Selling benefits is always better than selling features. But have you considered the impact of personalizing those benefits?

By: DOUG FLEENER

JUNE 18, 2007 -- In my previous column, I wrote about my experience buying a new MacBook from a young salesman. Overall it was a pleasant experience, but as I pointed out, he missed the opportunity to add value and additional products to the sale. He also tried to sell me a protection plan without creating any value or benefit for me. I'm sure if I went back and talked to him, he would have a completely different view of the transaction.

He probably believed he was adding value and sharing benefits, but in reality he was describing the features of the protection plan and not how it would benefit me. He told me that the protection plan extended the warranty from one year to three, which is a feature and not a benefit. He told me that the tele-support went from 90 days to three years. Another feature. He also said I'd be able to ask any questions I had about switching over to a Mac for up to three years. That's a benefit, but it was ineffective because it's a generic benefit that added no value to me.

As I've often said, when we work with customers, it's important to ask the right questions so that we can best identify their needs. From that information, we can recommend the right products and services that meet those needs. That information also allows us to share why we believe the product or products we are recommending best fit their needs. This is called personalizing the benefits.

When we explain why we're matching the product or products to the customer, it's impossible to talk just about the features. Think about it. When you explain the why, you're automatically transferring both the features and benefits. You've personalized the benefits.

While a GOOD salesperson can share benefits without knowing much about the customer, these are generic benefits that don't add as much value as the GREAT salesperson's personalized benefits. And that's exactly what I experienced at the Apple store. Because the salesperson didn't learn enough about the what, why, when, how, etc. of my purchase, the features and generic benefit he told me about weren't worth the cost of the protection plan.

Here are four strategies you can take away from this example:

1. Always attempt to engage and identify all customer needs before recommending or suggesting products and services.

2. Telling customers about generic benefits is better than just telling them about the features of a product. Personalizing the benefit is better.

3. If you always take the time to explain to customers why you're recommending a particular product to them, you'll always be personalizing the benefit.

4. If you personalize the benefits, your customers will be happier because they know they are buying the right product. You and the rest of your team will be happier because it will result in more sales. So as you can see, personalized benefits = happy people!

Doug Fleener is president and managing partner of Dynamic Experiences Group, a Lexington, Mass., retail consulting firm dedicated to helping retailers boost their sales and profits. A veteran retailer with more than 25 years of hands-on retail experience with world-class retailers including Bose Corp. and The Sharper Image, he also has owned and operated his own specialty stores. Fleener is the author of the book "The Profitable Retailer: 56 Surprisingly Simple and Effective Lessons to Boost Your Sales and Profits." Contact him at (781) 861-7803 or visit www.dynamicexperiencesgroup.com.