Great Business Advice - focus on Benefits

Benefits, Benefits, Benefits

Focus on the BENEFITS that your Product or Service offers your Customers and Clients

The biggest mistake that most businesses make in their Marketing is not communicating the BENEFITS of what they are offering.

We all have values and needs that must be met before we make a buying decision and your potential customers are no exception.

They need to understand how they will benefit from what you are offering them.

For this to happen, all of your communications with them should focus on these benefits.

It is the benefits of your product or service, rather than the content of the product or service that is of real interest.

Here's an example -

If you go to buy a hi-fi, what are you actually buying?

Are you buying the equipment - the combination of electronics and wires and the casing that surrounds it?

Or are you actually buying the BENEFITS of the hi fi - the sound you will hear, the pleasure that sound will give you, perhaps the significance and joy that you get from owning a hi-fi larger than the guy down the street!

If you can accept and understand the following principle, your marketing will instantly improve.

'People don't buy your product or service. They buy the benefits that your product or service offers them.'

Understanding this simple distinction can transform your marketing.

Because you will approach all of your marketing in a totally different way.

Next time that you write a letter or brochure, or create a website or send an e-mail or speak to a customer on the phone, every word should be crafted to ensure that your customer understands the benefits of what you have to offer.

Of course, this pre-supposes that you and your colleagues understand the benefits yourselves.

This is not always as simple as it sounds.

When we own or run a business, we are so close to what we do that we often lose sight of what it's like for our customers.

Also, an important benefit for one customer might not be so important for another.

You might choose a new car because of its speed and acceleration. Your neighbour may choose the same car because of its safety.

So spend some time getting clear on what exactly your benefits are - and then make sure that you articulate them precisely in all of your communications.

Put in a different way - when it comes to selling, your goal and the goal of your colleagues is to discover the values and needs of your customers and prospective customers - and continually meet those needs.

Many people fall into the trap of selling what they perceive as the benefits - rather than taking the time to find out what their customers' needs are.

The most important question you can ask your prospective customers and clients is -

What's most important to you about (your product or service)

Make sure that the benefits of your product or service are constantly stated in all of the following -

You can also turn this concept on its head and look at it another way.

When people don't buy from you, one of the prime reasons will be because they don't understand and appreciate the full benefits of doing so.

You can increase the percentage of people who buy from you by 20-40% just by focusing on getting them to understand precisely how they will benefit from doing business with you.

So its BENEFITS, BENEFITS, BENEFITS all the way NOT Features

For HELP with YOUR Marketing - call M21C on 0870 801 3344: or e-mail geoff@m21c.co.uk