Provide Solutions, Not Features

“What’s in it for me?”

As customers read through your amazing product after seeing your incredible campaign, they will be asking themselves that exact question.

When promoting a new product or service, you can either go one of two ways. You can show off the sparkly exterior that you spent so long building, or you can explain how it can improve your customers’ lives.

The second is how you get those sales. And if you don’t believe us, you better start…

What’s a Feature?

Features work on a factual level rather than an emotional one, and they essentially talk about the exterior or the product, or features that mean potentially absolutely nothing to the user.

Example: Technical specs on a mobile phone might not make sense to a customer unless they are familiar with mobiles. However, the benefit of having a fast mobile that can store a lot of photos, apps and music is something that any mobile owner can relate to.

Realistically, a lot of customers will not understand your message if you provide nothing but technical mumble jumble.

What’s a Solution?

The solution to all your problems.

Your customers are looking for products to benefit their lives, and this is the reason why they should care about your product.

Think about it; When have you ever bought something for the sake of it?

Products are bought because the user wants to experience the outcome, which is the solution to the problems they are having.

As a web design and technology agency, our customers tend to experience the ‘problem’ of a website that doesn’t work effectively for mobile phones, a website that hasn’t been updated in a few years or an organisation who doesn’t have a website yet.

Our solution to their problems would be a website that will grow their online presence, helping them reach new clients who are able to buy products 24 hours, 7 days a week. Their website will be accessible for desktop and mobile users with fast page loading speeds, so users are not left waiting for a page to load when they’re shopping on the go or at home.

We provide solutions to our client problems :).

What’s the difference?

As marketers, we are selling a product that we are passionate about, so instinctively, we believe an app with storage up to 350 GB, or a hairbrush with Nylon bristles will be the right selling points for products – it’s not.

Instead, with storage up to 350 GB, it can allow users to store thousands of photos, and music downloads. The large storage space feature sounds somewhat positive, but on its own, there is no immediate reason why the user should buy it. Is 350GB good?
However, almost every audience can emphasize with the frustration of not being able to download a large number of songs or apps to their device.

Nylon bristled hairbrushes detangle hair gently to prevent hair loss – Which is a perfect benefit for the target audience who needs a brush which is gentler with hair strands and knots. You need to provide how your audience can benefit to give you the best advantages for converting customers.

And just because you know why your product will make their users’ lives better does not mean your users do. You need to tell them why your product is worth their money.

Make sure you benefit your audience

Focusing on the benefits of your products or services can be considerably more effective than only highlighting its features – Especially if you’re targeting more than one market.

A Roomba vacuum cleaner is beneficial to the ‘busy family’, where both parents works 9-5 jobs and run around after the kids. They can leave the Roomba on whilst they’re at work, if they’re running errands or just need to unwind watching the TV. The Roomba can hoover the floor without any assistance, so the family can focus on other things.

On the other hand, the Roomba hoover can cater to the older demographic who are less mobile. Switching it on and letting it run can allow them to not have to worry about walking around the house into every room. Just switch it on, put on the kettle and only worry about when it’s finished. Even then, it only needs to be picked up and emptied.

The more you know about your customers, the more benefits you can find for your product.

Why should they choose you?

Competition is healthy. It helps you compare your unique selling points and your solutions against others.

Solution focused sales is how you are going to attract attention from your target audience and offer new solutions that motivate buyers to act.

Simply, how will you make their life easier with your product?

No matter what pain points you solve, there are other companies and other products out there that claim to do the same thing. If your client’s issue is dry skin, you will offer moisturizer. However, there are different scented moisturisers, 24-hour moisturisers, fast-absorbing moisturisers, Day or Night moisturisers… What makes your moisturiser different? What makes yours better?

70% of purchase decisions are made to solve problems? 30% make decisions to gain something.
Impact Communications


You need to show your customers that your product will save them time, or save them money, or improve their appearance and lifestyle. When you start to sell your solution, understanding what makes your products unique will help differentiate yourself from the competition.

Selling your solutions – simple?

To find out the need, your sales approach has to start asking the big questions that was mentioned before – “What’s in it for me?”.

You need to find the problem and then the solution. If there is no problem, then there is no need for your product (meaning limited sales).

It’s okay to get emotional

Addressing a negative situation to embrace the positive outcome is a very popular sales-approach. We have spoken a lot about why you should sell the benefits, which is true. But pulling at their heart strings, getting them angry or help them feel better than their friends will provide the extra razzle dazzle to help them purchase your product.

It’s not the information itself that is important, but the emotional effect that the information has on your audience.

According to sales expert Geoffrey James, buying decisions actually stem down to a mixture of feelings.

1. “If I make a decision now, I will be rewarded.”

2. “If I don’t make a decision now, I’m toast.”

3. “If I make a decision now, I will help others.”

4. “If I don’t make a decision now, my competition will win.”

5. “If I make a decision now, I will look smart.”

6. “If I don’t make a decision now, I will look stupid.”

Deciding which ‘feeling’ to focus on will depend on your product offering, how it will provide value to your customers and your target audience’s personality and how it will relate to their feelings.


Everyone is a little bit greedy once in a while and they want to benefit themselves personally. These personal benefits will need to be emphasised. Tell your customer how it will improve their career faster or present their promised return on investment figure in front of them.

Testimonials from clients who have gained success from this product will always help boost sales as they can see there is value in the product.

Use words such as: “reward”, “valuable”, “exclusive”, “all yours”, “unique”, “limited edition” and “gain”.


Playing on a customer’s fear is one of the most powerful tactics. There is a universal fear towards ‘loss’ or losing something. People react more towards losing something they already have opposed to gaining something.

Emphasising what might happen if they don’t purchase your product will make them focus on the negative impact they would experience if they don’t buy the product.

Use words such as: “consequence”, “lose”, “decrease”, “reduce”, “suffer”, “cost”, and “harm”.


If your service or products benefit couples, families, or team staff, then promoting towards Altruism is the best option.

Will your product address a sore spot during day-to-day tasks for parents? Or save an extra three hours’ worth of work for employees? Focus on what the product will do for your customers If your and how it can make them and their partners or colleagues happier.

Use words such as “benefits”, “widespread”, “give”, “help”, “support”, and “improve”.

Source: Daily Mail


No competition? No one to compare how great your products are.

More often than not, many brands will compare their products and offerings to other big brands in the same industry. Much like Aldi, which shows the monetary savings that their customers can enjoy when they shop the same products.

Use words such as “competition”, “nations favourite”, “lagging”, “leading” and “popular.”


Inspiring customers to purchase your product to gain respect from their peers is how you will attract the majority who are seeking to boost their pride, helping them win respect, or strengthening their sense of community

Use words such as “image”, “respect”, “powerful”, “reputation”, “award winning”, “influence” and “prestige.”


Although shame is an option, it should be addressed lightly and carefully. No one really wants to be made to feel ashamed, which will definitely turn off potential customers.

If you do want to experiment with this feeling in your sales tactics, focus on past mistakes that can be avoided or prevented with your offering. Will their future be bleak without your product? Will there be negative consequences for their family lifestyle or workplace environment, and who will be to blame if so? Remember to tread lightly on this ground and not to make them feel too guilty.

Use words such as “mistake”, “avoid”, “neglect”, “disappoint”, “regret”, and “disappear”.

Solutions vs. Features

After all of this, we aren’t saying “don’t promote the features”. Great sales include both the solutions and the features.

Features are logic-based and don’t elicit emotions, but when you’re able to identify and deliver the emotions associated with your benefits, this is what will set you apart from competition and bring in those sales.