A very effective and persuasive tactic when selling something is to promote its benefits as well as its features.

Very simply, features are what something has; benefits are what those features do for you.

For example, if youre selling your used Oldsmobile, one of the features you might mention is its large trunk.

If you focus only on the feature, youll say, This car has a large trunk. (Yawn) But if you promote that feature with its benefit, you could say, The trunk is huge. You can get three suitcases and your golf bag in there for a trip to Disneyland and still have plenty of room for all the souvenirs youll want to bring home! See how that makes a more powerful impression?

The potential buyer can visualize how this car with its large trunk can make packing for his next trip much easier. Use the same tactic for each feature of the car, and (Ka-ching!) you have a much quicker sale.

When youre preparing your resume or answering questions during an interview, youre selling yourself, so use that same tactic: sell your benefits along with your features! Heres how:

Consider these typical features a job applicant might mention during an interview:

10 Years of Experience

Ability to Type 90 Words Per Minute

Strong Organizational Skills

Dedicated

Excellent Communicator

2004 Administrator of the Year, Acme International Inc.

Those are pretty impressive. Now lets see how you can turn those features into benefits:

Feature: 10 Years of Experience. Benefits: I know what to expect in this type of position; Ive handled this type of work before; I wont need much training or supervision; Ill hit the ground running and will start producing right away.

Feature: Ability to Type 90 Words Per Minute. Benefits: I can get your 10-page reports done in less than an hour; I will speed up your work flow.

Feature: Strong Organizational Skills. Benefits: Ill keep track of your schedule so youll always be on time and have the materials you need; I will be able to quickly retrieve any document; I will prioritize my workload to ensure the most critical projects are don e first; I will save you time; Ill help you make your boss happy.

Feature: Dedicated. Benefits: I will support the companys overall mission and do whatever I can to help achieve it; I wont complain about hard work or long hours; I will faithfully do my job to the best of my ability.

Feature: Excellent Communicator. Benefits: I will easily be able to give you and your staff the information you and they need, whether in verbal or written form; I will be able to compose much of your correspondence, relieving you of that duty; I will save you time and effort.

Feature: Administrator of the Year, 2003, Acme International Inc. Benefits: "Im very good at what I do, and you dont have to take my word for it heres proof that others have recognized my skill, professionalism, and outstanding contributions.

Even more impressive! See how that works? A feature is nice. But even better is answering the hiring managers unspoken question, So why is that important? You do that by selling your benefits.

Make a list of your own features and their corresponding benefits. Learn to promote these benefits to your potential employer. Do this in your cover letter, your resume, and during your interview to make a powerful impression.

You will SELL yourself into a new job!