The Difference Between Features And Benefits

If you run a business your need to “sell” – be that the products you yourself make, items that you buy in or services; if you don’t “sell” you don’t stay in business.

But what exactly are you selling?

The Difference Between Features And Benefits – And Why It’s Important!

Let’s say I told you that I ran a telemarketing service and I had thirteen telephones, five permanent members of staff, several more part time, and access to 35 different types of database. Would your eyes begin to glaze over? Would you start to think about what to cook for supper tonight?

How about this then – I tell you that I run a telemarketing service that would enable your company to increase your active client base three fold within the space of a month and double your company revenue stream by the end of the summer? More like it? Who cares what’s for supper?

Telling you about my staff, my equipment and the tools of my trade are all features of my business. Telling you how my company will enable your business to grow is the benefit.

Most people don’t really care about you – harsh, but true. They are more interested by “what’s in it for me”. If you reel off a list of the features of your product/service, you are talking about you not about them. By selling the features you are asking the potential customer to do all the work – “Oh, so you have thirteen telephones! That means that you can call x amount of people in y amount of time and potentially convert z of those into a revenue stream that will enable my client base to increase by….?”

It is a lot easier to list your features – it takes a little more thought and effort to turn these features around and customise them for the client. But to effectively communicate with your clients you need to start understanding their needs and concerns. Tailoring what you do to their potential requirements is far more likely to result in a satisfactory working relationship – and ultimately in more sales.