Features VS. Benefits

Studies have shown that people more often buy based on impulses of emotion instead of logic. For instance: how many people do you know of that have purchased a more expensive car that had the same stats a less expensive car just because of the brand? The FEATURES on the cars are the same, however the BENEFIT of others envy overshadows any logic of the reduced price on the less popular car. The long term goal of any marketer is to find out how he or she can expose this fact to maximize their marketing potential.

In order to know how to maximize your marketing potential, you must know the difference between features and benefits. Features are more often the FACTS of the product – softer cushion, improved recipe, zero carbs, etc. These are the basic stats of the product. Benefits will state how the product relates to YOU – you will have increased energy, your friends will envy you, you will be more refreshed in the morning, etc. Some benefits will be immediately apparent upon viewing the feature. However, some benefits will take some thinking to discover.

Analyzing your product is the first step in finding benefits. Start listing out the benefits that are most obvious just by looking at the product. For instance, using the same “zero carbs” example: The obvious benefit of this feature would be “You will lose weight.” Second, you are going to want to uncover the more hidden benefits that take a little bit more time to discover. In order to do this you must put yourself in the customers shoes. You must know exactly how your customer thinks and what they want. How will the customer be using this product? When you figure out the vast amount of uses that can be obtained from the product, you will be in good position to start listing off more benefits.

Being able to PROVE your claims is the last step in maximizing your marketing potential. It is very important to your success that you only claim benefits that you can deliver on. If you cannot show the customer that what you are saying is reality, then you will lose credibility. If customers feel they have been cheated they will tell others. Those people will in turn tell more people. Before you know it, your name will have been dragged through the mud and no one will want to do business with you. You do not want this to happen.

Marketing targeted towards exposing benefits is a very good tactic that will help create strong emotion about the product. You will notice that the more benefits that a product has, the less important price becomes. This means that your product not only needs good benefits, but they must be TRUE and you have to be ready to prove it. You could list off hundreds of features that the product or service has, but at the end of the day, the customer will ask “What does all that have to do with me?” A great marketer will be the one to step in and answer this question on a moments notice.