A zillion years ago I received a gorgeous white KitchenAid food mixer. Strong, heavy, sturdy―it’ll last my entire lifetime! And yet, it’s so much more than a simple food mixer with smooth curves and a shiny bowl.
It’s about making something scrumptious to share with friends and family…and savoring the delight in their faces when you pop a tray of warm blueberry lemon muffins out of the oven. And seeing their eyes go all squinchy and hearing “ummmm, uum, UUM!” sounds that flood your heart with happiness.
The ultimate benefit of my KitchenAid is the joy it helps me bring to others.
If you want to connect with your ideal audience and light their fire for what you offer, lead with ultimate benefits!
Benefits answer the questions “What’s in it for me?” and “Why should I care?” Benefits are the ultimate result of something that solves a problem, meets a need or fulfills someone’s dreams.
Features are things that describe an object (e.g., white, 10-speed, 60 Hz food mixer) or service (e.g., 3-month coaching program that includes weekly 50-minute sessions). Features help people fine-tune their selection.
You heighten your ideal audience’s desire for your offerings when you translate how features of your offerings benefit them and make their lives better.
For example:
Say you’re taking your family on vacation. Every day you plan to hit the beach, ride bikes, and eat ice cream and lobster ‘til you drop. Phew! You’re gonna be busy and need a hotel that has:
Features >>> Benefits
• Proximity to all activities >>> Drive less and have more precious time to play.
• Big indoor pool >>> Recharge! Jump out of the heat and into cool water bliss.
• Large room >>> No bumping elbows here. Spread out and relax.
• Friendly staff >>> Get the insider’s scoop to the yummiest meals in town.
• Low price >>> Save money on your room and spend more on fun!
See how the benefits add depth and color to what’s offered? And by anticipating their ideal audience’s vacation needs and desires, this hotel offers compelling reasons to book a room.
Now take a look at your Services/Work With Me page on your website; bet you’ve got some terrific features outlined there. But, have you translated those features into benefits, to help your ideal audience immediately grasp how investing in your offerings will make their lives better?
Try it now!
Take the most important feature of your key offering and ask, from your ideal client’s perspective, “Why should I care about this, what’s in it for me? How does this feature improve my life and move me closer to my goals?”
Write down the answer, again from their perspective.
Do it again. See if you can dig even deeper into the ultimate benefit of that feature, one your ideal clients want and are willing to invest in.
Congrats! Now you’re forging a stronger bond with your ideal audience because you’re making the effort to show understanding and appreciation for what matters most to them―the people you most want to serve.
Now share your feature-translated-into-a-benefit AhHa moment below!
Have a lovely day and talk soon:)
