What is a Unique Feature and Why Does it Matter?

Can you name one unique feature about your company’s offering?

What about two? Or three?

A unique feature is something that makes your company stand out. What do you provide that differs from your competitors and appeals to your target market?

Why are unique features so important?

• Uniqueness translates into features or benefits that solve buyer problems.
• They give buyers better reasons to buy.
• They help to provide unique versus commodity pricing.

Here's an example:

Think of the Apple Airpods.

These are simple, powerful, and unique Bluetooth earphones that pair easily with your smartphone, charge in a case that fits comfortably in your pocket, and have additional functions such as automatic ear detection, mic selection, and more.

With this innovative product, Apple was able to introduce a series of unique features to a commoditized market.

So if your goal is to attract the right buyer, differentiating your products or services from others in your market is key.

A list of unique features and benefits can help push your prospective buyer in the right direction. Without it, you’ll just look like another company offering the same thing!

List your unique features.

Take a notepad and jot down 10-20 distinct features of your company’s product or service. This is an activity that you can do with your team during your next sales training. Afterward, be sure to add it into your Sales PlayBook, too!

The goal of this exercise is not only to identify specific features but to also define what makes them unique.

Prospective buyers want to know that they are getting something cutting-edge. This reinforces their decision to buy from you versus from your competitor.

In most cases, if there is no perceived uniqueness, the differentiator boils down to price.

However, to identify unique features that really matter, think about what problems they solve.  For instance, in the AirPods example above, Apple solved several problems for earphone consumers. They extended battery life, allowed users to activate smartphone functions by double-tapping one of the AirPods, and integrated the product with the “find my iPhone” app so that users can easily locate their headphones if they lose them.

In terms of how Apple developed this unique feature, they applied a “less is more” approach by focusing on form, function, and quality over anything else. Word of mouth from users also played a very big role in “selling” the product's unique features.

Spruce up your weak features.

An example of a weak or non-unique feature is the “rapid response.” In conversation, it sounds something like this: “We pride ourselves on our rapid response when clients call for support.”

This feature isn't unique because, from the buyer's perspective, everyone says: “We provide a rapid response.”  And, this becomes a big issue when companies can't live up to that claim (most of them don't)!

So, how do we spruce this feature up?

Say something like, ”One of our features is the XYZ Response System.”

This statement triggers your buyer’s curiosity. They’ll ask themselves: “What is the XYZ Response System and what can it do for my company?” This statement implies that you offer something different, something better, or something more innovative.  At this point, a buyer is likely to request more information, which is a strong buying signal for the seller!

While you explain your unique feature, be sure to tie it to a benefit. What problem does your feature solve for your client?

What are the 3 Key Principles of a Great Feature?

Here’s a recap:

1. Make it unique.

Your goal is to make your prospect ask, “What is that? or “Can you explain what that means?”

That’s music to your ears. Why? Because it means they’re paying attention!

2. Link your feature to a benefit.

A good benefit is one that solves one or more problems for your buyer.

You could say something like, “Our XYZ database contains over 10,000 solutions which saves you time, effort, and money that you normally use researching!”

3. Address the problem that your feature solves.

If the XYZ database gives your prospect quick answers that save time and money, then the problem your prospect is experiencing is the opposite of that benefit.

In other words, the problem is that the prospect spends too much time researching answers, which slows down their process and costs them time and money!

Ultimately, a company’s unique feature or features should be positioned by its sellers as solutions to problems.  This is important, because the more your company focuses on problems and solutions, the more in touch it is with what its market truly wants.

And more importantly, what the market is willing to pay for!