Why you should sell benefits, not features

Whether you're selling one product or lots of different ones, you need to sell "benefits."

It's that "What's in it for me" principle again.

You have to tell your visitors what they'll get out of your product or service -- more time, more money, cleaner floors, smoother skin, better health…

To take a very simple example… A handle on a large coffee mug is a feature. As is its size.

The fact that the handle allows you to grip the cup firmly without fear of burning your hand or spilling it all over yourself is a benefit. The fact that it's large means you can get more coffee in it -- also a benefit.

The best way to identify benefits and features for your products or services is to write them in two columns. Like this:

Large coffee mug features and benefits

Feature	Benefit
Handle	No burning or spillage
Large	More coffee for you

The best benefits are ones that make people's lives easier, save them time, save them money, make them healthier, make them happier, make them smarter, and so on.

So be on the look out for these in relation to your products and services. You can find benefits in everything. Even artichokes…

Here's the list of the benefits in buying a humble artichoke from Glen Valley Farms:

Glen Valley Artichoke Farms artichoke benefits

Feature	Benefit
Weird looking	Unique and interesting
Need to "unwrap" the heart	Fun and unusual to eat
Locally grown	You can meet the growers
Messy to unpeel	Fun for kids to eat
Contains lots of nutrients	Makes you healthy
Adaptable	Add it to a pizza or salad
Freezable	Enjoy them when you want

Benefits are perfect content for a bulleted list. Or you can build them into readable copy, like this example from www.glenvalleyartichokes.com...