When we talk about the benefits of our products or services we tend to talk about their qualities, features, and functionality. We say things like fast, friendly service, or quality, innovation, speed, and durability.
As long as we talk about our products and services in this context we are talking about US. We think we have shifted our attention to focus on the suspect, but in reality we are still focusing on US or OUR perceptions of how good WE are. WE are faster. WE are friendly.
In order for sales people to connect with suspects, we must get outside of our egocentric view and get into the mind of our suspects. It is not easy to get outside of our own egocentric box. If I say my product is faster, I am speaking about me and my product. But if I ask myself why my customers care about speed, I can begin the transition from feature to benefit.
If my product is faster than what my customer is currently using, then purchasing my product provides an advantage over not purchasing it. When I say the speed of my product helps my customers complete more work in the same amount of time, that is an advantage to my customer, and it suggests there is an advantage available to my suspect.
I can take the advantage one step further by talking about the value of completing more work in the same amount of time, which might include increased revenue, relieving the pain of a tedious task, or freeing time for more enjoyable activities. When I take the advantage one step further, I am able to get to the real benefits desired by my suspect.