OBJECTIVE 2.07Acquire product knowledge to

communicate product benefits and to ensure appropriateness of product

for the customer

WHAT IS A FEATURE? A feature is a physical characteristic or

quality of a product. It is something the customer can touch,

feel, smell, see, or measure It helps describe the product. A feature answers the question, “What

is it?”Ex: color, style, size

WHAT IS A BENEFIT? A benefit is the

personal satisfaction or advantage that a customer wants from a product.

It is how the feature helps a particular buyer

For customers, it answers the questions: How will I benefit? What’s in it for me?

FEATURE-BENEFIT SELLING Prove to customers your product has

features that benefit them Customers buy benefits-not features Compare to competition Determine what each customer is

looking for in a good or service

Customer is buying the benefit of the beautiful, healthy smile.

Customer is not buying the feature of the whitening gel…

THREE TYPES OF BENEFITS Salespeople should be able to explain

these three types of benefits to customers:Obvious or apparent benefitsUnique or exclusive benefitsHidden benefits

OBVIOUS OR APPARENT BENEFITS

Advantages that need little explanation by the salesperson.

Easily recognizable benefit that the customer can see without much explanation

The customer already knows the benefit Ex: Neutral colored carpeting

What is the obvious benefit? Ex: “This shirt is made of cotton so it is soft and will keep

you cooler in hot weather.” Ex: The obvious benefit of a watch is being able to

always know what time it is.

Even if benefits are obvious, salespeople should still point them out and use them to prove the value of the product to customers

UNIQUE OR EXCLUSIVE BENEFITS Advantages that are available only from

your good, service, or business. A benefit that only comes with a particular

product. Is a selling advantage over your

competitors Ex: a car that “parks” itself is a novelty

Offers a huge benefits to customers that have trouble parallel parking

Ex: “If the pizza does not arrive within 30 minutes of when you order by phone it is free.”

HIDDEN BENEFITS Advantages that cannot be seen or

understood without the assistance of a salesperson

A salesperson must explain this benefit since it is not readily visible

Ex: buying a pair of shoes You can see the color and style You can not see how comfortable they are until

persuaded to try them on Ex: purchasing a computer

Warranties/24-hour helpline Ex: buying a watch

The watch never needs a new battery and charges itself based on your wrist motion.

FEATURE BENEFIT SELLING

Feature-benefit selling: the part of a sales presentation where the salesperson points out that a good or service has features that will benefit the customer

Feature-benefit chart: a listing of a product’s features with their corresponding benefits

 

FEATURE-BENEFIT CHARTS

Construction and materials: What is the material? Who makes it? How is it made? What’s the difference

between these two items? Appearance and style

Appearance is a dominant factor in many buying decisions

Customers consider color, line, and design in everything they buy – cars, clothes, accessories, appliances, furniture, etc.

Unique or novel features Having desirable features

that your competitor does not have

Durability How long a product will

last and give dependable service

Product uses What the product will do

and how it can be used Service and warranty

Especially important when selling products such as appliances, electronics, and cars

Step 1: Find your product’s features

FEATURE-BENEFIT CHARTS Step 2: Know where to get facts about

product featuresThe product itself

Use the product and information providedCustomers

TestimonialsManufacturer’s brochures and publicationsOther sales personnelPromotional materials

Product bulletins Catalogs/manuals

FEATURE-BENEFIT CHART Step 3: Create a feature-benefit chart

After you know what type of information you need and where to obtain the facts about your products, prepare a feature-benefit chart List all the product’s features, beginning with the

ones that a customer or client will see first List the less-obvious or hidden features For each feature that you identified, ask, “what

does this mean for the customer?” Write each benefit beside its feature A feature can provide more than one benefit

SAMPLE FEATURE-BENEFIT CHARTProduct Features

(What are they?)

Benefits (What do they mean?)

Computer Variety of models

You will be able to select different components to build a system that meets your specific needs

Monitor size Large monitors that come with these computers enable you to see the entire page. Gives a clear understanding of how the document looks

Memory These models can be loaded with sufficient memory so your computer can handle any program

Print capability Handle all your printing needs in your home or office

WHY WOULD IT BE IMPORTANT FOR THE SALESPERSON TO HAVE PRODUCT INFORMATION?

Communicate product benefits Ensure the appropriateness of the product

for the customer To better meet the customer’s needs and

wants

GUIDELINES TO FOLLOW WHEN ACQUIRING PRODUCT INFORMATION

Decide which features and benefits appeal to each customer.

Customers buy the benefit, not the feature. Different customers want different benefits

from the same product. Listen, question, and observe the customer

to determine customer needs and desires You only need to explain the benefits that

pertain to the current customer.

EXPLAIN APPROPRIATE FEATURES AND BENEFITS FOR THE CURRENT CUSTOMER

Emphasize and or demonstrate the benefits to the customer:

Use descriptive phrases Explain technical benefits in a language

customers can understand Make sure customers know the benefits

because benefits sell

EVALUATE CUSTOMER REACTIONS

Observe customer when you are talking about a benefit.

Move to another benefit or continue based on reaction.

Before moving on, you might want to question further in order to clarify the benefits the customer is looking for.

FEATURE-BENEFIT CHART Using the example given, create a feature-benefit

chart for an MP3 player you would like to own, or the one that you do own. Think about all its features and what you like about them.

ActivityDevelop a feature-benefit chart for a new portable MP3 player.

Use the following features in your chart: reduced physical size increased hard drive size improved shock absorption FM tuner voice recorder color LCD screen

FEATURE/BENEFIT ACTIVITY

Select 4 different products. (You should select a specific product…Samsung HD TV not “TV”)

Create a Feature/Benefit Chart in PowerPoint for each product.

For each product, identify 3 physical features and the corresponding benefits of those features.

The table should also include the product name, description, and a picture.