Selling Holes: Why You Need to Focus on Benefits, Not Features

I hate to say it, but your customers don’t really care about your products.

Sounds harsh, right? Like you put all this work into your creations, and to be told no one really cares about it. Um, what?

(Okay, seriously don’t close your browser now. I’m getting to the point)

The thing is, your customers don’t care about your product. They care about what your product can do for them.

There’s an old marketing saying that goes:

“People don’t want to buy a ¼ inch drill. They want to buy a ¼ inch hole.”

Or let’s think of something a little more creative.

People don’t want to buy a necklace. They want to buy something that’s going to make their outfit unique.

People don’t want to buy photos of their wedding. They want to have a way to remember their special day and share it with their friends.

People don’t want to buy baby clothes. They want to buy something that will make their baby look super cute next time they take it out.

So why does this matter? Because I come across plenty websites and product descriptions that focus on the features. It’s all about the length, the size, that it comes with velcro, without focusing on why this matters to the customer.

So do features matter at all? Yes, of course. But only when it comes to the benefits that it offers.

So a handmade baby bib that comes with Velcro is a feature. The benefit is that it is easy to remove with one hand.

A necklace with a 40cm chain is a feature. The benefit is that it sits perfectly below the neckline so it won’t fall into your top (am I the only one that hates when necklaces do that?).

So how can you apply this to your own biz?

Well first up, go over your website content and make sure that the benefits of your product or service are front and centre. You can get into the features later on, but the first thing people want to know when they come across your site is whether you can solve their problem (and yes, that problem may be they have no freaking idea what to buy cousin Sarah for her wedding).

Next, make sure that your website content tells a story. As small business owners, we are in the enviable position of being able to connect with our customers one-on-one. So let your passion for your biz show in your content and product descriptions. With so many products available, and so many places we can spend out money, you need to find a way to stand out. Telling a unique story around your brand does that.