Features, Benefits and Feelings

We all know what we sell or buy has features (Made out of 100% Wool) and, in turn, they have benefits (Keeps you warm in winter) but have you ever stopped to think that they have feelings attached to them as well (I feel great wearing this jacket!). Some products - like fashion - lend themselves to both the benefits (I need to be warm) and feelings (I want to look good) very easily - for others, you may need to think a bit more. The feelings are often a very important feature in the process of buying something aren't they? So why don't they feature so readily in the selling process? Sometimes the feeling can be accentuated by the person they are dealing with - but ultimately, the product or service must stand on it's own two feet. This is how buyers dissent kicks in - they were feeling good in the shop as the sales person was there telling them how to feel - 'You look great in that Jacket'. Then, away from this reinforcement the rational mind kicks in and starts the mental balancing equation to determine if what they paid matches what they got (features + benefits + feelings). A clients emotion features heavily in buying habits - look at brands globally which are often more expensive than their competitors and do the same things (and sometimes less). How does this work? The price > features + benefits comparatively - yet people still buy them...the outweighing factor is how they make the client feel! Take buying a house and, in my industry, getting a home loan. Does the client want the home loan? No - if you could waive a magic wand that meant they could buy a house without one - would they still elect to have one? No way. Do they want the house? Do they? No - they want the things the house provides them. The home, the security, the comfort, the stability, to hear their kids playing in the backyard, the relaxation they get from not having to commute so far to work. How they feel! We are emotional beings. To sell well, you need to understand how what you do makes your clients feel and what feelings it helps them satisfy or accentuate. You buy with your emotions, so do your clients.