The phrase "don't sell what you do, sell what's different" means you should focus on selling the unique value, solutions, and benefits your product or service provides, rather than just listing its features. This approach highlights what makes you stand out from competitors and addresses the customer's specific problems, needs, and emotional drivers, creating a more compelling reason for them to choose you.
Sell the Solution, Not Just the Product
Focus on the "why": Instead of saying your car has great gas mileage (a feature), sell the benefit of saving money and time at the gas pump (the solution).
Solve their problem: Use the "Problem/Solution Framework" to focus on what the customer is experiencing. If they are hungry, it doesn't matter if you have the best pizza in town; it matters that you have a table and can serve them quickly.
Sell the Experience and Transformation
Sell the change: For innovations or new processes, you're not selling the product itself but the change in thinking or how it will improve their life or business.
Sell the outcome: Think about what customers are truly buying. Netflix isn't selling a subscription to a library; it's selling convenience, joy, and the ability to watch what you want, when you want.
Sell the expertise: Companies like Accenture sell their strategy, planning, and industry expertise rather than just the output of their work.
Sell the Value Before the Ask
Focus on the customer's needs: Build value by genuinely trying to help your potential customers before you try to sell them something.
Offer value first: Think "give, give, give, ask" instead of "sell, sell, sell, ask." Share helpful content or advice upfront to build trust and credibility before you get to the sales pitch.
3 Powerful Copywriting Frameworks
AIDA, PAS, and BAB are all copywriting frameworks used to structure persuasive content. AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) guides a customer through the purchase journey, while PAS (Problem, Agitate, Solution) focuses on pain points to sell a solution. BAB (Before, After, Bridge) is a storytelling formula that contrasts the current struggle with a future solution, showing how your product provides the connection between them.
AIDA Framework
- Attention: Grab the audience's attention with a strong headline or hook.
- Interest: Build interest by highlighting a problem or need.
- Desire: Create desire for your product by showing how it fulfills their needs.
- Action: Tell them exactly what to do next (e.g., "Buy now," "Sign up").
PAS Framework
- Problem: State the specific problem your audience is facing.
- Agitate: Intensify the problem to emphasize the pain, frustration, and cost of inaction.
- Solution: Introduce your product or service as the direct fix to their problem.
BAB Framework
- Before: Paint a vivid picture of the customer's current struggles and frustrations.
- After: Show them the ideal future where the problem is solved and their goals are achieved.
- Bridge: Explain how your product or service is the bridge that connects their current state to the desired future.
Putting It All Together
The key to effective selling is understanding that customers don't buy products—they buy solutions, transformations, and better versions of their lives. By focusing on what makes you different, leading with value, and using proven copywriting frameworks like AIDA, PAS, and BAB, you can create messaging that resonates deeply with your audience and drives real results.
Remember: sell the outcome, not the output. Sell the transformation, not the transaction. That's what makes you different.