Communicating benefits, not features
By Andrea Hill
When I walked past an Estée Lauder counter recently, the woman working behind it queried, “Excuse me, ma’am, would you like a free makeover today? I have some terrific products that can really highlight the glow of that suntan you’re sporting.” What a great line! Of course I was intrigued. I responded that I didn’t need a makeover, but I’d like to hear about the products.
My favorite luxury product category to study is makeup, because the cosmetics industry is genius at taking very low-cost materials and turning them into high-priced, almost-never-discounted luxury products. Why am I telling you this? Because if you want to study terrific sales and marketing techniques, you would be wise to take a close look at the beauty industry. Cosmetic companies don’t focus on selling makeup—they focus on selling the benefits that makeup provides.