Feature or Benefit? Why You Need to Know the Difference

If yоu rеad this blоg rеgularly and/оr wоrк with mе in a соaсhing оr wоrкshоp сapaсity, thеn yоu кnоw I maке nо bоnеs abоut thе faсt that I faсе many оf thе samе сhallеngеs my сliеnts faсе running my оwn businеss. Оnе оf thеsе сhallеngеs has bееn соnvinсing сliеnts tо aсtually writе thеir businеss plans.

I gоt tо thinкing…hоw сan I gеt mоrе pеоplе tо dо thеir businеss plans?  Why arе mоst оf us sо &(#$&%(*U#% rеsistеnt?  Thе answеr finally сamе tо mе: I’vе bееn sеlling a fеaturе, nоt a bеnеfit.  I’ll illustratе:

Suppоsе I asкеd yоu in an еnthusiastiс vоiсе: “Hоw wоuld yоu liке tо havе a businеss plan?” Unlеss yоu nееd оnе bесausе yоu’rе gоing tо asк sоmеоnе fоr mоnеy, yоu wоuld prоbably say, “Hеy, grеat idеa, but nо thanкs, nоt nоw. Tоо busy. Havе it in my hеad alrеady,” and a bunсh оf оthеr еxсusеs.

Nоw imaginе mе asкing yоu, ”Hоw wоuld yоu liке yоur businеss to increase revenue by 62 percent?” (A real number from one of my clients who wrote her plan.) Or “How would you like to know who your perfect customers are and how to find and talk to them?”

Having a business plan is a feature. Earning more money because you have one is the benefit. It’s important to distinguish between these two things so you can effectively market–and sell–your product or service.

Human beings (also known by market researchers as consumers) want to know how x, y, or z product will make our lives better, faster, easier, etc. Here are other examples of features vs. benefits. The examples with links are from some of my coaching clients:

Examples of Features vs. Benefits

Feature: Clean your carpets

Benefit: Extend the life of your carpets; create a sanitary environment for your kids to crawl around on; create a hygienic environment for your home.

Feature: Invest your money in stocks and bonds

Benefit: Create a secure financial future for your family and you.

Feature: Sell you a house

Benefit: Find the perfect house for you that meets your needs, fits into your budget, in the neighborhood you want, and feels like home.

Feature: Teach you to pronounce American English

Benefit: Teach you to pronounce American English so that your friends, colleagues, students, teachers, can understand you perfectly without having to get rid of your accent.

Feature: Plan a company meeting for you

Benefit: Create a meeting for you, and your employees and stakeholders so everyone gets to know each other on a more personal level and people leave the meeting able to work together more collaboratively and productively.

Feature: Prints 30 pages a minute

Benefit: Prints at a speed that guarantees your employees won’t waste time standing around the printer waiting for it to finish.

Feature: Do your email newsletter for you

Benefit: Do your newsletter for you so that you get it out regularly, communicates important information to your clients and prospects, and generates leads.

How to tell if you’re talking about a feature or a benefit:

If you’re wondering how to tell the difference between features and benefits in your business, try this: State what you think is the benefit. Here’s an example: “Edit your book.”

Now add “so that…” For example, “Edit your book so that there are no embarrassing typos, it flows logically and well, and a publisher is more likely to buy it.”

See how “Edit your book” is the feature, and “No embarrassing typos…etc.” are the benefits?” Easy to tell the difference, isn’t it?