When going out on a sales call, it is vital to understand the difference between “features” and “benefits”. Of primary importance is to remember the phrase, “features tell; benefits sell.” There is a technique in selling that we at Pinnacle Development Group have used personally for more than twenty-five years to very good results to assist in making this distinction. It is based on three components. The three components are:
Feature
Features, or facts, represent what the actual characteristics are. Features might represent the chemical make-up of a material used in the construction project, the rock size used in asphalt, or perhaps even the multiple step process followed by a work crew.
Benefit
Benefits sell you and your company, and represent what advantage, savings, or “profit,” that a customer will receive from the feature or features purchased.
Transition
A transition is a simple word or phrase that smoothly transfers the technical aspects of the feature to a benefit in the eyes of the customer.
I refer to the three components as having a FTP. Thus, for every feature about my company, the product that we use, the equipment that we operate, or the process that we follow when completing work, I must transition the featured aspect into a believable benefit to the customer. If I fail in doing this I risk losing the trust, interest, and worse yet, any future business.
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Now, let me demonstrate the FTP technique using a hypothetical situation
Feature
Premier Sealer has 10% more of a chemical bonding agent than do most of the other available blends of sealer.
Transition
Which means that we can offer you…
Benefit
A written three year guarantee on the product as it will provide a longer life for your parking lot.
Many sales professionals within the construction industry have undoubtedly recognized features or facts about what they sell. It is also critically important to realize that customers rarely buy features. Instead, they wish to purchase the benefits provided by a product or service. Until the connection between feature and benefit is made in the mind of the customer they will refuse to make a buying decision
The transition in the FTP technique is the most important part of the “triad.” This may sound strange to many contractors since knowing the products and services is so important. Again, all the knowledge in the industry will not help your sales unless you have a method to plant the features of your materials, your team, and your equipment efficiency into the head of a customer and leave them agreeing with the great benefit that will be experienced, and enjoyed!
Assuming that many readers of this article already have a stable of knowledge, or are building one, of their company’s features and the benefits that can be realized by buying the features, let provide a few more examples of transitions that you may want to try.
- …which provides you with…
- …so you will receive more…
- …this allows you greater…
- …enabling you to spend less money…
Remember … features tell, but benefits sell!
Features really do just tell us about our products, services, and company. Benefits sell and are what our customers want to experience. Tying the two together may very well be your biggest improvement opportunity to increase your own sales success and the increased business for your company.
