There’s an old wives’ tale that suggests you can tell when dinner is ready by throwing a piece of spaghetti against the wall to see if it sticks. If it sticks, it’s done. If not, keep cooking. Whenever I think of ‘features and benefits’ selling, I think of someone throwing a whole pot of spaghetti noodles against the wall and trying to see what sticks. Stupid, right? I think so.

What is ‘features and benefits’? Well, Dale Carnegie would say that by listing all of the features of your product and all the benefits that will come to you as a result of using this product, that you’ll finally say enough and hit on something your prospect may find important.

Features and benefits selling is the fastest way to expose yourself as old-fashioned, and in the box, as relates to sales. AND, it doesn’t really work. It’s not even as effective as throwing a whole pot of pasta against the wall. An additional side effect is that the sales person can appear smarmy and outdated.

It brings to mind the character of Gil Gunderson on ‘The Simpson’s’ who is a hapless and nervous salesman who uses old-fashioned techniques to no avail. He sweats, he begs, he lists all the reasons why you should buy the product he’s selling or the house he has listed or any number of things (he’s had dozens of jobs), and he always ends up failing because it’s all about Gil. It’s never about his prospect or their needs.

Features and benefits doesn’t work, first and foremost, because it focuses on you. You’re not the one you’re trying to sell. Secondly, features and benefits puts you in the perspective of continuing to ask the wrong questions.

Try this instead of ‘features and benefits’–elicit your prospect’s criteria. It’s that simple. This is true across the board in life–in business, in love, in family relations–the truest and deepest way to understand what the values and criteria are for a specific context, is to simply ask. By doing this, you increase your odds immeasurably with predictable results you can count on each and every time.

So my new theory says, if you throw enough stuff on the wall, you’ve got dirty walls. Features and benefits, for the most part, are baloney, they’re not effective, and they simply mark you as someone who is unskilled and unprofessional.

There is one exception to this rule. Features and benefits is an acceptable tool to use when your prospect knows absolutely nothing about your product or service. If they’re there to buy something they have no idea about, then go ahead, give them some features and benefits. But remember, even then, this is the second step in the process. The first step is always to elicit their criteria.

The first step is giving yourself the ability to target straight into their heart. Straight into their emotions, into their deepest desires. If I can speak directly to you about what it is you want, if I can talk about persuasion, and about the benefit to you of being able to master it, all of the sudden I might start having a little bit more of your attention.

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