Magnificent Publications specializes in persuasive publications. We just read a book on the subject from the Harvard Business Press, Persuading People by Harry Mills. The book is meant for oral presentations, but it applies just as well to written persuasion.

Most developers of persuasive communications appreciate the difference between features—what a thing consists of or how it works—and benefits—how a thing will help users. One feature of a new computer might be the very latest microprocessor. The benefit is that the computer will let the user work faster and use new applications.

Features versus benefits: the distinction applies across the entire spectrum of products, services, ideas, and behaviors.

People care far more about benefits than features, of course. They care about benefits because of:

• Desire for gain
• Fear of loss

As we’ve discussed, research shows fear of loss to be the more powerful motivator. So be sure to emphasize benefits that help people avoid losing something (money, customers, or opportunities, for example) and support your case with evidence.

Some benefits matter more to your target audience than others. To Mills, it is the sum of the most important benefits that constitutes your unique value proposition: “the essence of your idea; what makes your idea unique and better than alternative or competing proposals, and how it will benefit your intended audience.”

If you knew that already, and you’re still agonizing over how to define your organization’s unique value proposition, try Mills’ four steps:

1. List all benefits of your product, service, mission, or idea.
2. Rank the benefits by how well they serve your prospect’s interests.
3. Present evidence showing that the highest-ranked benefits are real.
4. Compare your benefits to your competitors’ and choose those that make you unique.

That’s it. We didn’t say it would be easy. We said try it.

Posted in Persuasion