I get pretty nostalgic this time of the year! Not because of Christmas, necessarily, but because of all the years we ran a retail website and retail booth during the holidays.
As much fun as we had, I am happy that we sold the business nearly two years ago. But I still think of those fun times every year during the holidays.
We learned a lot from running the holiday booth. Selling directly to our end customers opens up opportunities for feedback on our products. One lesson we learned during those years is people buy things based on how they feel about them. In other words, purchases are fueled by feelings, not necessarily by how useful or feature-rich an item is.
Clare Holiday from Indie Retail Academy describes this thinking process:
Now, most of us consider ourselves to be fairly rational, logical creatures.
When a decision presents itself we think things through carefully, perhaps while smoking a pipe.
Except when it comes to buying stuff.
Purchases are fuelled by feelings.
We proved this point over and over again through some of the responses we received from consumers to our holiday booth. Some were looking just for huckleberry products (big sellers in our part of the world). They did always seem to care about how the product tasted, they just wanted the prettiest labeled huckleberry product to share with their friends.
On the other hand, our Redneck labeled products were also a big draw because of the corny, but appealing labels. The line was a good match for folks who wanted to give a useful, but humorous gift — especially if they were buying a gift for men. (You would not believe how many calls we got from folks all over the country asking us if the product was actually safe to eat!!)
Clare goes on to explain:
Features are the nuts-and-bolts specifications of a product.
Benefits are the desirable feelings or outcomes a buyer can expect to experience as a result of using or enjoying a product.
Features are great, but it is the benefits that sell the product. Benefits tell the potential consumer what is in it for them (or their gift recipient).
Whether you are selling online, at a craft show, or at a holiday booth, remember to share the benefits of your products. Showing the appeal of your item, will increase your sales!