When are YOUR benefits better than anyone elses?

Question: When are YOUR benefits BETTER than anyone else’s?

Answer: When you TELL prospects/customers about them!

The benefits your company/products provide are only important when prospects KNOW what they are.

Some sales reps mistakenly feel that everyone is aware of all the benefits their company/products offer.

During the role-play portion of our seminars when it’s time to tell the prospect about benefits, it’s amazing how many sales reps use only a FACT or feature statement and leave the BENEFITS out.

EXAMPLE OF A FACT STATEMENT

"Our products are stocked locally."

While this may SEEM to be a benefit statement, it is not.

A benefit statement answers the prospect’s mental question:

"SO WHAT?" or

"So, what does that mean to me, exactly?" or

"And. . . what’s in it for me?"

EXAMPLE OF A FACT/BENEFIT STATEMENT:

"Our products are stocked locally, which means you get next-day delivery."

HOW TO TURN A FACT INTO A BENEFIT

** KEY POINT: In order to make your features meaningful and VALUABLE to your prospects, you MUST turn fact/feature statements into fact/feature/BENEFIT statements.

To turn a fact/feature statement into a fact/feature/BENEFIT statement, add the words: ". . . and what that means to you is . . ."

Here is another, very common, FACT-ONLY statement:

"With our products, you get an unconditional, no-hassle warranty."

This one, too, sounds to some sales reps like a benefit statement. It is not. It is a statement of fact, ONLY.

You can turn it into a benefit statement by saying:

"With our products, you get an unconditional, no-hassle warranty. And what that means to you is: If you are shipped an incorrect or defective product, all you need to do is call us and we will arrange to have it picked up and send you a replacement product the same day."

REMEMBER all your benefits

If you have worked for the same company for more than a few years, it can be easy to forget some of the benefits you offer.

For instance, among your feature/benefits probably are:

1. Experience in the industry and product knowledge.

BENEFIT to the customer:
You can answer any questions they have about your products/services and maybe even about competitors’ products/services.

2. You call customers every month to check on their products and see if they need anything.

BENEFIT to the customer: They won’t need to worry about running short of products because YOU will call to remind them when they need to re-order!

3. You have their ordering history in your computer.

BENEFIT: In case the customer forgot a certain product s/he ordered last March something s/he liked very much all s/he needs to do is call YOU and you will know exactly what product it was!

About the Author

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