It’s kind of a marketer’s default to talk to potential customers about all of the new features that their business offers, hoping to persuade them with cool traits and tricks.
While features are somewhat appealing to your leads (of course they want to know how your product or service works), they’re far more interested in what following through on what the purchase is going to do for them.
What’s the value in your product? How is your service going to provide a positive experience for them?
A great benefit statement will help you answer those questions and entice your leads.
What Is a Benefit Statement?
Basically, it’s a statement that clearly communicates the benefits of a particular product or service. Your customers will be able to grasp the true value of your business and purchase based off that, rather than just features.
It’s important to understand that there is a distinct difference between benefits and features.
A benefit highlights how the customer’s experience or situation improves as a result of your product or service. A feature highlights the product’s uniqueness and attributes.
Don’t be mistaken: There’s nothing wrong with sharing the features of your product or service. But keeping your marketing and sales processes centered around the customer will definitely do a better job of converting them.
Put yourself in their shoes. When you’re considering which new smartphone to buy, it’s cool to hear about all the new camera lenses, speakers, and screen sizes.
But you’re only closer to making a decision once you hear about how the new camera will give you better quality pictures to capture memories. Or how the larger screen size means a better picture quality and visibility.
Why Benefit Statements Are Important (In Marketing & Sales)
Long story short, they’re important because they give customers context to their purchases upfront, which in turn leads to more sales. Benefit statements give marketers and salespeople leverage when customers feel hesitant or skeptical.
Here are just a few advantages to a well-written statement.
You Relate to Their Needs.
All the gizmos and gadgets in the world aren't going to matter to a customer if it doesn't meet some kind of need for them. And, oftentimes, making the connection between a feature and a need isn't obvious for them.
By having a benefit statement prepared for them, you'll be able to easily answer their question, "How is this going to help me?"
When you ask the prospect what problems they're facing and then tell them how your product or service can assist them, you're giving them a reason to believe in your business.
They'll also feel heard, which goes a long way in establishing brand trust.
You Highlight Hidden Value.
Certain products, programs, and services actually cover a much wider range of pain points than what they're advertised as.
For example, when Sony's Playstation 4 was released, sure most customers were interested in the game library and new graphics. But the console also acts as a Blu-ray player, sound system, and streaming host for streaming sites like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime.
That hidden value broadened the audience to more than just avid gamers once people learned that they'd have an all-in-one entertainment center in one console.
You Increase Sale Quality.
Emotions help marketing and sales. We know this. Building relationships with prospects and customers often leads to a better quality sale both for the buyer and the company.
The customer is always more satisfied when they have a complete understanding of the value they're going to get out of a purchase.
By leading both the marketing and the sale with a benefit statement, you'll be able to establish trust and familiarity with your customers. That sort of relationship can lead to repeat customers and upsells.
How to Write a Benefit Statement in 5 Steps
It's actually incredibly easy to create a benefit statement if you truly understand your business and what it is you're selling. More importantly, it's even easier if you believe in what you're selling.
Here are five easy steps to help structure your benefit statement:
1. Identify the Problem.
If you're having the right conversation with your customer, this should be the easiest step. Figure out what their need is by asking open-ended questions. You'll need to connect the problem to the benefit in order to showcase your product or service's value.
2. Highlight a Feature.
Which aspect of the product or service is going to alleviate their problem? Be sure to offer a specific feature that's related to their need. A general "this fixes everything" isn't going to convince them.
3. Spotlight the Benefit.
This is what the customer wants to hear. Let them know exactly how that specific feature is going to improve their life. Whether it be big or small, if your business is providing true value, it's going to help them in some way.
4. Present an Action.
Of course, the customer will only benefit if they work for it. Explain to them what action they'll have to take in order to see results. It can be as easy as uncapping toothpaste or as complex as building an Ikea bookcase, but they still need to know.
5. Share the Result.
Paint a picture of their life after their stress is alleviated by your product or service. What does that end result look like for them? How excited should they be for it? If your benefit statement is great, then they should be very excited about it.
Tips for Writing a Benefit Statement
There are a few best practices for writing a great benefit statement. It's a pretty simple process, but you can always look for ways to optimize your efforts.
"Which Means..."
If you're having a tough time matching features and benefits, an easier way of brainstorming is to think of them in a cause and effect scenario.
For example: "Our mouthwash kills 99 percent of germs in the mouth" which means... "You'll have better breath throughout the day."
Include Statistics.
In the example above, I included an effectiveness percentage. Customers appreciate measurable benefits like percentages, survey numbers, and statistics that support the value of your product or service.
Adding in quantifiable facts validates your business and keeps your benefit claim from feeling too general or vague.
Be Crystal Clear.
Along the same lines, you'll want to be as straightforward as possible in your benefit statement. Get to the point and address the customer's needs before you go into great detail about other features. If they ask for more, that's when you can dive deeper.
Share What Makes You Special.
Chances are you have some competition within your market. Another business, or maybe several, are selling the same products or services as you. Mention benefits that are going to set you apart from the others.
Don't Be Hyperbolic.
When talking about the happy ending, make sure you're not setting unrealistic expectations for the customer. You'll be setting them up for disappointment if you're trying to sell your goods for more than they actually are.
Let their true value speak for themselves. If it's a good product or service, then it'll do well simply by being high quality.
Keep It Short and Neat.
If you have to go on for a long while trying to sell the benefits of your business, then you probably don't fully understand them yourself, which can be unconvincing to the customer.
Keep your statement concise and to the point, hitting all of the key benefits of each relevant feature efficiently.
Benefit Statement Examples
There are so many different, unique ways you can write a benefit statement. You could write several on one product alone, highlighting all the different ways it can provide value to a customer.
It's always a great idea to seek outside inspiration, so we've compiled a list of benefit sample examples in different scenarios for you.
Example #1
A business owner is having a difficult time marketing their business. You're an agency offering marketing consultations.
Benefit statement: Creating a clear marketing plan with us will help you organize the information you need to take intentional and confident action in marketing your business and attract at least five new clients over the next quarter.
Example #2
A home owner is debating whether or not to purchase hurricane insurance for the upcoming storm season. You're an insurance broker looking to help them find coverage.
Benefit statement: Hurricane insurance helps you bounce back in the unfortunate event that your home is damaged during a hurricane. My job is to find the best coverage to ensure you can easily start the recovery process after any loss.
Example #3
An influencer is purchasing a new smartphone because she wants a higher camera quality. You just got in a shipment of the latest iPhone models.
Benefit statement: The iPhone 11's new Ultra Wide camera and Night mode features will guarantee that you're ready for any spur-of-the-moment photoshoots or video recording opportunities no matter where you are.
Example #4
A mountain climber is stocking up on gear that will help him on his three-week expedition. Your company sells compact, sustainable camping stoves.
Benefit statement: Carrying our lightweight, collapsible burner stove means you'll have hot meals with the push of a button, without carrying an extra, cumbersome 20 pounds on your pack.
Example #5
A small company is looking for help rebranding and rebuilding their website. Your digital marketing agency has a full staff of developers and copywriters with over 25 years of experience.
Benefit statement: Our team of developers, designers, and copywriters have over 25 years of experience developing websites that generate leads, increase brand awareness, and promote business for clients.
Your benefit statement is essentially your product or service's claim to fame. Bragging about features can only get you so far into a conversation before the other person asks, "So what?"
You'll always be ready to answer that question with confidence if you understand the value of your business and have benefit statements ready to back that value up.
Micah Lally
I’m a Content Writer at Bluleadz. I’m a big fan of books, movies, music, video games, and the ocean. It sounds impossible to do all of those at the same time, but you’d be surprised by the things I can accomplish.