Every manufacturer includes features in their products to make them either similar to, or different from those of their competition. For example, the micro-processor in one computer may differentiate it from another, yet all of the other components of the computer may be similar. Clothing might be cut in a style that looks like the work of a particular designer, even though the garment is a knock-off of the original. One brand name furniture line may have a reputation for withstanding the onslaughts of a young family, while another may be known for its fine craftsmanship. All of the above are features of particular products, and they may be exactly what your customer is looking for. On the other hand, it's quite possible that the features of the item are completely irrelevant. Some people may want a particular item for the prestige of the name alone. In either case, customers see some value in the item creating their desire to own it; they see something that will benefit them. It is your job to build the value your customers are looking for into the merchandise you sell.

Everything Is too Expensive without Value Attached to It

Many customers experience sticker shock when they learn the price of an item. Suppose a customer walks into a woman's apparel store to buy his girlfriend a blouse for her birthday. He selects one that he thinks she would like and sees that the price of the blouse is $70. You can see the look of astonishment on the customer's face. He thinks $70 is a lot of money to spend on a blouse. Quite frankly, without knowing anything about the blouse, $70 is a lot of money.

Obviously, the customer doesn't see any value in this blouse. During your demonstration you have the opportunity to establish enough value in the blouse so that the price tag no longer seems as unreasonable as it did when the customer first came in. You can start by talking about the fact that this blouse is 100% pure silk, making it unbelievably luxurious to wear. You continue:

"In addition to the fact that it's pure silk, the lapel is hand-embroidered. This means that one individual took the time to add the details to this blouse, making it even more special to wear."

You've mentioned all of this in a purely conversational tone, simply offering the customer some fascinating information about the blouse. As you continue to build the value of an item during your demonstration, your customer's initial price resistance seems to come down.

What Exactly Is "Value?"

You can express value in many ways. Value could be expressed by the price. Value can also be in the form of a special offer to entice buyers, or in the way the manufacturer or retailer chooses to merchandise a product. But, the interesting thing about value is how people perceive it. Value is a personal matter. What one customer thinks of as value in a purchase may be quite different than what is valuable to another customer. Ask five people what is most important to them in selecting a car, and you will more than likely get five different answers. One person might say comfort, while another would say safety, and yet another would say that the style of the car was most important. And yet, they could all be interested in the same car. The difference is that they see different value in its features.

We all have buying patterns that may appear inconsistent but are perfectly logical to us within the framework of our own interests. For example, you may find that the same fisherman who wouldn't think twice about spending $300 for a reel, would never spend $300 for a pair of shoes that he might wear every day. Likewise, your customers will all have different ideas about what amount is too much for your merchandise. What one person sees as a ridiculous amount to spend on an item may seem perfectly reasonable to another; it all depends on each individual's perception of value.

Most of us spend more than we need to spend on consumer goods because we don't always look for practicality. People could buy blue jeans without a brand name embroidered on the pocket for a fraction of the price of designer jeans, but which one do they buy? A consumer could buy a four-door sedan instead of a sports car, or $80 shoes instead of $700 boots, yet, they see value in certain products and are willing to pay for the privilege of owning them.

This is even more the case with high-priced luxury items. A customer can purchase an accurate timepiece today for as little as $3, so you don't sell a $13,000 watch because it tells time. You sell the features of the watch that the customer perceives as valuable. Customers are motivated to buy the designer watch simply because they see it as a status symbol. They may love the compliments they get. Sell the value the customer expressed as important to them.

Features Never Sell-Benefits Do

Customers don't buy features, they buy benefits. Highly successful salespeople carefully choose the points they demonstrate so they can deliver what the customer wants to buy. Let's go back to those five people all looking at the same car. Chances are you won't get very far with a customer whose primary concern is safety if you focus your demonstration points on the sleek body style of the car.

Your demonstration points must focus on the features the customer expressed as being of value. This is accomplished by matching what you learn in probing to the benefits of the particular merchandise you choose to demonstrate. This could be stated as an equation:

Probing = Answers Demonstrate those Answers

During your demonstration, it is not enough to merely recite the various features of an item. What you say about each feature may be more important than the feature itself. For example, every person's face has features, and people will understand that you are talking about features of the face if you list what they are: eyes, nose, lips, etc. But you can go one step further and create enthusiasm about particular facial features by describing them in a way that paints a picture of them-velvet brown eyes, button nose, luscious lips, etc. Simply reciting the features of an item is an ordinary approach to selling. It doesn't require any thought or imagination because you can repeat the same features to anyone. Words should be used to creatively depict the aspects of your merchandise that will satisfy the needs your customers have revealed during probing. Don't just sell your customers a pair of leather shoes; sell them a pair of shoes made of soft calfskin leather that will mold to the shape of their feet ensuring the comfort they are looking for. Establishing value is essential in making the sale. Find out what is valuable to your customer, build that value into your presentation, and then watch your sales soar.