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FAB selling
Here's a revelation: Skydivers don't need parachutes. It's true! What they
need is what the parachute does for them. Specifically, they need a way to slow
themselves down before they meet the ground more quickly than their body is
capable of withstanding. If there were a better way to soften the impact than a
parachute, the parachute's days may be numbered.
Consider the typewriter. Or the slide rule.
Although we sometimes seem to get attached to certain products it is, after
all, the benefits of the product that we seek. Not the advantages or the
features. What's the difference?
- A feature is any characteristic of a product. These
characteristics can include size, color, taste, quality, payment terms,
packaging, price, warranty, or any other such attribute.
- An advantage is the performance characteristic of a product that
describes how it can be used or will help the buyer. Advantages are what
some features provide. Examples of advantages are a photocopier that copies
two sides of a page at once, or a coffee shop that offers wireless Internet
access.
- Benefits are the end-state of worthwhile features. They are the
favorable results that the buyer receives from the product because of a
particular advantage that has the ability to satisfy a buyer's need.
In sales, we do well to realize that people buy benefits; not features or
advantages. The trick is to orient our presentations so that we present benefits
- not features - to the customer.
Here are a few examples of how to string features, advantages and benefits
together to make a more impactful selling statement:
| "Mrs. Jones, this vacuum cleaner's high speed motor (feature) works
twice as fast (advantage) with less effort (advantage), which saves you
15 to 30 minutes in cleaning time (benefit) and the aches and pains of
pushing a heavy machine (benefit)."
"David, this insurance policy includes a rental car provision
(feature) that pays 100% of the cost of a replacement rental vehicle
(advantage), which means that you will never have to worry about how you
will continue to get to work if your vehicle is damaged in an accident
(benefit)." |
Think about the features of the products and services you offer. Then list
the advantages each feature provides and the ultimate benefits each advantage
offers your customers. Finally, practice speaking in terms of
Feature-Advantage-Benefit. If you take the time to do this, you will find that
your closing ratio will improve as you learn to present your offerings in your
customers' language.
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