Effective Marketing Techniques

A marketing technique that really works and helps drive sales is to remember to sell the benefits of the benefits.

You’re planning your advertising and need to come up with content. Maybe you’re putting together some in-store signage. Before you do, consider the following.

A colleague of mine recently sent me a blog posting written by Paul Williams entitled The Benefits of the Benefits I found very interesting. In his posting Paul talks about the messages we send in our marketing and selling efforts, and how we can become more effective and encourage more sales through a stronger call to action.

Many of us have heard that you don’t sell a product based on facts, you sell based on the features. For example, if you are an independent pharmacist, you don’t sell sinus medicine because it contains acetaminophen and pseudoephedrine hydrochloride (the facts), you might sell the sinus medicine instead because it relieves sinus pain and congestion (the benefits).

Well in his article, Paul goes on to suggest that instead of selling the benefits, which many of us have become accustomed to doing, think about selling the benefits of the benefits. So what are the benefits a consumer may experience as a result of the benefits from the product? In the case of the sinus medicine, it might be that by taking this medicine you can remain alert and productive at the office all day long, even while fighting a nasty sinus cold. Or it might be that you can enjoy the afternoon off playing with your kids instead of in bed fighting a sinus headache.

This concept just makes so much sense that it should be second nature for all of us planning and writing advertising scripts, or selling on the sales floor. By selling the benefits of the benefits, what the customer will experience by using your product, I believe you’ll sell more products!

Andy

Articles that could be useful around the web:

1. Sell Benefits, Not Features

2. Matching benefits: selling what your customers want

3. You Want Them to Buy? Sell Benefits