Every salesperson and fledgling copywriter hears the harangue: DON'T SELL the FEATURES of a product ? SELL the BENEFITS those features bring!!!
The concept's important but it confuses a lot of people. Many sellers don't understand how to build a benefit from a feature. Back when I was first learning to write sales copy, I didn't know how myself. I just knew it was critical I figure it out.
Finally I realized what the problem was. You can't get there from here. You don't actually turn a feature into a benefit. You have to approach it from a different point ? the solution approach.
Here's the full process?
When you're looking for the benefit, don't start by focusing on the feature. Instead figure out the problem the feature is supposed to solve. Then, determine what solving that problem could MEAN to the prospect. This payoff ? what the solution means to the prospect - is really all a benefit is.
Here's an example...
Product: Car
Feature: Cruise Control that automatically maintains a set speed without the constant pressure of your foot on the gas pedal.
One Problem it solves: lets you maintain speed limit without constant attention
What the solution means to the prospect: Maintaining the speed limit means you avoid breaking the law which means you avoid getting a ticket which means you avoid higher insurance premiums. Here's a benefit headline that naturally flows from the Payoff we found in our example:
Avoid Speeding Tickets and the Higher Insurance Premiums They Cause
Cruise Control solves another problem too: the driver's leg doesn't tire from having to maintain a fixed position to keep the accelerator pressed
What the solution means to the prospect: Avoiding the tiredness of a fixed position means you arrive fresher and ready to enjoy your destination which means your companions or family enjoy your company more.
And here's a benefit-based lead we could write from this solution:
Face it. It's not much fun for your family when you finally arrive at Disney but you're grumpier than an old bear with a bad back. After all, you probably feel about the same as if you spent every winter scrunched up in the same position.
It's not your fault. Driving is naturally tiring when you have to sit in exactly the same position for hundreds of miles at a time. Your gas-pedal foot is frozen, your leg is paralyzed. You can't help stiffening up and getting achy. WHO WOULDN'T BE GRUMPY?
Good news. You wouldn't be ? not if you had Easy-Street-O-Matic Cruise Control. Not anymore.
Just imagine. Driving in complete comfort, able to shift in your seat any time to get a more relaxed position. It's okay to move that leg around. It's safe!
Now when you reach Disney, you'll be first to bound out of the car. The kids will have to run to keep up. They won't believe their new Dad!
(Yes, I know this tongue-in-cheek example is pushing the bounds of credibility slightly. But it makes the point. Find the solution that a feature offers and then figure out what that means to your prospect. There's your benefit.)
Here's another example?
Product: Daily Supplement for Men
Feature: Contains naturally occurring nutrients that are not acid-forming like chemically derived nutrients.
Problem it solves: Can be taken on an empty stomach at any time because natural nutrients are self-buffering.
What the solution means to the prospect: You'll be able to take the supplement whenever it's convenient for you without worrying about an upset stomach because you haven't eaten. That means you'll be more likely to take it regularly which means you'll get the benefits of greater energy and health. Ultimately that will lead to a longer, healthier life, especially since to be effective against diseases like cancer that take a long time to develop, you must be taking the defensive nutrients over an equally long period.
I'll leave it to you to build some headlines and leads from this second example. Once you have the benefits, it's a lot easier.
The next time you need to create sales material, use this Solution Approach to build your benefits. It will go a lot faster once you approach it from the right point.
Ronald A Murphy is a Copywriter and Graphic Designer specializing in Direct Response and Internet Marketing. Murphy writes and designs sales letters, direct mail packages, inserts, web sales pages, direct email, newsletters for marketing, Internet articles, white papers, and other sales focused materials. He provides expertise to clients serving financial, business, technology, health, opportunity and fundraising markets. For more information on copywriting and marketing, visit his site at http://RonaldAMurphy.com
Writing for the search engines is much different than writing... Read More
In order to make more sales and get more profits... Read More
One of the best marketing tools available to your internet... Read More
Your definition may differ, but I define a lapsed donor... Read More
Writing headlines for your ads is the most important part... Read More
Copy is all about words. Or is it?Copy is about... Read More
When making a purchasing decision, people have their "rip off... Read More
How does this sound?Today, I'm going to show you how... Read More
Ask yourself these questions:Are you an experienced writer?Do you want... Read More
In order to get ahead in your copy writing business,... Read More
A few weeks ago I wrote some copy for a... Read More
Lots of people who seek out my copywriting services are... Read More
My name is Ann and I'm a grammar geek. There,... Read More
You could spend thousands of dollars on advertisement and have... Read More
1) Don't just hire a good designer. Hire someone who... Read More
Did you know that your writing can have a huge... Read More
In the competitive marketplace of the new millennium, the demand... Read More
When I show some people my advertisements, I sometimes get... Read More
In part one of this article series we began looking... Read More
Lately, I've been getting emails from other copywriters who ask... Read More
My wife and I recently bought a house.It's currently being... Read More
A letter or postcard allows you to "talk" one-on-one to... Read More
IntroductionA pencil. Yes, a pencil. In my opinion, every great... Read More
Did you know that jobs writing about food are available?... Read More
These days, there's widespread acceptance that a website is an... Read More
I have been in the ad game for a long,... Read More
Every week I receive a couple of emails from people... Read More
Professional copywriters are well-familiar with what's commonly referred to as... Read More
Having worked as a digital publishing specialist at a large... Read More
Effective headlines make all the difference in whether your prospect... Read More
What is it exactly that copywriters DO when they produce... Read More
Market identification Custom writing services market is a sector of... Read More
About once a month I fly off somewhere to give... Read More
Nothing can turn strong copy into a 97-pound weakling faster... Read More
When you're writing or evaluating copy for a B to... Read More
One of my most powerful marketing weapons costs me less... Read More
Just as great fiction is an art, so is great... Read More
In a crowded market, clients will be seeking personality as... Read More
When you are going to write a press release probably... Read More
Many small businesses fail because their owners don't pay enough... Read More
Why Some People's Ads Almost Always Make MoneyDiscover the Master... Read More
Anyone who's ever tried marketing IT products or... Read More
Persuasive copywriting is what draws the attention of prospective customers.... Read More
Ask any copywriter what the first commandment of copywriting is... Read More
A letter or postcard allows you to "talk" one-on-one to... Read More
Freelance writers are a strange group of people when it... Read More
When you are beginning to write, you gather as much... Read More
If you find that your progress is blocked by a... Read More
People tend to read your ads and sales letters in... Read More
Every salesperson and fledgling copywriter hears the harangue: DON'T SELL... Read More
Say the word "emotion" to a man, and he'll immediately... Read More
If you have children, you will doubtless remember saying to... Read More
Ever wish for your own copywriting business?Ever wish you could... Read More
When you create headlines, do you put benefits into your... Read More
Here's a fundamental difference between copywriting offline and copywriting for... Read More
Are you a freelance copywriter working from home? If so,... Read More
When it comes to search engine optimization, copywriting plays a... Read More
Just as great fiction is an art, so is great... Read More
So many copywriters think that it's enough to be a... Read More
Building a professional reputation requires a campaign founded on your... Read More
One of the most important aspects of a website today... Read More
Writing a killer headline for your copy is simple! You... Read More
Writing for the search engines is much different than writing... Read More
What is it exactly that copywriters DO when they produce... Read More
In the world of web copywriters, many will try, but... Read More
When I write copy for my advertising clients, I always... Read More
Copywriting |