Value-Added Selling - Part 5 of 5

Selling Benefits, Not Features

In last month’s issue of “got sales?” I discussed “Getting Engaged With Your Prospect” in Part 4 of this 5 part series on Value-Added Selling (click HERE to see Parts 1 through 4). In this final part of the series, I’ll discuss the importance of selling benefits instead of features and how to present your solution -- the right solution -- to your prospect.

The value you add to the sales situation is demonstrated in various ways, many of which we already discussed in previous issues of this series. However, it all comes together in the way in which you present the solution to your client. Let’s discuss exactly how this is done.

First, we must cover a simple lesson on Features versus Benefits since it is critical that you know the difference and many people get them confused. A Feature is something you Want while a Benefit is something you Need. For instance, when you go to a hardware store to buy a ¼” drill bit, is that what you Need or what you Want? You don’t Need a ¼” drill bit. You NEED a ¼” hole, but you WANT a ¼” drill bit in order to make the hole. The salesman in the hardware store, in knowing what it is you actually need, can help address what it is you’ll ultimately want to buy.

If he asks you good questions about what you are working on, he might discover that what you thought you wanted, a regular ¼” drill bit, would not suffice for your project. You might have answered his inquiries by saying that you need to drill five-hundred ¼” holes into concrete. At that point, the salesman might say that what you really “want” is a ¼” carbide tipped drill bit. This might cost a lot more but it will last the entire job, as opposed to buying a regular bit and replacing it every 2-3 holes, thus costing you a lot more in the end. This is the right solution and was discovered simply by the salesman asking you what you needed, or what benefit you are looking to get... Read More