Leading with Outcomes: When It's the Right Strategy.
People don't buy products, they buy solutions to their problems.
Don’t lead with features (12mg Melatonin, 100% drug free, extra strength), not even with benefits (calms the body). Lead with the outcome (restful sleep).
This strategy is effective when customers are uncertain about the solution that will address their needs. For instance, the right-hand product assumes people understand what melatonin is. However, it fails to explain the benefits to the user (i.e., why they should use melatonin).
Let's imagine a customer named Sarah to illustrate this point.
Sarah faces challenges: she frequently travels across time zones, has a demanding job, and often feels anxious. These factors lead to her waking up tired due to poor sleep quality.
Seeking better sleep, Sarah explores various options: meditation, sleeping pills, herbal teas, etc. She isn't specifically looking for melatonin—perhaps she doesn't even know what it is. Her goal is to resolve her sleep issues, and she will compare the left-hand product with other diverse solutions.
Her choice might lean towards the product on the left, possibly because she found meditation ineffective, fears addiction to pills, and dislikes the taste of herbal infusions.
Meanwhile, the right-hand product is lost among numerous similar melatonin offerings, failing to clearly communicate why a consumer should choose melatonin at all. This creates a competitive disadvantage.
Just because you know what your product does, it doesn't mean your customer does.
When you market the product, people assume you want their money 💰
When you market the problem, people assume you are their solution 💡
However, there are other instances when leading with feature is a more effective strategy. Read about it here:
Leading with Features: When It's the Right Strategy.
Last week, Humane announced their first AI-powered hardware, the Ai Pin. Their website, a demo by founders Bethany Bongiorno (she/her) and Imran Chaudhri defies the traditional rules of messaging. It heavily focuses on features, offers limited insight into benefits, and lacks clarity on what Ai Pin is and its purpose.