In sales, people are
taught to “sell the sizzle, not the steak.”
Why? Because while the “nuts and bolts”
features of your product or service are important,
this is generally not what gets a prospect’s
interest and makes the sale. People want to
know the benefits of doing business with you.
How will your product or service improve their
lives?
If you’re having
a hard time sorting out the features vs. the
benefits of what you offer, give me a call.
As your marketing writer I can help you determine
the best message to communicate to each of
your target audiences.
Linda Coss
949-699-2749
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Benefits,
Benefits, Benefits |
In
real estate they say the three most important
things are “location, location, location.”
In marketing you could say its “benefits,
benefits, benefits.” Why? Because all
your potential customer really wants to know
is “what’s in it for me?”
You need to give a reason to buy that will make
someone want to do business with you and not
the competition. How will your product or service
solve their problems, meet their needs or improve
their life? Nothing else really matters.
Features
vs. Benefits
Many
business people make the mistake of focusing
on their product’s features instead of
its benefits. What’s the difference? A
feature is a fact about the product, while a
benefit explains or demonstrates how the product
will benefit the customer. For example, “made
of heavy-duty plastic” is a feature; “guaranteed
unbreakable” is a benefit.
Put
Your Benefits Front and Center
Every
time I visit a website or pick up a flier whose
headline reads “Welcome to XYZ Company”
I cringe (well, actually, being a marketing
copywriter, I see a sales opportunity). Why?
Because “Welcome to XYZ Company”
doesn’t tell me anything about the company,
what they’re offering or why I might want
to buy. Your company’s benefits (or implied
benefits) should be blaring from the headlines
and subheads of all your marketing materials.
So
take a good look at your marketing materials.
If you’re focusing on features instead
of benefits, it might be time for an overhaul!
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| Customer Spotlight:
Bodies by Bobby
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Bobby
Padilla is a personal trainer who helps people
reach their fitness goals. His comprehensive
exercise program gets results, while his positive,
upbeat and encouraging style makes exercising
an enjoyable experience for his clients.
When
I sat down to write Bobby’s marketing
materials I asked the question, “what
is Bobby really selling?” Just like the
local gym, he certainly isn’t selling
hard work and exhausting exercise. When it comes
right down to it, what Bobby is selling is a
way for his clients to “Look Great, Feel
Fabulous and Be Happy” – and this
is what we focused on in his new marketing materials.
Click
here to see the brochure I wrote for Bodies
by Bobby.
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| ©
2007 Linda Marienhoff Coss |
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About Linda |
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Linda Coss is a freelance marketing writer who helps businesses become more profitable by writing persuasive, targeted and effective messages for their brochures, websites, letters, ads, fliers, press releases, newsletters and other written materials.
Whether you need something written "from scratch" or want a professional to edit what you've created, Linda is your on-call marketing writer.
For more information
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