Finding Relevant Customer Benefits Lead to Better Conversion and Sales

BOHEMIA, N.Y. - May 10, 2013 - PRLog -- A feature is not the same as a benefit.

While it’s important to talk about features, the benefits hold the real power. As you start to assemble the copy for a direct marketing campaign, the benefits have so much power, that this is where you begin to tell your story.

For example, in the first paragraph of the sales copy, or the teaser copy printed on the direct mail envelope, and even on the landing page, carefully convey the key benefit(s) to the reader. This is real power. Simply state exactly how the reader can benefit from your product or service.

You cannot expert your readers to reach the last paragraph to see how it will benefit them. Copywriters know that they must capture the interest of the readers immediately – so the benefits are right up front where the reader must trip over them.

The next time you are selling face-to-face, writing a sales letter or making a call, explain how your product or service will benefit your clients and simply add to the value of their life.

Businesses are starting to examine customers and prospects buying behaviors more closely. As they collect more information from their direct marketing activities and analyze marketing results, some companies are segmenting data based on preferential benefits and using this information to increase the relevancy of their marketing messages.

If you have not approached features and benefits in a while, here’s a great little exercise to try today. Remember, first and foremost, features are the building blocks of each benefit your product provides. Some features offer more benefits than others.

It is important for you to identify and fully understand that each feature is essential to identify all the benefits your product offers. In the first paragraph of this article, a second benefit of hardwood floors was added before the sentence ended.

Let’s start the promised exercise. Think of a specific product or service you sell. On the left side of the paper write all the features you can think of. Leave room for more as you go through the exercise.

Down the middle of the paper, attach a “why” to each feature. The “why” means what features are important to the customer(s).

Go back to the house example with a feature of hardwood floors. Some of the potential buyers may like the long lasting benefit while others may go with the added value. If you are able to target that closer to the names in your database, sales will rise.

Lastly, add the benefits column on the right side of the paper. Think about how each feature and reason “why” each benefits your customers. List every possible way each one of them brings value to your customer’s and prospect’s life. Think of it as the customer who asked, “What is in it for me?” The desires it fulfills? The problems your product or service solves?

It’s always a game of twenty questions. As you talk with more customers you will uncover more whys and benefits. These will lead to better and more efficiency with your marketing campaigns.

You will benefit immediately by discovering all the ways your prospects can benefit. But don’t stop there. Keep drilling down deeper to arrive at other reasons and benefits.

After all, not every customer or prospect is the same. That’s an advantage of looking deeper into your customer needs and wants.

MVS Mailers, Inc.
31 Crossways East
Bohemia, NY 11716

www.MVSmailers.com