The era of marketing and selling FEATURES is dead. Since leaving the Industrial Revolution behind and welcoming in the Internet Revolution, “features” have become a COMMODITY. We don’t need you to give me the features any longer…I can find them out on my own.
And even BENEFITS are not cutting it as much any longer. They are great…but similar to features, everyone has them and talks about them. What I need from you is to help me understand HOW what you have is going to MAKE ME FEEL after purchasing and using your product or service.
Will it make me feel more…
- Powerful
- Beautiful
- Knowledgeable
- Confident
- Capable
- Intelligent
- Productive
- Safe and Secure
- Any other feeling…insert here
If I can’t see how purchasing and using your product will help me feel (pick one or more from the list), why would I buy it? Why would I purchase something based on your FEATURES if I can’t see how it will “transform” me into something I want to become?
When someone asks you the famous question, “Why did you buy it?” do you immediately recite all the amazing features the product has, as if you were reading the detailed description listed on the side of the box? Of course you don’t…you tell them how it is going to transform, change, or improve your life. You want them to know why this is such an important product in your life and how it is going to do something amazing for you…or your company.
By the way, if you are thinking this is simply for consumer purchases you are missing the point…this is as much (or more) for businesses that sell to other businesses. We sell to people, not companies…
Some might also think this is the same as selling the BENEFITS of our product or service…it’s not. There are most certainly benefits to your product or service but this is different…it is about “personalizing the benefit” to the person so they see how it personally can impact their life.
Take a very simple example…something as mundane as a power drill. We could sell all the FEATURES of our “black drill” including its speed, construction, battery life, etc. This makes it a commodity and I can shop these around the internet quickly and find the drill with the same features at the best price. Or I can sell the BENEFITS of the “red drill” and say it will make the job go easier, smoother, faster, and make me more efficient. These are certainly more important, but they aren’t personalized. Or I can help you understand how buying the “green drill” will MAKE YOU FEEL when you use it…more in control of being able to do any job you ever imagined around the house and our spouse will think you rock, a more powerful person because you can now tackle any job, more prestigious because you own the most advanced drill on the market, smarter because you didn’t buy the cheap stuff but went for the real quality product. See the difference…which drill would you buy? The green drill…
Overlay this onto your own products and services today. This is especially true in the technology world we live in today. Everyone loves to talk about their cool FEATURES. And even if you are first to market, there is someone coming in right behind you…probably so fast you can hear the ground shaking as they approach. When they get here, they will have even better features…how do you win in this game with such a low barrier to entry in the world today? If you choose to play here, you are telling us you are a commodity.
Other companies make a concerted effort to showcase their BENEFITS to you…while this is better, it isn’t the answer either. As you can see from the simple example above, benefits are great but they don’t personalize the product to how it is going to make me feel. They simply give me ideas on how I can better use the product or service to accomplish what I want to accomplish.
The very best companies focus on how using their product or service will MAKE YOU FEEL. They spend the time to help transform me into a different place…seeing myself as being better than I was before I used their product or service. This transformation is what helps you achieve your dreams, realize greater potential, and move to higher levels because you used their product or service. And who doesn’t want to feel this way.
The next time you are talking about your product or service, change the way you share it with your potential customers. Skip the features…you can direct them to your website or the internet overall to find all the features of your product. Share with them the benefits that can help them do their jobs better (personal or professional). But go the extra mile…find ways to talk to them about how they are going to feel during and after using your product. Show them how they are going to have “bragging rights” after using your product or service. Help them transport themselves into this world and they can’t wait to experience your product or service.
Now you have something they can become passionate about…you have something they will talk about to others. NO ONE goes to the party and recites your features. SOME may tell others about the benefits of using your product or service. But EVERYONE loves to talk about how it MADE THEM FEEL. If you want to create more WORD-OF-MOUTH and have your customers help you do your marketing and selling for you…transport them into this new world.
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