As a marketer, we talk about highlighting benefits, not features.
The features are the attributes of a product or service.
The benefit is the value a customer gets from the product or service.
Often when we are creating and updating bios, resumes, and LinkedIn, we focus on our features.
Features include our education, past titles, and skills.
They are important, but they don’t truly express the value we provide a team or organization.
Features describe what we are or have, but benefits explain why that matters.
Benefits make our personal brand more compelling.
Shifting from Features to Benefits
To start to make the shift, we first need to have features to focus on.
We can make a quick list of skills and strengths.
Then, use a simple approach to turn them to benefits.
Feature: “I have X skill/quality.”
Benefit: “Which means I can [help you accomplish Y].”
Alternative phrasing: “So that you can [achieve Z].”
From these statements, the benefits we provide should start to emerge.
We may want to blend them with several benefits combining in a unique way.
Examples of Features vs. Benefits
Sometimes having a few examples helps us get our ideas flowing.
Here are a few features that have turned into benefits:
Detail-Oriented becomes “catching potential issues before they become problems”.
Strong Communicator becomes “simplifying complex ideas so they are clear & compelling”.
Creative Problem Solver becomes “finding innovative solutions that unlock new opportunities”.
Your Turn
Do your resume and LinkedIn profile contain features or benefits?
What benefits do your co-workers believe you bring to a project?
How do your features combine to provide a benefit that articulates your secret sauce?