Want People to Buy Your Products? Lead With Benefits and Back Them Up With Features
When it comes to selling your products, programs, or services, one fundamental principle can make or break your marketing success: helping customers understand how what you offer benefits them. But many businesses stumble here, following the age-old advice of “sell the benefits, not the features.”
Let’s rethink that for a moment.
The truth is, you can’t have the benefits without the features. The features are what make the benefits possible. So, instead of ignoring features, what if you used them strategically? Imagine a framework that hooks your audience with the benefits and then convinces them with the features. That’s where this simple, yet incredibly effective mindset comes in: Lead with the Benefits & Back Up With the Features.
Let’s break it down.
A. Why Features Alone Don’t Work:
If you’ve ever tried to sell a product based purely on its features, you know how tough it can be. Describing your product as “state-of-the-art” or “loaded with advanced technology” doesn’t mean much unless your customers can see how it fits into their lives.
Features by themselves lack emotional connection. They’re technical, functional, and often abstract. For instance, saying your product has a “dual-action filtration system” might sound impressive, but it won’t resonate unless your audience understands what that feature does for them. Is their water cleaner? Is it healthier for their family? Will it save them money in the long run?
B. Why Benefits Alone Aren’t Enough:
On the flip side, focusing solely on benefits can feel hollow. If you promise life-changing results but fail to explain how your product delivers, your audience might view you as overhyped or untrustworthy.
Think about it. If someone says, “This moisturizer will make your skin glow,” but doesn’t share what’s in it or why it works, wouldn’t you hesitate to believe them? People need proof. They must know the “why” and “how” behind your claims.
C. The Magic of Leading With Benefits:
Here’s where the magic happens. Start by grabbing your audience’s attention with the benefits. Why? Benefits tap into emotions. They answer the question, “What’s in it for me?” Benefits show your audience how their lives improve when they use your product.
For example:
- Instead of saying, “Our blender has a 1200-watt motor,” start with, “Make silky-smooth smoothies in seconds, even with the toughest ingredients.”
- Instead of highlighting “customizable settings,” lead with, “Enjoy coffee exactly the way you like it every morning, without compromise.”
When you focus on benefits first, you paint a picture of your audience’s desired outcome. This is how you spark interest and build desire.
D. Reinforce Benefits With Features:
Once you’ve drawn your audience in with the benefits, it’s time to show them how your product delivers. This is where features shine. Features provide the proof, the logic, and the tangible elements that make those benefits possible.
Let’s revisit our earlier examples:
- Benefit: “Make silky-smooth smoothies in seconds, even with the toughest ingredients.”
Feature: “Our blender’s 1200-watt motor crushes ice, seeds, and frozen fruit effortlessly.” - Benefit: “Enjoy coffee exactly how you like it every morning, without compromise.”
Feature: “With customizable settings, our coffee maker tailors the brew strength and temperature to your preference.”
Notice how the features work as the backbone of the benefits? They make your claims believable. By showing how your product delivers, you ease any skepticism your audience might have.
E. Why This Approach Works:
When you lead with benefits and back them up with features, you cover both the emotional and logical sides of the buying process.
- Benefits appeal to emotions. They make people want your product.
- Features satisfy logic. They give people confidence that your product delivers on its promises.
Together, these elements create a compelling narrative that drives conversions.
F. How to Apply This Strategy:
Ready to try this for yourself? Here’s a simple process to follow:
- Identify Your Audience’s Core Desire: What problem are they trying to solve? What outcome are they hoping to achieve?
- Match Benefits to Their Desire: Frame your benefits as the solution to their problem or the key to achieving their goal.
- Explain How the Features Make It Happen: Highlight the unique attributes of your product that deliver those benefits.
- Keep It Simple and Clear: Avoid overloading your audience with technical jargon. Make it easy for them to see the connection between your features and benefits.
G. A Quick Recap:
Let’s say you’re promoting a time-management app. Here’s how this strategy would play out:
- Lead With Benefits: “Get more done in less time and free up your schedule for what matters most.”
- Back-Up With Features: “Our app combines AI-powered scheduling, real-time task prioritization, and daily productivity reports to keep you on track.”
See how benefits pull your audience in and features close the deal?
H. The Takeaway:
Selling isn’t about choosing between benefits or features but combining them correctly. By leading with benefits and backing them up with features, you create a marketing message that’s not only persuasive but also believable.
So, try this approach in your next campaign. Craft your message around the benefits your audience craves, then prove it with the features that make them possible. This simple shift in mindset could be the key to boosting your sales and earning your customers’ trust.
Have you tried this strategy? Let me know how it works for you!