Are you promoting features or benefits?

One of the biggest marketing mistakes that professionals make, is that they emphasize their training and background, their unique experiences, their publications, their philosophies.

Visit the websites of various psychologists, coaches and consultants. Near the top of their home pages you'll see lots of phrases similar to these:

• "I work with couples and families."
• "I use a cognitive-behavioral perspective."
• "My training has prepared me to work with a wide variety of people."
• "The difference between a therapist and a coach is..."
  

All of the above are important. It's just that it's not the most effective way to get people interested in you. In the marketing world, these are called features. Talk about them later, not first.

Instead, lead with benefits. Address typical issues that your potential clients have. Communicate to them that you care about them and how you will help them.

My listing in the therapist section of the Psychology Today website has more than paid for itself in referrals. Maybe it's because of my cute picture ;-) But I like to think that it's due to the way it's written. It starts by addressing the readers' problems, not my style or my qualifications.

The kind of work we do seems mysterious to some. The general public does not know the difference between, say, psychologists, coaches, counselors, therapists, consultants, Ph.D, PsyD, MD, MSW, etc. But do they care?

Probably not. More likely, they want to know: Can you help me with my problem?

For a better understanding of the difference between features and products, consider how you buy some electronic product, like a computer. Most of the ads list features: 2 GB DDR RAM. Intel Core 2 Duo. Do you really know what that means? Do you know why you need it?

The more effective computer ads tell you that you can have 6 different programs running without your computer slowing down; or that this type of processor will keep your laptop cool while it's sitting on your lap.

See what I mean?

All your promotional materials, speeches and other marketing communications should answer this question (from the point of view of your potential clients and customers): "Why should I care? What's in it for me?"

Want to learn more ways to show people that you can help them with their problems? Registration is now open for my distance-learning course. Click here to take advantage of the early registration discount and lifetime access to future presentations of this course.