Sell Benefits, Not Advantages
Sell Benefits, Not Advantages
E. Michael Shays CMC
Here are three statements. Which do you think would have the greatest impact on a customer?
a. You will have a design that will track ship¬ments by parcel.
b. Our methodology has been proven to be successful in over 100 applications of this type.
c. You will always know where each parcel is at any given moment.
Most customers are more motivated by Statement “c”. They are least interested in Statement “b”. Why is that?
Statement “a” describes the product of the seller—a feature of the assignment. This is what the seller will leave with the customer at the end of the engagement.
Statement “b” describes an advantage that the seller perceives he holds over competition—what the seller believes will make his firm more attractive to the decision maker.
Statement “c” describes the benefit of the assignment—the value the customer will derive from the product. It is the reason for engaging the seller in the first place.
The strongest selling point is always the benefit statement, yet more paper is devoted in proposals to advantages, the least engaging selling point of the three types of statements. In addition, sellers often mistake products for benefits. Products are not benefits. The benefit is what each product enables the customer to accomplish.
Here is a test. Identify whether these statements are an (a) advantage, (p) product, or (b) benefit.
1. We are a local firm.
2. We will deliver a plan for the next five years.
3. All the members of our team have over ten years’ experience.
4. You will have a system that is fully interactive.
5. The system will eliminate or significantly reduce stock-outs.
6. We will leave you a complete handbook of the new system.
7. We have offices all around the world.
8. You can operate the system with 10% fewer staff.
ANSWERS: 1a, 2p, 3a, 4p, 5b, 6p, 7a, 8b
One way to stay focused on benefits is to focus on the customer, not on your firm. A colleague was invited to bid on a major assignment in an industry where his firm had only indirect experience. Nevertheless, the he felt his firm had a strong proposal. In the oral presentation they talked about their approach, how they proposed to work with the customer, the schedule, and the perceived benefits. After 45 minutes the customer interrupted and asked my colleague to tell something about themselves, which they did for the next 10 minutes.
My colleague was awarded the sale, but afterward he discovered that they had been competing against one of the premier firms in that industry. When they asked why they had been selected over the apparently more qualified firm, my colleague was told that in their presentation they had talked for 45 minutes about the project and had to be asked about themselves. The other firm had talked for 45 minutes about their qualifications and had to be asked what they would be doing for the customer.
What the seller will do on the engagement is more important to the customer than the advantages one firm has over its com¬petition. What the seller will produce is more important than how he produced it. And the value the customer will derive from what the seller produces is more important than the end product. All four—advantages, approach, product, benefits—are important, but benefits sell.
* * *
E. MICHAEL SHAYS CMC (ems@emsnetwork.com) is President of EMS Network, International, an association of senior sellers helping customers faced with conflict, transition, stagnation, and management dilemmas.
Sell Benefits Not Advantages - To learn more about this author, visit Michael Shays's Website.
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Sell Benefits, Not Advantages
E. Michael Shays CMC
Here are three statements. Which do you think would have the greatest impact on a customer?
a. You will have a design that will track ship¬ments by parcel.
b. Our methodology has been proven to be successful in over 100 applications of this type.
c. You will always know where each parcel is at any given moment.
Most customers are more motivated by Statement “c”. They are least interested in Statement “b”. Why is that?
Statement “a” describes the product of the seller—a feature of the assignment. This is what the seller will leave with the customer at the end of the engagement.
Statement “b” describes an advantage that the seller perceives he holds over competition—what the seller believes will make his firm more attractive to the decision maker.
Statement “c” describes the benefit of the assignment—the value the customer will derive from the product. It is the reason for engaging the seller in the first place.
The strongest selling point is always the benefit statement, yet more paper is devoted in proposals to advantages, the least engaging selling point of the three types of statements. In addition, sellers often mistake products for benefits. Products are not benefits. The benefit is what each product enables the customer to accomplish.
Here is a test. Identify whether these statements are an (a) advantage, (p) product, or (b) benefit.
1. We are a local firm.
2. We will deliver a plan for the next five years.
3. All the members of our team have over ten years’ experience.
4. You will have a system that is fully interactive.
5. The system will eliminate or significantly reduce stock-outs.
6. We will leave you a complete handbook of the new system.
7. We have offices all around the world.
8. You can operate the system with 10% fewer staff.
ANSWERS: 1a, 2p, 3a, 4p, 5b, 6p, 7a, 8b
One way to stay focused on benefits is to focus on the customer, not on your firm. A colleague was invited to bid on a major assignment in an industry where his firm had only indirect experience. Nevertheless, the he felt his firm had a strong proposal. In the oral presentation they talked about their approach, how they proposed to work with the customer, the schedule, and the perceived benefits. After 45 minutes the customer interrupted and asked my colleague to tell something about themselves, which they did for the next 10 minutes.
My colleague was awarded the sale, but afterward he discovered that they had been competing against one of the premier firms in that industry. When they asked why they had been selected over the apparently more qualified firm, my colleague was told that in their presentation they had talked for 45 minutes about the project and had to be asked about themselves. The other firm had talked for 45 minutes about their qualifications and had to be asked what they would be doing for the customer.
What the seller will do on the engagement is more important to the customer than the advantages one firm has over its com¬petition. What the seller will produce is more important than how he produced it. And the value the customer will derive from what the seller produces is more important than the end product. All four—advantages, approach, product, benefits—are important, but benefits sell.
* * *
E. MICHAEL SHAYS CMC (ems@emsnetwork.com) is President of EMS Network, International, an association of senior sellers helping customers faced with conflict, transition, stagnation, and management dilemmas.
Sell Benefits Not Advantages - To learn more about this author, visit Michael Shays's Website.
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