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Ahh! The age old Outcome vs. Output and Features vs. Benefit conundrum.
This is a situational position that a marketer needs to analyse before presenting their product. https://twitter.com/lkr/status/1335642001568653314
This is a situational position that a marketer needs to analyse before presenting their product. https://twitter.com/lkr/status/1335642001568653314
The keyword here is stating the product's "core competency" outright.
The core competency highlights the strategic curve the product is taking.
For starters, there are a few factors that define the rhetoric.
The core competency highlights the strategic curve the product is taking.
For starters, there are a few factors that define the rhetoric.
1. The product itself
Whether it's a disruptive innovation or a sustaining innovation.
Sustaining innovation has more takers and is all about features.
I use a payment gateway, I find a better payment gateway with better features, I change my payment gateway.
Whether it's a disruptive innovation or a sustaining innovation.
Sustaining innovation has more takers and is all about features.
I use a payment gateway, I find a better payment gateway with better features, I change my payment gateway.
Disruptive innovation seeks to create a new market.
This is where I'll need to see the outcomes.
An app that reads my bank's texts, analyses them and tracks my spends. Sounds cool. But the features mean nothing to me. I'll explore the outcomes once I am acclimated with it.
This is where I'll need to see the outcomes.
An app that reads my bank's texts, analyses them and tracks my spends. Sounds cool. But the features mean nothing to me. I'll explore the outcomes once I am acclimated with it.
2. The stage of awareness of your patrons.
Users can either be unaware, product aware or solutions aware.
Unaware users almost always need outcomes/benefits. They need to know what they can achieve at the end of the day with your product.
Users can either be unaware, product aware or solutions aware.
Unaware users almost always need outcomes/benefits. They need to know what they can achieve at the end of the day with your product.
Solutions aware and folks need a little bit of both. They are looking for a solution to a specific problem.
They usually have their requirements decided - but an unexpected outcome from their viewpoint can lead to a conversion.
They usually have their requirements decided - but an unexpected outcome from their viewpoint can lead to a conversion.
Eg. - I need a Mobile document scanner. Oh look... This one scans and then converts it into an editable file. I'll take this.
The term OCR means nothing to them.
The term OCR means nothing to them.
Product aware people almost always lean on features. They have their solutions predetermined.
They are in product comparison mode. And are likely considering strategic or operational improvement.
These are the people that require features. They know the outcomes.
They are in product comparison mode. And are likely considering strategic or operational improvement.
These are the people that require features. They know the outcomes.
3. The technical awareness of your demo
This is almost always on the outcome end.
Say you're selling a Cloud PoS for Spas.
A page listing 200 features does nothing.
But getting a branded page online in 5 minutes where they can schedule appointments and accept payments? Done!
This is almost always on the outcome end.
Say you're selling a Cloud PoS for Spas.
A page listing 200 features does nothing.
But getting a branded page online in 5 minutes where they can schedule appointments and accept payments? Done!
4. The market saturation of your product
If you're in a saturated market, a basic analysis will show that you're dealing with a product aware demo in most cases.
This is where features matter.
The recent mass adoption of zoom/teams being an outlier.
If you're in a saturated market, a basic analysis will show that you're dealing with a product aware demo in most cases.
This is where features matter.
The recent mass adoption of zoom/teams being an outlier.
5. The complexity and the learning curve of your product.
Push button, automated products can go by with anything.
But if your product requires documentation - you need to sell a calculated mix of outcomes and features.
Push button, automated products can go by with anything.
But if your product requires documentation - you need to sell a calculated mix of outcomes and features.
I generally do both for startups I consult.
What can be done?
What you can do?
Then it's a game of split testing both.
User stories turn into interesting outcome panels in such cases.
What can be done?
What you can do?
Then it's a game of split testing both.
User stories turn into interesting outcome panels in such cases.
Finally, it's all on your customers.
If you're getting a lot of enquiries asking for the benefits/outcomes - then it needs to be addressed.
It never is a one size fits all solution.
You can also mix both - explaining each feature in detail and showcasing their outcome.
If you're getting a lot of enquiries asking for the benefits/outcomes - then it needs to be addressed.
It never is a one size fits all solution.
You can also mix both - explaining each feature in detail and showcasing their outcome.
Typed at 4 in the morning, please excuse typos and/or brevity.
