How to grasp the difference amidst features & benefits in internet merchandising
Becoming an internet merchandising talent or guru involves understanding how the features of a product or service differ from the benefits of a product or service. As an internet merchandising advisor & trainer i’ve found it helpful to utilize not complex or complicated example applied by other advert teachers to give clarity in regards to this subject.
Most of my customers & students “get it” when this example is applied.
Advert teachers like to utilize the example of a no. 2 pencil to illustrate this important principle.
A pencil has certain features:
- it’s made of wood.
- it is having a specific diameter.
- it contains a lead-composite filler of a certain type.
- it commonly has an eraser at the end.
These characteristics describe the objective qualities of the pencil. So whether or not buying were a rational routine, merchandising would be a subject of identifying the features of your product in online merchandising.
But we already know from one of my earlier articles that buying is an aroused routine.
And that means you should express the features of your product in some way that will stimulate desire. You do that by converting features into benefits.
For example, the features listed above could just be converted into the next benefits:
- easy to sharpen.
- comfortable to hold.
- brings about an impressive line.
- makes correcting easy.
Of course, this is only the tip of the advantageous iceberg. I’ve conducted workshops & trainings on features and benefits using a no. 2 pencil that have resulted in the identification of more than 200 benefits.
Mastering the skill of converting features to benefits is necessary for every future internet merchandising talent.
