Have you heard about how to sell solutions not products? After all, nobody wants the product, not really. They want what the product can give them. They want the outcome!
The person who buys the online Yoga course wants the yoga body or to get fit and feel purposeful. They don’t really want 100 hours of videos to wade through. Just as the person who buys the gym membership doesn’t really want to commit to turning out at a warehouse full of gym equipment. They actually want to get fit, otherwise they wouldn’t buy the membership.
The person who buys an “online business system” doesn’t do it for the features. They do it for the outcome it can give them – more time and financial freedom. What’s more appealing, is it to “Buy 100 hours of online video training” or “Quit your job and live a life of freedom“?!
It’s definitely the latter.
How To Sell Solutions Not Products: Benefits Not Features
The solution is the benefit and the product is the feature. You may have heard of using benefits not features in advertising. The benefit is the outcome desired from purchasing the product. So when you’re selling it’s important not to get too focused on what the features are. For example, on this website I promote an online business education platform. It gives you the tools to build an online business from scratch.
There’s many ways I could promote this product which would seem relevant but actually are unappealing to most people:
“Access 100’s of hours of online training videos“, “Get the tools, education and training to build an online business“. These are features and I’ve neglected to mention why you would want to do this!
As Simon Sinek says in his book “Start With Why”.
With a strong enough “why” you can overcome almost any “how”! This is why as advertisers we should focus on the outcome which is desired by the customer, rather than the features of the product.
Therefore a better tagline for my sales pitch might be one of these: “Create a life you love”, or “Build a life, not just a business”, or “Quit your job, become a lifestyle entrepreneur”!
How To Sell Solutions Not Products – The Outcome
To delve into why your customers buy what you’re selling you can start by looking at the pain points which your particular product/s solve. What are your customers problems and how can your products solve them?
Once you better understand your customers, you can focus on the main attribute which your product delivers according to their needs. If you attract customers who are a bad fit for your products, you need to change your marketing in some way.
Ideally you should be attracting the kind of customers who want what you have because your product fulfils their need.
Your USP – Unique Selling Proposition
The USP is an important branding point of most successful businesses. They succinctly tell the customer in a short phrase what their business is about and the value it delivers. Here’s a few USP’s of famous brands you may have heard of:
Hallmark “When you care enough to send the very best”
Dyson “The only vacuum cleaner in the world to maintain 100% suction, 100% of the time”
The New York Times “All the news that’s fit to print”.
Tag-lines work for brands because they distill the unique selling point of the product/company into a phrase which can be shared throughout the branding.
Summary
To sell solutions not products you need to identify your customers needs and talk to their pain points. Don’t talk to the features of the product. Instead talk about what the desirable outcome is for the customer. This speaks more directly to the needs of your customers. Talking about the features of your products can even be off putting, especially if it confuses the potential customer.
When you understand the needs of your customer, and how your products can meet those needs, you’re better able to sell with the solutions your products offer. See also customer avatar worksheet pdf to understand your customer better.