Growth Newsletter #199: What are you really selling?

A benefit of a benefit is a friend  ‌ ‌ ‌ [Demand Curve]( [Read on demandcurve.com]( The Growth Newsletter #199 What are you really selling? It's a smoky day up here in Victoria.  Amongst the smoke, I'm sharing a simple 2-step exercise to uncover unexpected ways to pitch your product—with some classic examples of it in action. I got the idea from [Dan Nelken](, an excellent creative copywriter.  Let's dive into what you really sell – Neal Brought to you by [Coho AI](  Analytics tools show you a bunch of data. CRMs track your leads. Email/messaging tools let you contact them.  But none tell you when someone is ready to buy or what you should do to keep them coming back.  That's where Coho AI comes in: Connect all your tools, and their AI will analyze your users to create high-value segments and tell you exactly what you need to do to get them to convert and keep coming back.  Think of it as adding a genius data analyst and marketer to the team.  Start with a free report that uncovers: - Your most valuable users - Hidden segments - Opportunities to improve communication  [Claim your free user insights report](. Want to be featured in front of over 101,000 founders and marketers? [Learn more here](. Leverage the benefit of a benefit Insight from [Nice Ads]( and DC.  It’s a hot day. Your kids bounce off the walls, and you scroll Instagram to de-stress.  You’re hit with an ad for a Springfree trampoline. The ad shows kids double bouncing each other into the air and off the enclosed walls.  Your eyes gloss over, and you start to scroll past.  And then the ad says:  “They’ll be distracted for hours while you lounge peacefully inside.”  You perk up. Now you’re interested.  Finally a way to get some peace and quiet.  When someone buys a trampoline, what they're really buying is peace.  Find the benefit of the benefit  When you write copy to sell your product, sometimes it’s helpful to look at the “benefit of a benefit.” Note: this is more obvious when the buyer is different than the user, but that's not a requirement. Use this exercise to uncover clever ways to pitch your product. Step 1:  Write a list of your product’s benefits AND its downsides.  You’ll see why in a second.  Step 2:  Analyze each and ask, “what’s a unexpected / obvious / helpful / interesting / funny / convenient / comforting / amazing / wild / beautiful / exciting / weird… benefit of this benefit/downside?”  In other words, what’s a second-order benefit of that benefit/downside?  It can either be directly for the user (kids on a trampoline) or for the real buyer/user (relaxed parent).  A bunch of examples:  Trampoline → fun for multiple kids → parents get some time off  Sports car → no back seats (drawback) → no room for kids (there's a theme here) Dog bed → dog will have a place to sleep → he won’t sleep in your bed  Electric car → no visiting gas stations → not caring when gas prices go up  Durex → no unexpected pregnancies → no kids stuff (Durex = cheaper than baby) Jeep → amazing off road vehicle → can park anywhere McDonald’s → open 24/7 → only food available on a late party night → good at interpreting drunk people (note this is a benefit of a benefit of a benefit). You get the point.  Do this simple exercise the next time you write copy for your site, an ad, an email, or a piece of content. List all the benefits and downsides of your product. Then find the second (or third) order benefit of each.  A lot will be rubbish. But you might strike gold.  Shoutout to [Dan Nelken](’s great book, [A Self-Help Guide for Copywriters,]( for this insight. I highly recommend its process for generating a bunch of great copy ideas. What did you think of today's newsletter? 😍 Loved it: Forward to a friend, or reply—a simple 😍 will do! It really helps. 🤷‍♀️ Meh: You can unsubscribe [here](), or manage your subscription [here](. 🤔 I'm new here: You can join the party [here](. 🤩 Give me more: Check out all previous growth tactics in our [Growth Vault](. Something fun  Keeping with today's theme 😂. From [@openlygayanimals](. How we can help you grow - Read our free [playbooks](,[ articles](, [growth guide](, and [teardowns](—we break down the strategies & tactics used by fast-growing startups. - Need help running ads? We’ve built [the]([ ads agency]( for startups. - Looking for a growth freelancer or agency? [We’ll match you]( with a vetted partner for free. - Get in front of 101,000+ founders by [sponsoring]( this newsletter. Thanks, everyone! I'm off to drive closer to the forest fire to visit "The Wizard." [Neal]( [Neal O'Grady]( [Grace]( [Justin Setzer]( [Grace]( [Nick Costelloe](   © 2024 Demand Curve, Inc. All rights reserved. 4460 Redwood Hwy, Suite 16-535, San Rafael, California, United States [Unsubscribe]() from all emails, including the newsletter, or [manage]( subscription preferences.