For Maximum Selling Power...Never Sell a Product...Always Sell a Benefit

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by Riyaj Shaik

What do you sell?

It's that what your prospects want to buy?

Think again...

There is a basic, underlying principle that experienced copy writers use as a guiding-star when writing selling copy. You too should embrace this foundational principle in order to sell more of your products or get more contracts for your services.

People don't buy your product. People don't want to rent out your services.

What your prospect want and will buy are the things your product or service will do for him.

Let me explain...

Every product or service can be thought of as having two distinct dimensions: What your product is, and what your product does.

As copy writers we can learn a great deal about true and effective salesmanship when we study TV infomercials. The companies behind these highly lucrative advertising format sell different exercise equipments. From very simple abs-rollers... to motivational videos... to extremely sophisticated thread mills, thousands of people shelled out millions of dollars last year to purchase these products.

The interesting part for you, as copy writer, is... Not even one of those prospects --now customers-- wanted to purchase any of that equipment in the first place. What these millions of customers really wanted was to look better, they craved to feel more energy, they wished to be slimmer.

For marketing, and especially for copy writing purposes, all these wants, desires and needs are called "benefits." Do not write even a word until you have truly embedded in your mind the following facts. The abs-roller... the new video-workout...the electronic thread-mill, is just the tool, the device, the mechanism that the merchant behind the infomercial claims would enable the viewers to achieve these outcomes --these benefits.

Products and services --yours included-- are nothing more than the means to deliver these benefits and the excuse to charge your prospect the money you're asking. They are just the way to provide these "benefits" for the prospects.

Please, keep in mind the following. No one is going to buy the paper in your book, or the "bits and bytes" in your software, or your innovative hardware technology. But your prospect will pay dearly for the knowledge he'll get, for what the application will enable him to do, for how much efficient he will be. In other words, "what's in it for him."

Study your particular industry, go beyond the physical attributes of your product and ask yourself what are the benefits your prospect will obtain once he owns you product or hire your services. Focus in the aspect of your product or service that helps your prospect improve his life and circumstances, or that he can perceive as such. Have an unbiased look at your product--non-emotionally.

What's the real, end-benefit your product renders? How better off will your prospect be? Will he be happier? Will he do something quicker? Will he save hundreds or thousands of dollars? Will he save time and effort if he hires you? Will he impress his family, or neighbors? Will he be healthier? Will he stop working as hard as he is right now? Will he overcome present limitations? Will he enjoy the privilege of "being first"?

Each industry is different and the benefits are not the same. But basically, what you want is to write copy that focuses solely in the satisfaction that your prospect will experience.

Remember, all your readers want is to accomplish things to feel better, and unless you tell them in your copy "this is how you will benefit" they'll just click out of your webpage or e-mail. Your reader doesn't want to figure out on his own what advantage he will enjoy by doing business with you.

The reason for that is simple: He is too busy. He has a family, a full-time job, and all the pressures and demands of time that these roles demand. As a copy writer you must do your homework. Find out what are the benefits of your product and then write your copy from a customer-oriented point of view.

Granted, at the beginning is not easy to figure this out. Especially if are used to think in terms of what is best for us. But with some practice and determination you'll soon find yourself writing benefit-oriented copy.

From now on your task is to write copy that eliminates all selfishness and self-centered comments. Statements like, "we're the biggest", or "we're the oldest", or "we're the fastest growing" are of no relevance for your prospect. He doesn't care how well you're doing financially.

Why? Because all he cares is how well he will be by listening to you, by following your advice and by purchasing your product. The size of your company, the time you've been in business, your awards, your growth pattern and other accomplishments will help you only as source of verification of your claims of performance.

We will explore how to take maximum advantage of these elements in a coming article. For now your focus should be uncovering the benefits of your product. If you're a financial planner don't write copy telling your prospect that you're selling "Financial Advice," instead write that he can get "bigger returns on his Investment" or that he'll get "a hedge against inflation." Or any other benefit you discovered your prospect is really interested in.

What do you sell? Paints? What about a more "warmer, more beautiful, colorful house interior." Your prospect is not eager to buy "insurance" but he wants to "protect his spouse and children in the event something unexpected happens and he can not make it home tomorrow." Your reader doesn't want to set up a "Multi-Level Marketing Business," but would very much love to "quit his job and stop listening to an incompetent supervisor.Or, would like to afford to send his children to college or university.

Businesses don't want a "DSL connection". They want a "permanent, fast, reliable, Internet or Intranet connection that handles their communication needs swiftly --even at peak hours-- at low cost and using their existing, conventional copper telephone wires"

Consumers don't want T-3 lines, they rather have "download speeds faster than all their neighbors." Website owners are not looking for "Internet Marketing Courses." But they want to have information that will help them attract more customers, make more sales and grow their business with less risk, time and effort."

So don't write copy on your banner, or sales letter, or webpage that you're selling pills. That's not appealing. Write copy that spell out to your prospects that he'll feel better, tell him that he'll be healthier, have more energy and have a better skin complexion.

You'll have time later to tell him that that the pills you sell will provide exactly those benefits. But not before you've expanded the dominant desire that fuels the basic desire of your prospect --which you already discovered by examining your product.

Obviously, the more skillful you are at explaining, illustrating, compelling and comparing all the benefits your prospect will receive by purchasing your product, the more effective your copy will be and the more sales you'll make. The more proficient you are at embedding in your prospect's mind that your product or service will actually deliver those "benefits" the more your business will grow . Plain and simple.

Now, you might not be selling Pills... It doesn't matter. Whether you're selling Toasters, Exercise Equipment, Flowers, Sophisticated Electronic Equipment, Software, Hardware, Personal Services, Marketing Courses, Real Estate or any other conceivable product or service, this approach works very well because it deals with human behavior and is NOT attached to a particular commodity, item or service.

The added benefit to you, professionally and personally, is that this way of thinking, will revitalize you business outlook and will open up new, and probably more lucrative, markets. We'll touch on creating new markets for your product on a different article.

Right now focus in BENEFITS...BENEFITS...BENEFITS. This is what good copy writers strive for. To make their copy benefit-oriented. As I said at the beginning, this is the underlying approach you should spread throughout your copy.

Go back to all the material you have published online and see if you've written benefit-to-the-reader copy. Eliminate all the self congratulatory copy can find. Lower the intensity of all ego-filled sentences.

At the beginning it will feel a bit awkward, because it goes against the natural human instinct of self-importance, but soon you'll start noticing an increase in response from your ads, e-mails, e-zines and other marketing vehicles.

Follow the preceding strategy and you'll increase your persuasion skills and will attract and convert almost 3 times as many prospects as you do now. Or, if you are not making any sales, incorporate this strategy into the design of every page in your Web site. And that includes feedback form, order forms, biography page, and every single page in your Web site.