Nobody wants anything you have to sell.

What do they want? They want an OUTCOME. Maybe they want to increase their sales, lower their costs or improve their business in some other way. That is the PURPOSE of their purchase.

Too often, the REASON the customer chooses one product or service over another is price. When this happens, the REASON for the purchase is often in conflict with the PURPOSE of the purchase. For instance, we buy shoes for comfort and appearance. However, if we limit the amount we are willing to spend on shoes we may not be able to satisfy both - or either - purposes for the shoes.

Your customers are trying to achieve something - do you know what it is?

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Specialty Advertising has become a science. These are the people who supply us with the things we usually give away to our clients. If you have ever received a mug, Frisbee or other give-away from one of your vendors, that item was delivered through someone in specialty advertising. Maybe you have ordered something through a catalog provided by a specialty advertising firm.

I did that recently and got exactly what I wanted - and I'm disappointed. I wish someone in the industry had stepped in during the buying process and asked me one simple question: "What are you trying to accomplish?" It would have changed my purchase to better address my purpose.

The REASON some people buy a specialty item is because they think it's cool, handy, unique, etc. So they buy some for their customers. But, what is the PURPOSE behind distributing the items to their customers and prospects? Does the recipient understand the real purpose?

Specialty adverting is changing because more and more of their customers are realizing that simply giving something to a client or prospect does not necessarily result in the person doing what they want them to do. There needs to be a succinct message and a call to action.

You need a succinct message and a call to action.

For instance, one member of PeerNet, an association for specialty advertisers, told of getting into a bitter price war over Frisbees. He had a buyer who wanted to pay less for the flying discs than they cost. Negotiations between the PeerNet member, the buyer (and an unknown number of other vendors) were centered on price.

Lost in the discussion was what the buyer's organization was trying to accomplish.

It's true that Frisbee Golf is an up and coming sport. It's also true that springtime is here and people will be going outdoors. But will the average person connect the free Frisbee with what the donor's company can do to help them?

Rather than sell Frisbees at the lowest price, what could the specialty advertiser have done?

1.       Determine who the real buyer was. Was it a sales manager looking for incentives for a sales meeting? Was it marketing looking for a way to send a specific message to their clients or prospects - and what was the message?

2.       Tie the product to the message. "Let us help you make your profits soar" followed by a web site address would be more effective than simply putting the donor's name or logo on the Frisbee.

3.       Expand the sale to a program. Spaced repetition is increasingly more effective than a single event. Putting a Frisbee in the hands of a customer makes an impression. A second impression usually has a more lasting effect and a third impression often seals the deal. Maybe the specialty advertiser could have shown the buyer the impact of giving a Frisbee in the spring, a beach towel in the summer and an insulated mug in the fall.

How-To: Benefit = Purpose

One of the main reasons you will want to understand the feature-benefit analysis process is to enable you to think beyond the initial customer request. "A feature is what a product has; a benefit is what a product does." The benefit is what the customer is buying, it's the purpose of the transaction.

You are the expert on your products and services - help your customer achieve their purpose and they'll have a reason to buy from you that has nothing to do with price or, maybe, even the product.

What does your customer want to accomplish? That's the purpose of the sale. Stay focused on their purpose and their reason for buying will change from price to value.