Risks of Using an Opening Benefits Statement

by Graham Denton

The opening benefits statement, popularized by the Xerox Learning Systems program Professional Selling Skills, is a widely used technique for grabbing the customer's attention by immediately highlighting a benefit of your product or service. "Ms. Jones, I'm sure that, like most people, you've experienced the frustration of finding a parking space and not being able to fit into it. Well, as the owner of a Mini-Moto-Scooter, you'll never have to face that problem again. You'll be able to fit into any parking space, anywhere, and get a head start on your busy day while your less fortunate colleagues are still circling the block."

Attention-grabber? Sure. Solid selling point? Maybe. But only if Ms. Jones hates the parking problem so much that she's willing to trade in her car for something that would fit in its trunk.

The example is ridiculous, admittedly, but the lesson is not. One of the major drawbacks of an opening benefits statement is that it depends on the prospect or customer sharing your perception of how the highlighted benefit can change his life for the better. Since every product and service has multiple benefits, you've got no guarantee, when you enter Ms. Jones's office, that the benefit you choose for an opener will strike her fancy. You could choose right -- and many salespeople do -- but you also could choose wrong. And when that happens, you put yourself (and the sale) at considerable risk. You easily could find yourself in the classic dilemma of pitching the benefits of a comb to a man with no hair.

One lesson, therefore, is to avoid this "time-tested" technique unless you're absolutely sure the benefit you intend to highlight is something that will appeal to this individual person. Benefits that can save virtually everybody time or money are usually safe; more arcane benefits -- things like "ease of downloading," "prestige value," and the maneuverability of motor scooters -- may not be.

But even with the "time and money" pitch, you still have to personalize. Neil Rackham, author of SPIN Selling, makes this point when he describes how a salesperson gained his initial respect by using a catchy "It'll save you money" benefits statement -- and then lost it even faster (and for good) when he rolled out the same benefits grabber on a follow-up call. "The very opening that had made such a positive impression the first time around now sounded mechanical and irritating."

An effective opening statement makes the prospect want to hear more, because it conveys the sense that you are speaking directly to his interests. If you sound like you're trying out a "gambit," count that customer out.