Acquire product knowledge to communicate product benefits and to ensure appropriateness of product...
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Transcript of Acquire product knowledge to communicate product benefits and to ensure appropriateness of product...
OBJECTIVE 2.07Acquire product knowledge to
communicate product benefits and to ensure appropriateness of product
for the customer
WHAT IS A FEATURE? A feature is a physical characteristic or
quality of a product. It is something the customer can touch,
feel, smell, see, or measure It helps describe the product. A feature answers the question, “What
is it?”Ex: color, style, size
WHAT IS A BENEFIT? A benefit is the
personal satisfaction or advantage that a customer wants from a product.
It is how the feature helps a particular buyer
For customers, it answers the questions: How will I benefit? What’s in it for me?
FEATURE-BENEFIT SELLING Prove to customers your product has
features that benefit them Customers buy benefits-not features Compare to competition Determine what each customer is
looking for in a good or service
Customer is buying the benefit of the beautiful, healthy smile.
Customer is not buying the feature of the whitening gel…
THREE TYPES OF BENEFITS Salespeople should be able to explain
these three types of benefits to customers:Obvious or apparent benefitsUnique or exclusive benefitsHidden benefits
OBVIOUS OR APPARENT BENEFITS
Advantages that need little explanation by the salesperson.
Easily recognizable benefit that the customer can see without much explanation
The customer already knows the benefit Ex: Neutral colored carpeting
What is the obvious benefit? Ex: “This shirt is made of cotton so it is soft and will keep
you cooler in hot weather.” Ex: The obvious benefit of a watch is being able to
always know what time it is.
Even if benefits are obvious, salespeople should still point them out and use them to prove the value of the product to customers
UNIQUE OR EXCLUSIVE BENEFITS Advantages that are available only from
your good, service, or business. A benefit that only comes with a particular
product. Is a selling advantage over your
competitors Ex: a car that “parks” itself is a novelty
Offers a huge benefits to customers that have trouble parallel parking
Ex: “If the pizza does not arrive within 30 minutes of when you order by phone it is free.”
HIDDEN BENEFITS Advantages that cannot be seen or
understood without the assistance of a salesperson
A salesperson must explain this benefit since it is not readily visible
Ex: buying a pair of shoes You can see the color and style You can not see how comfortable they are until
persuaded to try them on Ex: purchasing a computer
Warranties/24-hour helpline Ex: buying a watch
The watch never needs a new battery and charges itself based on your wrist motion.
FEATURE BENEFIT SELLING
Feature-benefit selling: the part of a sales presentation where the salesperson points out that a good or service has features that will benefit the customer
Feature-benefit chart: a listing of a product’s features with their corresponding benefits
FEATURE-BENEFIT CHARTS
Construction and materials: What is the material? Who makes it? How is it made? What’s the difference
between these two items? Appearance and style
Appearance is a dominant factor in many buying decisions
Customers consider color, line, and design in everything they buy – cars, clothes, accessories, appliances, furniture, etc.
Unique or novel features Having desirable features
that your competitor does not have
Durability How long a product will
last and give dependable service
Product uses What the product will do
and how it can be used Service and warranty
Especially important when selling products such as appliances, electronics, and cars
Step 1: Find your product’s features
FEATURE-BENEFIT CHARTS Step 2: Know where to get facts about
product featuresThe product itself
Use the product and information providedCustomers
TestimonialsManufacturer’s brochures and publicationsOther sales personnelPromotional materials
Product bulletins Catalogs/manuals
FEATURE-BENEFIT CHART Step 3: Create a feature-benefit chart
After you know what type of information you need and where to obtain the facts about your products, prepare a feature-benefit chart List all the product’s features, beginning with the
ones that a customer or client will see first List the less-obvious or hidden features For each feature that you identified, ask, “what
does this mean for the customer?” Write each benefit beside its feature A feature can provide more than one benefit
SAMPLE FEATURE-BENEFIT CHARTProduct Features
(What are they?)
Benefits (What do they mean?)
Computer Variety of models
You will be able to select different components to build a system that meets your specific needs
Monitor size Large monitors that come with these computers enable you to see the entire page. Gives a clear understanding of how the document looks
Memory These models can be loaded with sufficient memory so your computer can handle any program
Print capability Handle all your printing needs in your home or office
WHY WOULD IT BE IMPORTANT FOR THE SALESPERSON TO HAVE PRODUCT INFORMATION?
Communicate product benefits Ensure the appropriateness of the product
for the customer To better meet the customer’s needs and
wants
GUIDELINES TO FOLLOW WHEN ACQUIRING PRODUCT INFORMATION
Decide which features and benefits appeal to each customer.
Customers buy the benefit, not the feature. Different customers want different benefits
from the same product. Listen, question, and observe the customer
to determine customer needs and desires You only need to explain the benefits that
pertain to the current customer.
EXPLAIN APPROPRIATE FEATURES AND BENEFITS FOR THE CURRENT CUSTOMER
Emphasize and or demonstrate the benefits to the customer:
Use descriptive phrases Explain technical benefits in a language
customers can understand Make sure customers know the benefits
because benefits sell
EVALUATE CUSTOMER REACTIONS
Observe customer when you are talking about a benefit.
Move to another benefit or continue based on reaction.
Before moving on, you might want to question further in order to clarify the benefits the customer is looking for.
FEATURE-BENEFIT CHART Using the example given, create a feature-benefit
chart for an MP3 player you would like to own, or the one that you do own. Think about all its features and what you like about them.
ActivityDevelop a feature-benefit chart for a new portable MP3 player.
Use the following features in your chart: reduced physical size increased hard drive size improved shock absorption FM tuner voice recorder color LCD screen
FEATURE/BENEFIT ACTIVITY
Select 4 different products. (You should select a specific product…Samsung HD TV not “TV”)
Create a Feature/Benefit Chart in PowerPoint for each product.
For each product, identify 3 physical features and the corresponding benefits of those features.
The table should also include the product name, description, and a picture.