Here is a pill that's very hard to swallow: Nobody wants to buy your product. As Lily Tomlin used to say in Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (I'm dating myself here...) "That's the truth!"

That IS the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

So, since it is a fact that "Nobody wants to buy your product", what DO they want? They all want to buy the product of your product, the benefits. So the more you're able to focus on them - and NOT on the features - on what is in it for them, the more you're able to win their trust.

You earn their trust based on merit. And merit is always defined on the terms of the buyer, never on the terms of the seller. Ultimately, it's the buyer who will decide if there is something for them in what you have to offer.

Not sure of the difference between features and benefits? Well, a simple explanation is that features are what you and your products and services ARE or HAVE, while benefits are what you and your products DO. What EXACTLY do you DO for your customers and clients? If I buy one of your products, or attend your seminar or workshop, what SPECIFICALLY will I get out of it? In other words, WIII-FM - What Is In It For ME? Can you answer that?

Amazingly, most businesspeople can't. It's especially evident in their ads and on their website - which for many is the most expensive component of their marketing budget.

A year ago, we were featured on a local TV business show. We were invited to talk about our unique workshop that we delivered to business people in corporate boxes at the ballpark, before the game. The title of the workshop was, appropriately enough, "Getting on First Base".

During the conversation in the green room before going live, the host told us that her biggest frustration in researching guests for her popular show was the amount of time wasted on websites where after 20 minutes of reading "...you still don't know what that person or company does - what benefits they provide." She went on to complain about "... graphics, images, audios, videos, and text, text, text that spotlight the ‘features' instead of the benefits."

Hey, if you want some action, you've got to get to first base! That's a principle that applies to getting a job interview, or with a visitor to the home page of your website. First base means you got their attention. What's the best way to get someone's attention? Sharing benefits that make them think "Tell me more." What's the best way to strike out - aka not getting on first base? Boring your audience with a litany of features that make them think "So what?"

"So what?" is the kiss of death for a business - particularly online - as it's usually followed within seconds by this sound: "Click!" - the sound made when someone leaves your uninteresting website to go look for something more captivating elsewhere. And chances are good they won't come back.

Our advice? Go to your website, read your content - particularly your sales page - and after each bullet point, statement, or paragraph, listen to your inner voice... Is it saying "Tell me more" or "So what?"

"Tell me more" means you've invested your advertising money wisely. "So what?" means your online advertising costs are an expense - and not a good one at that.

If it turns out your online marketing is an investment, bravo! If not, seek out more info about benefits and features, and make the necessary adjustments on your website, and in ALL your ads. Doing that well will automatically move you ahead of 90% of your "So what?" competitors.

I wish you ALL the personal and professional success you desire and deserve. (Just remember that...What you "desire" is a function of your ambition, what you "deserve" is a function of your ACTIONS...Are the two aligned?)

Daniel G. St-Jean, BB, IMA, AMA, FBMI, SEM

(BizzBooster, Internet Marketing Advisor, Article-Marketing Alchemist,

Firm-Base Marketing™ Instructor, Successerenity™ Exponent & Mentor)