Did you know there were millions of drills sold across North America last year but not one person wanted a drill? That’s right…they all wanted holes!
If another tool would have given them the same holes faster, easier or cheaper they would have bought that tool, not the drill.
By the same token, none of your customers want to buy your goods or services. They only want the benefits those goods and services deliver. Nobody wants an Aspirin, they want pain relief.
All of the traditional sales training courses address the need for selling benefits versus features. It’s pretty basic stuff, and yet we often expect our advertising to sell features to consumers who only care about benefits.
Here is the litmus test that distinguishes features from benefits: A feature remains true if the customer does not buy. For example; “Our Giorgio Armani suits are 100% wool.”
A benefit only occurs if the customer buys. For example; “You’ll still look great after dozens of meetings in a Giorgio Armani suit made of 100% wool.”
Your benefit statement should always answer the question; “What’s in it for me?” from your customer’s perspective.
Look at your next radio script or ad proof. Are you trying to sell features to customers who only want benefits?
Click here to view our feature/benefit worksheet to help you focus on your company’s benefits.
