I see this mistake a lot. When crafting sales copy, many marketing pros and small business owners will go into detail about their product’s technical or physical features without saying much about what the real human benefits of those features are.

Here is a simple way of looking at this. A feature is a descriptive fact about a product. A benefit is the “yeah-so-what’s-in-it-for-me,” aspect of that feature, and it’s what your prospects care about the most. Here are a few very simple examples that illustrate my point.

An eraser is a physical feature on most pencils. The human benefit of this feature is that if you make a mistake, you can erase what you wrote and quickly make corrections (convenience).

Brakes are a mechanical feature on every car. The human benefit of this feature is that you can slow down, avoid accidents and stop at red lights and Stop signs (physical safety).

A fur lining is a physical feature on many stylish jackets. The human-value benefit of this feature is that you can stay warm and comfortable while you’re looking hip and cool (physical warmth; feeling good about yourself).

Again, these are very simple examples but they make a very big point: when you’re writing sales copy, don’t dwell on your product’s physical features. Instead, put much more emphasis on the personal, human-value benefits your prospects will experience from those features.

If you found this information helpful, why not share it with your crowd?

Until next time, set your intentions, absolutely believe you deserve success—and take a lot of inspired actions!