Creating an amazing product that is full of great features is not enough. In fact, when it comes to pure sales, this is actually not even the most important point!
What’s more important if you want to sell a lot of units is getting people to understand how your amazing product is going to help them or solve their problem. This all comes down to your ability to clearly define the benefits of your product and to communicate what those are to your audience.
Features vs Benefits: Knowing the Difference
Unfortunately, this is something that a lot of entrepreneurs and startups don’t fully understand. The confusion here lies with knowing the difference between features and benefits. Ultimately, this ties into your brand, your value proposition, and your mission statement.
If you don’t fully understand what the benefits of your product are, or who your product benefits specifically, how can you expect your target audience to?
Let’s imagine you’ve created a tablet computer. If you were trying to sell your product and you decided to create a list of features to convince people of its worth, it might look something like this:
- i5 Skylake Processor
- 3GB of Ram
- 8’’ display
- 4K screen
- Expandable storage
- Runs Windows 10
Those in the tech community (or anyone genuinely interested in tablets) would better understand how each of these features could contribute to a high quality user experience, but what about the mass audience you are trying to sell it to? It’s highly unlikely that they know how these features would ultimately benefit them. You have to put yourself in the shoes of your customer and understand how they will perceive what your are communicating to them.
They might find it difficult to imagine how these features will translate to actual benefits that make their lives easier or more fun. That was a list of features, so what might a list of benefits look like? How about this:
- Powerful processor for light gaming and advanced productivity tasks
- Multitask as you would on a full PC!
- Small form factor for slipping into a coat pocket
- High fidelity screen brings films and games to life and makes them truly pop
- Carry unlimited music, films and photos with expandable storage
- Runs the latest Windows operating system for optimal security and advanced features like Xbox One live streaming
Do you see the difference? By listing the benefits of your product instead, you are left with a selection of real-world examples of how your product can be used and how it can enhance their everyday life.
A feature is a simple statement of your product’s specifications. A benefit looks at why people should care about said feature. Highlight both, but really dial into how your product can benefit the end user if you want to maximize your sales.
Conclusion
Ultimately, this comes down to the old adage: you don’t sell hats, you sell warm heads.
Think about who would be interested in your product, and how your product will affect their lives. If you can communicate this, then you will help to bring your hardware to life for your readers and viewers, and generate a lot more buzz and excitement as a result.
What do you guys think? How do you define the difference between a feature and a benefit? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to sign up for the mailing list if you want more advice, tips and ideas to help you sell your products.
