For example, a self-setting clock on a DVR has the obvious benefit that you don’t have to set the clock. But a salesperson might expand on this benefit by saying something like this:

“If the power goes out or you have to unplug the DVR, you don’t have to read the manual to figure out how to reset the clock.”

It’s a good idea to describe benefits in explicit terms. This is not because customers do not have the intelligence to work it out for themselves, but rather because they will often be looking at a deal from a point of view of why they might be best served by keeping their money in their wallet. 

In order to convince a customer to part with their money it is essential to deal with any objections and to make them see how the benefits outweigh the cost.

Therefore, a DVD player that you are selling may be a “multi-region” model. Simply saying that it is “multi-region” is telling them something they can work out for themselves by reading the box. The “multi-region” element of the DVD player is a “feature”. 

The “benefit” in this situation is that they can buy DVDs from other countries and play them on the same system. In many cases, DVDs will be cheaper from a different country in a single-region format. Buying a “multi-region” DVD player will save them money, and so is beneficial to them.

It is things like this that make a person purchase a specific item. The question that they may ask on the surface is “what does it do?” but the question you need to answer for them is “what will it do for me?” One item may have various selling points for different possible purchasers. 

It is important to be aware of what tack you should take with each customer. A sales pitch is absolutely not a “one size fits all” matter – for the salesperson or for the customer.