Discovering The Benefits That Will
Hook Your Prospect

Benefits! They're what marketing is all about. No doubt you've heard the mantra over and over: "Benefits, not features.. Benefits, not features."

So how do you tell the difference, anyway? And how do you choose which ones will get your prospect's heart pumping?

First, let's set the parameters: A feature is a raw fact about your product or service. You're open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Your widget slices, dices, and then folds flat. Your cleaning service uses Chemical X to clean carpets.

A benefit, on the other hand, is the specific advantage of your product or service. It stirs the emotional desire within your prospect, and connects him with what you are selling. It tells him What's In It For Me.

Your convenient hours make after-work shopping a breeze. Your widget makes dinner prep simple and saves counter space. Chemical X leaves carpets sanitary enough for babies to crawl on.

Every feature provides at least one benefit, often several. So discovering benefits is just a matter of finding out what each feature does for your prospect.

Take a sheet of paper and divide it in half. On one side, list all the raw facts about your product or service. Include everything you can think of, from size to color to every service you perform. 

Now, change hats. Think like your prospect, and go back over that list. After each feature say, "This means that I..." and finish the sentence. What can your prospect do, or get, or save because of that feature?

Some Are Stronger Than Others

Not all benefits are created equal. Knowing which ones to use when can make a big difference in the credibility -- and success -- of your marketing campaigns.

There are three basic levels of benefit to any product or service. The first is just one step away from a feature, and is generally called a "Product Benefit" (because it is still centered on the product). Peanut Butter is made with natural ingredients and contains healthy proteins and monounsaturated fats.

The second level is stronger. It's called the "Consumer Benefit," because it focuses on (you guessed it!) the consumer, and the positive result she gets from the product benefit. My children get extra nutrition that tastes good -- so they'll eat it.

The strongest level is called "Values." It's the internal reward that comes from the Consumer Benefit. I'm a good mother because I serve healthy Peanut Butter to my children.

So if Values are the strongest level of benefit, you should always use them, right? Not necessarily.

The problem with selling to Values is that it's easy to sound like you're full of hype. Not only that, but coming right out and saying, "You'll be a good mother if you serve Peanut Butter," is downright insulting.

That's why it's best to hint at Value Benefits. "Choosy Moms Choose Jif." See how the benefit is implied, rather than overtly stated? And isn't it much more effective than, "Be A Good Mother! Choose Jif," would be?

But if you can do it effectively, Value Benefits are the stuff that emotionally driven marketing is made of. They are the ones that speak to the deepest core of your prospect -- because that's where their effects are felt.

One Size Doesn't Fit All

Marketing is all about getting the benefits across to your prospect. Unfortunately, there's no single answer to which level to use when. It all depends on the product or service, and who it's being sold to. That's why knowing your prospect is so vital. It helps you choose the right one -- or mixture of several -- that's just right for your situation.