Great Product - Now What Do We Do With It?
by Ron A. Welsh
Benefits and Features in Marketing
It's a way of thinking and it is something you hear constantly in
marketing circles. Highlighting the benefits of a product more than the
features will always attract more potential clients, keep them reading and
sell more. It's all in the words.
Though I am not (and never have been) a software developer I had the good
fortune of working with several brilliant young software developers in
Paris for two years. Schlumberger is one the world's largest oilfield
service companies with research and development facilities second to none
in the industry. As an integral part of overall oilfield services
Schlumberger routinely create software solutions which simulate oil
drilling and production downhole conditions with uncanny accuracy. It
takes brilliant minds to create such solutions, but brilliant techies do
not necessarily make good marketers.
Techies and Features
Schlumberger's aim was to develop a software program to provide
state-of-the-art support for the company's drilling fluids division. Every
year Schlumberger scours major universities all over the world to snare
the best of the best graduates into their fold and the batch of IT
graduates I was assigned to work with were brilliant "techies". Make no
mistake, these people invariably know the features of their product
inside-out, they created them and are proud of them so of course they
would know the "nuts and bolts"
It is one thing to develop a brilliant technology, create a stunning
product, conceive a service, a franchise deal or a ratchet the world
absolutely can not do without; it is quite another to sell the concept,
idea or product to those who matter. Your backers, bankers, bosses and
most important of all, the buyers.
My job in Paris was to create copy explaining why the software technology
we developed was unique, accurate, saleable, and absolutely necessary for
Schlumberger engineers to provide the superior service their clients
expected. I couldn't have done this without having the product in the
first place but it may well have languished, unused and a wasted
technology, if our message wan't clear.
What's in it for me?
The single major question potential buyers will always ask themselves when
reviewing a product with a possible intention to buy is "how will I
benefit from owning this" or put another way "what's in this for me?"
If you can't convince a potential client of what the specific benefits are
to him/her then you will very quickly lose their attention and the sale,
without a doubt.
Perhaps the technically minded will want to know some of the details (or
features) of your product, software or concept. How it works, how many
gizmo's it has, at what light-speed it operates, and the fact that it is a
zillion times faster than someone else's gadget.
But what the vast majority of your potential market wants are answers to
questions like: - How will this make my life easier? - How will this
increase my standing among my peers? - How will this save me money or
time? - How will this give me an edge over my competitors? - How will this
improve my understanding of my studies? - How will this help me impress my
family or friends? - How will this make me more at peace or make a
difference? - How will this change my life for the better?
I'm sure you get the message. If readers are convinced that your product,
service, massage, DVD, book or wotnot will provide the answers to as many
of the above questions as possible you will have a sale.
Accentuate the Positive
This is not about positive thinking, though that certainly helps, it's
more about highlighting the benefits people really care about and what
triggers them to buy. You could go on for pages listing endless "features"
of your product, and, while some would make their own evaluations of
what's in it for them as they recognise the benefits, most would not.
Your client needs each and every real and potential benefit spelt out
clearly and enticingly.
PC Builder Example
I had a recent project re-writing website content for a UK based DVD
producer who has an excellent set of computer learning tutorial video's
and DVD's.
The company CEO asked me to review his website and promotional materials
and provide professional recommendations as to how they could be improved.
When I visited the website I found a great layout aesthetically and word
content that listed all the features of his DVD's brilliantly.
What was missing were the vital words on why his potential clients should
learn how to use computers and what benefits each module would bring to
them specifically. In other words, the very reasons most would buy in the
first place.
I had the DVD's sent to me so I could review them first hand and I worked
on all aspects of the company's marketing data.
My client's comments below tell the story as it is today.
"I am more than happy with the copy and professional marketing services
Ron has provided our company. RAW Power Writing's copy has greatly
improved our website marketing message. Ron is now responsible for our
complete marketing materials and I have recommended his services to all of
my business associates"
Fitzroy Lawrence CEO PC Builder
You can review the outcome of our work on PC Builder's website via my
website at:
http://www.rawpowerwriting.com/article.asp?id=13
The benefits make the difference.
Ron A. Welsh Brisbane
About the Author
Ron A. Welsh is a freelance technical writer who specializes in global
marketing, networking and website content writing. He has lived in 10
countries and conducted business in over 50 but is now content to work
from home in Brisbane, Australia. Contact: rawpowerwriting@gmail.com
