Sales Tip: Know what's in it for your customers

May 12, 2023
Customers want to know what personal benefits a product can provide them.

It is almost never a good idea to tell a customer that buying this will help you win some contest or qualify for some increased benefit. They may like you, but their primary care is what’s in it for them.

It is unfortunately easy to slip into “advantage” selling and neglect “benefit” selling. As in the example below.

  • Feature: This is our cool, red dead blow hammer.
  • Advantage: When you hit something the beads inside will slam forward to force the impact on your target and absorb the impact so the hammer will never bounce off what you are hitting.

So, in this example, you might make the sale with just the feature and the advantage, but the benefit will assuredly close the deal as the benefit shows your customers what's in it for them.

  • Benefit: In addition to not damaging anything around what you are hitting, this dead blow hammer will not bounce off your target and injure you. 
About the Author

Alan Sipe | President, Toolbox Sales and Consulting

Alan W. Sipe has spent the last 42 years in the basic hand tool industry including positions as President of KNIPEX Tools North America, Sr. VP Sales and Marketing at Klein Tools, Manager Special Markets at Stanley Tools and sales management at toolbox manufacturer Waterloo Industries. Currently Sipe is the owner of Toolbox Sales and Consulting specializing in sales strategy, structure, development and training. Sipe can be reached at [email protected] or 847-910-1063. Connect with Sipe on LinkedIn.

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