subject: Selling With Features To Improve Your Small Business Advertising [print this page] Big Mistakes Advertising Your Small Business And Why Your Results Suck
Small Business owners are often frustrated with the results of their advertising and marketing. We often find that they are making a number of big mistakes and one of them is the failure to use emotional benefits rather than features of their product or service.
There's really two reasons people don't respond to an ad. Number one, people respond because they want to solve a problem. So they've got a problem that they need to get solved or they want to create some level of happiness and to everybody that's a little bit different.
What happens is, most business owners will talk about things that don't solve a problem. They're going to be talking about features rather than benefits.
As a quick example, let's talk about a lawn care company. The lawn care company, in most cases, is going to have a piece of direct mail that has their company logo at the top, right? They're going to say XYZ Lawn Care and it's going to say, "We've been in business for 57 years and grandpa had the first push fertilizer sprayer in the country." Then they're going to talk about their location and that they've got 100 employees, or whatever. They're also going to mention that they are a part of the National Lawn Care Association. It might mention that they've got a phone number there. That's basically what you'll see from most business owners.
Now, smart business owners are going to talk about what we call the benefits. So they're going to sell the benefit of the beautiful lawn. You're going to have a lawn that's so lush and green that you'll be able to walk out in the backyard without your sandals on and you'll feel the lush green grass against your toes all summer long when you're doing business with them.
They'll also talk about how jealous your neighbors will be when look out in the backyard and their brown, dried-up yard is so crusty that nobody can play in their yard because it breaks all the grass and walking on it is just like stepping on broken glass. But your customers enjoy that their kids can play in the yard rolling around with the dog having a lot of fun all on a beautiful, soft, green yard.
These are benefits of using a lawn care service.
Now there are other benefits that are very obvious if the lawn care company's real good, and they target market well they can develop a message that tells the small business owners and entrepreneurs that they are busy and our lawn care service is a fantastic way to save time so you can grow your business.
You know that you want a great looking lawn, but you just don't have time. Well, when you hire us, we come out once a month, and we fertilize it and spray it and make sure there's no weeds growing. You're going to have this great looking lawn, but it won't take you any time at all, and in fact, you can go out and enjoy the things that you do like golfing or spending time with your family or on your boat or whatever, but you'll still have a beautiful lawn.
Most small businesses will send out the postcard that says, XYZ Company. Twelve years in business. Great lawn spreaders. We'll be there to do your yard once a month. It's completely wrong. They need to be talking about all of the benefits of really doing business with them.
If you can tell stories, and you can show the benefits of your product versus just the features of it, you're able to sell at prices that are much higher because you can tell the story of why you deserve that price.
