Objective 2.07 Acquire product knowledge to communicate product benefits and to ensure appropriateness of product for the customer

Guidelines to follow when acquiring product information. Decide which features and benefits appeal to each customer. Customers buy the benefit, not the feature. Different customers want different benefits from the same product. Listen, question, and observe the customer to determine customer needs and desires You only need to explain the benefits that pertain to the current customer.

Explain appropriate features and benefits for the current customer Emphasize and or demonstrate the benefits to the customer: Use descriptive phrases Explain technical benefits in a language customers can understand Make sure customers know the benefits because benefits sell

Evaluate customer reactions Observe customer when you are talking about a benefit. Move to another benefit or continue based on reaction. Before moving on, you might want to question further in order to clarify the benefits the customer is looking for.

Vocabulary Terms Feature – a physical characteristic or quality of a product, a description of something a person can touch, feel, smell, see, or measure Benefit – the satisfaction that a customer wants from a good or service Obvious benefits – a benefit that is easily recognizable Unique benefits – benefits that come only with the purchase of a particular product Hidden benefits – benefits that are not usually seen without the assistance of a salesperson Feature-benefit selling – the part of a sales presentation where the salesperson points out that a good or service has features that will benefit the customer Feature-benefit chart- a listing of a product’s features with their corresponding benefits  

Examples of Product Benefits Obvious or apparent benefit – easily recognizable benefit that the customer can see without much explanation *Example - “This shirt is made of cotton so it is soft and will keep you cooler in hot weather.”

Continued Benefits… Unique or exclusive benefit – a benefit that only comes with a particular product. *Example – “If the pizza does not arrive within 30 minutes of when you order by phone it is free.”

Continued Benefits… Hidden benefit – A salesperson must explain this benefit since it is not readily visible. *Example – “Look on the back of this watch, it has a release mechanism for changing the battery.”