... And the Clients Went Wild!: How Savvy Professionals Win All the Business They Want

Chapter 3. Second Principle Focus Your Marketing on Benefits, Results, and a Call to Action

What's Really in It for Them

When you try to sell the features of your product or service, you're making the customer do all the work to figure out why they want the feature.

The biggest mistake people make in marketing—and a reason they find success to be so elusive—is not clearly explaining what the company is selling. Consumers rarely make buying decisions based on a product or service's features, yet that's what most businesses promote over and over again. People don't buy features; they buy the benefits that those features offer. In fact, to make it even more clear: people buy results. Many businesses assume that their customers know what the benefits are, and exactly why to buy their product or service. They leave it up to the prospect to derive their benefits. However, focusing on the features is a mistake that most businesses make.

What is the difference between a feature and benefit? Often, there is much confusion between the two.

Definition of Features. Features are factual statements about—often distinctive characteristics of—a product or service. Features are a means of providing benefits to customers; for instance, "Open 24 Hours" is a feature.

Definition of Benefits. Benefits are value statements about the feature of a product or service, with an emphasis on what the customer gets. A benefit answers the question, "Why should I care?" For instance, a benefit tells you that you should ...