Sales Letter Training – Benefits And The Long-handled Shovel
How do you insure that the thrust of your sales letter focuses on customer benefits? By learning the lesson of the shovel!
So, where do we begin?
Simple. You start by using what you already know about your product. Here's how:
1.Make a list of your product's features, every one that you can think of. Simply list all the facts about it. Whatever the facts are – those are your features.
e.g., let's say your product is a shovel for digging. A feature would be that is has a long handle (fact).
2.Next, convert that fact into a benefit. A benefit answers your readers “what will this do for me?” question.
So, taking our example above, convert the fact/feature – it has a long handle – into a benefit - by answering this question: “so what?”.
Well, a long handle means you don't have to bend over when you dig.
“So what?”
Well, not having to bend over means you can dig for long periods of time without getting a backache. BINGO!
Another feature is that a long handle gives you more leverage when you dig.
“So what?”
Well, more leverage means you have more power behind every scoop.
“So what?”
Well, more power means you can get more work done with less effort. BINGO!
You can even take it further. If you're getting greater leverage when you dig (a feature), and more power behind every scoop (another feature), that means you can work longer and harder without getting a backache! (A benefit). But, to make your long-handled shovel even more appealing, you can take your questioning to the next level, which uncovers “the benefit of the benefit”. How? The same way!
3.No backache? So what?
Well, no backache means you'll feel better, be able to wrestle with your kids when you get home from work, spend less money on Dr. bills or medication, less time away from work so you can earn more money ... etc.
4.Select and emphasize the benefits you know will appeal the most to your target audience. (e.g. 20 something year old males will respond to different benefits than a 40 something year old.) Always keep that in mind when selecting the product benefits to promote.
See what we've done here?
We've taken a fact about your product, uncovered what was in it for your prospect - by asking a couple of “so what” questions, and then converted the feature into a benefit (something that will move them toward pleasure – getting more done with less work ... and away from pain – an aching back using a short-handled shovel).
And that's the process.
List every product feature (fact) you can think of. For each fact ask “so what” until you're comfortable you've got the right benefit(s).
Remember, benefit(s) answer the question “What's in it for me?” that your audience is subconsciously asking when doing a Google search and visiting your website.
This is critically important! You need to know what the benefits are because people make their purchasing decisions based on the benefits – they need to know what the product will DO for them. Not the features, or facts. They could care less what the “facts” are -- until they've already made a decision to buy. Later they'll justify their decision using the facts. But it's the benefits that sell them.
The reason is that people buy for emotional reasons first ... and always ... and then justify their purchase later on with logic.
So, you now have a formula for uncovering benefits: list the features, convert them to benefit's by asking “so what?”, and keep asking until you're satisfied you have enough emotional reasons that are “custom-tailored ” for your prospects!
Virgil Stanphill is an author, a publisher, and freelance copywriter with a background in direct sales, having sold on strictly commission for more than 25 years. Get information on his book: The Beginner's “Easiest Book in the World” for Learning How to Write Powerful Sales Letters and get a FREE Sales Letter Template at: www.LetsIncreaseSales.com
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