Whenever we set out to sell something, we automatically gravitate toward features as our selling strategy. The reason is fairly simple; we ourselves are usually already sold on whatever it is we are selling. One of the themes from the introduction of The Sandler Rules notes that sales are usually made because the buyer has been persuaded emotionally or subjectively that the sale is worthwhile and then can provide him- or herself with objective reasons to support their decision. Therefore, since we are already sold on our product, we as salespeople have moved on to the objective phase of our decision-making. This results in a fundamental paradigm difference between us and our prospects, who are still in the subjective phase of decision-making. This is the first reason that relying on features to sell your product is a poor sales tactic; you are adopting a fundamentally different viewpoint than your prospect.
In the Austrian school of economics, people value things subjectively. What is a very valuable product to one person may be utterly worthless to another. This is the second reason that listing features isn’t an effective sales tactic. Features are by their nature an objective measure of a product’s capabilities. “This vehicle can pull 11,000 lbs.” “We deliver within 20 minutes.” To effectively install your product in the customer’s schedule of value, it is necessary to pitch your product in terms that make sense subjectively. “You said your current vehicle doesn’t pull enough weight. I think we can find you a replacement that can pull whatever you need it to.” “Well, if you’re sick of pizza being delivered cold, I have some good news for you.”
By pitching benefits, which are a product’s improvements to the prospects pain points, you can generate much more specific interest. By trying to find what a customer values and explaining how your product meets that value, a value which is different for every customer, you are taking a much more reliable route than by extolling the features of your product, which are the same for every prospect but are also valued differently by every prospect.
Aliyah Shelatz 
Ethan David
It really is a game changer to focus on the customer, and identify the benefits that are of value to them – as they care about certain things, and could care less about other features!
Great article! Yes, customers don’t actually look for features, they look for benefits to help with their needs. Features often get in the way and distract from selling.