If you've ever sat at your desk trying to put the finishing touches on
a presentation designed to persuade your client to buy into the next
big project, you've invariably had the challenge of trying to identify
benefits. In fact, if you've sold anything at all, you know how
important benefits are to realizing the sale. Hand in hand with honing
in on the most compelling benefits is making sure they're not just
features.
Features are nice . . . but benefits sell, right? With any product
or service, pointing out features, in most cases, is key to
differentiating the product. But benefits – now, those are the
things that can really make a difference! But how do you word them to
really have an impact on your client or customer?
The answer to this perplexing question has become even clearer to
me recently as a result of having to develop an internet sales pitch
for information products. After having done extensive reading (as a
result of lots of sitting and pondering!), I've discovered the secret
to writing much more persuasive copy. Knowing and understanding this
secret will also have a huge impact in any presentation you undertake!
Let me share what I've learned.
If you're like me, you learned earlier on that features are what a
product has; benefits are what it does. But sometimes, describing
benefits doesn't impact your audience; doesn't change their minds.
Benefits often aren't personal enough. They're too broad.
And to really sell, your benefits have to be specific. They have to
give your audience a specific gain . . . one they can personally feel,
or imagine. Another way of putting it is, benefits have to personally,
or emotionally affect your audience.
Let's consider another word: "advantages." I'm going to suggest to
you that what we've traditionally thought of as "benefits" are often
really "advantages." Product features have certain advantages that they
provide. But the benefits are how those advantages specifically affect
your audience.
As an example, let's say I wanted to sell you a "double chocolate"
cake. I might say that it has "double rich, naturally sweet" icing.
That's a feature. The advantage is that it's not too rich or overly
sweet like traditional chocolate and THAT makes it taste SO much
better. Fine. But, so what? That may or may not get someone interested
in buying and entire cake.
But, if I were to tell you that it will make your toes curl, or
that if you feed it to your girlfriend, she will fall deeply in love
with you for at least an hour . . . now, those are personal benefits.
You get an emotional response from those benefits. In fact, most true
benefits in presentations should give you an emotional response.
You see, benefits have to affect you personally to have real
impact. If you have a specific gain that provides a positive emotional
response, chances are you'll buy into the idea more readily than if you
were simply given the product's advantages.
Features . . . advantages . . . benefits.
Another example: wrinkle cream.
Feature: it reduces wrinkles
Advantage: it will make you look younger
Benefits: you'll be more attractive, you'll have guys falling all over you, nobody will be able to accurately guess your age.
Now, I know some of you might argue that wrinkle cream is a pretty
emotional product to begin with. And "What does this sales pitch have
to do with my ACME cleaning service?" (for example). "How do I use this
approach when I'm pitching a service that simply helps keep an office
clean?"
Well, if the feature is a lower price, if I told you you'd save
enough money to fund a smaller project you've been trying to get off
the ground for years, or that your boss would likely give you a raise
for being so efficient . . . those, whether they be true or not, are
personal benefits. You'd probably think pretty positively about giving
my service a try.
However, if my price is higher than the competition (the quality is
much better), I might say "Your office will be SO clean, that you will
NEVER hear a complaint from an employee. In fact, if you ever do, I'll
personally address that problem the very next day and make sure your
staff member is truly satisfied and is aware of the extra effort their
boss goes to in order to ensure their comfort. We'll make you look like
a star!"
So, next time you're sitting at your desk pondering your next
presentation and how to make that sale, think about your audience. If
you've properly done your homework, you already know their concerns.
The first step then, is to think about those concerns and how your
product will satisfy them. Once you've done that, it's time to go to
the next critical step – the benefit.
Simply craft your response to the concern so that it targets
personal benefits . . . specific gains they'll realize . . . gains that
will affect them emotionally . . . and you'll be way further ahead in
persuading them to grant you your wish.
And once you've done THAT . . . reward yourself with a slice of
double chocolate cake that is so moist, it will absolutely melt in your
mouth and curl your toes like they've never been curled before!
Copyright (c) 2007 Peter Temple
About The Author
coach, instructional video designer, producer, director and writer for
and corporate television. He specializes in helping executives
fine-tune their presentation skills and use new technologies
effectively in their talks. You'll find practical tips and guidelines
to more effective presentations through his online, video-based course.
http://www.presenter-pro.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Distributed by Hasan Shrek, independence blogger. Also run
online business ,matrix,internet marketing solution ,online store script .
Beside he is writing some others blogs for notebook computer ,computer training ,computer software andpersonal computer,Cyber Forest,internet weapon,talk about business ,business is my blood ,hasan's blog ,cyber business
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Technorati Tags: internet marketing, internet business, web, affiliate program, affiliate marketing, online business, business online, make money, work at home, networking
No comments:
Post a Comment