Good sales people know the difference between features and benefits. Often that makes the difference between making a sale or conceding defeat to a competitor.
Likewise, effective job seekers must also know the difference. That knowledge often determines who gets an interview and ultimately who snags the job offer.
Sadly, most job seekers focus only on features when they should be talking about benefits. So what’s the crucial difference?
Features Tell. Features are facts, the list of items on your resume that describe you. They provide basic information — Who you are. Where you’ve worked. Dates you were there. Job titles. Accomplishments. Education. Community involvement.
Benefits Sell. Benefits convert features into relevant information. Benefits describe the value that a potential employer might find in one of your features. A hiring manager is always asking questions such as — So what? How is this relevant? Why should I care? What can you do for me?
Features and benefits are both important. To be effective, though, you must lead with benefits and then follow up with features. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Duane Hallock