Sell the Benefits

Why do people buy from you?   I routinely ask people that question to see how they talk about their product.   All too often, I find they focus too much attention on the features of the product, how it is constructed and how it works and not enough time on what it does. 

When you offer long descriptions of the technical specifications in advertising and marketing material you run the risk of exhausting the average customer.  Until you can show a prospect the BENEFIT of your product, they don't really care how it works, even if it is cool technology.  

So instead of making customers interpret your features to discover how they can benefit from them, tell them.  Sell the benefits up front and they are more likely to ask you how you deliver what you promise.  

When asked what your product does think about what your true value, what they customer gets from using your product or service.  When you think about it from their perspective it is easier to create relevant marketing messages and see more.   

• Does your product make people feel safer, more secure, more stylish or more important because they own it?
• Is it fun, interesting or exciting to use
• Will ii make them more comfortable, take them somewhere they want to go, or let them do something they couldn't do otherwise? 
• Does your product save them time or money? 
• Will your product increase their earnings or reduce their taxes.  

People make purchase decisions to save, increase or reduce 

Benefits can be boiled down to one of three categories saving, increasing or reducing.  Where does your product fit in? Will it: 

• SAVE:  money, time, effort, or resources 
•  INCREASE:  income, investments, future opportunities or personal relationships 
•  REDUCE:  expenses, taxes, liabilities or problems

 Plan your sales presentation to focus on what the prospect needs, then help them see how your product serves their needs. When you are focusing on what your product will do for them it is easy to steer the conversation away from the lowest price. 

Remember, the value of your product or service has absolutely nothing to do with the cost to produce it.  The TRUE VALUE of your product or service is based on how much you save, increase, reduce, or improve.

Marketing Strategist, Lorraine Ball can be found at Roundpeg, helping small businesses become big businesses.