| Introduction About twice a year, our head coach provides an evening of sales training to the current class of the Women's Initiative for Self Employment. She usually teaches them how to use benefit statements, and they usually put her through her paces! Expressing benefits is a major sales tool, so we'll provide a review and cover the issues the women of W.I.S.E. often raise. A feature is a characteristic of your product or service. A benefit is what that feature does for a customer. Feature: There's no charge for using other bank's ATMs. Benefits: So you can get cash when you need it, and save money. Feature: We test applicants' office skills, such as typing speed. Benefits: So you know applicants meet your minimum requirements and you don't have to test them yourself. To settle on the benefit, say a feature then ask yourself, "So what?" What does that feature do for customers? For example: Feature: Personalized service. Benefit? "The benefit of our personalized service is we know your needs." So what? What does working with people who know their needs do for your customers? Benefit! "Since we know your needs well, we can save you time, and possibly money." Almost everyone likes to save time and money, so this is a real benefit statement. Benefits Categories Though we can describe benefits in thousands of ways, there are only five main categories:
Still, benefits are always in the eye of the beholder. One person buys a mini-van because he needs room to tote four kids; another person buys the same mini-van because she likes the comfortable ride and space. Which One First? Most people learn to create benefit statements that state the feature first, then benefits. It's often more effective or natural to do it the other way around. Test drive! Say the example feature/benefit statements shown above as they are written. Now say them with the benefit(s) first and feature second. Sounds pretty good in that order, right? Why Bother? Benefits seem so obvious, why bother to talk about them specifically? Isn't it kind of insulting to the prospect? Surely they get it without you having to talk about it? Nope! Benefits are not necessarily obvious to your prospects. Remember, your prospects have a life outside of the conversation they're having with you. Talking about benefits helps prospects see value in the way you want them to. Is it insulting? Most of your talk about benefits should take place after you've uncovered a prospect's wants, needs and interests. Talking about how your product or service may benefit them demonstrates that you paid attention to what the prospect said. That's not insulting. Do they get it? Sometimes it is indeed best to imply the benefit. This is almost always true when you're talking about benefits to the ego or image. For example: Once upon a time, sneakers were sold on the stated benefit that they made you "jump higher, run faster!" Now, sneakers are sold on the basis of image, and ads imply that you can "Be like Mike." Likewise, most car ads imply the benefit of enhanced ego or image. Stating something like, "Drive this car and your friends will think you make a lot of money" doesn't work very well. How Special Must You be? This myth comes up often: That you have to offer something unique, and that's what you should build your benefit statements on. Your products or services do not have to be truly unique (one-of-a-kind) for you to succeed. Therefore, you don't need to create unique benefit statements. Your Famous Clients It's a good idea to create two kinds of benefit statements. You use one kind in response to what you uncovered in a sales conversation. These benefit statements are tailored to suit the specific needs, wants and interests of the prospect you're working with at the time. You use the other kind of benefit statements in marketing (before you know any specifics about the prospect). Marketing benefit statements should be at the "big picture" or "tree-top" level; appropriate for your website, or while networking. To make such benefit statements powerful, mention either yourself (or your company) or your clients. For example: "We believe it's important to conserve natural resources, but not at the expense of quality, so we use top-of-the-line recycled paper." "We use only the best recycled paper. Our clients say they like that we provide high-quality products and conserve natural resources at the same time." These Might Not be Benefits at all There are a few things that look like neat features to talk about--but aren't. Being in business for X number of years is not often a strong selling feature; nor is having X number of clients; nor making X number of dollars last year. When marketing, such features merely sound like boasts. And, the potential "so what" is weak. (e.g., Having X number of clients could mean things fall between the cracks.) When selling, only bring up such features if your prospect is specifically looking for them. The benefit is whatever the prospect thinks it is. In Sum, Avoid the Bore
(Having benefits ready to use is convenient. Sounding fresh might be an image/ego benefit. Avoiding boredom is a fun and enjoyment benefit.) |