.

Why This Matters for Your GTM:

If you’re selling a “nice to have,” your playbook looks different.

You’re not walking into urgency—you have to create it.

You’ll need to educate the market
Build a rock-solid business case
Show the delta between where they are and where they could be
Messaging should lead with aspiration and long-term value
You may win through content, thought leadership, or a strong PLG motion
Land-and-expand might be your wedge into accounts

But if you’re selling a “need to have,” your motion shifts.

You can go outbound, hard, with a problem-first narrative
Lead with quantifiable pain and the cost of inaction
Your messaging should scream “why now”
And your job is less about education and more about surfacing existing urgency

Here’s the kicker:

If you’re struggling to close deals… it might not be your product.
It might not be your pitch.
It might not be your pricing.

It might just be that you’re selling a “nice to have”… and treating it like a “need to have.”

That mismatch? It kills momentum.

Be honest with yourself about where you fall.

And then adjust your GTM accordingly.

Because once you know, you can shift:
👉 Messaging
👉 Targeting
👉 Sales motion
👉 Positioning

I’ve helped dozens of startups reposition from “nice” to “need”—it’s not about changing what you do, it’s about reframing how you talk about it.

Need help making that shift?

Let’s talk.

Vince Beese's Red Zone Selling

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Vince Beese's Red Zone Selling

Is Your Solution a "Nice To Have"

Or Is It a "Need To Have?"

Whenever you're ready, there are a few ways I can help you:

Discussion about this post

Ready for more?