If you've ever cooked noodles you know that you can determine if they are done by throwing the noodle against the wall to see if it sticks. If it does, then it's done. When I think of 'features and benefits', I think of someone throwing a whole pot of noodles against the wall to see what sticks.

Dale Carnegie described 'features and benefits' selling as listing all of the features your product has and touching on the benefits that they will give to your prospect or client. I think this is wishful thinking in some ways. Why not narrow this down to what your prospect or client ACTUALLY wants and needs?

Features and benefits selling is the fastest way to expose yourself as old-fashioned, and in the box, as relates to sales. AND, it doesn't really work. It's not even as effective as throwing a whole pot of pasta against the wall. An additional side effect is that the sales person can appear smarmy and outdated.

It brings to mind the character of Gil Gunderson on 'The Simpson's' who is a hapless and nervous salesman who uses old-fashioned techniques to no avail. He sweats, he begs, he lists all the reasons why you should buy the product he's selling or the house he has listed or any number of things (he's had dozens of jobs), and he always ends up failing because it's all about Gil. It's never about his prospect or their needs.

Features and benefits doesn't work because it focuses on you instead of your customer or client. It also puts you in the frame of continuing to ask the wrong questions.

Try this instead of 'features and benefits'--elicit your prospect's criteria. It's that simple. This is true across the board in life--in business, in love, in family relations--the truest and deepest way to understand what the values and criteria are for a specific context, is to simply ask. By doing this, you increase your odds immeasurably with predictable results you can count on each and every time.

If you throw enough stuff on the wall, you've got dirty walls. Features and benefits, for the most part, are not effective, and they simply mark you as someone who is unskilled and unprofessional.

The exception to the rule is when the prospect knows absolutely nothing about what it is that they're there to buy from you. They've hardly ever seen or heard of the service or product, and they've come to you to ask you about buying it. Under those conditions, you might use some features and benefits, to help them to learn about the product, but even then, I'll tell you, that would be the second step, not the first step.

The first step is giving yourself the ability to target straight into their heart. Straight into their emotions, into their deepest desires. If I can speak directly to you about what it is you want, if I can talk about persuasion, and about the benefit to you of being able to master it, all of the sudden I might start having a little bit more of your attention.