Read the article below from changingmids.org and answer the questions as comment posts.
One of the basic rules of selling is to sell the benefits that customers will receive from the features of a product rather than just the list of features that a product has.
Selling on features
A common scenario in selling (particularly in retail) is for the sales person to explain the virtues of the product they are selling by demonstrating the assorted features that it has. In a hi-fidelity entertainment system, for example, this may include showing off the graphic equalizer, talking about the power output, detailing the signal-to-noise ratio, etc.
A big problem with this is that the customer might not appreciate what is being said. They might not want a graphic equalizer. They may want a higher power that that on offer. They may be confused by talk of signal-to-noise. And as a result, they politely say 'no thank you' and move on, leaving behind a frustrated salesperson.
Another variant of the features trap is when the customer comes in with a checklist of the features that they want. Anything that does not have all features is immediately rejected, whilst products with extra features are ignored. When they have narrowed down their choices to a set of products that have all the features they want, then they choose solely on price, which again is bad news for the salesperson.
Selling on benefits
Benefits are what the customer gains by using the product. When using a hi-fidelity entertainment system, they get to hear beautiful music, faithfully reproduced in their living room, with sound as real as if they were in a live concert.
Selling on benefits thus sells to what they really want, not what they say they want or what you want to sell. With benefits, you can get them excited and emotionally engaged. With features, you can only get nodding heads and logical agreement.
Features, when discussed can also be talked about in terms of benefits. With a graphic equalizer they can compensate for booming resonances, further refining the sound and improving the experience. With great signal-to-noise, they can turn the sound up and hear a pin drop, not a nasty hiss.
FAB Selling
To feature and benefits the intermediate position of attributes or advantages is sometimes added.
Attributes are intangibles that are associated with the product, not the person (and hence are not yet benefits).
Thus, for a hi-fi amplifier:
A feature is the large volume control.
An attribute is the maximum decibels of volume that can be achieved.
A benefit is that high volume lets you immerse yourself in the music.
Some products have many attributes whilst others have far fewer. One way of identifying attributes is to look on the product specification. Customers often have attributes on their checklist (rather than physical features or benefits).
Attributes are a useful stepping-stone between the physical product and the benefits that the person actually receives and can be used in a sales pitch as such.
In most descriptions that cover features and benefits, but not attributes, the attributes are usually described as features.
Selling on features
A common scenario in selling (particularly in retail) is for the sales person to explain the virtues of the product they are selling by demonstrating the assorted features that it has. In a hi-fidelity entertainment system, for example, this may include showing off the graphic equalizer, talking about the power output, detailing the signal-to-noise ratio, etc.
A big problem with this is that the customer might not appreciate what is being said. They might not want a graphic equalizer. They may want a higher power that that on offer. They may be confused by talk of signal-to-noise. And as a result, they politely say 'no thank you' and move on, leaving behind a frustrated salesperson.
Another variant of the features trap is when the customer comes in with a checklist of the features that they want. Anything that does not have all features is immediately rejected, whilst products with extra features are ignored. When they have narrowed down their choices to a set of products that have all the features they want, then they choose solely on price, which again is bad news for the salesperson.
Selling on benefits
Benefits are what the customer gains by using the product. When using a hi-fidelity entertainment system, they get to hear beautiful music, faithfully reproduced in their living room, with sound as real as if they were in a live concert.
Selling on benefits thus sells to what they really want, not what they say they want or what you want to sell. With benefits, you can get them excited and emotionally engaged. With features, you can only get nodding heads and logical agreement.
Features, when discussed can also be talked about in terms of benefits. With a graphic equalizer they can compensate for booming resonances, further refining the sound and improving the experience. With great signal-to-noise, they can turn the sound up and hear a pin drop, not a nasty hiss.
FAB Selling
To feature and benefits the intermediate position of attributes or advantages is sometimes added.
Attributes are intangibles that are associated with the product, not the person (and hence are not yet benefits).
Thus, for a hi-fi amplifier:
A feature is the large volume control.
An attribute is the maximum decibels of volume that can be achieved.
A benefit is that high volume lets you immerse yourself in the music.
Some products have many attributes whilst others have far fewer. One way of identifying attributes is to look on the product specification. Customers often have attributes on their checklist (rather than physical features or benefits).
Attributes are a useful stepping-stone between the physical product and the benefits that the person actually receives and can be used in a sales pitch as such.
In most descriptions that cover features and benefits, but not attributes, the attributes are usually described as features.
1. Give me another example of a feature and benefit of a stereo/enternaiment unit that you could use to sell to customers.
2. Why are benefits so important to customers?
3. If your the product you were selling were tickets to a Black Eyed Peas concert what would be an example of a feature and benefit you would use to sell the tickets?
