Features and benefits

– customers are unsure about what it is they want, sales people can help them to make a decision by advising or by simply giving information. It is particularly important at the presentation stage of the sale that they highlight the benefits of that product or service rather than just its features.

– Benefits comes from the Latin Bene meaning good

– Features are the components

– feature can be: a tour inclusion, for example, three meals a day, tea and coffee making facilities a service, for example, a hotel transfer a product, for example, transportation by an air-conditioned coach, aircraft or train.

– Features alone do not readily relate to a customer’s individual needs or expectations. They constitute statements of fact only and do not readily sell the product. Features are nevertheless very important in making a sales point. For example: The tour price includes air conditioned coaches.

• Our aim is to satisfy the needs of our customer. To simply say to your customers that a particular tour has air-conditioned coaches is not quite enough because it has little or no effect. To your customer, you are merely citing a boring and insignificant detail.

– What you need to consider is how air conditioning coaches will benefit your customer. You need to make your point in terms of how that feature is going to meet your customer’s needs and expectations, how you are going to keep their interests in mind.

Then that feature actually will mean something to the customer. Make a

sales point by turning the feature into a benefit.

– For example: Feature: The tour price includes air conditioned coaches. Benefit: You are going to find it very hot in Cairns in February, so it is very important to have an air-conditioned coach that is cool, fresh and comfortable throughout the tour.

• When you sell to your customers in terms of benefits your customers are reassured that:

• you have their interests at heart

• you are conscious of their needs and wants

• you are mindful of their comfort and enjoyment.

– A benefit is what the feature will actually do for the customer. We can only sell effectively by illustrating what it is that the feature will clearly do for them. You must create in your customers a desire for the benefits. Selling additional services

• Now choose a product from our range and sell the benefits from the the features to your colleague

• You have ten minutes