ntered. Happily, my friend was able to convince the company to include a benefit with each feature they mentioned—i.e., how the new super-powerful system would mean that customers would be served even faster than before, etc. Anything else would just be vanity.

So vet each piece of copy you turn out to see if it passes the benefits-vs.-features test. A good rule of thumb: If a sentence begins with “we” or “our,” it’s probably emphasizing a feature; “you

Let’s face it—even though most of us aren’t prowling used car lots wearing plaid polyester leisure suits, we’re all in the sales business. Whether you’re trying to persuade lawmakers to pass legislation favorable to your company, hoping to soften the blow of an unpopular personnel policy or launching a new teen-driver safety initiative, you’re selling.

And as all advertising pros—especially those in direct-response marketing—will tell us, you’ve got to tailor your sales messages to emphasize benefits over features. People will buy—or buy into—your product or your message when they’re emotionally convinced that it will improve their lives or protect their assets, family, or health. It’s OK to mention features—a bill’s particulars, a product’s warranty, a campaign’s dollar goal—but they must be tied to benefits or your prospect won’t be moved to take action.

Sounds simple, right? “The new Ecologica XYZ wagon will allow you to buy 3 times more Birkenstocks and enjoy two soy lattes every day with your $2,500 in annual gas savings” is a benefits-oriented statement. “The new Ecologica XYZ gets 79/mpg highway and 69/mpg city” is a features-oriented statement because it doesn’t tell you how that gas-mileage information will improve your life. But you’d be surprised by how many seasoned communication/advertising pros focus exclusively on features.

Case in point: A friend was recently working on marketing collateral for a medium-sized business. The key contact at the business was excited about the company’s new state-of-the art phone and computer system, and wanted to devote a whole page to glowing descriptions of them. My friend asked the client how the new infrastructure actually benefited their clients or prospects. “Well, it’s important to us and we’re really proud of it, so we want it in there,” the client countered. Happily, my friend was able to convince the company to include a benefit with each feature they mentioned—i.e., how the new super-powerful system would mean that customers would be served even faster than before, etc. Anything else would just be vanity.

So vet each piece of copy you turn out to see if it passes the benefits-vs.-features test. A good rule of thumb: If a sentence begins with “we” or “our,” it’s probably emphasizing a feature; “you”

tailor your sales messages to emphasize benefits over features. People will buy—or buy into—your product or your message when they’re emotionally convinced that it will improve their lives or protect their assets, family, or health. It’s OK to mention features—a bill’s particulars, a product’s warranty, a campaign’s dollar goal—but they must be tied to benefits or your prospect won’t be moved to take action.

Sounds simple, right? “The new Ecologica XYZ wagon will allow you to buy 3 times more Birkenstocks and enjoy two soy lattes every day with your $2,500 in annual gas savings” is a benefits-oriented statement. “The new Ecologica XYZ gets 79/mpg highway and 69/mpg city” is a features-oriented statement because it doesn’t tell you how that gas-mileage information will improve your life. But you’d be surprised by how many seasoned communication/advertising pros focus exclusively on features.

Case in point: A friend was recently working on marketing collateral for a medium-sized business. The key contact at the business was excited about the company’s new state-of-the art phone and computer system, and wanted to devote a whole page to glowing descriptions of them. My friend asked the client how the new infrastructure actually benefited their clients or prospects. “Well, it’s important to us and we’re really proud of it, so we want it in there,” the client countered. Happily, my friend was able to convince the company to include a benefit with each feature they mentioned—i.e., how the new super-powerful system would mean that customers would be served even faster than before, etc. Anything else would just be vanity.

So vet each piece of copy you turn out to see if it passes the benefits-vs.-features test. A good rule of thumb: If a sentence begins with “we” or “our,” it’s probably emphasizing a feature; “you

agon will allow you to buy 3 times more Birkenstocks and enjoy two soy lattes every day with your $2,500 in annual gas savings” is a benefits-oriented statement. “The new Ecologica XYZ gets 79/mpg highway and 69/mpg city” is a features-oriented statement because it doesn’t tell you how that gas-mileage information will improve your life. But you’d be surprised by how many seasoned communication/advertising pros focus exclusively on features.

Case in point: A friend was recently working on marketing collateral for a medium-sized business. The key contact at the business was excited about the company’s new state-of-the art phone and computer system, and wanted to devote a whole page to glowing descriptions of them. My friend asked the client how the new infrastructure actually benefited their clients or prospects. “Well, it’s important to us and we’re really proud of it, so we want it in there,” the client countered. Happily, my friend was able to convince the company to include a benefit with each feature they mentioned—i.e., how the new super-powerful system would mean that customers would be served even faster than before, etc. Anything else would just be vanity.

So vet each piece of copy you turn out to see if it passes the benefits-vs.-features test. A good rule of thumb: If a sentence begins with “we” or “our,” it’s probably emphasizing a feature; “you

nt: A friend was recently working on marketing collateral for a medium-sized business. The key contact at the business was excited about the company’s new state-of-the art phone and computer system, and wanted to devote a whole page to glowing descriptions of them. My friend asked the client how the new infrastructure actually benefited their clients or prospects. “Well, it’s important to us and we’re really proud of it, so we want it in there,” the client countered. Happily, my friend was able to convince the company to include a benefit with each feature they mentioned—i.e., how the new super-powerful system would mean that customers would be served even faster than before, etc. Anything else would just be vanity.

So vet each piece of copy you turn out to see if it passes the benefits-vs.-features test. A good rule of thumb: If a sentence begins with “we” or “our,” it’s probably emphasizing a feature; “you

ntered. Happily, my friend was able to convince the company to include a benefit with each feature they mentioned—i.e., how the new super-powerful system would mean that customers would be served even faster than before, etc. Anything else would just be vanity.

So vet each piece of copy you turn out to see if it passes the benefits-vs.-features test. A good rule of thumb: If a sentence begins with “we” or “our,” it’s probably emphasizing a feature; “you” statements tend to be more benefit-oriented. If you don’t, your audience will go, “What’s in it for me” instead of “Take my money, please!” or “How do I sign up?”