A benefit is delivered when a feature of your product/service matches a need of your customer.

Understand the difference between:

1. A feature of a product - for example:
   
   
   • Oxy 10 clears spots in 7 days.
     
     
2. The benefit that the feature gives the user of the product - for example
   
   
   • With Oxy 10 you can now go out on a Saturday night without worrying about your skin.

   Benefits are often a result of fulfilling customer needs.

   (See the difference between a functional benefit and an emotional benefit).
   
   

3. The resulting benefit (the advantage) they feel they will get from this benefit - for example
   
   
   • You have more fun on Saturday nights as you feel more confident and attractive. 

Look at this range of commonly used benefits. The trick is to demonstrate to your target audience that they will get an advantage from the benefit you claim to have.

See this example of how a customer benefit develops into an advantage, and then into a dominant emotion (which should be a powerful element of your value proposition).

Think about your prospect for a second...

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1. Prospects are just like you and me. They have certain boxes in their head that must be ticked before deciding to try, test or buy.
   
   
2. Without clear benefit-led copy these boxes don't get ticked.

   Your prospects won't be educated about the advantages that your product/service will bring them.

   They won't be convinced. They won't be reassured. Because there's no rational evidence.

   There's also no trust.

   And your time, effort and budget is wasted.
   
   

3. You must force your prospects to visualise the end result of using your product/service. The advantage to them (and their family).

   You need to use testimonials, pictures, illustrations, statistics, case studies, and as much copy as necessary to answer all their questions.
   
   

4. Only then will they agree that your solution will meet their needs better than any other supplier.
   
   

Put the benefit before the feature

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• Readers actively seek out meaningful benefits, so try to position the benefit at the front of the sentence, for example:
  
  

  Wrong - "Our guarantee gives you complete peace-of-mind." (Feature before benefit)
  
  

  Right - "Have complete peace-of-mind with our 7-step customer service guarantee." (Benefit before feature)
  
  

Use facts, not opinions, to support your argument

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• Always use facts, not opinions, to demonstrate the benefits. Give them a rational argument.

  Facts are the only viable support to any claim you make - and if you can be accused of over-claiming, your credibility will disappear.
  
  

• Be specific about the benefit.

  For example if they get a saving, exactly how much - and how quickly?
  
  

• Include testimonials, endorsements, especially if you have no facts or other impartial proof to support your benefit argument.
  
  

See this guide to producing a powerful customer proposition