Strictly speaking, if a prospect hasn't told you that he needs a beachfront room, he has no need for a beachfront room. Features A feature is any aspect, element, or part of a product. It is also the name given to that element. A function is what the feature does. Benefits A benefit is the positive outcome the prospect will enjoy from the feature.
Many features offer more than one benefit.
It is the benefit that fulfills the prospect's need and convinces the prospect that this is the right product. That last point bears repeating, so let's repeat it. It is the benefit that fulfills the prospect's need and convinces the prospect that this is the right product. Qualifying the situation, to use a salesperson's term, is a process of developing needs. Of course, there are such things as unexpressed needs.