What Are People Buying Online?

Benefits, that's what!

Whether you're selling in print or in person, it's a universal truth.

And success in both worlds requires a counterintuitive approach.

Allow me to explain.

As human beings, we are all pre programmed from birth to behave in certain ways. And one of the strongest things that drive us is an awesome pre occupation with our own self-interests.

You really don't have to look very far to see that this is true. The world is cluttered with marketers whose messaging is about them.

They talk about all of the features of their product, and the advantages of doing business with their company. Its just human nature to express ourselves this way when we've poured our lifeblood into the development of a product, or a business, isn't it?

But features, and advantages, are not what people buy.

People Buy Benefits!

Some quick definitions,

Features ? The attributes of your product or service.

Advantages ? What the attributes of your product or service do.

Benefits ? How people feel when they have the advantages of your product or service.

Here are a few examples,

1) This SUV has a Vortec 5300 V8 engine (feature), and it can pull 7000 lbs (advantage). It gives you a testosterone rush every time you drive it (benefit).

2) Its got an autotrac 4x4 system (feature) that kicks in automatically at cruising speed when you hit an icy patch on the highway (advantage). You'll drive with confidence and peace of mind, regardless of the weather conditions (benefit).

3) You'll be safer & feel more secure too, (benefit), because you can actually steer while you brake on slick surfaces (advantage), thanks to it's advanced Antilock-braking system (feature).

Your copy has power, when it contains all three elements, but it is quite natural & common to place too much emphasis on features & advantages. Even on copy that covers all three, the order is very often F->A->B. I've found that B->A->F (as in example 3 above) often yields better results. And it stands to reason, considering our natural preoccupation with ourselves, doesn't it?

Benefits are personal & emotional. Benefits trigger opiates in our brains. Think about this for a moment.

Does a possession, in & of itself, give you any personal satisfaction? Isn't it the feelings that you anticipate as a result of having it, that give you joy? Doesn't all human striving and endeavor boil down to the pursuit of happiness?

Incidentally, be careful with negative emotions. They can be useful at the beginning of a piece, but you must be sure to counter them strongly with positive ones before the close. Negative emotions are debilitating, which is exactly what you DO NOT want. You need your prospect in a resourceful, confident, & comfortable state of mind when you ask her to take action.

So how can you put this knowledge into practice?

Make a list of all of the features of your offering, and map advantages & benefits to each one. Then take the most powerful benefits and work them into your headline & the opening of your copy. You'll be pleasantly surprised with this approach because you end up with many more references to "you", and "your", at the beginning of the piece this way.

Of course the order in which you present your benefits is also crucially important. Your prime benefit needs to be presented first, and in such a way as to set your business apart from your competition.

You must have a unique, and clearly articulated sales proposition, that's loaded with benefits that are most relevant to your target audience. The most successful approach is to target & dominate one small niche market at a time with this strategy.

Think of the benefits as the motive power that grabs your prospect's attention and moves her to action, while the features & advantages justify those feelings with logic. All three are important.

Regardless of whether you want to improve your personal sales skills, write better letters and proposals, or produce more effective ads & web copy, BENEFITS are what will set you apart & ahead of the competition.

*******************************************************
Daniel Levis is a top marketing consultant & direct response copywriter based in Toronto Canada. Recently, Daniel & world-renowned publicist & copywriter Joe Vitale teamed up to co author "Million Dollar Online Advertising Strategies ? From The Greatest Letter Writer Of The 20th Century!", a tribute to the late, great Robert Collier.

Let the legendary Robert Collier show you how to write words that sell...Visit the below site & get 3 FREE Chapters! http://www.Advertising-Online -Strategies.com/ad-strategies.html

*******************************************************

---

Clever Headlines Usually Flop! Are You Being Too Clever For Your Own Good?

Copywriters that try to be clever, humorous, abstract, or use... Read More

How Can I Break Into Cliques?

Have you ever gone to a networking function and seen... Read More

Did Jesus Get Killed for Practicing Interruption Marketing?

I'm reading Seth Godin's Permission Marketing and he brings up... Read More

Direct Mail Response Rates Low? Eliminate These Mistakes

Are your direct mail response rates lower than you expect?... Read More

How Gratitude Works

Want to know what the highest-impact, lowest-cost tool is in... Read More

How to Get a 100% Return on Your Marketing Investment Guaranteed!

One of the most effective ways to market your products/services... Read More

Wise Man Marketing

It's a sunny morning and you're sitting in your office.... Read More

Dont Let Your Business Cards End Up in the Trash

Business cards are such wonderfully creative little marketing products. Most... Read More

Create a Blueprint for Your Success

Having a strong foundation enables you to build a thriving,... Read More

Viral Marketing

Viral marketing involves the use of surf-exchanges, and if you... Read More

Tie-In With Others To Maximize Your Business Leverage

One of the most rewarding, inexpensive, under-used, and effective methods... Read More

Creating Your Future with a Marketing Plan

Almost everyone who dreams of starting their own business is... Read More

What is a Marketing Plan Anyway?

Building a business that grows steadily in size and profits... Read More

The 7 Commandments of Marketing

Marketing is the key to success with any business, online... Read More

11 Rock Solid Techniques For Generating Product Ideas Anytime Anywhere!

Whatever business you are in, either online or offline, you've... Read More

Motivating Your Target

There's just no time to waste in a cyber day;... Read More

Practice Marketing: How to Answer What Do You Do? to Increase Prospects, Publicity and Profits

"What do you do?""I'm a CPA. What do you do?""I'm... Read More

Market Your Identity

One of the most critical but overlooked parts of business... Read More

Loan Officer Websites: Your Marketing Hub to Magnetize Realtors

Too many loan officer websites look like congested intersections, information... Read More

Read Your Markets Mind - 3 Great Market Research Resources

Starting a new online business, developing a new product, launching... Read More

High Response Marketing With Low-Cost Postcards

Postcards can drive a huge amount of traffic to your... Read More

How To Successfully Launch A New Business Activity

I often talk with business owners who tell me how... Read More

Building Credibility for Your Business

Small companies that rely on business-to-business sales often find it... Read More

The Exiler

THE EXILER (your search for true brand attributes ends here!)With... Read More

Create Free Internet Buzz with Your Workforce

There are many different ways to increase your traffic on... Read More

Meaning and Marketing - The Eye of the Storm

It's 1954. Yes, Mrs. Patricia Smith has been a good... Read More

Networking: The Cost of a Connection

"Networking is a waste of time," said JoAnne, owner of... Read More

Nice Guys Finish First

Volunteering your services can be an excellent way to form... Read More

Getting Paid to Promote Yourself

We all know we can pay a magazine or a... Read More

Whats In It For Me?

Sometimes, one of the most difficult things to teach beginning... Read More

Are You Attracting or Repelling Prospects?

There are basically two ways in which you can either... Read More

Top 3 Reasons Why Your Headlines Fail

Many professional copywriters estimate that the headline contributes to 80%... Read More

Marketing with Special Reports. 5 Ways to Develop Content Your Prospects Cant Wait to Read

So you've decided to start publishing an e-newsletter, or you'd... Read More