Why should you stress benefits instead of features of a product or service?
It's simple...
Benefits SELL and Features DON'T!
Most people, when trying to market their products and services focus their energies on trying to convey features of a product or service. Most people want to tell their potential clients and customers all about what they offer, what colors it comes in and a host of other things that are of no importance to anyone.
This is wrong and should be avoided. No one cares about features--they only care about the benefits that your product or service will bring to their lives.
Relating the benefits of a product or service generates interest in what you’re selling to potential buyers. Selling features does not. If you want to sell more of what you offer spend all of your time focused on the benefits that it will bring to others.
So, what’s the difference between benefits and features?
Features are the who, what, where, when and how of a product or service. Features could be the name of the product, size, color, location, available date, etc.
Benefits are the ways your product or service will make someone else’s life better. For example, a four-cylinder engine is a feature. Getting great gas mileage is a benefit of having a car with a four-cylinder engine in it. Saving money on fuel costs are the benefits of getting great gas mileage.
In writing advertisements, you’ve got to give your potential buyers a clear reason why they should call you instead of someone else. No one ever wants to take his or her hard-earned money and give it to you. However, people do want the benefits of what you are offering. Your job is to show them how having the benefits of what you have to offer them is more valuable to them than what you are asking in return. No one specifically wants a four-cylinder car, but there are plenty of people who want the benefits of a car with a four-cylinder engine. The same would apply to someone in the insulation business. No one particularly wants to buy insulation. They do, however, want the benefits of being warmer in the winter and saving money on fuel costs.
If you want to be successful selling what you are offering, always sell benefits instead of features. When you do, you'll sell more and make more money!
By Otto Collins