I went to buy new running shoes last week. Big annual purchase. I showed the salesperson my current pair and he pulled out a newer, more expensive model.
Then he started selling me on features. It weighs 30 grams less. The cushion is 8mm instead of 6mm. There’s more gel.
Cool. But what does that mean?
“Well, the millimeters mean there’s more gel in the midsole.”
OK. But what does that mean for me?
It took multiple rounds of me asking before he finally said: better support for your knees. You can run longer without pain.
Finally, an actual benefit I could relate to.
I ended up buying the same model I already had. I tried both on the treadmill in the store, and the old model felt better.
But honestly? If he had explained better how the new model would protect my joints, help me run longer, and recover faster instead of “8mm gel cushion,” I might have walked out with the expensive pair.
Sound familiar? This happens in B2B marketing all the time.
Founders and marketers love talking about the incredible technology behind their product. The AI. The models. The differentiated approach. The patents. And it’s all genuinely impressive.
But your prospect doesn’t care.
Not because it’s not amazing, but because they don’t always understand the technology, and more importantly, they’re experts in their own world, their own problems, their own goals. That’s what they care about.
They want to know: will this solve my pain? Will it help me do something better, faster, cheaper? Will it make my life easier? Help me achieve my goals? Make me look like a hero to my team and my boss?
Stop selling features. Start selling outcomes and benefits.
Talk to your prospects. Put yourself in their shoes. 👟
The answers are always there.
(And thank you to my trusty ASICS GT 2000 14 – great features & outcomes.)
