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How To Sell The Benefits Of Your Product or ServiceBy Tom Egelhoff  All products and services
have obvious benefits to your customers. A power lawn mower is
going to make grass cutting easier. But there are often hidden
benefits in products that are not so obvious to you or your customers.
It's finding and pointing out these hidden benefits that make
your product or service more valuable in the minds of your customers.
In addition hidden benefits can often set you apart from your
competitor.
This article will address the process of finding and developing those hidden benefits.
I had to stop by the hardware store the other day and pick up a 1" drill bit. Did I need a drill bit to display over the fireplace? Did I want to put it in a case to display to friends? No. In fact I didn't buy a drill bit at all. What I did buy was the benefit of the drill bit...a 1" hole. The drill bit will live in my tool box, never seeing the light of day again, until I need another 1" hole. The point I'm making is that I could care less about the features of the drill bit. I'm not going to show it off. The color, for example, is totally unimportant. It might be important for a car or clothing but not for a drill bit.
As I point out time and time again on this site, people buy based on emotion not logic. When logic and emotion come into conflict, emotion always wins. I could have made my 1" hole with a screwdriver or wood chisel. The drill bit was more "comfortable." It was worth more to me to get in the car, drive to the hardware store, buy the bit and do the job. If you believe your customers are going to sit down - compare the merits of your product against your competitor in a fair and logical manner- you are living in a dream world. It just doesn't happen like that in real life. People make emotional decisions and then create a logical argument to justify the decision.
A "Feature" is what a product has. 4 doors, new improved formula, etc. A "Benefit" is what a product does. "This car has four doors to accommodate growing families." "Our new improved formula makes skin softer and smoother." How do you tell the difference. When you hear a product claim, ask the question, "So what does that mean to me?" If there is no answer to that question, you just heard a feature. If there is an answer you just heard a benefit.
You already know some products are going to have obvious benefits. It's those hidden benefits that must be found. Here's how I do it. The first rule of successful business: All claims of benefits must be 100% absolutely true. You must be prepared to prove any statements you make to customers. If you are untruthful about your products or services, you won't survive long in a small town. The truth about you will travel fast. To begin the process you must know your product or service inside and out. You must know each product's features before you can create a benefit for them.
We have never before lived in a time of more changes and advancements than we do today. Products and services evolve at an unprecedented rate. Your company is going through a constant evolution of products and procedures. Companies that can be innovative with their products and services are going to be the big winners in the years to come. Will you be there with me? Have a business question for Tom? Click Here to get Tom's advice for free
Listen to a radio interview with Tom and Entrepreneur Magazine - Click Here! This article may be reproduced for your non-profit group or organization provided it is not altered in any way and the following is attached: ©1998 - 2004 Eagle Marketing PO Box 271 Bozeman, MT
59771-0271 Based in Bozeman, MT, Tom Egelhoff is the author of How To Market, Advertise & Promote Your Business Or Service In A Small Town, and The Small Town Advertising Handbook: How To Say More And Spend Less. He is also a seminar and workshop presenter and trainer. He may be reached at 888-550-6100 or PO Box 271 Bozeman, MT 59771-0271
Would you like Tom Egelhoff to speak on this topic at your business function or convention? Click here for information, topics and pricing.
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