1. Feature-Benefit Selling
Find Features, Boost Benefits
Feature-Benefit Selling
Selling LAP 113

2. Objectives Describe feature-benefit selling.
Prepare for feature-benefit selling.

3. Describe feature-benefit selling.
Objective
Describe feature-benefit selling.

4. What was your last major purchase?
iPod?
Running shoes?
Handbag?
What was your interaction with the salesperson like?
S/He might have used feature-benefit selling.
Feature-benefit selling is everywhere!

5. Our Economy Highly competitive Market-based
Wide variety of goods and services
New products appearing every day
Consumers with wide range of desires and interests

6. Feature-Benefit Selling
Proving to your customers that your product has the features that will benefit them
Can occur anytime during the selling process
Should always occur during the sales presentation as part of the sales dialogue and product demonstration

7. Features and Benefits Customers do not buy features—they buy benefits.
Customers do not buy the product itself—they buy what it can do for them.
Pointing out features is not enough—customers want to know “what’s in it” for them.
You must be able to compare features and benefits with competitors’ products.
You must be able to translate features into benefits.

8. Features Something the customer can: Touch Feel Smell See Measure
Answer the question, “What is it?”
Some are obvious; some are hidden.
Help describe the product

9. Benefits Three types of benefits:
Obvious/Apparent benefits
Advantages that need little explanation by the salesperson
The customer can easily recognize the benefit.
You should still point them out to prove the value of the product.
Advantages customers get from products
How the product helps its buyer
Answers the questions:
“How will I benefit?”
“What’s in it for me?”
Unique/Exclusive benefits
Advantages that are available only from your good, service, or business
Give you a definite selling advantage over your competitors
Hidden benefits—advantages that cannot be seen or understood without the assistance of a salesperson

10. Prepare for feature-benefit selling.
Objective
Prepare for feature-benefit selling.

11. Preparing for Feature-Benefit Selling
It’s helpful to create a feature-benefit chart.
To create a feature-benefit chart, you must know:
What features to look for in a product
Where to get the information you need
What to do with the information when you get it
Customers look to you for information and advice.
You must be:
Thoroughly familiar with the features of your product
Prepared to translate features into benefits for individual customers

12. Creating a Feature-Benefit Chart
Step One—Find your product’s features.
Common product features:
Construction and materials
What is this material?
Who makes it?
How is it made?
What’s the difference between these two items?
Appearance and style
Our society is very fashion- conscious.
Customers consider color, line, and design in everything they buy.
Unique or novel features
Durability—how long will the product last and give dependable service?
Product uses
What will it do?
How can it be used?
Service and warranty— especially important with big- ticket items such as:
Appliances
Electronics
Cars

13. Creating a Feature-Benefit Chart
Step Two—Know where to get facts about product features.
Best places to look:
The product itself
Buy or use the product.
Check materials that accompany the product.
Manufacturer’s brochures and publications
Usually free
Can obtain more information by writing manufacturer or checking online
Best source of information on construction and materials
Customers
Promotional materials
Product bulletins
Catalogs
Manuals
Other sales personnel
Rely on those with more knowledge and experience.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions.

14. Creating a Feature-Benefit Chart
Step Three—Create a feature-benefit chart.
List all the product’s features.
Begin with the ones the customer will see first.
Then, list the less-obvious ones.
For each feature, ask “What does this mean for the customer?”
Keep in mind:
A feature can often provide more than one benefit.
It’s helpful to arrange items alphabetically.
Write each benefit beside its feature.

15. He was pretty sure that his competitor’s product had a more limited warranty than his own product.
Brad sells high-end televisions.
A customer told him that another store has a similar television for $200 less.
He hadn’t exactly done his homework on the other store’s product.
Is it ethical for Brad to mention this to the customer when he’s not completely sure?
What would you do in this situation?

16. MarkED Acknowledgments Original Developers
Christopher C. Burke, Sarah Bartlett Borich, MarkED
Version 1.0
Copyright © 2007
MarkED Resource Center

17. Digital-based photography sources:
CORBIS CORP.
Small Business
Obj. A: #045
Photos copyright 1998 Corbis Corp.
750 Second Street, Encinitas, CA 92024
HEMERA PHOTO OBJECTS
Obj. A: #womwalma, #toaster5
Photos copyright Hemera technologies Inc., P.O. Box Hull, Quebec, Canada J8Y 6V2

18. Copyright:
All photographic digital images on this CD are owned by the aforementioned photographic resources or their licensors and are protected by the United States copyright laws, international treaty provisions, and applicable laws. No title to or intellectual property rights to the images on this CD are transferred to you. These sources retain all rights and are not to be used, digitally copied, transferred, or manipulated in any way. To do so is a violation of federal copyright laws.