Features V benefits. Let’s discuss.

But here’s the thing: the thing that really matters to your customer is not a feature or a benefit – it’s what your product or service helps them achieve. It is the OUTCOME.

To demonstrate this point, I want to share my recent decision to buy an ergonomic mouse.

These ageing joints of mine are starting to feel the impact of decades of laptop use and I suffer regularly with a repetitive strain injury (RSI) in my right wrist.

What I want (what I really, really want) is to not feel that pain anymore. I want to say GOODBYE to RSI (I should really work in marketing, hey?).

But in my search for an ergonomic mouse, here’s what I was told:

“FOUR FULLY PROGRAMMABLE BUTTONS” << feature

Okay, great. Do I need that? I don’t think I’ll use it. But I guess that’s cool.

“ERGONOMICALLY DESIGNED TO KEEP YOUR ARM STRAIGHT” << benefit

Umm…? Is keeping my arm straight the thing I need to do? I mean that SOUNDS like the right thing for my dodgy wrists. But I’m not sure.

But remember that thing that I really wanted when I started the purchasing process? The outcome of ridding myself of RSI and having a pain-free working day? It wasn’t mentioned.

And in some cases it was mentioned, but it was so far down the page, I gave myself RSI trying to find it.

So instead of thinking purely about features and benefits, focus on the OUTCOMES. This should be the first thing your potential customer sees.

Features and benefits can still be important. Particularly once your customer is comparing solutions.

Perhaps then they would choose to pick the mouse with four programmable buttons over the one with three programmable buttons.

But the fact is, they may not even consider the four button mouse if it isn’t going to actually take their pain away.

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