Create the highest, grandest vision possible for your life because you become what you believe.
—Oprah Winfrey

The drawing on the opposite page illustrates the concept of the Value Hierarchy and how value grows larger at the top.

Features. Countless salespeople, marketers, and executives confuse features with benefits. Features simply describe a product—they do not have value.

Benefits. When a feature is used to accomplish something for the buyer, it generates a benefit.

Solutions. When a benefit solves a problem for the buyer, it starts to have measurable value.

Qualitative results. The solution to a problem should result in some positive outcomes (e.g., improved quality, improved profitability).

Quantitative results. When the results can be measured and verified, they will be perceived at their full amount and can be objectively plugged into the company’s financial statements to assess their impact.

Change response. When the product or service helps the customer respond to forces that threaten opportunities, the value is more significant than numbers alone would suggest.
Self-aligned. The greatest value is derived when the customer satisfies his most cherished internal needs. 

Climb the value hierarchy as quickly as you can.

If the nature of your product involves a mostly transactional sales process and your customers are only interested in features, refer those customers to your website shopping cart. Become the best Internet marketer possible and stay current with the fast-changing technologies and techniques of the Internet.

If you are currently focused on delivering solutions, your business proposals should already identify quantifiable results. Climb the Value Hierarchy by identifying high-impact forces acting on the customer and internal needs that can be satisfied with your solution.

To achieve and maintain a position at the top of the Value Hierarchy, be creative and agile with your “solution.” You will almost certainly have to adapt your solution to deliver value at that level.

Transact features, benefits, and solutions on your website. Identify qualitative and quantitative results early in the sales cycle. As your relationship forms, identify the most important forces and the most cherished needs, and then deliver on them.